Module 1: Data Centre Design/Life Cycle Overview

• Overview of the phases of a data centre life cycle
• Planning, re-alignment and continuous improvement

Module 2: Standards and Rating Level Definitions

• Rating level history
• Difference between Uptime and TIA-942
• Rating level definitions
• Redundancy options (N+1), 2N, 2(N+1)
• Concurrent Maintainability/Compartmentalisation
• Example configurations
• Substation and feed requirements
• Maintenance options
• Operational processes guidelines/standards
• Skill development

Module 3: Building Considerations

• Building location considerations
• Floor and hanging loads requirements
• Fire rating for walls and glass
• Blast protection
• Bullet proofing
• Forced entry protection

Module 4: Advanced Raised Floor & Suspended Ceiling

• Raised floor installation guidelines
• Techniques to install a proper and leveled raised access floor
• Common mistakes
• Choosing the right tiles and their locations
• Seismic-mitigating floor constructions
• Choosing the correct suspended ceiling

Module 5: Advanced Power

• Power infrastructure layout
• Generators
• UPS Systems
• Harmonic Filters
• Battery Banks

Module 6: Advanced Electro Magnetic Fields

• Sources of EMF
• Difference between single, three phase and bus-bar EMF
• Options available to measure EMF and how to interpret the results from single-axes and composite measurements
• Guidance on safe distance for equipment and humans
• Calculation of EMF attenuation factor for shielding material permeability and saturation factors

Module 7: Advanced Cooling

• Important definitions; dry-bulb, wet-bulb, dew-point, RH, sensible and latent heat
• Psychometric chart and ASHRAE recommendations
• Environmental class definitions and thermal specifications
• Temperature/humidity measurements guideline
• Heat dissipation methods
• Altitude impact on temperature intake to ICT equipment
• Floor plan setup for effective cooling
• Differences in tile surface and supporting structure and the air-flow performance impact
• Rack door construction and the flow performance impact
• Equipment Delta-T and its impact
• Optimising airflow
• Thermal units conversions
• Calculations for air volume displacement (CFM/CMH)
• Cooling capacity calculations
• Air-conditioning selection
• De- / humidifying options
• Air conditioning efficiency
• SHR impact on cost saving
• Efficiency indicator
• New cooling principle and techniques (Submerged, VSD/VRF/ECF/water- and air side economisers)
• Redundancy guidelines for air-conditioners avoiding classic misconceptions and mistakes for meeting ANSI/TIA-942 compliant designs
• Installation requirements
• Connections to fire panel and EPO
• Commissioning of air conditioners
• Set points and calibration
• CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Module 8: Advanced Fire Protection

• The fire triangle and elements to stop a fire
• Detection systems in detail (VESDA, VIEW, smoke sensors)
• Considerations for installation of sensors
• Proper testing of smoke sensors
• Water based systems i.e. deluge, wet-pipe, dry-pipe, pre-action and why most of them don't work and how to detect this
• Details on Inert and Halocarbon systems and how to select the correct system for your data centre
• How to calculate the gas content ensuring the appropriate level is installed to suppress the fire including safety considerations
• Other requirements for gas systems such as release times, hold times, pipe install requirements and other important factors
• Requirements for the fire detection panel
• Installation verification, methods, what to check and how
• New advanced fire suppression technologies

Module 9: Design and Install Scalable Networking Cabling System

• ANSI/TIA942 cabling structure topology
• ToR, EoR Design
• Intelligent patching systems
• Installation best practice such as routing, bending radius, separation from power, containment fill ratio, fiber link loss calculator, bonding and grounding requirement
• Standard for telecommunications labeling and administration

Module 10: Environmental Specifications and Contamination Control

• Acoustic noise effects, regulations, specifications and limits
• Data centre contaminations and classifications
• Measurements, standards and limits
• Preventive measures and avoidance

Module 11: Data Centre Efficiency

• Business drivers to go Green
• High-availability or Green?
• Green guidelines and standards
• How to measure it and what are acceptable numbers compared to the general industry
• PUE classes defined by Green Grid and issues with PUE
• Techniques for saving energy in all parts of the data centre i.e. application/system level, cooling, power distribution

EXAM: Certified Data Centre Specialist