A Data Centre has the option to have its compliance certification validated by TIA-942.org. A compliance certification can be issued by anyone or any company, whether qualified or not. TIA-942.org offers the service to validate the auditor’s report on compliance to verify the correctness of the audit.
The validated status and what it means:
Validated - means that audit report has been submitted to www.tia-942.org and has been reviewed and approved for its correctness. The site will then receive the ANSI/TIA-942 compliance certificate from TIA-942.org.
This status indicates whether the data center has been audited by an external auditor.
Rated-1: Basic Site Infrastructure
A data center which has single capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has limited protection against physical events.
Rated-2: Redundant Capacity Component Site Infrastructure
A data center which has redundant capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has improved protection against physical events.
Rated-3: Concurrently Maintainable Site Infrastructure
A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment. Typically, only one distribution path serves the computer equipment at any time. The site is concurrently maintainable which means that each and every capacity component including elements which are part of the distribution path, can be removed/replaced/serviced on a planned basis without disrupting the ICT capabilities to the End-User. It has protection against most physical events.
Rated-4: Fault Tolerant Site Infrastructure
A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment which all are active. The data center allows concurrent maintainability and one (1) fault anywhere in the installation without causing downtime. It has protection against almost all physical events.
ANSI/TIA-942 Design Certification
This status indicates that the design documents of the data center under scope have been reviewed for conformity to the design criteria of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard for the respective Rating level.
ANSI/TIA-942 Site Certification
This status indicates that the data center facilty under scope has been physically inspected for conformity to the design criteria of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard for respective Rating level. This physical inspection covers both an assessment of all related design documents as well as a physical onsite inspection for each area under the scope of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard.
ANSI/TIA-942 Ready
This status indicates that a product, typically a modular data center such as pre-fabricated data centre or a container based data centre product has been designed in accordance to the requirements of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard for the respective Rating/Tier* level. This certification will ensure that once the modular data centre solution has been placed in the appropriate environment that it will meet the indicated Rating/Tier* level.
Non-Certified
This status indicates that the data center has made a self-declaration about its Rating level and other technical details. As such, no third party has validated the info provided. Customers are advised to validate the info provided.
TIA-942 standard certification is valid for 3 years. By the end of year-1 and year-2, TIA-942 requires the data center to undergo a surveillance audit. And by end of year-3, to keep its certification valid, the data center has to undergo a recertification audit. In summary:
Year 0 – compliance certification
Year 1 – surveillance audit
Year 2 – surveillance audit
Year 3 – recertification audit
The status and what it means:
Active – an active status means the data center has done the required surveillance and/or recertification audits.
Surveillance audit pending – this means the data center is due for surveillance audit and either has not done the surveillance audit or has not submitted the surveillance audit report to TIA-942.org.
Recertification audit pending - this means the data center is due for recertification audit and either has not done the recertification audit or has not submitted the recertification audit report to TIA-942.org. The data center has 90 days after expiration of its certification to submit the recertification audit report to TIA-942.org.
Withdrawn – a withdrawn status means that the 3-year validity period of the certification has expired and the data center either has not taken action to conduct a recertification audit or has not submitted the recertification audit report to TIA-942.org after 90 days period. The certification is considered withdrawn.
Whilst consultants and auditors will take great care and professionalism, there could be a potential lapse in the assessment as data centers are complex infrastructures. Furthermore, data center audits are based on sampling and a change might have been made after the audit resulting in a potential non-conformity being introduced in what was a site which had met the requirements of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard.
The form below allows you to report a potential non-conformity which will then be investigated by the members of the www.tia-942.org.
You can also report a concern regarding a certified consultant and/or auditor (CTDC, CTIA, CTEA) in case there are misunderstandings or differences in opinions in the assessment. www.tia-942.org will investigate the facts and will provide a decision which will be binding for both parties.
NOTE: Your confidentiality will be protected at all times. www.tia-942.org will not disclose your details to the party for which the review will be undertaken.
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