Attachment A - Infrastructure Standard for Telecommunications Spaces v5.pdf

Office of Information and Technology

Infrastructure Standard for

Telecommunications Spaces

(ISTS)

Version 5.0

July 22, 2025 | Infrastructure Operations (IO)

Office of Information and Technology

INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARD FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPACES

Revision History Table 1. Revision History

Date Reason for Changes Version Author

2007 Original 0.1 Michael Julian, RCDD

2009 Revision 0.2 Michael Julian, RCDD

2012 Revision 1.0 Michael Julian, RCDD

12/07/2016 Enterprise Data Center Infrastructure Collaboration

Team (EDICT) Revision

1.1 EDICT

2/05/2018

Expanded revision including the addition of

Administrative and Operations Standards

Name changed to include IT Support Infrastructure to reflect broader scope

1.2 EDICT

6/11/2018

• Minor update to allow for deeper network racks in cooperation with IO’s request

• Expanded allowance for fiber cabinets, cassettes, patch panels, and racks

• Changed National Data Center Operations &

Logistics (NDCOL) facility ID numbers to VA Record

ID numbers

• Clarified reference to OIT responsibility for the enterprise-wide technical framework and IT architecture services

2.1 EDICT

4/10/2019

• Name updated from “VA Enterprise Facility IT

Support Infrastructure Standard” to “Infrastructure

Standard for Telecommunications Spaces”

• Minor editorial changes resulting from initial review by the Office of Construction and Facilities

Management (CFM) Facilities Standards Service

(FSS) for publication in Technical Information

Library (TIL)

• Removed operational information not required for building planning and design for publishing of the

Standard on the TIL. Information redacted will be published as part of the Operations and

Maintenance Standards for Telecommunications

2.2

EDICT

CFM

Date Reason for Changes Version Author

Spaces. In the interim, refer to the June 11th, 2018 version 2.1 of The Standard on the Baseline

Configuration Management (BCM) Standards site.

• 508 compliance updates

8/21/2020

• Editorial changes resulting from full review by CFM

FSS for publication in CFM’s TIL

• Updated Telecommunications Room (TR), entrance room, and electrical power standards

• Added grounding and bonding, transformers, intra-building/inter-building cabling, lighting, and lightning protection system sections, and Request for Variance process instructions

• Created VA-modified Data Center Facility

Environment Conditioning Standards figure to replace ASHRAE’s less stringent requirements

• Reorganized sequence of chapters for a more logical flow of data center design. Refer to the

Table of Contents and the associated links to quickly find any subject of interest

• Relocated Figures, Tables, Definitions, References, and Acronyms sections to front matter for consistency with Telecommunication Industry

Association (TIA) formats

• Added appendices to include Request for Variance form and OIT Design Guide Template Design

Package

3.0

EDICT

CFM

7/1/21

• 4.2.8 Bonding and Grounding: changed

“supplementary” ground path to “dedicated” so it cannot be confused with SBNs, SRGs, Mesh-BNs, etc.

• 4.4.4 Fiber Optic Cable: relaxed authorization for

Universal Cassettes to be used when breaking out to LC connectors

• Appendix B Sheet 2: corrected split package air conditioner heat rejection requirement to be 17,000

BTU/h (5 kW) per rack

• Appendix B Sheet 3: corrected layer issue masking attributes and specifications on certain lines in the table

3.1 EDICT

Date Reason for Changes Version Author

• Appendix B Sheet 21: corrected layer issue masking a Power Distribution Units (PDU) on left side of

Plate 1

5/1/23

• Clarified TR sizing and rack count for small clinical environments and non-medical spaces per serving area

• Added Telecommunications Enclosure (TE) specifications

• Added antenna entrance room specifications

• Added IT Equipment Power Cord section

• Harmonized the Environmental Control Equipment

Requirements section with the HVAC DM

• Added a Fans and Supplemental Airflow

Augmentation Device section

• Added a Physical Access to Telecommunications

Spaces section

• Enhanced the Structured Cabling section to differentiate between campus structured cabling and data center structured cabling

• Updated the Request for Variance form

• Reorganized Appendix B Design Templates into sections to assist with navigation to specific topics;

Telecommunications Spaces (Architectural), Telecommunications Enclosure (TE), Electrical

Distribution and Bonding, Telecommunications

Distribution (Elevations, Cabling, and Routing), and

Basis of Design Equipment.

• Added sheets for TEs, antenna entrance rooms, Power Distribution Unit (PDU), Uninterruptible

Power Supply (UPS), temperature and humidity sensors, horizontal distance study (Diamond

Analysis), electrical one-line drawings, cable routing, telecommunications spaces rack elevations, and the rule of thirds.

• Added new switch models to the bonding page, clearances around racks and power panels, and separated out the fiber from the copper media into individual sheets.

4.0 EDICT

Date Reason for Changes Version Author

• Changed the light fixtures from 2 ft to 4 ft and replaced the 40 in. Chatsworth Network Cabinet with the Great Lakes Cabinet, and the Chatsworth

TeraFrame with the ZetaFrame replacement model.

May 2025

General:

• Relocated Appendix B information and drawing templates to PG-18-12 Telecommunications Design

Guide.

• Added Quality Assurance (QA) appendix and checklist tools.

Telecommunications:

• Added labeling guidelines for fiber and power media in exterior conditions.

• Included specs for side intake network accessories.

• Specified max supported distances for fiber types per ANSI/TIA 568.0-E.

• Introduced WAN circuit labeling standards.

