Data Center Institute proposes industry standards based on data center density and size

New data center sizes
The data center performance standards developed by the DCI and AFCOM uses a size metric that separates data centers into six different categories based on rack capacity and square footage, notes Data Center Knowledge. "Mini" data centers make up the smallest category, where the largest data centers utilize up to 10 racks and take up less than 300 square feet of space. On the other side of the scale, "Massive" facilities are over 225,000 square feet in size and boast a rack yield that's over 9000. The DCI's density metric uses four categories ranging from "Low" to "Extreme," separated by the facility's peak load per rack and per computer space.

AFCOM's data center standards recommends that if a facility's performance values do not fit neatly into one of these categories, the data center should assign itself to the category that corresponds with the higher value. These standards would have significant impacts on the data center industry if they were to become universally adopted. Many companies would re-brand their facility's services to play up their rating on the DCI's scale, while data centers on the borderline would invest in space-saving solutions like remote console servers to slide into a more favorable performance category.

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