Enterprise Data Center Design and Methodology

Fundamentals of the Philosophy

There are five core values that are the foundation of a data center design philosophy: simplicity, flexibility, scalability, modularity, and sanity. The last one might give you pause, but if you've had previous experience in designing data centers, it makes perfect sense.

Design decisions should always be made with consideration to these values.

Keep the Design as Simple as Possible

A simple data center design is easier to understand and manage. A basic design makes it simple to do the best work and more difficult to do sloppy work. For example, if you label everything—network ports, power outlets, cables, circuit breakers, their location on the floor—there is no guess work involved. When people set up a machine, ...