BICSI 002 / TIA‐942 / Uptime

Which Data Center Standard
Should I Follow

Phil Isaak, PE, P.Eng., RCDD, DCDC
President, Master Instructor
Isaak Technologies Inc.

www.isaaktech.com
 Standards – Who are these People
• Power Standards
– Distribution & Grounding
• Network Standards
– Protocols
– IT Hardware Manufacturers
• Media Standards
• Cabling Manufacturers
• Design & Installation Standards
• End Users, Contractors, 
Consultants, Manufacturers

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 Uptime ‐ TIA – BICSI
Uptime Institute (2010)
Data Center Site Infrastructure  • For‐Profit Privately Held
Tier Standard: Topology
12 pages
• NOT a Standard

ANSI/TIA‐942‐A (2012)
Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard  • Open Industry Standard
for Data Centers
118 pages
• NOT Vendor Neutral

ANSI/BICSI 002‐2011
Data Center Design and Implementation  • Open Industry Standard
Best Practices
392 pages
• Vendor Neutral

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ANSI Certified Standard Requirements
Openness: Participation shall be open to
all persons who are directly and materially 
affected by the activity in question.
Lack of Dominance: The standards development 
process shall not be dominated by any single interest 
category, individual or organization.
Balance: Participants from diverse interest categories 
shall be sought with the objective of achieving balance.

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 BICSI Subject Matter Experts
More than 150 subject matter experts from around 
the world participated in developing the standard.
Perspectives: Expertise:
• Data Center Managers • Facility Engineers/Architects
• Data Center Operators • IT Engineers/Architects
• Consultants • System Administrators
• Contractors • Telecommunications
• Risk Assessors • Security
• Manufacturers • Fire Protection
• Commissioning Agents • Project Managers

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 Design Guide vs Benchmarking
• ANSI/BICSI 002‐2011
Provides a reference of common terminology and design practices … a 
framework for determining the recommended facility and technology 
redundancy to meet the operational requirements, achieve IT objectives 
and to develop optimum design & implementation solutions
• Uptime Tiers
“Only data center benchmarking system developed by and for data 
center owners, not a checklist, design menu, or cookbook”
Source: Uptime Institute: Tier Classification System & Operational Sustainability presented by 
Dana Smith, Director of Development, Uptime Institute at BICSI Andino 2012

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 Uptime Benchmarks
Uptime Institute  Tier I  Tier II  Tier III Tier IV 

Scheduled Outages / Year  2 x 12hrs  1 x 12hrs  None  None 

Ave Failures / Year (4hrs / failure)  1.2  1.0  1.0  1.0 

Ave Annual Downtime Hours  28.8  22  1.6  0.8 

Availability  99.67%  99.75%  99.98%  99.99% 

** Basis is on top 10% of sites as determined by Uptime Institute Benchmarking **

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 Comparing the Standards
• TIA‐942‐A chapters (normative)
– Data center design overview
– Data center cabling system infrastructure
– Data center telecommunications spaces & related topologies
– Data center cabling systems
– Data center cabling pathways
– Data center redundancy

• TIA‐942‐A annexes (informative)
– Cabling design considerations
– Access provider information
– Coordination of equipment plans with other engineers
– Data center space considerations
– Data center site selection and building design considerations
– Data center infrastructure tiers
– Data center design examples

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 Comparing the Standards
• BICSI‐002 sections
– Space planning – Security
– Site selection – Building automation systems
– Architectural – Telecommunications
– Structural – Information technology
– Electrical systems – Commissioning
– Mechanical – Data center maintenance
– Fire protection
• BICSI‐002 annexes
– Design process
– Reliability and availability

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Comprehensive Data Center Standard

ANSI/BICSI
002‐2011

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 Methodology to Define Reliability
Define Operational 
Requirements

Annual  Operational 
Planned  Level
Downtime
> 400 hrs 0
100 – 400 hrs 1
50 – 99 hrs 2
0 – 49 hrs 3
0 hrs 4

