The possibility of system failure is incomprehensible for data centre providers , with disruption from failing equipment subject to punitive fines , damaged reputations and worse . This situation can often arise from ineffective testing of critical infrastructure to ensure its resilience during peak times . Taking this into account , Greger Ruud , Sector Development Manager – Nordics Data Centres at Aggreko , discusses loadbank testing during the commissioning stage and its vital role in ensuring the continued running of facilities once online .
isruption to data centres can be hugely impactful in today ’ s
D increasingly connected world , where the Internet is utterly fundamental to modern life . Power supply issues to these facilities are usually to blame for services going offline , which can lead to wide-ranging financial , reputational and operational implications for facility providers .
These scenarios can represent the worst possible situation for data centre owners and operators , so maintenance and testing are aspects they must address to best guarantee uptime . This includes looking at the performance of critical infrastructure and systems , including those for temperature control and power supply .
When the worst happens
Not carrying out appropriate testing can lead to stark consequences , as seen when an untested facility went unexpectedly offline as a UK bank was carrying out a significant IT migration in 2019 . As this data centre had not been tested beforehand , quick fault-finding and remedial action was not possible .
As a result , over 2 million customers could not access their accounts , with the bank incurring a fine of £ 370 million in ‘ post-migratory charges ’. If appropriate testing had been carried out during the construction of the facility , it can be argued that steps could have been taken to address this fault beforehand , with this situation avoided entirely .
Varying markets and facilities
Of course , it must be noted that data centres vary in size , application and environment . This can be seen in the Nordics region , which is host to colocation and enterprise facilities in
IT IS ALSO KEY THAT PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS ENSURE CONSISTENT QUALITY REGARDLESS OF THE VARYING ENVIRONMENTS AND COMPLICATIONS THAT MAY ARISE FROM LOADBANK TESTING AT DIFFERING FACILITIES .
Loadbank testing – Surety in a shifting data centre market
62 www . intelligentdatacentres . com