IT Assessment Risk Mitigation

Project Background

A major renovation of the campus center (housing the data center) was beginning. As a part of the renovation, an elevator was being added to the building, and the elevator shaft needed to go through the university’s data center. The CIO wanted to understand the risk to the school’s computing infrastructure.

The Strategy

We met with members of the IT department to understand the current data center layout and inventory. Meeting with the facilities team (including architect and construction vendor), we were able to identify areas of data center risk and make recommendations for avoiding risk. Our recommendations were scaled appropriately for the size and criticality of the university’s data center.

We also provided detailed documentation of the data center layout, including equipment placement and cable paths. During our assessment, we identified opportunities for data center expansion, improved cooling, and new cable layouts.

Proven Results

• Steps were taken to reduce dust and vibration during construction and install devices to reduce EMI during the elevator’s operation.
• Plans were made to migrate racks 90 degrees, allowing for hot aisle/cold aisle operation.
• Cabinet doors were changed to grills to improve airflow and cooling.