Guidelines

Data Center Facility Standard

Purpose of Formulating Data Center Facility Standard

Along with the increase of introduction of the cloud computing, various types of data centers are requested. For example, one with higher reliability, or one with more eco-friendly and low cost rather than reliability.

Among the standards that define the facility contents to realize required reliability when constructing a data center, “Tier” formulated by a private sector in U.S.A. (Uptime Institute) is known best. However, it is a facility standard built by reflecting global requirement and extensive consideration has not been given to the actual situation in Japan.

For example, as a basic concept on power infrastructure Tier considers in-house generation to be Primary and positioned commercial power only as its backup. Commercial power supply in Japan has a world-top level of reliability and we believe it is reasonable to take commercial power as the main source and in-house generation as its backup.

Another issue is that we need to consider the higher quality (low failure rate) of Japanese products and the need for earthquakeresistant specifications.

To resolve these general issues, JDCC has formulated the “Data Center Facility Standard,” with the aim of constructing a proprietary facility standard that conforms to the actual situation in Japan. This modifies those portions of the Tier standard that seem excessive for Japan and adds Japan-specific elements.

We plan to actively promote an understanding of this standard. Our goal is that an international understanding of this standard will help to enhance the international competitiveness of domestic data centers, and to have it widely adopted by parties related to data centers including data center users, designers of buildings and equipment, service personnel, construction contractors, and data center operators.

Reliability Comparison of the Commercial Power

	Commercial power annual blackout (unit: min)	Number of blackout time (time/year)	End user annual blackout time per year (min/year)	End user operation reliability
Japan(TEPCO) worst value in recent 10 years	18	0.18	43	99.99%
U.S.A	86	0.86	206	99.96%
England	68	0.68	163	99.97%

NOTE:
End user annual blackout time per year (method of calculation) Calculated based on the assumption that one blackout causes 4 hours of fault for end users.

REFERENCE: Operational Reliability Listed in “Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance (Uptime Institute)”

	Total blackout hour of a enduser due to site (min/year)	Operation reliability of a enduser due to site
Tier 1	1728	99.67%
Tier 2	1320	99.75%
Tier 3	96	99.98%
Tier 4	48	99.99%

Conceptual Comparison of Uptime Tier (2008) and JDCC FS

Service Level of a Data Center Assumed at Each Tier Level

	Service Levels
Tier 1	Security of a general building level is secured against disasters such as earthquakes and fires. Equipments are available to offer continuous computing service against momentary interruption of power supply. Access control to the server room is in effect. Assumed end users' operation reliability: 99.67% or above.
Tier 2	Security of a general building level is secured against disasters such as earthquakes and fires. Equipments are available to offer continuous computing service against long time interruption of power supply. Access control to the server room is in effect. Assumed end users' operation reliability: 99.75% or above.
Tier 3	Security higher than a general building level is secured against disasters such as earthquakes and fires. Redundant equipments are available to offer continuous computing service even in case of temporary suspension of some equipments such as in case of equipment maintenance. Access control to the server room and the building is in effect. Assumed end users' operation reliability: 99.98% or above.
Tier 4	Very high level of disaster resistance is secured that keeps data maintenance security and availability against earthquakes and fires. Redundant equipments at higher level are available to offer continuous computing service even in case of fault of some equipments in addition to temporal suspension of some equipment due to failure or maintenance. Access control to the site, building, server room and IT equipments in the rack is in effect. Assumed end users' operation reliability: 99.99% or above.

Structure of Data Center Facility Standard

This standard is built by considering compatibility with existing facility standards such as FISC Standard*1 and JEITA Standards*2 that are influential in Japan, and taking overseas standards such as Uptime Tier*3 and TIA-942*4 , and provisions in ASHRAE*5 or IEEE*6 as guidelines.

Also, items such as floor height and power capacity that are irrelevant were classified as recommended items. Three items in the right are added as Japan original.

Though it is not reliability related, "Consideration for the environment” that is a social requirement for Data Centers is added as one of the recommended items.

• Earthquake risk assessment (PML)

Overall assessment of earthquake risk such as seismic hazard, stability of the ground, and earthquake resistance of the equipments concerning data center site.

• Facility risk evaluation

If the building is dedicated for data center use. Or evaluation of the security levels, communication network, and facility levels.

• Operation control risk evaluation

Evaluation of the data center management system and operation management.

Scope

This standard defines reliability security required for data center facilities by separating “basic items” that are minimum requirements and “recommended items” that are expected to be employed for reliability security.

Upon the application of this standard, “basic items” need to be satisfied for all evaluation items specified in each level of “Tier 1” to “Tier 4”. Concerning the recommended items, not all the items have to be satisfied. Each DC can choose any items thought to be required according to the required reliability.

Along with growing introduction of cloud computing, various types of DC are requested such as one seeking the higher reliability, or one pursuing the cost performance or greening rather than the reliability. To respond to these requirements, this standard allows “Multi-tier data center” where each server room in the same data center can have different tier level as well as treating a whole data center as one tier level.

Security Comparison against Earthquake Risks between Japan and US (California)

It is thought that Japan is a country of earthquakes and has higher earthquake risk. However, if we calculate the earthquake strength (maximum acceleration) as a seismic hazard in California that occurs once per 475 years, we get “480cm/sec2” and it is the similar strength(earthquake risk) as in Japan.

On the other hand, Building Standard Law in Japan is seemed as the most stringent building standard in the world. If we calculate PML* for the same buildings built according to laws in U.S.A and Japan respectively, Japan gives lower PML than California, i.e. lower earthquake risk. This means that data center built in Japan has higher security against earthquake than in U.S.A.(California).

Evaluation Result of Earthquake Risk in California and Japan (PML Comparison)

	PML Estimation Result (RC Bldg, 8F)
California	19.8%
Japan	About 15%

* PML is an acronym of “Probable Maximum Loss" which indicates the damage of an earthquake by a ratio of cost to recover from the damage (including compensation of non-use) vs. the original asset value.

* Lower PML means lower earthquake risk.