WIREDGOV

Interim map of the main standards applicable to data centre operators

Regulators and other policy makers are very keen to ensure that data centres are adequately regulated and that their performance can be assessed.  What they are sometimes less aware of is the extent to which the industry is already self-policing in this regard, the standards and best practice tools that have been developed, are available, and widely deployed.   Rather than re-inventing wheels, we are encouraging regulators to refer to, and make use of, existing industry standards, which are bespoke, appropriate and regularly updated.

However, the data centre standards landscape is a pretty complex one, so with the help of Mike Gilmore from eReady Building, we mapped the majority of standards relevant to data centres in two slides. 

The first slide maps standards by the specificity against the point in the life cycle to which they apply.  The second slide looks inside the data centres and maps standards in terms of the part of the infrastructure that they (broadly speaking) apply to, also against the point in the lifecycle. 

The result is interesting, not least because the sheer number of standards actively applied within the sector made it a very challenging exercise!  However, the real learning point was how unevenly those standards are distributed through the life cycle and through the infrastructure.  Have a look for yourself. 

This is very much an iterative exercise so we will make changes from time to time.  Do advise of anything we should be adding, moving or taking out. 

Please click here to download the document.