How Structural Specifications Affect Data Center Pricing

Pricing is an important factor when choosing a data center partner. Data center use gives a company huge savings over in-house IT management. Companies have to understand that there are various factors that determine data center pricing. One of those factors is the structural specifications of a facility. The structural design of a data center is critical part of its overall security and reliability. Structural specifications range from construction to withstand natural disasters to security measures and fire suppression to cooling systems.

Solid Construction

Because they house valuable equipment and data, data centers are built with durability in mind. An entire data center structure is constructed to be resilient. Reinforced concrete, tornado-proof walls and roof were constructed to ensure building survival of many disaster types. Data centers are constructed with 10-inch thick cinder block or concrete walls and six-inch thick concrete roofs. They can withstand sustained winds equivalent to an F3 tornado. This construction can also hold up to hurricanes, heavy rain storms and hail storms.

In addition, data centers are constructed with no openings or access points on the roof. This reduces vulnerability to security breaches. Underground, facilities also are built on caisson pier foundations driven into bedrock and feature extensive underground conduits.

Electrical and telecom conduits, water lines and diesel storage tanks are all housed underground. This protects these much-needed features against accidental, deliberate or weather-induced damage.

Security Measures

CCTV monitoring systems, manned security stations, mantraps and biometric scanning devices are installed at various locations in a facility. Most data center facilities are equipped with biometric devices, which can include fingerprint and retina scanning units. Biometric devices are very secure because authentication only allows authorized personnel access to specific areas. Cameras are also used to track the movements of individuals that enter or leave the facility.

Fire Prevention, Detection and Suppression

The most advanced data center facilities are fitted with highly sensitive fire detection systems. Fires can damage servers and secondary storage devices that are the lifeblood of any colocation facility. Therefore, a fire detection and suppression system is of the highest importance. Most data center facilities are equipped with a safe, clean gaseous fire protection system. It is dispensed on a fire as a non-conductive vapor, which will not harm the equipment like water could.  

Cooling Systems

Advanced cooling systems keep servers at optimal operating temperatures. Cooling systems are one of the many needs that all data centers address. Data centers cover the bases with the standard cooling methods. They also offer customizable cooling options, such as:

·         Cold aisle containment configurations

·         Hot aisle containment configurations

·         Chimneys

·         Custom water-chilled cabinet cooling

·         Rear door heat exchanges

Chilled water cooling is exceedingly important. It conserves energy, can withstand load increases and provides consistent high performance. In addition, chilled water systems consume less electricity than conventional air-cooled systems.

Pricing Consideration

Structural specifications provide a stable facility in which to operate. The actual construction and those features built-into to protect equipment and data will have an effect on pricing. The building construction won’t effect as much as other services like security. As a customer looks for higher levels of security, the prices charged by a data center also increases. However, most companies know that a price can’t be put on top level security and protection.