The Datacenter Star Audit (DCSA) is one of several services of eco – Association of the German Internet Industry e.V. (German) and was designed as a seal of approval for data center

Data center

A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...

s. It examines and evaluates objectively infrastructure

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

 and services. The assigned stars (DC Stars) provide information about the quality and scope of services offered. The audit

Audit

The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...

s focus on the data center's security and on the availability

Availability

In telecommunications and reliability theory, the term availability has the following meanings:* The degree to which a system, subsystem, or equipment is in a specified operable and committable state at the start of a mission, when the mission is called for at an unknown, i.e., a random, time...

 and redundancies

Redundancy (engineering)

In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe....

 of the facility's infrastructure.

Known DCSA-certified data center operators are:
GfK AG

GfK

The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health...

,
Host Europe GmbH,
intergenia AG,
IP Exchange
I.T.E.N.O.S. GmbH,
noris network AG,
Pironet NDH AG,
Siemens AG

Siemens

Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

,
Telemaxx Telekommunikation GmbH

Background

In recent years various certificates and classifications have emerged in the IT

Information technology

Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

 landscape. They all pursue different goals. In the area of data center security, certificates have mostly developed to qualify infrastructure in addition to providing a clear focus on applications and products of data centers.

The DCSA has, in addition to a certification

Certification

Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...

 of safety, the overriding objective of creating more transparency

Transparency (market)

In economics, a market is transparent if much is known by many about:* What products, services or capital assets are available.* What price.* Where....

 in the market and making a clear design of services comparable to the data center. It is based on a selection of criteria and the level of award helps to direct potential customers in their request for tender

Request for tender

A request for tender, commonly abbreviated to RFT, is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers for the supply of products or services. In the public sector, such a process may be required and determined in detail by law to ensure that such competition for the use of public money is open, fair...

s for a data center.

The result for the data center operator and its end customers is a benchmark

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and/or best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost...

 situation that offers the opportunity for comparison with other operators and for the appropriate diagnosis and repair of their own weaknesses.

Versions

The certification was first introduced in March 2005 at CeBIT

CeBIT

CeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...

.

On 1 October 2009 there was an extensive review of the audit. The fundamental focus was now on the following four main categories

• technology
• facility
• procedures
• staff

Version 2.0 introduced different weightings on certain criteria for colocation

Colocation centre

A colocation centre or colocation center , is a type of data centre where equipment space and bandwidth are available for rental to retail customers...

 and webhosting operators. Technical developments, for example in the field of fire protection

Fire protection

Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...

 (OxyReduct, Permatec) were included in a revised questionnaire.

In addition the environment (hazardous materials, floods, etc.), the space available for the technology, fire protection

Fire protection

Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...

 systems and protection zones were defined in the criteria for certification.

In the field of technology the granularity

Granularity

Granularity is the extent to which a system is broken down into small parts, either the system itself or its description or observation. It is the "extent to which a larger entity is subdivided...

 of detail increased. Redundancies are not only assessed, but the level of electricity supply and points substations

Electrical substation

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...

 are also measured.

Audit process

The audit process can be divided into 7 steps. It can be wrapped up in 3–4 weeks (according to experience of data center operators) from the date the contract

Contract

A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

 documents are sent until the certification is received.

Step	Procedure
1. Sending the Contract Documents	The data center operator receives in addition to the audit contract, the questionnaire (RfI Request for Information A request for information is a standard business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers. Normally it follows a format that can be used for comparative purposes.... ), instructions for the questionnaire (guide for customers), license License The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...  guidelines as well as the guidelines for the logo Logo A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...  usage.
2. Answering the Questionnaire	The questionnaire used for the audit consists of about 220 questions pertaining to the categories facility, staff, technology, and procedures. To facilitate the process, the data center operator will receive a guide for customers which explains the questions in detail and lists possible answers. The auditors are available for questions during the entire audit process.
3. Questionnaire Evaluation by the Auditors	After the data center operator fills out the questionnaire, the auditors examine the plausibility of the answers.
4. On-Site Consultation with the Auditors	Questionnaire is discussed Maps are discussed Certificates are verified Technical documentation Technical documentation In engineering, technical documentation refers to any type of documentation that describes handling, functionality and architecture of a technical product or a product under development or use.Documentation may include:* patents...  is assessed
5. Data Center Inspection	Questionnaire is examined Maps are verified Facilities are examined Procedures are traced back The data center's proximity is assessed
6. DCSA Evaluation	The results taken from the verified questionnaire and the on-site inspection are used for the DCSA assessment. In considering a point system, a specified and objective classification will be carried out according to a point system. Each category and subcategory will be weighted accordingly by using a particular code. According to the assessed performance level (%), the results can be matched to one of the five performance grades (DC Stars).
7. Awarding Certificate and Insignia	After the successful certification, the data center operator receives a DCSA certificate and insignia. During the validity period of the audit (24 months), the digital logo Logo A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...  material made available may be used for marketing purposes in the context of the licensing policies.

