It is probable that an increasing number of organisations will wish assessment of data centres against the conformance requirements of the EN 50600 series standards while others will continue to consider alternative solutions. To support the standards-based assessment approach, CLC Technical Committee 215 has developed CLC/TR 50600-99-3 which provides guidance to the application of the complete set of data centre infrastructure standards of the EN 50600 series.
There is nothing to stop a 3rd Party from assessing aspects of a data centre against conformance to EN 50600. The same is true for the owner or operator of a data centre. The lack of any true certification system for data centre renders both approaches, and any assessment against alternative 3rd party schemes, as being of equal technical status.
Self-assessment or self-declaration of conformance against the requirements outlined above is comparatively simple and may be attractive to enterprise owners. In contrast a 3rd Party assessment against those same requirements may be more appropriate for owner-operators of data centres that market their services to others, in order to demonstrate 3rd Party impartiality. Self-declaration versus 3rd Party assessment is therefore a “value judgement”.
The application of a EuroNorm (EN) as the basis for that assessment is clearly a step forward but the choice of self, or 3rd Party assessment has to be based on the apparent and perceived value and application of the resulting assessment versus the cost of the process to be employed.
Questions are repeatedly asked about “certification” against standards and how such “certifications” compare with the numerous 3rd Party products and service approaches on the market. There is a great deal of misunderstanding and misuse of the term “certification” and in general assessments or declarations of compliance are available but not always “certification”.
Standards bodies cannot prevent misuse of their standards but they are able to make transparent to those desiring “certification”, what options they have and what those standards offer regarding “certification”, and importantly what they do not. It is also important to note that standards bodies are not in a position to judge whether or not an organisation offering certification meets the underlying requirements, that is the role of accreditation specialists.
One of the objectives of standardisation is to enable the determination of whether or not a product, process or system meets a set of minimum requirements. The demonstration of that compliance (correctly called a conformity assessment) may be ascertained by one of three procedures described as 1st Party (carried out by the manufacturer or supplier), 2nd Party (carried out by the user or operator) and 3rd Party (carried out by a neutral and independent body).
Standards such as those of the EN 50600 series do not define the appropriate procedure, leaving this to bilateral contracts or even national or regional legislation.
In order for a 3rd Party body to offer their services they have to prove that they fulfil the conditions required for an accreditation body and to be assessed against those requirements by a competent authority. This assessment necessarily includes inter alia the proof of neutrality, competence, impartiality etc.
Accredited assessment to one or more documents of the EN 50600 series may be viable/possible as part of one of the schemes of ISO 9001, ISO 50001, ISO 14001 or the ISO/IEC 27000 series.
European Data Centre Standards Coordination Group
A more comprehensive and annually updated reference to the international data centre Standards landscape is available at the link below. This site is designed to highlight and coordinate data centre Standards development efforts across Europe as well as promoting those standards that have already been developed. The documents in the links are updated annually and are freely available.
https://www.cencenelec.eu/areas-of-work/cenelec-sectors/digital-society-cenelec/green-data-centres/