DATA CENTER

ESSENTIALS
Introduction to the components that support a
data center and how they work together

Part G4: General >

Data Center White Space
Data Center White Space: Agenda

Data Center •Raised Floor

White Space •Ceiling Plenum

•Hot aisle / Cold aisle

Layouts •Containment

Cleaning

Commissioning
Terms to Understand

Term Definition
White space The areas of the data center that houses the
IT equipment
Raised access floor Provides an elevated structural floor above a
concrete slab to create a hidden void for the
passage of mechanical and electrical
services
Ceiling plenum Space above a ceiling that allows power, air
or other items to traverse
Floor plenum Space below a raised floor that allows power,
air or other items to traverse
DATA CENTER
ESSENTIALS
The white space, above and below
 Data Center White Space

• White space
• Contains the computer systems
• Networking, storage, processing, etc.
 Data Center White Space
• Typically centralized room with surrounding support spaces

White space
Data Center White Space
• Closets with <100 square feet
Sizes vary • Warehouses with >500,000 square feet
White Space: Raised floor
Floor is raised above the slab below
Cabinet weights range from 800 to 3000 lbs (1800
• Pedestals with floor tiles average)
• Floor heights can vary
• Tiles
• 2’x2’ (US industry standard) Most equipment on 4 points – casters, rollers or feet
• Lay loose on the pedestals
• Steel shell with cement or wood core Therefore, the floor needs to support point loads of
• Perforated tiles control airflow 3000/4 = 750 lbs or greater
 White Space: Raised floor
Heights are typically about 18” to 36”

Allows air, power, cable, piping, etc. to

be run below the IT equipment
 White Space: Ceiling Plenum
Total heights are often over 3’

Allows air, power, cable, piping, etc. to be run above the IT equipment

Structural support systems also in this zone: joists, beams, etc.

• 6” floor slab above

• 24” support structure
Example: • 18” suspended ceiling
• Total = 48”
 White Space: Ceiling Plenum
• Often return air from hot aisles passes
Air flow path through ceiling plenum before returning to air
cooling units

Hot return air

Ceiling Plenum

Cooling unit IT Cabinets

Cool supply air

Data Center Suspended Ceiling System

Cable trays and more are hung from a suspended ceiling system. The maximum
point load is typically less than 200 lb.
Activity: Multiple Choice
If a server cabinet with 4 casters is expected to weigh 2400 lbs., the
maximum point load would be:
A. 400 lbs.
B. 500 lbs.
C. 600 lbs.
D. 800 lbs.
Divide the weight by the number of points on the floor: 2400 / 4 = 600 lbs.

If the raised floor height is 3’, the room height is 12’, and the plenum
height is 4’, and the roof thickness is 1’ the slab-to-slab height is:
A. 15’
B. 16’
C. 19’
D. 20’

The slab-to-slab height is the total between the slabs: 3+12+4 = 19’
The roof thickness is not counted.
DATA CENTER
ESSENTIALS
White space layouts
 Data Center Layout
A number of factors affect layout
• Division by department/group
• Proximity to network, other groups, etc.
• Density requirements
• Application
• Security
• Power
• Space
• Cooling

Cabinets formed
into rows is most
common
Hot aisle / Cold aisle
The typical cabinet • Server inlets face each other in the cold aisle
layout is hot • Server exhausts face each other in the hot aisle
aisle/cold aisle • Rows are used to prevent mixing
Hot aisle / Cold aisle Containment

Hot aisle containment

Containing the air

prevents mixing

Less hot air entering

server inlets

Better cooling
efficiency
No containment Cold aisle containment
White Space Construction

A time lapse construction of the data center shows how the white space is built over 3 months, including fire
protection, cabling and electrical coordination, then how the cabinets are laid out on the raised floor.
 Activity
Given the data center floor plan, indicate the equipment and whether the
containment is for the hot or cold aisle.
CRAH unit
Hot aisles
CRAH unit

Rows of Cabinets
Cold aisle
Because the containment is on the ends of
the hot aisles, this is considered hot aisle
containment Rows of Cabinets
DATA CENTER
ESSENTIALS
Cleaning
Cleaning a data center
Removing contaminants from the data center space:
• Prevents downtime
• Increases equipment reliability
• Increase performance

• Size range of 0.001 to 100 micrometers

Particulates • Filtration helps with elimination
• Preventative maintenance is a must
 Cleaning a data center
Association of Data
Preventative Cleaning
Center Cleaning
Services
Professionals (ADCCP)
• Sets standards & • Subfloor surface
guides for cleaning • Raised floor surface
• Recommends • Exterior equipment
chemicals & • Cabinets,
equipment equipment, white
• Acts as a guide to space work areas
cleaning services • Interior Cabinet
• Includes guides on: • Doors, exhaust fans,
• Anti-static floor server faces
finishing • Ceiling
• Subfloor
encapsulation
• Airborne particulate
count sampling
 Whiskers
Zinc and tin whiskers can
cause failures
• Lead-free solder types have led to
more whiskers forming
• Whiskers form and grow on all
types of surfaces in a data center
Optical microscope view of
zinc whiskers growing from
zinc-coated steel surface of
raised floor tile. Whiskers
are up to 2 millimeters long.
DATA CENTER
ESSENTIALS
Commissioning
Commissioning the White Space
Commissioning (CX)
• The data center starts
empty and needs to
operate from 0-100%
• Commissioning is crucial to
trusting that the facility will
operate from day 1 and that
maximum capacity can be
reached

Long term
• Based on current & future needs
• Requirements from today’s/tomorrow’s IT equipment
• Plans developed from latest industry server refresh
• Data center refresh is every 20 to 50 years
Commissioning the White Space
ASHRAE guidelines for
• 5 levels used to reach the best outcomes
commissioning apply

Level 1
• Submittal review and factory testing

Level 2
• Site inspection and verification to submittal

Level 3
• Installation inspections and verification to design drawings

Level 4
• Component testing to design loads

Level 5
• System integration testing at design loads

Commissioning provides:
• As-built documentation
• Start-up and standard operating procedures
• Load testing (power & cooling)
Commissioning the White Space
Load bank testing

• Properly exercises the cooling systems, controls

• Properly shows that the design can operate under the maximum
loads
• Allows changes to power systems, breaker settings, and controls
• Can be air or water cooled
Data Center Site Testing & Commissioning

The basic benefits and process of data center commissioning.

Activity: Multiple Choice
The data center room that houses the IT equipment may also be known as:
A. The dark space
B. The red space
C. The white space
D. The yellow space
An IT equipment room may be called a white space by many
professionals to delineate where the IT equipment can be located.

The following are benefits of commissioning a data center except:

A. Performance benchmark data
B. Improved energy efficiency
C. Lower total cost of ownership
D. Designing the systems
Commissioning ensures that the designed systems of a facility function
properly; designing involves conceiving of the systems and providing
plans to meet a need.
 End of presentation

DATA CENTER
ESSENTIALS
Part G4: General >
Data Center White Space