TAS Electrical Engineering experience includes the demanding task of upgrading an existing Global Computer Data Centre’s power supplies for an international drugs company.

This work involved planning the work in considerable detail so that the Data Centre was closed for absolute minimum of time, and during a pre-determined short window of opportunity over one weekend.

New under floor socket outlets connected to the PDUs

The work involved upgrades to the Centre’s Power Distribution Units (PDUs) and the extensive power distribution matrix located under the computer room floor.

Working closely with the client’s data centre staff, key users, engineering personnel and installation contractors, TAS provided:

• detailed design of the upgraded distribution.
• project management to ensure that new equipment was ordered and delivered to site on time and that contractors were fully committed to the project programme.
• a full project risk analysis for the upgrade.
• a detailed and prioritised schedule of work to be completed.
• safe working procedures and method statements, including temporary fire-fighting provisions while automatic systems were de-activated.
• a contingency plan.
• installation and commissioning support during the whole duration of the shut-down.
• a test plan for fully proving the Emergency Shut Down. (ESD) systems, which could not normally be tested in full.
• a plan for progressive change-over of less critical systems and decommissioning of obsolete equipment.

Some statistics which demonstrate the success of the project:

• 337 individual computer servers were powered off. All but 5 were returned to service within the planned time.
• 32 network cabinets, containing 101 individual active units were powered off and returned to service without issue.
• 206 servers or network cabinets were re-allocated to alternative supplies.
• 110 new power distribution boxes were installed under the floor.
• 96 new three phase supplies were installed, equating to 288 single phase sockets.