Data Centre Audit

Data Centre Audit

Data Centre Health Check Audit

EDP have teamed up with a leading IT consultant company and can now offer a 10 point Data Centre Health Check Audit that will cover the following areas of the Data Centre Environment:


1. The Building

We will look at the building infrastructure which contains the Data Centre and how it impacts on environmental performance. In this we look at:-

  • The building’s aspect and geographical location
  • The construction of the main building fenestration including window frame quantities and type of glass Access and egress points

2. The Data Centre

The construction will have a direct impact on how it manages power consumption and cooling. In this we look at:-

  • The aspect in relation to the main building and the storey it is located in.
  • The construction including the roof, slab, external and internal walls.
  • Noise level inside and outside the Data Centre facility

3. Power

The use of renewable sources in power is a factor in a Data Centres environmental impact but how the power is used is equally an important factor. In this area we look at:-

  • Grid power source
  • The fuel and generator
  • UPS Types, sizes and batteries
  • Management and monitoring of power strips and types used.
  • Lighting design, fittings, types of bulbs and tubes used.

4. Efficiency Index

The Heath Check applies industry standard power efficiency measures to the data centre and assimilates them into an integrated overall evaluation. This efficiency index section includes metrics recommended by the green grid, including power usage effectiveness (PUE) and data central infrastructure efficiency (DCIE).

5. Cooling

The cooling system of the DC has a crucial impact. It is possibly responsible for over 40% of the power consumed. The cooling system is made more efficient by decreasing its heat output. The report looks at the system and how the data centre affects its performance, including air flow in the main chamber and under floor. The type of air conditioning is also an issue as different types have differing impacts in the environment.

6. Protection Systems

The data centre's protection systems are assessed for their potential environmental impact - the Health Check examines fire detection and suppression systems as well as protection systems including leak detection.

7. Layout

We report on the environmental impact of the cabling infrastructure, cabinets, devices and technologies and how this has a huge impact on efficiency.

  • Cabinets:- Including doors, blanking panels, side panels, gland plates, fan trays, cable management, types of cabinets, doors and airflows.
  • Devices:- Including cabinet loading and balancing, suitable airflow front and rear, side to side and bottom to top cooling, and the suitability of the cabinets for the devices installed.
  • Cabling Infrastructure:- Including whether the cabling is loose laid or in cable trays.
  • Technologies:- Including high density blade servers, San, tape and the use of energy efficient technologies.

8. The Operation

The operation section of the health check examines maintenance, monitoring and capacity planning. Maintenence and cleaning are essential in the running of an efficient facility and the health check looks at the cleaning schedule, tak-mats and commitment to planned preventative maintenance. An intergrated monitoring solution gives early warning of potential problems and the heath check rates temperature , humidity and temperature. Capacity planning is also examined and the health check looks for use of tools to maximise the resources available to the facility such as workload scheduling, application sizing, demand forecasting and powering up/dowm schedules.

9. The Service Operation

In the service operation section of the health check we look at the reporting methods used in the data centre and the availability of environmental impact awareness training.Process procedure can significantly impact the efficiency of the data centre and this is also taken into account.

10. The Policies

The health check examines the policies of data centre and how its management contributes to the environmantal credentials of the facility. These may be reflected in a certification such as ISO 14001 or voluntary schemes like carbon offsetting. In this section the health check also looks at technology and application management including a commitment to data purging, virtualistation and how harware is disposed of.

To find out more about the cost benefits of having a Data Centre Health Check Audit carried out - Click Here