• Migrated stand-alone networks to VA LAN and set air-gap requirements for external networks.

• Clarified office/room data port labeling.

• Established deprecation date for Cat 5e.

• Required SNMP for IT equipment monitoring.

Electrical:

• Clarified unit-level versus system-level redundancy.

• Specified Emergency Power Off (EPO) systems for mission-critical data centers.

• Updated cord connector usage examples for C15 and C19.

• Required locking mechanisms for all IT equipment power cords.

• Added electrical schematic for Zone PDUs.

• Specified 2(N+1) redundancy for modular UPS.

• Allowed Lead-Calcium batteries under VRLA standards.

• Clarified UPS battery monitoring requirements.

• Updated UTP and power cable separation guidelines.

• Included grounding language for ESD flooring.

5.0 EDICT

Date Reason for Changes Version Author

• Standardized power requirements for antenna entrance rooms.

Architectural:

• No changes.

Mechanical:

• Allowed building HVAC systems if supporting 24/7 cooling for retrofits.

• Added guidance for liquid cooling systems.

• Added requirements for design conditions and data center efficiency design.

• Updated guidance for the use of Computational

Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling.

Table of Contents

Infrastructure Standard for Telecommunications Spaces (ISTS)

Revision History

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

1.2. Scope

1.3. Administration

1.3.1. Contact Information

1.4. Standards Overview

1.4.1. Background

1.4.2. VA IT Equipment Compatibility Standard

1.4.3. Future

1.5. Objectives

1.6. Authority

2. IT Support Space Classification

2.1. Core Data Centers

2.2. Mission Support Centers

2.3. Campus Support Centers

2.4. Network Support Centers

2.5. Data Center Classification Standards

3. Information Technology Support Space Planned Redundancy Levels

3.1. Core Data Center and Campus Support Center Planned Redundancy Levels

3.2. Mission Support Center Planned Redundancy Levels

3.3. Network Support Center, Telecommunications Room, Entrance Room, and Antenna Entrance

Room Planned Redundancy Levels

4. Infrastructure Standards

4.1. Architectural Standards and Space Design

4.1.1. Building Specifications for Common Telecommunications Spaces

4.1.2. Data Center Layout Standards

4.1.3. Telecommunications Rooms

4.1.4. Telecommunications Enclosures

4.1.5. Entrance Rooms

4.1.6. Antenna Entrance Rooms

4.2. Electrical Power and Grounding Standards

4.2.1. Topology for Power Distribution Standards

4.2.2. Emergency Power Off

4.2.3. Uninterruptible Power Supply Specifications

4.2.4. Transformers

4.2.5. Branch Power Circuit to Rack/Cabinet

4.2.6. Zone Power Distribution Units

4.2.7. Rack Mounted Uninterruptible Power Supplies

4.2.8. Vertical Rack Power Distribution Units

4.2.9. IT Equipment Power Cords

4.2.10. Bonding and Grounding

4.2.11. Lighting

4.2.12. Metering

4.3. Mechanical and Environmental Conditioning Standards and Monitoring

4.3.1. Introduction

4.3.2. Environmental Operating Envelope Conditions

4.3.3. Data Center Facility Environment Conditioning Standards

4.3.4. Data Center Facility Environment Conditioning Standards (Amendments and Exceptions)

4.3.5. Environmental Control Equipment Requirements

4.3.6. Design for Data Center Efficiency

4.3.7. Airflow Control

4.3.8. Monitoring

4.4. Telecommunications Standards

4.4.1. Structured Cabling

4.4.2. Unshielded Twisted Pair

4.4.3. Unshielded Twisted Pair Patch Panels

4.4.4. Unshielded Twisted Pair Patch Cord

4.4.5. Fiber Optic Cable

4.4.6. Fiber Distribution Cassettes

4.4.7. Fiber Patch Cords

4.4.8. Fiber Distribution Panel/Cabinet

4.4.9. Cable Support Infrastructure

4.4.10. Work Area Outlets

4.4.11. Horizontal Distribution

4.4.12. Fiber Optic Backbone Distribution

4.4.13. Copper Backbone Distribution

4.4.14. Server Cabinets

4.4.15. Network Equipment Racks

4.4.16. Network Equipment Cabinets

4.4.17. Telecommunications Enclosure Layout Standards

5. Administration Standards

5.1. Data Center Position Identification

5.1.1. Cross Reference to Other Identification Systems

5.1.2. Standardized Data Center Facility Type Identification

5.1.3. Standardized Data Center Naming Convention

5.2. Information Transport Systems Equipment and Component Labeling

5.2.1. Label Materials

5.2.2. Support Infrastructure Identification

5.2.3. Transport Media and Interface Identification

5.2.4. Power Distribution Identification

5.2.5. Data Communications Cabling Labeling

5.2.6. IT Equipment Rack/Cabinet Labeling

5.2.7. Power Whip IT Equipment In-Rack/In-Cabinet Power Distribution Labeling

5.2.8. Power Distribution to IT Labeling

5.2.9. Physical Label Format

5.3. Management Standards

5.3.1. Color Coded Identification

5.3.2. Management of Telecommunications Cabling

5.3.3. Management of Airflow

5.3.4. Physical Access to Telecommunications Spaces

5.3.5. Custodial Services

Appendix A: Request for Variance

A.1 Request for Variance from Infrastructure Standards

A.2 Request for Change to Infrastructure Standard for Telecommunications Spaces .. 197

Appendix B: Quality Assurance

B.1 Project and Contract Scope Requirements

B.2 Construction Design Review Requirements

B.3 Material Submittal Requirements

B.4 Project Acceptance Requirements

B.5 Quality Assurance Audit and Remediation Requirements

B.6 Quality Assurance Aids

B.6.1 Telecommunications Space Acceptance Checklist

B.6.2 Simplified VA IT Equipment Compatibility Checklist

B.6.3 Minor Telecommunications Space Design Review Checklist

Appendix C: Figures, Tables, and References

C.1 Figures

C.2 Tables

C.3 Definitions

C.4 References

C.5 Acronyms

C.6 Contributors

1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

The Infrastructure Standard for Telecommunications Spaces (ISTS) serves as the master reference document of criteria for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility

Information Technology (IT) support infrastructure. It defines the technical requirements necessary to maintain optimum reliability and efficiency within VA facilities and computing centers.

