Data center design: Picking your location

In this series, we're going over the design and planning process for your data center. At this point you will have developed your criteria based on user preferences, selected a reference design and determined your budget through cost analysis. The next step is to choose the location of your site. 

Design criteria comes first
One common misconception in the data center planning process is that the location scouting should come first. However, this is not correct. The right location for your facility could hinge on your design criteria. It's possible that you would need to change your planned located based on some of these preferences, so it makes more sense to develop your criteria first and then seek out the right spot. 

Risks and benefits
Many factors, if not taken into account at the site scouting stage, could potentially affect your new data center's capabilities. These risks include the building itself, the geographic region or the local area. In addition, a number of factors could provide some benefits, including incentives, electricity rates and the climate. 

Evaluation factors
Site Selection Magazine has included a list of the most important factors that you should consider when searching for the ideal location. These factors are:

• Exposure to natural disasters: Obviously, being in a region that experiences a lot of hurricanes, floods, tornados, earthquakes or other weather phenomena can be a risk. If you do build in such a region, it's advised that you beef up your redundancy and surge protection to help prevent unexpected downtime. Remember the importance of UPS system design in your plan. 
• Climate: Temperate climates are best for facility sites because they provide more options for cooling air or water economization, which allow your site to save energy and run more efficiently. 
• Workforce: Your going to need to staff your data center with skilled IT professionals, so it's a good idea to research the labor background of the region to determine if there are enough suitable candidates. In addition, you'll want to do some research on the infrastructure available for construction professionals, since you'll need professionals to build this site. 
• Local power: The availability, type and long-term growth plans of local utility companies are important because your facility is going to need this power at all times. If clean power is available, that's a big benefit. 
• Fiber network connectivity: The better connectivity, the less lag time between your data center and key points of contact. Going into the site selection, you should have an idea of the level of connectivity you're going to require. 
• Taxes and economic incentives: Naturally the taxes for the particular region can affect your budget. However, as your data center will contribute employment and tax revenue to a region, it's possible that some high-tax areas will offer incentives for your business, so don't necessarily write off a place just because of the tax rates. 
• Transportation: How close is the location to infrastructure such as major highways, airports and public transportation? This can be beneficial by making it easier and faster for employees and partners to reach your data center. However, in the event of a disaster, it can slow down considerably due to traffic issues. 

The review process
Taking the design criteria and the evaluation factors into consideration through a review process will help you and your team come to the best decision. A proper and thorough review process will ensure your new data center will be effective, efficient and prepared for any unexpected power outage. 

Planning for the future
Consider both short and long-term factors when selecting your site location. As markets can change rapidly in any industry, remember to factor in some flexibility on your final design, and consider all of the potential advantages of your location. The site selection process is more involved than many realize, but it's worth it when your new data center is operating at its maximum capabilities. 

If you're planning a new data center for your business, Custom Networks can help! Our dedicated team provides APC products that help you maintain power outage protection. Our team can also advise you on IT efficiency, so you can make the most of your power. For more information on data center power protection and efficiency, contact Custom Networks.