In today's business landscape, IT is integral to the delivery of mission-critical services, often directly impacting the end consumer. As such, it is essential that data centres are designed, maintained, and operated with a focus on high availability and efficiency. Despite this need, many data centres fall short in meeting the full spectrum of availability, capacity, safety, and efficiency requirements. The rapid evolution of technology further intensifies the challenges faced by data centre managers, who must adapt quickly to these changes.

The Certified Data Centre Professional Practitioner course is a comprehensive 3-day program that introduces participants to the key components of a data centre. The course focuses on how to set up and enhance critical aspects such as power, cooling, security, cabling, and safety to ensure a highly available and efficient data centre.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is designed for IT, facilities, and data centre professionals responsible for maintaining and improving the availability and manageability of data centres. It is particularly relevant for those who work in or around data centres and are tasked with ensuring the reliability of these critical environments.

PREREQUISITES

Candidate who have passed the CCSD Certified Data Centre Fundamental Practitioner Certificate. However, participants with proven record of at least two years of experience in a data centre or facilities environment are eligible for exemption to enrol in this course directly.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

- Choose an optimal site for a mission-critical data centre based on current and future needs.

- Identify and describe the key components essential for high availability in a data centre, and effectively set up the facility.

- Understand and apply various industry standards relevant to data centre operations.

- Evaluate and implement technologies for UPS, fire suppression, cooling, monitoring systems, and cabling to enhance the efficiency and availability of the data centre.

- Review and optimise the electrical distribution system to prevent costly downtime.

- Improve cooling capabilities and efficiency by leveraging both existing and emerging techniques and technologies to meet future cooling demands.

- Design a reliable and scalable network architecture, ensuring proper installation and testing techniques are applied.

- Implement effective data centre monitoring to ensure timely communication to the appropriate personnel.

- Establish robust security measures, both procedural and technical, to protect the company's valuable data.

- Select appropriate equipment racks and components that meet ICT equipment and cooling requirements.

- Determine the correct lighting levels for various areas within the data centre.

- Choose suitable fire safety and protection measures to detect and suppress potential fires.

This course covers a comprehensive range of topics essential for understanding and managing data centres effectively. Breakdown of the key subjects covered:

1. The Data Centre: Importance and Causes of Downtime

   - Significance of data centres in modern enterprises.

   - Common causes of data centre downtime and their impact.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive understanding of the critical role data centers play in modern infrastructure and business operations, while identifying the common causes of data centre downtime and exploring strategies to minimise and prevent disruptions to ensure continuous availability and reliability.

 2. Data Centre Standards and Best Practices

   - Overview of industry standards and best practices for data centre design, maintenance, and operation.

Objective: To equip learners with a thorough understanding of the key standards, guidelines, and best practices that govern data centre design, operation, and management, ensuring compliance, efficiency, security, and high-performance in alignment with industry benchmarks and certifications.

 3. Data Centre Location, Building, and Construction

   - Criteria for selecting suitable sites and buildings.

   - Common pitfalls to avoid during site selection.

Objective: To provide learners with the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate and select optimal data centre locations, and to understand the critical factors involved in the design, construction, and infrastructure planning of data centre facilities, ensuring operational efficiency, safety, and scalability.

 4. Components of an Effective Data Centre and Supporting Facilities Setup

   - Critical components of a data centre, including power, cooling, and security infrastructure.

   - Best practices for setup and integration of supporting facilities.

Objective: To guide learners in understanding the essential components of a well-designed data centre, including power, cooling, network infrastructure, and security systems, while highlighting the importance of supporting facilities and how to effectively integrate these elements to ensure operational efficiency, reliability, and scalability.

 5. Raised Floor and Suspended Ceiling

   - Definitions of uniform, concentrated, and rolling loads.

   - Standards and guidelines for raised floors.

   - Signal Reference Grid and rack grounding techniques.

   - Compliance with disability regulations.

   - Requirements and best practices for suspended ceiling usage.

Objective: To provide an in-depth understanding of raised floor and suspended ceiling systems in data centres, focusing on their roles in optimising airflow, cooling efficiency, cable management, and overall infrastructure design to enhance performance and maintainability.

 6. Lighting

   - Standards for data centre lighting.

   - Selection and placement of light fixtures.