1.2. Scope

The ISTS shall be applied to all aspects of IT support infrastructure at all VA owned, operated, and leased spaces (listed below). “All aspects” includes, but is not limited to planning, design, construction, sustainment (operations, maintenance, repair), restoration, modernization, and administration. “All VA spaces” includes but is not limited to VA Central Office (VACO) facilities and all field facilities managed by Veterans

Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National

Cemetery Administration (NCA).

• Copper and fiber cabling Information Transport Systems (ITS)

• IT equipment and systems (servers, storage, network switching and distribution, etc.)

• Telecommunications spaces, Telecommunications Rooms (TR), entrance rooms, antenna entrance rooms, data centers, horizontal distribution pathways, vertical distribution pathways, etc.

• Telecommunications equipment and systems (local and wide area network, telephone, cable television, physical security IT system, etc.)

• Physical infrastructure equipment and systems necessary to support active equipment operations at the required availability and sustainability levels (power distribution, environmental conditioning, monitoring and metering equipment, grounding, etc.).

1.3. Administration

The Standard, which will be referred to as ISTS throughout this document, shall be implemented without modification, except when required by an Authority Having

Jurisdiction (AHJ), Federal, state, or local laws and codes. Additional requirements of

AHJs shall be provided to enterprise Data Center and Infrastructure Engineering (DCIE) for evaluation of project application and possible amendment of the ISTS.

The ISTS is the only enterprise standard for telecommunications spaces. With the exception of cable color coding, no additional local standards are authorized.

Projects in the planning, design, or implementation phases impacting telecommunications distribution, space allocation, layout, electrical distribution, or mechanical systems shall contact DCIE for assistance in telecommunications space design and standards compliance. All telecommunications designs including, but not limited to, Outside Plant, Inside Plant, Data Centers, Telecommunications Rooms and

Entrance Rooms are to be reviewed and approved by a Registered Communications

Distribution Designer (RCDD).

Existing IT support infrastructure that does not conform to the ISTS shall be brought into compliance during routine tech refresh, lifecycle replacement, upgrades, new installations, or renovations of existing space.

Area Managers and project leaders shall ensure to meet the requirements of the partner

VA IT Equipment Compatibility Standard document so only compatible IT equipment is acquired for use in the VA built environment; e.g., vendor-provided enclosures are not supported in VA computer rooms. All equipment has to be installed in the VA-provided, standardized racks, use VA-provided power, and use VA-provided structured cabling systems.

Equipment, systems, and IT support infrastructure shall be abated when they are superseded. Projects and their responsible organizations that replace or upgrade capabilities in the telecommunications environment are responsible for not only providing whatever enhanced capabilities are being provided by the project, but also for decommissioning, removing, and abating previous generation infrastructure that is being superseded. There are no acceptable conditions where a project is allowed to install a capability and abandon the superseded capability’s equipment and infrastructure, including other infrastructure that only exists to support the superseded capability.

Holistic approaches to projects impacting telecommunications spaces and infrastructure are required. Funding for all aspects of the project, including disposition of IT equipment post build is strongly recommended. Abandonment of superseded infrastructure may not be value engineered out of a project.

Facility managers should take every opportunity to bring telecommunications spaces into compliance with the ISTS through incremental changes between scheduled sustainment activities.

Area Managers shall ensure that all contracting officers, IT personnel, and engineering staff are aware and make use of the ISTS.

All staff that routinely access telecommunications spaces require initial basic and annual telecommunications training, which can be accessed via the VA’s Talent Management https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/telecom/VAITEquipCompatStndrd-2023-08-22.pdf

System (TMS 2.0). Area Managers and supervisors shall assign the approved annual list of OIT telecommunications courses corresponding to the role of the staff member.

1.3.1. Contact Information

See Appendix A to request variances from or changes to the ISTS. Transmit all communications to DCIE at OITDataCenterEngineering@VA.gov.

1.4. Standards Overview

The ISTS includes standard specifications, decisions supporting the standard specifications, guidelines, or recommendations for implementing the standard specifications, and supplemental factors to consider when evaluating subject components.

The Infrastructure and Administration portions of the ISTS define the topologies and specifications for facilities and systems in the VA enterprise.

The ISTS also provides guidance on procuring components that meet the standard specifications, guidance on integrating them with existing components, and explanation of how the subject components fit into the VA Enterprise Architecture.

The Administration Standards define the acceptable and recommended specifications for Inside Plant (ISP) naming conventions, including racks, equipment enclosures, fiber and Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) transport media, power distribution for active and passive elements, cable plant, and data center naming conventions.

1.4.1. Background

A standard is a set of rules or requirements that are determined by a consensus opinion of subject matter experts and prescribe criteria for a product, process, test, or procedure.

