The stamp of approval

Certification standards act as key benchmarks for the planning, construction, and management of data centres, ensuring they meet specific criteria for safety, efficiency, and security. These standards are not just about compliance; they offer a roadmap to building a resilient and reliable infrastructure capable of supporting business operations even in the face of challenges. The benefits of adhering to these standards include improve reliability, enhanced security measures, and operational efficiency, all of which contribute to the bottom line of a business.

Historically, the evolution of data centre certification standards has mirrored the rapid advancements in technology and the growing demands of digital businesses. From basic facility requirements to advanced energy efficiency and sustainability criteria, these standards have continually adapted to support the increasingly complex needs of modern enterprises.

Tiers of joy

The Tier Classification System is a broad classification developed by the Uptime Institute to define the level of redundancy and resilience that an IT infrastructure meets.  Depending on the mission critical nature of an infrastructure, it can be used as either a design guide, or a way to clearly explain to customers that it can meet their high availability needs, even when undergoing planned maintenance, or experiencing some sort of failure.

There are four tiers to the standard and each tier is designed such as that each should be able to operate at the next level down when undergoing maintenance.  Tier I has is defined as no redundancy, where Tier IV has 2N+1 redundancy of all systems including power and cooling.  Tier III is the most seen classification and has an N+1 redundancy arrangement of all systems, though for smaller business a Tier II N+1 arrangement which does not require power and cooling to both have redundancy, may be perfectly adequate for smaller operations depending on the workloads running in that data centre.

You don’t need them all

Outside the data centre tiering system there are a number of ISO certification standards that define frameworks and approaches to different aspects of data centre management.  Selecting the appropriate certification requires a thorough understanding of your business needs, budget constraints, and industry-specific requirements. It’s crucial to align your certification choice with your overall business strategy, ensuring that the certification supports your objectives and enhances your value proposition to customers.

There can be many different steps to achieving a specific data centre certification, and the requirements can vary a lot.  This is something to be aware of when considering which certifications to aspire for.  Does the time and cost investment justify the benefits. It is critical to have a solid strategy for approaching certifications, so that you are investing in those that will make a difference to your business.

It is also important to realise that maintaining standards is critical too.  Once a certification is gained it is critical that operational standards are maintained to keep it.  It is much easier to do this in the long run, than to approach re-certification with a poorly run ship and incomplete record keeping. 

Here are some of the more common certifications that apply to data centres - but remember not all will be relevant to all data centres.  If you are designing or upgrading a data centre, having a clear plan on the certifications you need, and want, will be critical to the process.

• Sustainability (ISO 14001) – For those that care passionately about demonstrating they take their sustainability and environmental responsibilities seriously this is an essential certification.  If your business regards itself as ‘green’ and runs data centres, this demonstrates a commitment to minimising the environmental impact of a data centre. The standard shows that a company is running efficient environmental management systems (EMS), which can also benefit the organisation by cutting running costs an energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions and lowering waster. 

• Good management (ISO 9001) – This is a quality management system standard.  Its emphasis is on ensuring high standards of service delivery, continuous improvement and that the data centre meets all its customer and regulatory requirements. It is mark of confidence in the way a data centre is run and highly regarded in all industries.

• Security management (ISO/IEC 27001) – this standard focuses on information security management, offering a framework for managing sensitive company information. These standards are critical for businesses in industries where data security is paramount. 

There are many more certifications that can apply to most data centres.  These include ISO 50001, which provides a framework for organisations to improve their energy performance, by helping them implement, maintain and improve energy management systems.

Other standards can apply to specific sectors, for example PCI DSS, which is critical for any data centre that handles payment card information. Other certificates exist from organisations such as the Uptime Institute, with its Management and Operations Stamp of Approval. The key is to understand the requirements of your industry, and the expectations of your users and customers.

Looking forward

Data centre certification standards are more than just a compliance requirement; they are a strategic tool that businesses can leverage for improved reliability, efficiency, and competitive advantage. As the digital landscape evolves, understanding and adhering to these standards will be key to sustaining growth and resilience.