EN 50600 is a European Standard that provides specifications for the planning, design, construction, operation, and improvement of data centers. Specifically, it focuses on establishing the criteria for data center facilities and infrastructures, ensuring high levels of availability, security, and energy efficiency. The standard covers a wide range of aspects including:
- Infrastructure: This includes the physical construction of the data center, such as buildings and power supplies.
- Environmental Control: Specifications for controlling the environment include HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems and temperature control mechanisms to ensure optimal hardware operation.
- Telecommunications Cabling Infrastructure: Guidelines on the cabling infrastructure to support telecommunications and data communications.
- Security Systems: This encompasses both physical security measures and security systems designed to protect the data center from unauthorized access or breaches.
- Energy Efficiency: The standard provides guidelines on how to design and operate a data center in a way that minimizes energy consumption and environmental impact, contributing to a more sustainable operation.
EN 50600 aims to assist data center operators and designers in building and managing facilities in a way that meets the highest operational requirements while optimizing energy usage and maintaining security. It is comprehensive, touching on nearly every aspect of data center operations, and is often used alongside other standards like ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management.