The general benefits of a standard are quality, interchangeability of parts or systems, consistency, and reduction of lifecycle costs.

Telecommunications infrastructure standards are based on business needs provided through or supported by IT services. IT services are designed to support business processes and are constructed from software, hardware, and infrastructure components.

Establishing and enforcing standards for the selection and configuration of these supporting components improves the capacity, sustainability, maintainability, reliability, and availability of IT services within projected economic constraints in alignment with business needs.

https://ssologon.iam.va.gov/centrallogin/Default.aspx?appname=core&URL=https://ssologon.iam.va.gov/centrallogin/core/redirect.aspx&TYPE=33619969&REALMOID=06-345d7582-c96e-4888-9e5f-6e86468bf060&GUID=&SMAUTHREASON=0&METHOD=GET&SMAGENTNAME=-SM-JDZx1AxYAhQguyl0rfvd%2f5f46jynE%2bEoBtr6BQQU4NWuWIwCZNPIPHj210fDMxqs&TARGET=-SM-HTTPS%3a%2f%2flogon%2eiam%2eva%2egov%2faffwebservices%2fredirectjsp%2fredirect%2ejsp%3fSPID%3dhttps%3a%2f%2fwww%2esuccessfactors%2ecom%2fVAHCM03%26SMPORTALURL%3dhttps-%3A-%2F-%2Flogon%2eiam%2eva%2egov-%2Faffwebservices-%2Fpublic-%2Fsaml2sso%26SAMLTRANSACTIONID%3d19273e2a--cbaab231--40ccba1f--8705ed6a--3fcb3fb6--ed3 mailto:OITDataCenterEngineering@VA.gov

1.4.2. VA IT Equipment Compatibility Standard

A companion document to the ISTS, the VA IT Equipment Compatibility Standard, has been developed and published. All equipment that is procured for installation in VA telecommunications spaces and/or to operate on the VA network must comply with the requirements of the compatibility standard in order that the physical infrastructures described in the ISTS can be utilized effectively.

Vendor-provided enclosures are not supported in VA computer rooms. All equipment must be installed in the VA-provided, standardized racks, use VA-provided power, and use VA-provided structured cabling systems.

1.4.3. Future

At the time of this publishing, a separate document, the Operations and Maintenance

(O&M) of Telecommunications Spaces Standard is being developed as a companion piece to the Standard. The O&M Standard will describe facility computer room operation specifications, management of telecommunications cabling, and management of airflow.

1.5. Objectives

This Standard provides specifications for use across all VA facilities to support:

• Requirement development

• Solution design

• Solution evaluation

• Solution procurement and bid evaluation

• Evaluation of architectural specifications

• Standardization of passive ISP and Outside Plant (OSP) infrastructure

• Standardization of design criteria for telecommunications spaces, facilities physical infrastructure systems, and operation and maintenance of systems supporting VA services

• Standardization of naming and identification conventions for VA data centers

• Standardization of ISP and rack power infrastructure naming conventions

• Standardization of labeling and identification conventions for physical plant systems and components

• Standardization of operations

• Operational solution procurement and bid evaluation

• Evaluation of maintenance, repair, and replacement specifications

• Standardization of lifecycle sustainment activities across all VA data centers https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/telecom/VAITEquipCompatStndrd-2023-08-22.pdf

• Standardization of the operational, organizational, and aesthetic results of

Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (SR&M) activities.

1.6. Authority

Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is the chartered organization responsible for the enterprise-wide technical framework and IT architecture services for VA systems and projects. Centralized responsibility promotes one technology vision across VA, which supports system optimization, integration, and interoperability throughout the enterprise.

One way in which OIT executes this responsibility is determining technical standards for deployed infrastructure technologies. These standards are also known as configuration baselines. The authority of the ISTS derives from the approved enterprise configuration baselines.

2. IT Support Space Classification

VA has four segregated IT Support Space types to support the enterprise distributed computing environment.

• Core Data Centers (CDC) provide enterprise-level support services for VA-wide and cross-component systems and applications.

• Mission Support Centers (MSC) are highly specialized data centers that provide unique, focused services that are best provided from smaller, mission-focused facilities that cannot or should not be supported by CDCs or Campus Support Centers

(CSC) due to the direct association MSCs have with mission-specific infrastructure or equipment.

• Campus Support Centers (CSC) operate local data centers to support VA tenants located on a VA campus and within geographically supported areas. CSCs provide services that cannot be provided (technically or economically) from a CDC. Only one

CSC is authorized per VA campus.

• Network Support Centers (NSC), provide lower-level application and IT services distribution across the geographic breadth of the VA’s computing enterprise, enabling special functions and distributed users to satisfy the specific mission. Note:

Telecommunications Rooms typically follow NSC rating classification and redundancy requirements.

There shall be a single data center per VA campus. Additional computer rooms used to house and operate IT server or storage equipment are not authorized. This follows with the converged physical telecommunications infrastructure networking model where backbone is distributed from the data center to TRs and other distributed telecommunications spaces, and horizontal distribution supports end-user requirements in the serving zones of these distributed telecommunications spaces. The data center on campus is the only IT support space with the redundancy and resiliency characteristics to support end-user server and storage requirements appropriately.

2.1. Core Data Centers

Core Data Centers (CDC) are facilities that provide shared and distributed enterprise services to supported sites. CDCs host cloud services to provide complete end-to-end IT services (including but not limited to application, backup, and storage) to the supported

VA sites.

The CDC architecture is considered mission-essential and is designed, operated, and maintained to provide availability consistent with current VA national data center standards for supported IT applications. CDCs are the target architecture component for

IT services that span multiple Department components and user groups (services and applications used by many or all users, such as messaging, productivity, and collaboration).

