When designing a data center, there are many factors that people do not take into account, as well as many benefits that may not have been considered. We sat down with Arnie Evdokimo, CEO of DP Air Corporation, to discuss data center design and gain some insight from his thirty plus years in the industry.
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In terms of energy efficiency, what measures do you take to conserve energy when designing a data center?
“Utilizing the most efficient building design and power systems, including UPSs, lighting, building management systems, environmental control, and access systems. We understand that every dollar wasted on inefficient power utilization is lost forever. Reducing the cost per square foot while maintaining one-hundred percent uptime is paramount.”
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How long does it usually take to draft up a design or rough draft?
“Depending on the size of the data center, it could take as little as 10-12 hours or as much as 4-5 months to fully understand all of the client’s current and future requirements. This includes current computer hardware, electrical load, potential server upgrades and virtualization, or potential acquisitions. There is nothing worse than designing and building a data center, and having to make changes or upgrades after the data center has gone live. Prior proper planning alleviates this problem.”
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Why should you have a private data center on premises?
“Having an on-premises data center normally has about a 5-6 year ROI versus going to a co-location. Obviously there are many factors that change the ROI, (I.E. tier level, etc.) but in our experience of what clients were paying for in a co-location versus building their own data center, after 6 years you’re now saving the money you would have been spending on the co-location, while having a life cycle of about 30 years on your on premise data center.”
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What is a general timeline from concept drawing to project completion on average?
“Anywhere from 90 days to 2 years depending on the size, complexity, and geographical location.”
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What are some of the small elements that go into designing a data center that most people don’t think about?
“Redundancies and automation, with multiple failovers without any human intervention. Ease of serviceability without any shutdowns.”
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When designing, what are the top priorities for each data center?
“Power and cooling are the most important. Quality components as well, buying the best will save you maintenance problems down the road.”
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Are you excited with how designing data centers is moving forward technologically?
“Yes, I like a lot of the new technology. It makes information available much faster, so you can make informed decisions at a moment’s notice.”
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How long have you been designing data centers?
“Over 30 years.”
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What should people take into account when creating a budget for their data center?
“First to analyze what they need and what space they will need in five years, or ten, or twenty. Technology will play greatly on what space is required. Overall, plan for every contingency, and get an expert to help you with the design and guarantee that the design meets its intended goal.”
There are many factors that go into designing and building the perfect data center for your business, and DP Air Corporation, with over thirty years in this business, can help you by working with you to learn exactly what you need from an on-premises data center. Every detail will be taken into account, and experts will be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. To learn more about data center design, visit our services page. For any questions or interests in building a data center for your company, please contact one of our offices.
