Data center planning: professional and requirements-oriented

Detailed planning is the key to a successful data center

Data centers are the control hubs of businesses and organizations. Complex architectures and operating workflows, as well as a range of different applications, all pose a challenge for the network infrastructure. The quality requirements that are placed on structured, application-neutral cabling are correspondingly high. Transmission paths and attenuation budgets must be considered right from the start in the design of a modern data center.

Rosenberger OSI will act as planner and consultant to accompany you in your project right from day one - whether it relates to the modernization of your IT infrastructure, the construction of a new datacenter, the extension of an existing datacenter or a datacenter relocation. Our personnel can call on their many years of experience to examine your IT applications, processes and structures as a whole and to work together with you to develop a forward-looking IT strategy. Are you currently considering the question of whether to reorganize your IT infrastructure, whether to transfer certain elements to the Cloud, keep them on-premises or outsource them to a colocation datacenter?

Many years of cabling expertise form the basis for correct data center planning

With over 30 years of experience, Rosenberger OSI is your reliable partner for the construction of future-proof IT cabling infrastructures – whatever the scale and for both enterprise and co-location environments.

On-Premises, Colocation or Cloud?

During the process of transforming your IT, it is important to strike the right balance.

It is necessary to adopt a comprehensive, all-round approach in order to develop a customized, future-proof strategy
Certain elements of the IT infrastructure should always remain on-premises for a variety of reasons
Is your legacy datacenter still up-to-date? Is relocation to a colocation datacenter an option?
During your planning, have you taken account of current regulations directive on critical infrastructures? read more

Planning the modernization of a data center

A data center is a living organism that the operator must monitor constantly and plan anew if necessary. When doing so, it is necessary to answer various questions:

Where, for example, is it necessary to establish new connections and eliminate old ones? Where do new cables have to be laid if new active components are added to the data center?
Will additional space be required for an upcoming tech-refresh or might it even be necessary to perform a temporary parallel installation?

By planning the data carefully up-front, it is possible to eliminate the risk of any nasty surprises later.

Planning new data centers & data center extensions

Professional preliminary data center planning is essential. This includes:

Comprehensive identification of the required material Clarification of the current requirements, while also taking account of future growth.
A suitable service package: As part of its service commitment, Rosenberger OSI works together with the operator as early as the pre-sales phase, long before the time of implementation of the data center plans. This cooperation results in a requirements catalogue together with the corresponding service package.

Planning of data center relocation

Thought of everything? What is important for the data center relocation!

Relocating a data center successfully in 10 phases

from capacity planning
over project organization
harmonized migration plan
to concluding work

Our checklist helps to avoid pitfalls, to recognize potential problems early on and not to forget anything important when relocating.

to checklist

Good data center planning is everything

We will help you find the data center architecture that is right for your needs. Efficient cable management combined with the level of flexibility you want and the necessary reserve capacity to cope with the data rates that will be demanded in the future. We will show you various solutions and assess their cost and feasibility. Our skilled employees will work at your premises to ensure reliability and security in every phase of the project. Rock-solid consulting. For a secure future. And a safe investment.

High-level network plan, including redundancy concept
Low-level network plan, including hardware components
Area planning, including the positioning of racks
Area planning, including outline concept for the cabling, and redundancy concept, including room-by-room planning while also taking account of fire areas.

Rack layout plan, including height units of equipment
Cabling that takes account of the attenuation budget and length restrictions
Translation of the logical connection planning into the corresponding physical implementation, including port allocation
Creation of a work order list for hardware items, basic IP management and cabling
Input for BOM in the ordering process

Additional services in the field of data center planning

Once the architecture has been planned, you can additionally reserve various other services. More about our Consulting & Managed Services around the data center

Seamless documentation is important for both asset and facility management and is also of great significance for reliable data center operation.

Alongside the preparation and planning of a project, the service package also includes schedule monitoring in the procurement process as well as installation control.

News & Media

Blog & Vlog

02/28/2023

The challenge of data center relocation: planning, risks, implementation

Pitfalls to avoid
Decision-making aids
Tips for a smooth process

Learn more

Blog & Vlog

02/14/2023

Vlog #9 Optimizing IT security: New guidelines and deadlines

OSI Insights in our video-blog:
KritisV, ISO 27001/27002, NIS-2
Digital Operational Resilience Act

Learn more

Whitepaper

02/11/2021

Datacenter Infrastructure – the deciding factors

Increasing port density in datacenters
Cabling for higher speeds in datacenters
Highly-scalable architecture using spine-leaf

Learn more

Events & Webinars

10/12/2021

At high speed into the Cloud

What is important in IT infrastructure of a colocation datacenter
What the main challenges are today
The trends that are playing a role now

Learn more

Any other questions?

Here you will find answers to various questions on the topic of data center planning.

As the bandwidths that are needed by new active technologies in modern data centers grow, so too do the demands placed on the passive infrastructure. The data cabling should therefore be planned as early as possible, preferably together with the power supply and air conditioning. Well thought-through, efficient cabling should combine optimization of the transmission lengths and attenuation budgets with a clear and manageable (and therefore also flexible) structure. However, the choice of an individual cabling concept that is appropriate for the data center in question must also be based on the standards EN 50173-5, EN 50174-1-2 and EN 50600-2-4.

An individual development plan is the guiding thread that helps during the implementation of a new data center. This plan extends from the active elements and on to the cabling and the necessary electrical connections. Depending on the data center’s requirements in terms of reliability, the fixed cabling (trunk cabling) is then planned as a redundant system in accordance with the standard EN 50600-2-4 and is expertly installed. Here, you can rely on our all-round service from a single source.

In order to make sure that the existing cabling is suitable for an upcoming bandwidth update - for example from 16 to 32 Gbit Fiber Channel - we offer you a proactive verification of the passive IT infrastructure using OTDR (optical time domain reflectometry) or on the basis of a BERT test (bit error test). In addition, we analyse the existing cabling for contamination using video microscopy.

External suppliers and third-party providers are often an integral part of the data center environment. If,for any reason, you cannot be on-site in your data center in order to check or accept the services undertaken by your provider then we will gladly undertake this task for you as a neutral party. Within the framework of our Quality Assurance Management, we will ensure that the third-party provider adheres to your quality standards.