CDCs may be VA-owned, leased, or government or commercial outsourced (external cloud) data centers. CDCs meet (or are planned to meet) all published CDC physical infrastructure requirements to ensure enterprise reliability, redundancy, High Availability

(HA), and Disaster Recovery (DR) requirements.

CDCs may also provide services designated to be provided by an NSC if no local NSC to provide those services is available. CDCs may also provide MSC-type application support.

2.2. Mission Support Centers

Mission Support Centers (MSC) provide element-specific and single-instance special enterprise services that may be inappropriate for consolidation to CDC facilities. MSCs are the target architecture for specialized-function systems and applications, particularly those that support a specific but limited local or distributed user group (services allowing the Department to function but with a limited user base such as internal financial management, or applications requiring centralized processing for a small number of user facilities, such as consolidated pharmacies).

MSC physical requirements supporting the computing environment may be more lenient than those for CDCs. Specific requirements will vary based on the supported functions, criticality of the mission, and similar criteria. For example, MSCs designated as enterprise Test and Development environments will not require the same level of high-availability physical and network redundancy as a critical production environment that directly supports patient care.

MSCs may also provide services designated to be provided by an NSC if no local NSC to provide those services is available.

2.3. Campus Support Centers

Campus Support Centers (CSC) provide geographically specific, operational IT services in support of campus services to Veterans and VA employees that cannot be effectively consolidated or provided over cloud architectures to the campus.

CSCs are intended to provide for collocation of IT equipment and systems from all provider organizations including Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC), VBA Regional

Offices, Office of Information Field Office (OIFO), Research & Development (R&D), Police, Security, local Facilities Management Service (FMS), Health Informatics, Clinical

Engineering (CE), etc. into the minimum number of operational spaces on a campus;

that is, consolidated data centers providing environmental and area network support appropriate to all IT equipment needed by tenant organizations on a particular campus to perform their missions.

CSCs shall provide NSC services for their supported campuses.

2.4. Network Support Centers

Network Support Centers (NSC) provide local IT services that cannot be effectively consolidated or provided over a network-supported distributed architecture to the local operational site. Local means to the immediate facility and to facilities within the local commuting/networking area for the purposes of this architecture; NSCs may provide application support for all VA facilities in a metropolitan area, for example.

An NSC is the appropriate target environment where application architecture and network requirements require a closer data center point of presence to enable end users effective, efficient system access.

2.5. Data Center Classification Standards

Table 2. Data Center Classification Standards

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Core Data Center

(CDC)

Description

CDCs are centralized data centers that provide enterprise-level services to geographically distributed VA organizations to support business functions. CDCs shall maintain complete HA and DR.

Planned ANSI/TIA-942

Rating 3 or 4

Examples

• Information Technology Center (ITC)

• Regional Data Center (RDC)

Mission Support

Center (MSC)

Description

MSCs are stand-alone data centers that provide specific enterprise IT functionality to

VA organizations and business functions.

Planned ANSI/TIA-942

Rating 2 or 3

Examples • Test/Dev data centers at Rating 2

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

• Centralized Mail Outpatient Pharmacy

(CMOP)

• Consolidated Patient Account Center

(CPAC)

Campus Support

Center (CSC)

Description

CSCs are stand-alone data centers that provide specific IT functionality to a VA campus supporting all VA tenants on that campus and in the geographically supported area.

Planned ANSI/TIA-942

Rating

Examples

• VA Medical Center (VAMC)

• Some large CBOCs

• Health Care Center (HCC)

Network Support

Center (NSC)

Description

NSCs are local data centers that provide local

IT application and network support to local operating locations.

Planned ANSI/TIA-942

Rating

Examples

• Most CBOCs

• VBA Regional Offices

• TRs

• Non-healthcare facility entrance rooms

(healthcare facility entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms inherit the Rating

3 redundancy requirements of their CSC)

• Other server rooms of limited capacity design (not “shallow rooms”)

• Administrative office space server rooms

Evaluation Factors

• Data center facility appropriately and centrally categorized by function and usage

• Capability gaps between existing and planned ANSI/TIA-942 Rating requirements identified.

3. Information Technology Support Space Planned

Redundancy Levels

VA IT support spaces shall be designed and operated in accordance with the ANSI/TIA-

942 Ratings for each data center type, except as detailed specifications are provided in this and other VA data center facilities standards.

These specifications define the minimum system redundancy levels for the physical plants and facilities physical infrastructure systems that support enterprise data centers.

This Standard shall be used to quantify and qualify designs of physical infrastructure supporting data center facilities and spaces when those spaces are being designed, built, retrofitted, refreshed, and updated.

The minimum design redundancy levels for new and replacement systems in IT support spaces are detailed below. These designs balance system implementation and operation cost against availability needs for each type of space. In planning physical infrastructure system projects, reduction of potential single points of failure is generally considered more critical than increasing the redundancy level of a system.

From a design perspective on a system+system (2N) design, the smaller capacity of the two individual systems is considered the overall system capacity. For instance, a 2N system with a 500 kW side and a 750 kW side has a maximum capacity of 500 kW.

Redundancy is represented relating to the need (N). If no redundancy is required, the system simply has a redundancy level of N. To gain the simplest form of redundancy, one additional system is added represented by N+1. For example, if two Computer

Room Air Conditioners (CRACs) are needed to meet the cooling need of the data center, then to obtain an N+1 redundancy level a third CRAC must be added. To provide further redundancy a 2N system could be put in place. In the CRAC example, four CRACs would create a 2N system. Furthermore, for a 2N+1 system, five CRACs would be required to meet this level of redundancy. Finally, for a 2(N+1) system, six CRACs would be required.