   - Emergency lighting systems and Emergency Power Supply (EPS) considerations.

Objective: To educate learners on the importance of effective lighting systems in data centres, covering design considerations, energy efficiency, and the role of lighting in ensuring safety, accessibility, and operational efficiency within the facility.

 7. Power Infrastructure

   - Layout of power infrastructure from generation to rack level.

   - Overview of ATS and STS systems and redundancy techniques.

   - Power distribution options, including cabling versus bus bar trunking.

   - Bonding, grounding, and power quality guidelines.

   - Load calculation methods and generator considerations.

   - UPS systems: static and dynamic, selection criteria, and energy efficiency.

   - Battery selection and testing, and introduction to thermo-graphics.

   - Renewable Energy Factor (REF) and sustainability considerations.

Objective: To equip learners with detailed knowledge of the power infrastructure in data centres, including the design, components, and management of power systems such as utility feeds, backup generators, UPS systems, and distribution networks, ensuring energy efficiency, redundancy, and resilience for uninterrupted operations.

8. Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)

   - Definitions and measurements of electrical and magnetic fields.

   - Sources and impacts of EMF on human health and equipment.

   - EMF shielding solutions and standards.

Objective: To introduce learners to the concept of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in data centres, focusing on the potential impacts of EMF on equipment and personnel, as well as best practices for mitigating EMF risks and ensuring compliance with safety standards.

9. Equipment Racks

   - Standards, selection criteria, and security considerations for equipment racks.

   - Power rail/strip options and their applications.

Objective: To provide learners with an in-depth understanding of equipment racks in data centres, covering their types, configurations, and best practices for installation and organisation to optimise space utilisation, equipment accessibility, and cooling efficiency.

10. Cooling Infrastructure

   - Recommendations for temperature and humidity control.

   - Overview of cooling measurement units and conversions.

   - Differences between comfort and precision cooling.

   - Air conditioning technologies, placement, and cooling concepts.

   - Cold aisle/hot aisle containment and liquid immersion cooling.

   - Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STER) and its benefits.

Objective: To offer a comprehensive overview of cooling infrastructure in data centres, including various cooling technologies, systems, and strategies such as CRAC units, chillers, and hot/cold aisle containment, aimed at maintaining optimal temperature and preventing overheating for efficient and reliable operations.

11. Water Supply

   - Importance of water supply in data centres.

   - Techniques for ensuring backup water supply.

Objective: To provide learners with a detailed understanding of water supply systems in data centres, including the role of water in cooling processes, water management strategies, and best practices for ensuring a reliable and efficient water supply to support data centre operations and infrastructure.

12. Designing a Scalable Network Infrastructure

   - Importance of a structured cabling system.

   - Planning considerations for copper and fibre cable technologies.

   - ANSI/TIA-942 standards and network redundancy planning.

   - Testing, verification, and network monitoring system requirements.

Objective: To equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed to design a scalable network infrastructure for data centre, focusing on network architecture, capacity planning, redundancy, and scalability to ensure optimal performance, flexibility, and future growth.

13. Fire Safety/Protection

   - Fire suppression standards and detection systems.

   - Evaluation of various fire suppression techniques and systems.

   - Use of handheld extinguishers, signage, and safety practices.

   - Regulatory requirements and best practices for fire safety.

Objective: To educate learners on fire safety and protection measures in data centres, including the design and implementation of fire detection, suppression, and prevention systems, as well as compliance with safety regulations and best practices to safeguard against fire hazards and ensure operational continuity.

14. Physical Security and Safety

   - Considerations for ensuring physical security and safety in data centres.

Objective: To provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of physical security and safety measures in data centres, focusing on strategies for protecting facilities from unauthorised access, theft, and physical threats, as well as implementing effective safety protocols to ensure the security and well-being of both personnel and infrastructure.

15. Auxiliary Systems

   - Data centre monitoring requirements, including EMS, BMS, and DCIM.

   - Water leak detection systems and alarm notification protocols.

Objective: To introduce learners to auxiliary systems in data centres, including critical support systems such as fire suppression, water cooling, and environmental monitoring, emphasising their role in maintaining overall operational stability, safety, and efficiency.

Certification Exam

Participants will take the Certified Data Centre Professional Practitioner exam to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the course material.