Uptime Institute's Tier Classification System is the international standard for data center performance. Learn about our Tiers and different levels here.
Data center tiers are a standardized procedure to rank data center in terms of the reliability of data center infrastructure.
Ever hear the term "Tier 3 Data Center" and wonder what it means? Here's guide to understanding the different data center tiers and identifying users for them.…
Read about the four data center tiers and learn how this ranking system reflects the facility's reliability, cost, and security levels.
HostDime’s mission is to design, build, and operate public Tier 4 data center facilities in emerging markets around the globe.
Data center tier standards from the Uptime Institute rank availability from Tier I to Tier IV. Explore how the various levels compare.
Estimated global data center electricity consumption in 2022 was 240–340 TWh, or roughly 1–1.3% of global electricity demand. This excludes energy used for cryptocurrency mining, which...
Tier 1 (Basic Capacity), Tier 1 data centers go beyond staging your servers in a spare office or large closet inside a larger facility. Tier 1 DCs need a dedicated space for all your IT systems (a server room which may or may not include a locked door); uninterruptable power supplies (UPSes) to condition incoming power and to prevent spikes from damaging your equipment; a controlled cooling control environment that runs 24x7x365; and a generator to keep your equipment running during an extended power outage. ; Tier 2 (Redundant Capacity), A tier 2 data center incorporates all the characteristics of a tier 1 DC. It also contains some partial redundancy in power and cooling components (the power and cooling systems are not totally redundant). A tier 2 DC exceeds tier 1 requirements, providing some additional insurance that power or cooling needs won’t shut down processing. ; Tier 3 (Concurrently maintainable DC), A tier 3 DC incorporates all the characteristics of tier 1 and tier 2 data centers. A tier 3 data center also requires that any power and cooling equipment servicing the DC can be shut down for maintenance without affecting your IT processing. All IT equipment must have dual power supplies attached to different UPS units, such that a UPS unit can be taken off-line without crashing servers or cutting off network connectivity. Redundant cooling systems must also be in place so that if one cooling unit fails, the other one kicks in and continues to cool the room. Tier 3 DCs are not fault tolerant as they may share different components such as utility company feeds and external cooling system components that reside outside the data center. ; Tier 4 (Fault Tolerance), A tier 4 DC incorporates all the capabilities found in tier 1, 2, and 3 DCs. In addition, all tier 4 power and cooling components are 2N fully redundant, meaning that all IT components are serviced by two different utility power suppliers, two generators, two UPS systems, two power distribution units (PDUs), and two different cooling systems powered (again) by different utility power services. Each data and cooling path is independent of the other (fully redundant). If any single power or cooling infrastructure component fails in a tier 4 DC, processing will continue without issue. IT processing can only be affected if components from two different electrical or cooling paths fail.
Our Tier 3 data center in KSA is the first carrier-neutral data center in Saudi Arabia with 4,500 square meters empowering thousands of public & private sector clients with a capacity of 450 racks.
Data centers are the physical homes of the computer systems that power our daily lives. ✓ Learn more about types, tiers & security for data centers today!