Implementation Guidance

Where N+C redundancy is required for environmental control systems in CDCs, be aware that design considerations including total number and capacity of CRAC units, spacing of units in planned designs, and geometries of computer room spaces may dictate that one, two, three, or more units more than the N requirement may be necessary to ensure appropriate environmental control in all contingency situations.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling is required to understand the airflow and determine the effect of teaming various combinations of CRAC units and adjustment of settings.

Figure 1. Generic Redundancy Level Standards for Physical Plants, Facilities, and Infrastructure Systems

Table 3. Data Center Planned Redundancy Levels

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Facility Power Input

Sources

Core Data Center (CDC)

Two commercial power sources

(also known as utility) and an N+1 configuration of generated power

(also known as emergency).

Mission Support Center

(MSC)

N+1 redundant feed (one commercial, one generated) for a

Rating 3 facility or single feed (N) for a Rating 2 facility.

Campus Support Center

(CSC)

One commercial power source (also known as utility) and an N+1 configuration of generated power

(also known as emergency).

Network Support Center

(NSC)

N (one commercial)

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Emergency Power

Generation Source

Core Data Center (CDC) N+1

Mission Support Center

(MSC)

N for Rating 2 facility and N+1 for

Rating 3 facility.

Campus Support Center

(CSC)

N+1

Network Support Center

(NSC)

• Provide emergency power to TRs

IAW the VA Electrical Design

Manual when supporting medical center with a CSC

• Not required but recommended to support other medical and non-medical facilities

Uninterruptible

Power Supply (UPS)

Technical Power

Systems

Core Data Center (CDC) 2N

Mission Support Center

(MSC)

N+1 (distributed redundant modules or block redundant system with dedicated battery string for each module)

Campus Support Centers

(CSC)

2N

Network Support Center

(NSC)

N (single UPS system, single battery string)

Electrical

Distribution (UPS to

IT equipment)

Core Data Center (CDC)

2N (mirrored A/B distribution from

UPS to rack in support of all IT systems)

Mission Support Center

(MSC)

2N (mirrored A/B distribution from

UPS to rack in support of all IT systems)

Campus Support Center

(CSC)

2N (mirrored A/B distribution from

UPS to rack in support of all IT systems)

Network Support Center

(NSC)

N

Environmental

Support (HVAC) Core Data Center (CDC)

• N+1. If more than five CRACs, then N+C where C=1 for every five to eight CRACs needed

• Brief interruptions to electrical power (<10 min) will not cause https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual/dmElec.pdf https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual/dmElec.pdf

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification loss of cooling but may cause temperature to elevate within operational range of critical equipment

Mission Support Center

(MSC)

• N+1

• Brief interruptions to electrical power (<10 min) will not cause loss of cooling but may cause temperature to elevate within operational range of critical equipment

Campus Support Center

(CSC)

• N+1

• Brief interruptions to electrical power (<10 min) will not cause loss of cooling but may cause temperature to elevate within operational range of critical equipment

Network Support Center

(NSC)

N

3.1. Core Data Center and Campus Support Center Planned

Redundancy Levels

Table 4. Core Data Center and Campus Support Center Planned Redundancy Levels

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Facility Power

Input Sources

System Redundancy

Components

N+1 redundant feed (one commercial, one generated)

Distribution Paths

One active, one standby (one commercial feed, one standby generation, Automatic Transfer Switch

(ATS))

System (N) Capacity

Total facility design capacity (either commercial feed or generator can provide 100 % of the facility’s design load)

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Emergency Power

Generation Source

System Redundancy

Components N+1

Distribution Paths Single path ATS

System (N) Capacity

Total facility design capacity

(generator source can provide all critical mechanical and electrical support for the facility)

UPS Technical

Power Systems

System Redundancy

Components

• 2N

• Distributed redundant systems or block redundant system with dedicated battery string for each module

• N+1 internal redundancy per system if modular frame UPS systems are used.

Distribution Paths Two simultaneously active (A/B configuration)

System (N) Capacity

• Each UPS system (A/B) rated for

100 % of data center design load

• Modular systems sized for ultimate design load but only populated to current load needs are preferred

UPS Technology Two delta conversion or double conversion UPS systems

Electrical

Distribution (UPS to IT equipment)

System Redundancy

Components

2N (mirrored A/B distribution from

UPS to rack in support of all IT systems)

Distribution Paths Two simultaneously active (A/B distribution from UPS)

System (N) Capacity

Maximum design loading of all components with one distribution path offline

Environmental

Support (HVAC)

System Redundancy

Components

• N+1. If more than five CRACs, then

N+C where C=1 for every five to eight CRACs needed

• Brief interruptions to electrical power (<10 min) will not cause loss of cooling but may cause

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification temperature to elevate within operational range of critical equipment

Redundancy Configuration One alternate

Power Source

• Each CRAC and its associated heat rejection equipment for that CRAC powered from the same source

• Sets of heat rejection systems diversely powered (from differing sources)

• Design power sources to provide maximum reasonable avoidance of single points of failure

System (N) Capacity Total facility design capacity

Implementation Guidance

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems shall be sized for the ultimate design load of the telecommunications space. For initial cost, maintenance, reliability, and efficiency reasons, modular UPS systems built out to provide sufficient UPS and battery capacity to meet near-term requirements are preferred over full-capacity systems.

