F-01, Foundation
Data Center foundations
Build a structured understanding of the systems, stakeholders, performance indicators and governance principles that shape a modern Data Center.
Objectives
- Explain the role and operating boundaries of a Data Center
- Identify the main IT, power, cooling, connectivity and physical security systems
- Interpret core capacity, resilience and sustainability indicators
- Recognise the principal European regulatory and good practice frameworks
Audience
IT, facilities, procurement, finance and sustainability professionals who need a shared Data Center vocabulary.
Prerequisites
- No technical prerequisite
- An interest in critical digital infrastructure
Programme
01
The Data Center ecosystem
- Business purpose, service boundaries and criticality
- Enterprise, colocation, hyperscale and edge operating models
- IT space, technical space, interconnection rooms and support areas
- Roles of owners, operators, customers, maintainers and authorities
02
Critical systems and resilience
- IT equipment, network connectivity and storage
- Power path from utility intake to rack distribution
- Cooling chain, airflow management and environmental monitoring
- Physical protection, monitoring and single points of failure
03
Performance, sustainability and governance
- Capacity, utilisation, availability and service level indicators
- Energy measurement boundaries and responsible interpretation of PUE
- Water, renewable energy and waste heat reuse indicators
- EU reporting, NIS2 measures, evidence and audit responsibilities
Outcomes
- Use accurate Data Center terminology in discussions across functions
- Read an overview infrastructure diagram and identify dependencies
- Ask informed questions about capacity, resilience, efficiency and compliance
Public references
TALINTS programme outline informed by openly accessible institutional publications.