Crown
Alley, a secure telephone exchange, provides a modern
computer environment for the physical hosting of customer
hardware. Located in a core eircom Internet node
with high-speed redundant National and International access
this facility currently hosts equipment for several customers.
Some of the features of the centre are:
Internet Connectivity
Power Back-up
Air Conditioning
Fire Protection
Structured Cabling
Security/Access Control
Internet
Connectivity
The Data Centre houses one of eircom's core
IP network nodes. These core nodes have direct international
Internet connectivity and also have diverse links to other
core nodes in Dublin. They also have dual redundant routers
so that connectivity will be maintained even if a router
fails. As customers are co-located with the core nodes
they can upgrade the speed of their Internet link at short
notice without waiting for leased line upgrades.
Power Back-up
Two main power boards, fed via our own 10kV connection
to the ESB, operate in a fully redundant configuration
to power the facility. Each power board is safeguarded
against mains failure by its diesel generator set, each
board and each generator is capable of supplying the
entire load.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are used to smooth
and clean the power supplied to the computer equipment
floors and to provide uninterrupted power in the interval
between a power failure and the start-up of backup generators.
There are two multi-module UPS on site, configured to
provide 100% redundancy to loads capable of accepting
dual power connections should a single UPS fail.
The backup generators start automatically in the event
of an electricity supply failure. The UPS and generator
systems are monitored 24x7.
Air
conditioning
Three air-cooled liquid chillers located on the
roof of the building control the air conditioning in
the facility, which feed three air-handling units (AHUs)
on each of the equipment floors. These coolers control
temperature in the computer rooms. The chillers and
AHUs are configured redundantly so that any two of the
three coolers can maintain the specified room conditions.
These systems are monitored 24x7.
Fire protection
The facility is protected by a P1 -fire detection
system with, in addition, fire suppression systems on
each of the equipment floors. The fire suppression systems
are controlled by a dense detector layout, which trigger
the building fire alarms and the release of the fire
suppression gas in the affected equipment floor. The
fire alarm is monitored 24x7.
Structured
cabling
All equipment cabinets have a gigabit Ethernet twisted
pair cable connections to a common patch panel for easy
interconnection of customer equipment to Internet access
equipment or to other telecommunication services. Lucent
standard cabling is in place; wiring is carried out
by Lucent certified engineers.
Security/access
control
The facility is patrolled by security personnel
24x7. Visitors must be authorised for access by a member
of the facility staff and must wear visitor identity
tags at all times. Customers are accompanied at all
times when accessing their equipment in the main computer
room floors.
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