Both the A/B UPS systems shall be powered from generator-backed sources.

Where monolithic (non-modular) UPS systems are used, a system+system [A/B redundant (2N)] approach is required. Each system must be capable of supporting the ultimate design load N of the telecommunications space.

Where modular frame UPS systems are used, a system+system approach is also required. Each system must be (a) capable of supporting the ultimate design load N of the telecommunications space and (b) be provided with an additional internal N+1 UPS module. For example, if the ultimate design load is 100 kW, a modular frame system with six 20 kW module slots would be acceptable (five active UPS modules, one internally redundant one).

CRAC unit and associated heat rejection equipment must be considered as an overall system as well as individual units when system redundancy is taken into account. When more than two systems are necessary (typically due to the space design or geometric considerations), the electrical system supporting the heat rejection system must be designed such that non-availability of either A/B side of the electrical system does not reduce the redundancy of the heat rejection below the N level.

3.2. Mission Support Center Planned Redundancy Levels

Table 5. Mission Support Center Planned Redundancy Levels

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Facility Power

Input Sources

System Redundancy

Components

N+1 Redundant Feed (one commercial, one generated) for a

Rating 3 facility or Single feed (N) for a Rating 2 facility

Distribution Paths

One active, one standby (one commercial utility feed, one standby generation, ATS)

System (N) Capacity

Total facility design capacity (either source can provide 100 % of the facility’s design load)

Emergency Power

Generation Source

System Redundancy

Components

• N+1 for a Rating 3 facility

• N for a Rating 2 facility

Distribution Paths Single path ATS

System (N) Capacity

Total facility design capacity

(generator source can provide all critical mechanical and electrical support for the facility) for a Rating 3 facility or sized for UPS and mechanical system without redundancy for a Rating 2 facility

UPS Technical

Power Systems

System Redundancy

Components

• 2N for a Rating 3 facility

• N for a Rating 2 facility

• Distributed redundant systems or block redundant system with dedicated battery string for each module

• N+1 internal redundancy per system if modular frame UPS systems are used

Distribution Paths Two simultaneously active (A/B configuration)

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

System (N) Capacity

• Each UPS system (A/B) rated for

100 % of data center design load

• Modular systems sized for ultimate design load but only populated to current load needs are preferred

UPS Technology Delta conversion or double conversion

UPS systems

Electrical

Distribution (UPS to IT equipment)

System Redundancy

Components

2N (mirrored A/B distribution from

UPS to rack in support of all IT systems)

Distribution Paths

• Two simultaneously active (A/B distribution from UPS systems to

Power Distribution Units (PDU) to the Master Power Distribution Unit

(MPDU))

• Redundant, diverse path, and follows rectilinear pathways when not contained in a cable tray

System (N) Capacity 5 kW capacity for each enclosure

Environmental

Support (HVAC)

System Redundancy

Components

• N+1

• Temporary loss of electrical power will not cause loss of cooling, but may cause temperature to elevate within operational range of critical equipment for a Rating 3 facility or

N+1 redundancy for mechanical equipment)

• Loss of electrical power can cause loss of cooling in a Rating 2 facility

Redundancy Configuration One alternate

Power Source

• Each CRAC and its associated heat rejection equipment for that CRAC powered from the same source

• Sets of heat rejection systems diversely powered (from differing sources)

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

• Design power sources to provide maximum reasonable avoidance of single points of failure

System (N) Capacity Total facility design capacity

Implementation Guidance

UPS systems shall be sized for the ultimate design load of the telecommunications space. For initial cost, maintenance, reliability, and efficiency reasons modular UPS systems built out to provide sufficient UPS and battery capacity to meet near-term requirements are preferred over full-capacity systems.

Both the A/B UPS systems shall be powered from generator-backed sources (for Rating

3 facilities).

3.3. Network Support Center, Telecommunications Room, Entrance Room, and Antenna Entrance Room Planned

Redundancy Levels

Note: Healthcare facility entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms inherit the

ANSI/TIA-942 Rating 3 redundancy requirements of the CSC data center facility that they support.

Table 6. Network Support Center, Telecommunications Room, Entrance Room, and Antenna Entrance

Room Planned Redundancy Levels

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Facility Power

Input Sources

System Redundancy

Components N (one commercial)

Distribution Paths One path

System (N) Capacity

Total facility design capacity (commercial feed can provide 100 % of the facility’s design load)

Emergency Power

Generation Source

System Redundancy

Components

• N+1 when supporting medical center with a CSC, not required, but recommended supporting other

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification medical facilities and non-medical facilities

• N required at all sites with facility generation capabilities

Distribution Paths

• Minimum one path when supporting medical center with a CSC, not required, but recommended supporting other medical facilities and non-medical facilities

• N required at all sites with facility generation capabilities

System (N) Capacity When provided, based on planned facility ultimate load

UPS Technical

Power Systems

System Redundancy

Components

• N (single UPS system, single battery string; may be individual rack-mount

UPS systems for each rack) for NSCs and TRs

• N for entrance rooms supporting NSCs and Rating 2 MSCs

• 2N for entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms supporting CSCs, CDCs, and Rating 3 MSCs

Distribution Paths

• One path

• Two simultaneously active (A/B configuration) for entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms supporting

CSCs, CDCs, and Rating 3 MSCs

System (N) Capacity

• UPS system(s) rated for 100 % of critical IT system design load (5 kW per enclosure)

• Modular systems sized for ultimate design load but only populated to current load needs are preferred

