The Reality of Autonomous Data Centers
Autonomous data centers—sometimes called self-driving data centers—are drawing interest from all corners of IT. Large-scale international corporations see potential in automating more of their...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Penetration Firestopping
In reviewing mission-critical data centers under construction, both during the submittal phase and during on-site inspections, I’ve found that the single most misunderstood issue is penetration...
View ArticleBuilding Next-Generation Software-Defined Data Centers
The explosion of data growth—with the advent of artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain applications—has propelled enterprise data centers from monolithic centralized architectures to...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Avoidable Code Violations
During the construction-administration (CA) phase, the design team is charged with helping the general contractor (GC) build the project in conformance with the contract drawings and specs. Success in...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Increasing Allowable Height, Stories and Area
When a building’s construction permit is issued, its construction type is officially recorded, effectively locking in the parameters and requirements for most of the building’s proposed architectural...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Means-of-Egress System
As the first article in this series introduced, the most critical aspect in a mission-critical data center is the life-safety measures it employs. The four standard systems that facilitate safe...
View ArticleWhen the Critical Mission Is the Data Center
High-profile operators demand new data centers go online on time, ready for 24/7 uptime. Since power is a data center’s lifeblood, electrical-distribution equipment is at the heart of a...
View ArticleFactors to Consider When Cabling a Data Center
The dependence on quality, reliable data is now more business critical than ever. Businesses rely on data centers for 24/7 connectivity; to uphold federal codes and regulations; and to ensure...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Means-of-Egress Components
The previous article in this series described the means of egress system as “providing a protected path of travel from any occupied point within the building, typically through a series of egress...
View ArticleData Center Tips of the Trade: Fire and Smoke Resistance
As the two previous articles in this series presented, the means-of-egress system (exit access, exit and exit discharge) and its means-of-egress components (doors, corridors, stairs and elevators)...
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