Assessment criteria

The evaluation of a data center is carried out on the basis of a large questionnaire for the four categories: facilitiy, staff, technology and procedures as well as on the basis of a comprehensive inspection by the eco authorised auditors (eAA).

Criteria	Topics	Weight
Facilities	Access control Access control Access control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...  and security Protected zones and fire control Fire control control of fire 'control of fire' is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, or reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving a fire of fuel, oxygen or heat .... Raised floor Raised floor A raised floor or access floor are types of floor that provide an elevated structural floor above a solid substrate to create a hidden void for the passage of mechanical and electrical services... s Position in the building Facility feedings Scalability Scalability In electronics scalability is the ability of a system, network, or process, to handle growing amount of work in a graceful manner or its ability to be enlarged to accommodate that growth... Structure of the building Cleanliness of the data center	25%
Technology	Transformer Transformer A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...  / Main distribution for medium and low voltage Power supplier AC Alternating current In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....  and DC Direct current Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...  power supply Power supply A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy... Emergency power supply, emergency shutdown, lightning protection Air conditioning Air conditioning An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...  and air filtration Temperature and humidity Humidity Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,... Carrier	35%
Procedure	ITIL Information Technology Infrastructure Library The Information Technology Infrastructure Library , is a set of good practices for IT service management that focuses on aligning IT services with the needs of business. In its current form , ITIL is published in a series of five core publications, each of which covers an ITSM lifecycle stage...  conformity Continuity management Existing certifications Access procedure Data security Data security Data security is the means of ensuring that data is kept safe from corruption and that access to it is suitably controlled. Thus data security helps to ensure privacy. It also helps in protecting personal data. Data security is part of the larger practice of Information security.- Disk Encryption...	20%
Staff	Staff size Multilingual staff Accessibility and availability Qualifications Quality management Quality management The term Quality management has a specific meaning within many business sectors. This specific definition, which does not aim to assure 'good quality' by the more general definition , can be considered to have four main components: quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality...	20%

Performance grade 1 ★

• Basic air conditioning (n)
• Basic power supply
  Power supply
  A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
  
   (n)
• A UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   (perpetual quality power, overvoltage
  Overvoltage
  When the voltage in a circuit or part of it is raised above its upper design limit, this is known as overvoltage. The conditions may be hazardous...
  
   protection, etc.) designed with (n)
• 5 minutes hold-up time to shut down
  Shutdown (computing)
  To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
  
   the operation systems
• Devices for the detection of fire (smoke alarm) and for fire fighting
  Fire fighting
  Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
  
   (fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  )
• Architectural separation of the computer room from other spaces by the minimum F30/T30 (German-specific rating system for fire-resistance)
• Several fire sections in the data center are not necessary
• Heat dissipation performance: 220-320 W/m²
• Minimum physical access protection (steel doors/security locks/windowless room or secured window) and a warning system
  Warning system
  A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it....
  
  /break-in security
• Certified staff for the operation of the server
  Server (computing)
  In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
  
  s (network technology/operation system)
• Stable network connection (min. 1 internet access provider, 1 independent network connection)
• Basic supply routes

Evaluation Period: 1 Year

• Limited operation because of maintenance
  Maintenance, Repair and Operations
  Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
  
  : 2 downtime
  Downtime
  The term downtime is used to refer to periods when a system is unavailable.Downtime or outage duration refers to a period of time that a system fails to provide or perform its primary function...
  
  s over 14 hours
• Availability of the data center: 99.2% per year
• 2-3 outage
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
  s per year with a downtime of respectively 5 hours

Performance grade 2 ★★

• Basic air conditioning (n)
• Basic power supply
  Power supply
  A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
  
   (n)
• A UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   (perpetual quality power, overvoltage
  Overvoltage
  When the voltage in a circuit or part of it is raised above its upper design limit, this is known as overvoltage. The conditions may be hazardous...
  
   protection, etc.) designed with (n)
• 8 minutes hold-up time to shut down
  Shutdown (computing)
  To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
  
   the operation systems
• Devices for the detection of fire (smoke alarm) and for fire fighting
  Fire fighting
  Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
  
   (fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  )
• Architectural separation of the computer room from other spaces by the minimum F30/T30 (German-specific rating system for fire-resistance)
• Several fire sections in the data center are not necessary
• Heat dissipation performance: 220-320 W/m²
• Physical access protection (steel doors/security locks/windowless room or secured window) with a mental identification feature and a warning system
  Warning system
  A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it....
  