UPS Technology

• Rack-mounted double-conversion UPS systems

• Facility double-conversion UPS systems

• Rack-mounted line interactive UPS systems for Telecommunications

Enclosure use only

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

Electrical

Distribution to IT equipment

System Redundancy

Components

• 2N

• A side shall be UPS-backed, B side may be commercial

• 2N both sides UPS-backed for entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms supporting CSCs, CDCs, and Rating 3

MSCs

Distribution Paths Two paths simultaneously active (A/B configuration)

System (N) Capacity 5 kW capacity for each enclosure

Environmental

Support (HVAC)

System Redundancy

Components

• N

• N+1 for entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms supporting CSCs, CDCs, and Rating 3 MSCs

Redundancy Configuration

• None

• One alternate for entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms supporting

CSCs, CDCs, and Rating 3 MSCs

System (N) Capacity Requirement varies based on the number of racks

Implementation Guidance

UPS systems shall be sized for the ultimate design load of the telecommunications space. For initial cost, maintenance, reliability, and efficiency reasons modular UPS systems built out to provide sufficient UPS and battery capacity to meet near-term requirements are preferred over full-capacity systems. Modular UPS systems may not be available to meet rack-mounted applications.

Healthcare facility entrance rooms and antenna entrance rooms inherit the ANSI/TIA-

942 Rating 3 redundancy requirements of the CSC data center facility that they support.

4. Infrastructure Standards

4.1. Architectural Standards and Space Design

VA telecommunications spaces, including entrance rooms, antenna entrance rooms, TRs, and data centers shall be designed and operated in accordance with the ANSI/TIA-942 ratings for each data center classification, except as detailed specifications are provided in this and other VA data center facilities standards.

4.1.1. Building Specifications for Common Telecommunications

Spaces

Table 7. Building Specifications

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification

1 Shell

Security As per Physical Security and Resiliency

Design Manual (PSRDM)

Access Route Leads to location outside computer room for access control

Egress Observes life safety code

Door Height

(telecommunications spaces) 8 ft minimum

Door Height (Mechanical

Room) 9 ft minimum

Door Width

• CSC, CDC, and MSCs: A 6 ft double doorway opening is required with or without a mullion. If center mullion is used, it must be removable.

• NSC: 3 ft (nominal)

Finished Floor to Lowest

Structural Obstacle (clear space)

12 ft minimum

Slab to Floor Above (MSC, CSC, CDC)

16 ft minimum

Raised Floor (in new data center construction only if

CFD analysis determines

• 24 in. minimum above slab

• Height determined by CFD analysis https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/PhysicalSecurity/dmPhySec.pdf https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/PhysicalSecurity/dmPhySec.pdf

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification raised floor is the best cooling solution)

Floor Surface

• Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) coating for raised floor systems

• Static dissipative coating or material for slab floors

Bonding Per manufacturer requirements

Backboard

• 4 ft x 8 ft AC grade ¾ in. trade size fire-rated plywood backboard painted high-gloss white with two coats of fire-resistant paint for service provider/security/video/etc.

around three perimeter walls of TRs, entrance rooms, antenna entrance rooms, and as required for computer rooms

• Reserve an additional 12 in.

dedicated space from backboards to accommodate equipment mounted on them

Floor Load Capacity

• Minimum live load capacity for distributed loads of 12.0 kPA (250

PSF)

• Minimum concentrated live load of

4.5 kN (1,000 lb) over the area of greatest stress

Raised Floor

System Construction

Stringers mechanically connected to all pedestals in a herringbone pattern

3 Raised Floor Tile

Dimensions 24 in. x 24 in. nominal

Standard Tile

Placed by default everywhere perforated tiles and grates are not required by CFD

Perforated Tile, High-Capacity

Grates, and other High Airflow

Tiles

• Only placed in the cold aisle in front of equipment inlets where CFD modeling predicts the optimum effectiveness

• Positioned so that tiles are flush to the front of the row with directional

ID Primary Attribute Secondary Attribute Specification airflow aimed towards the air inlets on IT equipment in the racks

• Can be removed without interference from racks or cabinets

Construction Solid floor tiles minimum 2,000 PSF rating

Implementation Guidance

Rating 3 (and higher) MCSs, CSCs, and CDCs shall not have doors leading to the exterior of a building unless if required for life safety egress. If an external egress path directly from the telecommunications space is required, install a vestibule for force/blast protection, to minimize conductive and convective heat transfer, to minimize contamination, and to control physical security.

Telecommunications spaces shall not be located beneath toilets, showers, laboratories, kitchens, sinks, open courtyards, planters, roof drain leaders, water fountains, or other areas where water service or displays are provided. This prohibition extends to the roof of the building above the telecommunications space.

Piping, ducting, and other mechanical and transport systems (water, steam, medical gas, sanitary waste, roof drain, air conditioning ducts, etc.) not related to the operation of the telecommunications space shall not enter or pass through the space. These may pass through spaces on floors above the telecommunications space, subject to the preceding paragraph’s requirements.

Fire protection piping shall not be routed through the telecommunications space unless it serves to protect the telecommunications space.

In legacy facilities these conditions are not expected to be able to be effectively remedied in many circumstances. Designers and projects shall implement reasonable mitigations against water intrusion, flooding, and equipment damage in legacy facilities where work is being accomplished in, adjacent to, or above telecommunications spaces.

Examples of mitigations include relocation of equipment (e.g., sinks and toilets) to walls not immediately adjacent to the telecommunications space, addition of water barriers in the…