Capacity Planning
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Data centers are dynamic facilities, constantly changing due to organizational necessities and the process of technological evolution. Effective capacity planning and management involves making sure a facility is equipped with the right power and cooling configuration, and performing meticulous quarterly audits of a facility in order to confirm that the facility is ready for the coming year's expansions and modifications.
NetLogix has historically set new standards for outstanding site auditing work. Our methods involve auditing all major components of a critical facility and delivering this auditing material to our clients on a quarterly basis. Our expertise entails the entire data communications service infrastructure – including mechanical and electrical systems, as well as IT systems (as shown below).
NetLogix's periodic auditing and capacity planning activities entail rigorous testing and inspection of all systems. For mechanical/electrical audits, such activities include complete NETA certified electrical systems testing. In addition to providing records on the health status and current configurations of all major facility components, we also provide growth projections for all major facets of the facility. For example, we consider the facility's projected growth and evaluate whether or not the current DC Power system will require more distribution bays, whether a plenum needs to be rebuilt to suit the current pattern of gear on the equipment room floor, whether CPU loads indicate the need for more processing power, or whether another BDFB panel will be needed in the coming year.
In addition to providing these estimated needs for the facility, NetLogix notes and documents any issues that we observe in the facility during our various system audits. We record these problems clearly in an executive summary organized in terms of their severity.
| Mechanical/Electrical System Audit Detail | ||
| Minor Issues | Major Issues | Severe Issues |
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The few items listed above are only a few of the hundreds that NetLogix identifies during a site audit. Problems of various severities, along with concomitant recommendations for resolution, are clearly documented for the reference of our clients' management.
Capacity planning and auditing work is a large part of ensuring that facilities run smoothly and are ready for expansion and modification when the need arises. NetLogix closely works with clients to develop test metrics appropriate to each facility. Once such metrics are developed, we send our own professional engineers, Level 4 electricians, licensed architects, and data center experts to perform and document audits and other testing and preventative maintenance sessions. With a NetLogix site audit in hand, our client knows that he or she has a robust and completely reliable portfolio about the facility in question.