  /break-in security
• Certified staff for the operation of the server
  Server (computing)
  In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
  
  s (network technology/operation system)
• Stable network connection (min. 2 providers, 2 independent network connections)
• Basic supply routes

Evaluation Period: 1 Year

• Limited operation because of maintenance
  Maintenance, Repair and Operations
  Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
  
  : 2 downtimes over 12 hours
• Availability of the data center: 99.671% per year, annual downtime 28.8 hours
• 2-3 outage
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
  s per year with a downtime of respectively 4 hours

Performance grade 3 ★★★

• Air conditioning (n)
• Redundant power supply
  Power supply
  A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
  
   (n+1)
• Diesel generator
  Diesel generator
  A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
  
  
• A UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   (perpetual quality power, overvoltage
  Overvoltage
  When the voltage in a circuit or part of it is raised above its upper design limit, this is known as overvoltage. The conditions may be hazardous...
  
   protection, etc.) designed with (n)
• 8 minutes hold-up time to shut down
  Shutdown (computing)
  To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
  
   the operation systems
• Devices for the detection of fire (smoke alarm) and for fire fighting
  Fire fighting
  Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
  
   (fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  )
• Architectural separation of the computer room from other spaces by the minimum F30/T30 (German-specific rating system for fire-resistance)
• Several fire sections in the data center are not necessary
• Heat dissipation performance: 430-800 W/m²
• Process of an individualised authentication
  Authentication
  Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
  
   (biometrics
  Biometrics
  Biometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...
  
   or mental identification feature)
• ITIL process maturation grade 2 (mostly documented and adjusted to the ITIL model)
• Physical access protection (steel doors/security locks/windowless room or secured window) with logging
  Logging (computer security)
  In computer security, a login or logon is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identifying and authentifying the user referring to credentials presented by the user.A user can log in to a system to obtain access and can then log out or log off In computer...
  
    and a warning system
  Warning system
  A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it....
  
  /break-in security
• Certified staff for the operation of the server
  Server (computing)
  In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
  
  s (network technology/operation system)
• Stable network connection (min. 2 Internet access providers, 2 independent network connections)
• Basic supply routes

Evaluation Period: 2 Years

• Limited operation because of maintenance
  Maintenance, Repair and Operations
  Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
  
  : 3 downtimes for 12 hours
• Availability of the data center: 99.671% per year, downtime 22 hours
• 2 outage
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
  s per year with a downtime of respectively 4 hours

Performance grade 4 ★★★★

• Air conditioning (n+1) + UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   connection
• Redundant power supply
  Power supply
  A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
  
   (n+1) and 2 facility feedings
• Diesel generator
  Diesel generator
  A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
  
  
• A UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   (perpetual quality power, overvoltage
  Overvoltage
  When the voltage in a circuit or part of it is raised above its upper design limit, this is known as overvoltage. The conditions may be hazardous...
  
   protection, etc.) designed with (n)
• 8 minutes hold-up time to shut down
  Shutdown (computing)
  To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
  
   the operation systems
• Devices for the detection of fire (smoke alarm) and for fire fighting
  Fire fighting
  Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
  
   (fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  )
• Architectural separation of the computer room from other spaces by the minimum F30/T30 (German-specific rating system for fire-resistance)
• Several fire sections in the data center are not necessary
• Heat dissipation performance: 430-1400 W/m²
• Process of an individualised authentication
  Authentication
  Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
  
   (biometrics
  Biometrics
  Biometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...
  
   or mental identification feature)
• Access to the data center: at least 2 door systems
• ITIL process maturation grade 2 (mostly documented and adjusted to the ITIL model)
• Physical access protection (steel doors/security locks/windowless room or secured window) with logging
  Logging (computer security)
  In computer security, a login or logon is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identifying and authentifying the user referring to credentials presented by the user.A user can log in to a system to obtain access and can then log out or log off In computer...
  
   and a warning system
  Warning system
  A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it....
  
