Data center - Case study
Ebay
Critical Systems Testing, Inc., (CST) performed mechanical and electrical testing on
this enterprise center in Denver.
This critical data center, in addition to housing primary servers serving the internet auction functions,
was remodeled, originally designed for another, now defunct, internet services provider.
challenge
Creating a high level of reliability for mission critical facilities, under load, in all types of failure scenarios.
Outcome
The Integrated Systems Test, which was performed after the individual equipment and system functional tests,
revealed an unexpected flaw in the site design
Problems Encountered
It was discovered that,
during the simulated utility loss test under full electrical load, multiple CRAC unit failures
were experienced.
Further investigation revealed that when the emergency power generators started, heat plumes created
by the discharge air from the cooling systems were causing the CRAC units to fail on high head pressure.
This resulting loss of cooling capacity, had it not been found, would have caused catastrophic failures
during a utility loss event
Developing the Strategy
The mechanical systems serving the data floor were comprised of 30-ton split DX Liebert computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units,
with pad mounted condensing units in a secure yard.
Critical Systems Testing, Inc has
developed an ‘Integrated Systems Test’ which accomplishes this goal.
Functional testing and inspection of the mechanical and electrical systems
revealed many critical flaws which could have caused this facility to fail had they
not been identified and remediated. the comprehensive testing and analysis performed by CST was invaluable to insuring that this facility
performed, as designed, under all types of operating conditions.
results
This scenario highlights the critical need for Integrated Systems Testing utilizing load banks on the data floor to
simulate a fully occupied and operational data center prior to occupancy. Problems and potential failures may remain
undetected, like ticking time bombs, if not fully tested under load during all types of failure scenarios. Increased
reliability, enhanced performance and reduced operational expenses is the mission of Critical Systems Testing, Inc
