A framework for data center site risk metric

Abstract

Given the mission critical nature of data centers, metrics must provide a holistic understanding of the data center behavior, which is only viable if risks to the actual operation are considered. This paper proposes a framework for measuring data center site risk. The proposed methodology is aimed at standardizing a process to help evaluate data center sites and compare them to each other, or compare different scenarios where the data center operates. It establishes a process under defined criteria for the site risk analysis, despite the fact that much of that criteria is based on standards and expert knowledge. The metric is also a way to communicate and better understand risks due to the data center location, and help evaluate mitigation strategies.