Certified Data Centre Design Professional (CDCDP®)

Course Overview

Create a comprehensive data centre design that supports the critical needs of the business, examining in-depth the key constraints of data centre functionality to deliver a balanced, efficient and sustainable solution.

The Certified Data Centre Design Professional (CDCDP®) program is proven to be an essential certification for individuals wishing to demonstrate their technical knowledge of data centre architecture and component operating conditions.

This five-day program has a comprehensive agenda that explores and addresses the key elements associated with designing a data centre. It teaches best practice principles for the design, construction and operation of computer rooms and data centre operational support facilities. The program also addresses the importance of accurate interpretation of detailed customer requirements at the planning stage to ensure that the business needs remain focal to all decision making.

Learners will also explore the key elements of physical infrastructure, electrical distribution systems, air-conditioning, data cabling and building support systems. The program concludes with a comprehensive case study exercise that guides learners through the design steps from initiation to commission, covering the business decisions, design scope and implementation phases that need to be addressed throughout all aspects of the process.

A certified CDCDP® also considers the requirements for compliance, having a full understanding of national and international regulations, codes and standards. During the program, learners will be provided a valuable opportunity to access the latest industry standards.

Following this program, you are encouraged to continue your professional development by advancing your knowledge and skills to gain further official certifications and qualifications by progressing through The Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework which maps education programs to career advancement throughout the network infrastructure and data centre sectors.

The CDCDP® program is classroom-based and led by one of CNet’s expert Instructors and is also available via remote attendance.

Target Audience

The program will prove beneficial for professionals already designing projects for implementation within a data centre facility, or those looking to advance into the data centre design from associated data centre technical or operational roles.

Course Objectives

CDCDP® certified individuals will possess unrivalled knowledge, expertise and capability to deliver a comprehensive data centre design to meet on-going operational and business needs.

Course Content

What is a Data Centre?

The data centre stack

Types of data centre

The Design Planning Process:

Main design considerations

Developing a project plan

Scoping the Requirement:

Identifying key stakeholders

Market and political drivers

National and international standards

Availability and resilience classifications

Introduction to availability models (Uptime Tier, TIA 942-B

Rating, BICSI Classes & Syska Hennessy Critical Levels)

Recommendations for location, size, heights, floor loading,

lighting and decor

Whitespace Floor:

National and international standards

Structural and load requirements

Recommended floor heights

Airflow and sealing

Ramps and access

Seismic protection

Slab floor construction considerations

Cabinets:

Requirements of a cabinet

Security, safety and stabilisation

Clearance, accessibility and ventilation

Cable management

Seismic stability considerations

Design specifications

Power:

Regulations and codes

The meaning of N, N+1, 2(N+1) etc.

Power delivery and distribution losses

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) options

Generator considerations

Power distributions units

Power distribution to, and in, a rack

Remote Power Panels (RPPs)

Emergency Power Off (EPO)

Estimating power requirements

Cooling:

National and International standards

Basics of air conditioning principles

CRAHs and CRACs

ASHRAE operational parameters

Under floor plenum approach

Hot aisle/cold aisle layout principles

Hot and cold aisle containment

Psychrometric charts

Min and max throw distances for under floor air

Bypass and recirculation

Airflow management

Chilled water racks, CO2, free air cooling

Earthing & Bonding

Applicable standards

The terminology of earthing, grounding & bonding

Equipotential bonding

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

Functional earths

The Signal Reference Grid (SRG)

Cable Containment, Management & Protection :

Applicable standards

Separation of power and data cables

Administration and labelling

Types of conduit, trunking, tray, etc available

Earthing and bonding

Containment fill ratio

Underfloor v overhead containment

Cable management, in and to a rack

Fire stopping

Delivering the IT strategy :

Data centre equipment

Functions and protocols, current and future

Data centre connections

Cabling requirements

Cabling standards

Cabling options

The impact of 40G and 100G

The impact of virtualisation

Copper and Optical Fibre Cabling Connectivity

Cabling standards

Cable standards, 10GBASE-T, CAT6A, Cat 7A & Cat 8

Screened vs unscreened cables

High density patching

Alien crosstalk

Copper test requirements :

Design for growth management

Channel connections

Connection topologies

Optical connectors, past and present

Optical fibre management

Types of optical cable

Advantages/disadvantages of pre-terminating cables

Optical component loss and link power budgets

Application link loss

Optical testing requirements

Pre-terminated cabling

Safety and Manageability:

Local codes and regulations

Fire safety plan

ASD and detection systems

Fire suppression systems

Fire safety cable requirements

Security and access control

Commission and Handover :

Benefits of commissioning

Commission process and test sequence

Handover process and training

Lessons learned

Power Review:

Power consumption trends

Energy availability, security and cost

Energy challenges facing the data centre

Power Regulations :

Which regulations affect data centres?

