From 8 to 11 September 2009, Alexander Martynyuk (CEO, DC-expert) and Konstantin Ushmaykin, (manager of DC-projects) participated in Accredited Tier Designer educational session, delivered by Uptime Institute Professional Services (UIPS). The session was addressed to professionals occupied in the field of data center design and consulting and to top managers, who bear the responsibility for decisions of investing into new DC projects, as well as in upgrading existing ones.

The aim of authors (including Pitt Turner IV) of this intensive training program  was to provide players of the international DC-market the first-hand sufficient and precise information to enable them to better understand the requirements UPTIME Institute for further implementation, to provide general and financial directors a vocabulary of practices and techniques for building data centers without professional slang: Watt, cubic meters, etc. . Instead, the course helps the consumer to better assess the quality of possible solutions. 

It has been a long waited opportunity. Lack of knowledge in proper implementation of TIA 942 and UIPS requirements and recommendations is very acute in Russia.

There were 15 person in the 1st group, representing several major players in the world IT market, consulting companies, universities, industrial companies (mainly from Canada and America). During three-day intensive course, a wide range of topics was observed, including:

• Architectural, topological and reliability requirements for electrical and mechanical systems for different data center TIER levels;
• Classification and requirements for supportive systems;
• Facility Management services impact on reliability of the data center operations;
• Requirements for external supply connections for the certification of the data center,
• Local regulations and their impact on UIPS certification process;
• Features of designing data center engineering infrastructure in different climatic zones and conditions;
• The restrictions imposed by the manufacturers of data centers engineering systems and equipment
• Data centers certification procedures for compliance of UIPS Tier levels.

Cost savings throughout the project life cycle, efficiency of equipment and technology, competent and efficient design were the key issues of the program.

During the course several cases of impropriate design examples were studied. That gave an opportunity to participants to work out the correct approach and to propose a different solution, which complied with the certification requirements. 

"The program was very extensive, very well structured and delivered. It is very helpful and useful to those involved in the design and construction of data centers, and also to those interested in the effective investing in IT and hi-tech spheres, as well as to Facility Management professionals - Alexander Martynyuk (Accredited TIER Disigner #107),  says. – UIPS representatives have the scope of knowledge in both subject and experience that may hardly be found at the moment elsewhere. Moreover, due to ongoing certifications of DC sites all over the globe, they have constant flow of new technological and design ideas. As well as mistakes! They do know the typical problems and what impressed me most, they are absolutely open to dialogue and discussion and ready to share their knowledge with attendees and to spread the “right” ideas. As far as I know, this year there will be 2 more groups. No doubt that our compatriots will be in each of them. I think, UPTIME Institute sows the seeds of correct knowledge into a thirsty soil, so the new competitive projects will not take long to appear. This program graduates will definitely have less communication problems on business issues, as the technical vocabulary they have got is similar ", - he said.

"The level of technical expertise demonstrated by UIPS Institute representatives and the ability to convey knowledge to the listener, make the course highly desirable to listen to by DC market players - supports counterpart Konstantin Ushmaykin (Accredited TIER Disigner #112). – Mistakes observed in the course are easily recognizable as they are probably typical throughout the world.
The special value of the course is that it is based on certification requirements of UIPS, the influence of which may be found in the majority of current ongoing DC projects in Russia, - he stressed.

Read more about Accredited Tier Designer: http://atd.uptimeinstitute.com/PDFs/ATD_factsheet.pdf

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