  /break-in security
• Certified staff for the operation of the server
  Server (computing)
  In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
  
  s (network technology/operation system)
• Stable network connection (min. 2 Internet access providers, 2 independent network connections)
• Basic supply routes

Evaluation Period: 5 Years

• Limited operation because of maintenance
  Maintenance, Repair and Operations
  Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
  
  : 2 downtimes for 4 hours
• Availability of the data center: 99.982% per year, downtime 1.6 hours
• 2 outage
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
  s per year with a downtime of respectively 4 hours

Performance grade 5 ★★★★★

• Air conditioning (n+2) + UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   connection (n+1)
• Redundant power supply
  Power supply
  A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
  
   (n+2) and 2 facility feedings (n+2 can be realized with a technical circuit and substantiated by service level agreements)
• 2 x diesel generator
  Diesel generator
  A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
  
  
• A UPS
  Uninterruptible power supply
  An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
  
   (perpetual quality power, overvoltage
  Overvoltage
  When the voltage in a circuit or part of it is raised above its upper design limit, this is known as overvoltage. The conditions may be hazardous...
  
   protection, etc.) designed with a minimum of (n+1)
• 20 minutes hold-up time to shut down
  Shutdown (computing)
  To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
  
   the operation systems
• Devices for the detection of fire (smoke alarm) and for fire fighting
  Fire fighting
  Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
  
   (fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  ), VESDA system
• Architectural separation of the computer room from other spaces by the minimum F60/T60 (German-specific rating system for fire-resistance)
• Several fire sections in the data center are necessary
• Heat dissipation performance: >= 1500 W/m²
• Process of an individualised authentication
  Authentication
  Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
  
   (biometrics
  Biometrics
  Biometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...
  
   or mental identification feature)
• Access to the data center: at least 2 door systems
• Optical turnstile
  Optical turnstile
  An optical turnstile is a physical security device designed to restrict or control access to a building or secure area. Optical turnstiles are usually a part of an access control system, which also consists of software, card readers, and controllers...
  
   for customer entrance
• ITIL process maturation grade 4 (completely documented and adjusted to the ITIL model)
• Documented Procedures (e.g. with the help of ISO 27001, ISO 20000
  ISO 20000
  ISO/IEC 20000 is the first international standard for IT service management. It was developed in 2005, by ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7 and revised in 2011. It is based on and intended to supersede the earlier BS 15000 that was developed by BSI Group....
  
  , ISO 9001)
• Physical access protection (steel doors/security locks/windowless room or secured window) with logging
  Logging (computer security)
  In computer security, a login or logon is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identifying and authentifying the user referring to credentials presented by the user.A user can log in to a system to obtain access and can then log out or log off In computer...
  
   and a warning system
  Warning system
  A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it....
  
  /break-in security
• Certified staff for the operation of the server
  Server (computing)
  In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
  
  s (network technology/operation system)
• Stable network connection (min. 5 Internet access providers, 2 independent network connections)
• Supply routes doubled

Evaluation Period: 5 Years

• No limited operation because of maintenance
  Maintenance, Repair and Operations
  Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
  
  
• Availability of the data center: 99.991% per year, downtime 0.8 h
• 1 outage
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
   per year with a maximum downtime of 4 h

Fulfillment grade

In considering the calculated performance grade (%) derived from the questionnaire's responses and the inspection, the result can be assigned to one of the five fulfillment grades (DC Stars).

Fulfillment grade	Percent	Stars
1	35 - 54%	★
2	55 - 64%	★★
3	65 - 74%	★★★
4	75 - 89%	★★★★
5	90 - 100%	★★★★★

Validity

The validity of the audit is 24 months. Data centers can be re-assessed after this period.

See also

• Computer security
  Computer security
  Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
  
  
• Data center classification
• ITIL
  Itil
  Itil may mean:*Atil or Itil, the ancient capital of Khazaria*Itil , also Idel, Atil, Atal, the ancient and modern Turkic name of the river Volga.ITIL can stand for:*Information Technology Infrastructure Library...
  
  
• Quality audit
  Quality audit
  Quality audit is the process of systematic examination of a quality system carried out by an internal or external quality auditor or an audit team...
  
  
• Redundancy

External links

• dcaudit.de Datacenter Star Audit