Environmental regulations and pressures

Energy and environmental programs

Power Basics :

Ohm’s law, Joule’s law, the Kirchhoff laws

Electrical parameters

AC and DC

Single phase and three phase

Residual currents

Harmonics

Power to the Data Centre :

Where does the electricity come from?

Electrical supply options

Transformers

Surge suppression devices

Costs of electrical power

Types of tariff available

Alternate power supply options

Distribution in the Data Centre :

Electrical circuit requirements

Switching devices

Power factor correction units

Automatic and static transfer switches

Main, feeder, sub-main circuits

Power distribution units

Remote power panels

Final circuits

Cable and fuse sizing

Power distribution and associated losses

TN-S systems

Energy efficiency

Standby Power :

UPS, components, batteries and redundant systems

UPS options and considerations

Static and maintenance bypasses

Standby generators

Cooling Review:

Data centre limiting factors

Sources of cooling inefficiencies

Cooling trends

Regulatory Climate :

Which regulations affect data centres?

Environmental pressures

Cooling efficiency

Design considerations & planning redundancy

Overview of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Periodic review process

Environmental Parameters :

Standards, NEBS, ETSI, ASHRAE

Operating environment ranges

Rate of change

ASHRAE psychrometric charts

Humidification systems

The need for sensors

Measuring and monitoring

Collecting the Heat :

Cooling system overview

CRACs and CRAHs

Maximising existing investment

Rack v row options

Dynamics and problems of air flow

Liquid cooling

Comparison of high-density cooling

Available cooling options

Heat Rejection or Reuse :

Heat transfer considerations

DX systems

Chilled water CRAHs

Chiller options

Adiabatic cooling

CWS and CHWS plant

Design considerations

Free cooling and free - air cooling

Commissioning maintenance

Planned preventative maintenance

Energy Use Systems :

Energy efficiency issues

Layers of inefficiency

Power system provision

Cooling system provision

Understanding areas; of improvement

IT Infrastructure :

Extending the operating envelope

Environment zones

Accurate IT calculations

Energy use in the IT equipment

Software and storage considerations

Transformation options

Energy efficient IT equipment

Power Systems :

Energy use in the data centre

DC power train

Matching the support to the IT load

Transformer efficiencies

UPS & motor efficiencies

DCiE for modular provisioning

Maximising the power factor

Measuring and monitoring

Infrared inspections

Planned electrical safety inspections

Implementing data centre electrical efficiency

Cooling Efficiency:

Cooling a cascade system

Affinity laws and cooling equation

CRAC and CRAH efficiencies

Optimising air-side systems & water-side systems

DCiE for cooling options

Diagnostic and site specific monitoring

Design considerations

Data Centre Metrics :

Where and what can we measure?

The metric stack

Metric characteristics

Current industry metrics (PUE, CUE, WUE, ERE, RCI & RTI)

Chained value metrics (CADE)

Proxy metrics (FVER, DPPE, DCeP)

Efficiency Models & Best Practices :

Energy calculations

Levels of modelling

Modelling tools

Sources of guidance

Effective v Efficient

The DC language barrier

The multi-functional team

Design for efficiency, operability & flexibility

Industry recognised best practices

Design Management :

Characteristics of project management

Key project processes

Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders

Setting goals

Prioritisation of activities

Cornerstones of project management

Managing the Design Process:

What is to be delivered?

What constraints are there?

Managing dependencies

Managing the tribes

Managing conflict

Identifying risk

Risk and issue management

Change management

Reporting and communication

Managing the Design Implementation Process :

Project charter and specification

Risk assessment and management

Scope management

Float and critical path

Human resource management

Project integration and work breakdown structure

Time and cost management

Handover and progressive acceptance

Course Prerequisites

Experience of working within a data centre environment is essential; preferably with two years experience in a technical IT, operational or facilities role. If you would like to discuss your experience or suitability for this program please contact us.