Northwest Data Center and Communications Hub (NDCCH) Opens

University IT is pleased to announce the completion of the Northwest Data Center and Communications Hub (NDCCH). This new facility opened on November 17, 2014 with the primary purpose of hosting mission critical applications and infrastructure. Some of the University IT systems and services that are already installed in the NDCCH include those supporting BigFix, directory, mail routing, and authentication. More are scheduled to move in early this year.

The new facility is approximately 9,200 square feet and is located near the intersection of Oak and Welch roads. The facility is comprised of a Data Center, Electronic Communication Hub (ECH), and Remote Operator Facility (ROF).

The Data Center currently has 32 racks installed but has capacity for up to 96 racks, provisioned at up to 8 kW/rack. The ECH has a 32 rack capacity, provisioned at 4 kW/rack and designed to support critical communications and networking systems and infrastructure. The ROF has 26 workstations for the Contact Center (i.e., University and Hospital information and paging operators) and the IT Operations Center staff, should they need to exit their normal location in Forsythe during an emergency.

This new facility features a hardened structural design to allow continuous operation following a major seismic event. An “N” electrical design has been incorporated throughout the facility and includes an enterprise scale modular UPS system and 1.5 MW generator. The “N+1” mechanical system is comprised of three 125 ton air handlers located on the roof of the building along with a dedicated 242 ton backup chiller. Physical security is controlled and monitored by the Lenel door access and video surveillance systems. Environmental and power monitoring is provided by LBRE’s EMCS and DDC systems and monitored by ITOC.

If you have any questions regarding this facility or would like to schedule a tour, please feel free to reach out to Lucrecia Kim-Boswell.