Uptime Institute has prepared a certification program for modular data centers

Two years ago, we already wrote that the organization Uptime Institute introduced its new system of assessment and certification of data centers, which was called Efficient IT Stamp of Approval. Then it was said that the new system is two-level, and the main factors that are used to evaluate data centers are the efficiency of the facility’s infrastructure and its impact on the environment.

Now this organization has also introduced a certification program for the reliability of modular data centers. Such objects are becoming increasingly popular for many reasons. But how to evaluate them? Now the Uptime Institute gives its answer.

The new program is called "Tier-ready.", its participants are both manufacturers, suppliers, and users of modular data centers. According to Tier-ready, the supplier can certify its own modular solution, which it sells in order to demonstrate the quality of the product to customers. Well, customers, in turn, are confident that the purchased solution works as it was announced, since it was verified by a third party.

The conditions also stipulate that after receiving a Tier-ready certificate by any solution, it must be deployed exactly where the customer indicated it. After all the work has been completed, the Uptime Institute selects a team of experts who study the deployed modular data center and certify it using the usual Uptime Tier program for already constructed objects with assignment of one of four levels. Customers ultimately save time in obtaining final certification.

According to representatives of the Uptime Institute, usually a team of experts to make a decision on certification of an object should spend at least a week "in the field." If the facility is being built using modular solutions that previously received a Tier-ready certificate from the Uptime Institute, then the certification period for a data center to obtain a Tier Certified certificate is reduced to three to four days.

Usually, time is really a critical factor, especially for those companies that deploy a large number of small data centers consisting of modules. This is primarily about DCs with a computing node capacity of 30 kW. Uptime Institute experts say that most of these facilities will be certified at Tier I level, although, of course, exceptions are possible.



The program is already running. So in early October, one of the suppliers of modular data centers has already received a certificate of conformity for its product under the new Tier ready program. This supplier is Compat Datacenters, whose engineers have certified a 1.2 MW modular solution. The certification process for the modular solutions of two more suppliers - Schneider Electric and Huawei are in the final stages. Both companies are certified for modular solutions with power of 90 kW and 230 kW, respectively. Compass Data Centers colocation provider, which uses its own modular solutions to build new and expand old data centers, also decided to go through this certification program.

According to the Uptime Institute, modular data centers with a Tier-ready certificate will have the same level of reliability and fault tolerance as conventional “large” data centers built using traditional methods.

The management of Uptime Institute is confident that the Uptime Institute Efficient IT will contribute to improving the efficiency of DC infrastructure. At the same time, it is impossible to achieve a result only by purchasing new equipment - it is necessary to optimize both the operation of software and the operation of hardware infrastructure. In addition, it is also necessary to optimize DC processes. The Uptime Institute believes that the new certification system will allow companies that own data centers to show their customers that DCs fully comply with all modern requirements, and the infrastructure of such an object is efficient, stable and economical.


It is worth noting that the most popular and sought-after system is the classification of data centers according to the level of reliability, Tier Classification. Now about 500 data centers have passed certification, and the system itself has been over 20 years old. In the 90s, the concept proposed by the Uptime Institute went from a common idea to a global standard for evaluating data centers.