Consideration For Relocate Data Center

Written by Julianus Yu

When deciding to relocate a data center we should aware on a geographic location. After selecting a site, the next question is whether to build a data center in an existing building or buy suitable land and construct a building and data center. If you must buy a building, ensure that it has adequate space for equipment, HVAC, and generators, preferably on the first or second floor. However, the build-to-suit option has more flexibility, Here are some factors to consider;

Safe from Natural Hazards
Ideally a data center must be located in an area with no possibility of floods, fire, tornadoes, strong winds, or earthquakes. Since it is impossible to find such an area, you must identify the hazards that are most likely to occur within the data-center lifetime (10, 20, or even 30 years) and make provisions to mitigate their impact.

Safe from Man-Made Disasters
A data center should not be located very close to an airport, electrical railways, or telecommunications signal center. They create a high level of radio frequency
interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) that hamper computer network and hardware operations. Avoid selecting a site too close to a mine, quarry, highway, or heavy industrial plant whose vibrations may disrupt racks and servers within the data center or utilities outside the data center.

Keep away from locations that are close to sources of industrial pollution such as farms, sewage treatment plants, and chemical factories. Their chemical waste, dust, and so forth can get inside the controlled areas of the data center and adversely impact equipment and health of data-center employees. If you have no choice, install a filtration system that can remove local contaminants.

Availability of Local Technical Talent
Ideally your location or city is attractive enough for new hires to relocate and live there for several years to come. The primary consideration for the move should be low cost of property and less-expensive work force.

Abundant and Inexpensive Utilities
Such as Power and Water This is an important consideration if you wish to pick a site in a rural area. Redundant feeds for electrical supply and Internet connection from ISPs are expensive to install and operate.

Once you have selected a geographic location, you can construct a building. The luxury of constructing a new building is not always an option. Sometimes you have no choice but to select and rent a floor in an existing building.