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 Methodology to Define Reliability
Define Operational  Define Availability 
Requirements Requirements

Minutes Number of 9’s
> 5,000 > 99%
500 – 5,000 99% ‐ 99.9%
50 – 500 99.9% ‐ 99.99%
5 – 50 99.99% ‐ 99.999%
0.5 – 5 99.999% ‐ 99.9999%

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 Methodology to Define Reliability
Define Operational  Define Availability  Define Impact of 
Requirements Requirements Downtime

Description Classification
Local in scope, affecting only a single function or operation, resulting in a minor  Isolated
disruption or delay in achieving non‐critical organizational objectives.
Local in scope, affecting only a single site, or resulting in a minor disruption or delay  Minor
in achieving key organizational objectives.
Regional in scope, affecting a portion of the enterprise or resulting in a moderate  Major
disruption or delay in achieving key organizational objectives.
Multiregional in scope, affecting a major portion of the enterprise or resulting in a  Severe
major disruption or delay in achieving key organizational objectives. 
Affecting the quality of service delivery across the entire enterprise, or resulting in  Catastrophic
a significant disruption or delay in achieving key organizational objectives. 

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 Methodology to Define Reliability
Define Operational  Define Availability  Define Impact of 
Requirements Requirements Downtime

Recommended 
Performance 
Identified
Class‐0
Class‐1
Class‐2
Class‐3
Class‐4

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 Class‐0/1 Single Path
Alternate Power Transfer
Utility
Source Switchgear “N” Chiller, Pumps
& Condenser

Electrical Distribution

Piping and valve 
redundancy not 
Mechanical required.
Static UPS Maint. Switchgear
Bypass Bypass WAN
Carrier

“N” CRAH 
Modules
PDU
Edge
Internet
Critical Non-Critical Mechanical Edge
Loads WAN
Loads Loads

Core

Aggregation

RPP “A”

Access
Switch Large
Frame
Power 
Processing
Circuit  Server 1
“A‐1”

Server n
“A” 
POU NAS
Disk Disk
Array Array

“A” PSU “B” PSU

© 2013 Isaak Technologies Inc.
www.isaaktech.com
 Class‐2 Redundant Components
Alternate Power
Source Transfer
Utility
Alternate Power Switchgear
Source
“N+1” Chillers, Pumps 
& Condensers
Electrical Distribution

Static Mechanical Piping and valve 

UPS UPS
Bypass Switchgear redundancy not required 
outside computer room.
WAN
Carrier

Maint.
Bypass “N” CRAH 
PDU Refer to “Chiller Piping 
Modules
and Valve Redundancy” 
Edge section for computer 
Edge Internet room recommendations
Non-Critical Mechanical WAN
Critical
Loads Loads Loads

Core

“+1” CRAH Module
More than “N+1” 
Aggregation
redundancy is 
recommended as the 
RPP “A”
number of modules to 
meet “N” increases

Access Large
Switch Frame
Processing
Power  Power  Server 1
Circuit  Circuit 
NAS
“A‐1” “A‐2” Disk
Server n Array

“A”  “B” 
POU POU
Disk
Array

“A” PSU “B” PSU

© 2013 Isaak Technologies Inc.
www.isaaktech.com
 Class‐3 Concurrent Maintainability
Alternate Power
Source
Utility Switchgear Switchgear
Alternate Power
Source

Electrical Distribution Electrical Distribution

Static Mechanical Mechanical

Bypass Switchgear Switchgear
“N+1” Chillers, Pumps 
UPS UPS Mechanical & Condensers
Loads

Maint. Mechanical WAN

Loads Carrier “1”
Bypass Piping and valve 
redundancy not required, 
WAN but recommended, 
Output Distribution Switchboard Alternate Switchboard Carrier “2” outside computer room.
Carrier “1” Carrier “2”

