Hi ,

The physical layer of the internet, the data center, is largely dependent on floor plans, not only the floor design and type of the floor itself, but where you put everything, and how that impacts data accessibility and delivery for your clients.

Perhaps the most important feature of any data center is agility and flexibility. To prepare for the future, floor plans must have the ability to adapt built-in. How do we get there?

First, we must think in terms of both density and capacity: there is always a tradeoff between power and space. A denser server system will require a more sophisticated power and cooling strategy, which may in the long run be more costly per watt than a less aggressive approach.

The most common answer is a blend of both high and low-density rack layouts to get the maximum benefits of each. Modular density allows for the addition of capacity over time and with energy costs higher than the cost of space (at least currently) a less dense approach makes more sense for most applications and data center floor designs.

This brings us nicely to the next point. Server configurations are constantly changing, and likely will continue to do so going forward. Balancing density and capacity when it comes to data center floor design makes it easier to make moves and changes when the need arises.

A forward-thinking floor design simply means you are ready when whatever technology is next taking over the market. Think of how your current layout can be adapted to new forms and layouts.

This naturally leads to storage and cooling, which is directly related to density and capacity, and future thinking. You must consider how you will store data, what kind of servers and racks you will use, and even where you will source them and other materials.

A part of that will also be your cooling plan. How will you cool your systems? Will you have an underfloor wiring plan or an overhead one? What kind of floor will you have? What will your HVAC system look like, and how will access to the building be controlled? This is all something to think about while looking at your floor designs.