Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 74 | Page 53

FEATURE : DATA CENTRES assessing cooling loads , system redundancy and operator usability in addition to reviewing system operability , sequence of operations and interface procedures .
Comprehensive functional performance testing
Design reviews must then be followed by rigorous , quality-focused performance testing of the entire data centre facility , including heat load testing of the data halls where the performance of the building envelope is as important as the performance of the building services equipment in providing a temperature and humidity controlled indoor environment .
Through this process , it ’ s important to bear in mind that despite the best planning efforts , there are always unforeseen issues that arise and these can be overcome by a quality-focused commissioning team to ensure the delivery programme is not affected , which is often quite tight for data centre projects .
IST testing
To successfully conclude a data centre commissioning undertaking , it is important that handover documentation is reviewed by the commissioning team to ensure correct information and documentation is provided to the facility management team as this then empowers them to correctly maintain and operate the data centre .
Martin Williamson , Head of Commissioning – Middle East , AESG
This next critical phase of the data centre commissioning exercise involves testing the complete data centre to ensure installed systems are configured to operate as an integrated facility . This is done with the intention of ensuring smooth integrated operations during peak demand conditions , with various scenarios such as forced failure being simulated .
The overall IST demonstrates that the facility has met the overall performance requirements and is in full compliance with the design intent . Demonstrating the integrated performance , stability and fault tolerance of installed systems across a range of conditions reduces the likelihood of power outages or failures during the actual operational phase of the data centre .
Any operator planning to construct a data centre should ensure commissioning is included . The median cost of commissioning in a study of new construction buildings in 2018 was found to be US $ 8.78 / sqm , with a Return on Investment ( RoI ) of 4.2 years . This high-return service will enable operators a faster RoI with greater efficiency , redundancy and operability throughout the life cycle of the data centre facility . p
Seamless handover
Oftentimes , when a data centre is physically complete , the design team , contractors and commissioning professionals disperse , taking with them the knowledge of the facility and systems accumulated up to that point . To realise the long-term benefits of commissioning , it is important to ensure that mechanisms are in place to transfer that knowledge .
These include comprehensive Operation and Maintenance ( O & M ) manuals and an effective training regime to allow data centre administrators and facility operators to take effective control of the facility at handover .
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