Mechanical Mechanical Edge1 Edge2

Switchboard Switchboard Internet Internet
Edge1 Edge2
PDU PDU WAN WAN

Critical
Fans/Pumps Core1
Core2

Non-Critical Critical Non-Critical

Loads Loads Loads “N” CRAH 
Aggregation2
Aggregation1 Modules

Refer to “Chiller Piping 
and Valve Redundancy” 
section for computer 
PDU‐A1 PDU‐B1 room recommendations
Access
Switch 1 Large
Access Frame
Switch 2 Processing
Server 1
NAS
Disk
RPP‐A1 RPP‐B1 Server n Array

“+1” CRAH Module
SAN SAN More than “N+1” 
Switch1 Switch2 redundancy is 
Power  Power  Power  Power  recommended as the 
Circuit  Circuit  Circuit  Circuit  number of modules to 
RPP‐A1‐1 RPP‐A1‐2 RPP‐B1‐1 RPP‐B1‐2 meet “N” increases

STS “A”
STS “B”
Disk Disk
Array1 Array n
“A”  “B” 
POU POU

“A” PSU “B” PSU

© 2013 Isaak Technologies Inc.
www.isaaktech.com
 Class‐4 Fault Tolerant
Alternate Power Alternate Power
Source Source
Utility Switchgear Utility Switchgear
Alternate Power Alternate Power
Source Source

Electrical Distribution Electrical Distribution

“N+2” Chillers, Pumps 
& Condensers

Mechanical Mechanical
Switchgear Switchgear
UPS UPS UPS UPS
Mechanical Piping and valve 
redundancy required 
Loads outside computer room.

Static Static
Bypass Maint. Bypass Maint.
Bypass Bypass

WAN
Output Distribution Switchboard Output Distribution Switchboard Carrier “1”

Mechanical Mechanical WAN

Carrier “2”
Switchgear Switchgear Carrier “1” Carrier “2”
PDU PDU “N” CRAH 
Edge2 Modules
Edge1
Internet
Critical Edge1 Internet Edge2
Fans/Pumps WAN WAN

Refer to “Chiller Piping 
and Valve Redundancy” 
Non-Critical Critical Non-Critical Core1 section for computer 
Core2 room recommendations
Loads Loads Loads

Aggregation2
Aggregation1

PDU‐A1 PDU‐A2 PDU‐B1 PDU‐B2

“+2” CRAH Module
More than “N+2” 
redundancy is 
RPP‐1 RPP‐2 Access recommended as the 
Panel A Panel B Panel A Panel B Switch 1 Large
Access number of modules to 
Frame
Switch 2 meet “N” increases
Processing
Server 1
NAS
Disk
Server n Array

Power  Power  Power  Power 

Circuit  Circuit  Circuit  Circuit 
RPP‐1A‐1 RPP‐1B‐1 RPP‐2A‐1 RPP‐2B‐1 SAN SAN
Switch1 Switch2
STS “A”
STS “B”

“A”  “B” 
POU POU

Disk Disk
Array1 Array n

“A” PSU “B” PSU

© 2013 Isaak Technologies Inc.
www.isaaktech.com
 End‐to‐End Reliability

• Applications
• Systems Applications

• Network Data Processing & 
Storage Systems
• Cabling Infrastructure Network

• Facility Cabling Infrastructure

Facility

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 DC125 Data Center Design Course
• 4 Day Course
• In‐Depth Review 
of Standard
• Prepare for DCDC Exam
– Data Center Design Consultant
• Contact FiberOpto Asia Pte Ltd for course dates 
and locations available in South East Asia

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 BICSI Data Center Documents
ANSI/BICSI 002‐2011
Data Center Design and 
Implementation Best Practices

BICSI International Standards 
Supplemental Information 001
Methodology for Selecting Data Center 
Design Class Utilizing Performance Criteria

Available from BICSI
www.bicsi.org/standards
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