by Matt Seaton

London East Build Blog – Weeks 66 to 68

Focus on the Build Blog this time around has been firmly on progress with cabling and containment, which continues to develop across the entire site.

A hefty quantity of the largest internal cabling is now all in place, totalling around 8 tonnes. This will now be terminated, along with a host of smaller internal cabling, while additional large external cabling is run in thereafter, as we head ever closer to energisation at London East.

Weekly overview

We’ll get straight into the photos again this time around, as we take a look at cabling and containment developments on-site at NLE.

Containment
Containment has now firmly breached into the exterior areas of the new site, with the runs to the four generators taking shape here
Containment
Another view of the generator containment as it works its way around to the point of entry on each gen set
Containment
A closer view of the twin ladder runs out to the generators, to account for the large quantity of cabling required to connect these units back to the main switchboards and controllers
Containment
What look to be simple drops across to the generators actually required considerable effort, as solid concrete and brickwork edging had to be excavated to allow for the ladder to pass through to the required location
Containment
On the other side of the front compound, the twin ladder runs to the transformer have started to be installed
Containment
Here we see the supporting slotted channel being prepared for installation on this solid block wall, which will house the transformer cable runs as they pass into the building
Containment
The external skin of the building has been modified to allow cabling to enter and pass along this route
Containment
Here’s a view of the uncovered cable ladder which sits under the floor in the ground floor access corridor
Containment
Here we seem a temporary blanking panel in place until the ladder is ready to pass through the building – additional tray is being run in to hold AC pipework for traditional systems that will support supplementary areas of the building
Transformer
The transformer base is now ready for the installation of the GRP enclosure, and the transformer itself
Cabling
This is a view inside of LV Room B, as some of the large ~300kg inter-room cables are run in, which will link the LV boards for various functions / reasons – they are simply laid in loose at this point in time
Cabling
This is the drum of cabling for connecting out to the generators, which clocks in at 2.2 tonnes
Cabling
One of the first drums to be emptied – this was a 1.8 tonne spool, which is now all run in under the floor between the LV rooms – this will be modified and become an outside table for clients to use
Cabling
Another finished drum, slightly smaller this time, equating to around 1.2 tonnes
Cabling
A look into LV Room A, with the cabling being pulled into its trefoil cleats
Cabling
A view into the main LV Room cabling route as they enter LV Room B, showing the cleats as they hold the cables down to the floor mounted channel
Cabling
Another view into LV Room B as the routes continue to take shape, and the tails are fed all the way into the boards
Cabling
Earth cable being pulled into the floor, which again will interconnect the LV Rooms
Cabling
A view into LV Room A, as the earth cables are laid into position ahead of cleating
Cabling
Here we see the earth cabling being pulled into its cleated arrangement, which brings this main route to its full state
Cabling
A look down the main cable route between LV Rooms, showing the multiple trefoils and earthing bundles and they run between the two main boards

As you can see, the main focus here has been on continued progression with cabling and containment, which will continue into the next instalment of the Build Blog.

As always, other works have of course been underway, both in the development of London East, and elsewhere across our ever-growing operation, however we’re keeping this post concise and on topic.

What’s next?

As with the previous ‘what’s next?’ update, we’re looking at more of the same over the next few weeks. We have a vast amount of cabling and termination to undertake, which we hope to see nearing completion by the time we next post to the Build Blog.

We’ll also be moving onto further work on fire and VESDA systems, and will be moving ahead with commissioning on cooling systems, as well as continued work on power, such as the roll out of ‘small power infrastructure’ (supplementary building-wide power sockets for cleaning equipment etc).

by Matt Seaton

London East Build Blog – Weeks 63 to 65

Vast changes again this time, as the electrical works push on at pace both inside and outside of the new facility.

While visually the site now appears a little less finished than before, with masses of flooring taken up to accommodate the newly installed containment and cabling, from a more wholistic view point, things are pushing forwards in a big way at the moment.

Weekly overview

The pace of work and progress on-site has certainly been turned up a gear, as multiple trades now work together on various aspects of the facility’s power systems, alongside work on other related areas to maintain solid progression throughout.

We have a lot of photos to present this time around, so rather than spending too much time on the introduction, we’ll let them do the talking.

LV Boards
Our LV boards have arrived with us, split across two deliveries due to their size
LV Boards
This first batch of boards shown here are destined for LV Room A
LV Boards
We were able to swing the boards right into the loading bay, ready for pre-staging ahead of them being rolled into their final position on their respective plinths
LV Boards
The first couple of sections of the board now coupled together in LV Room A
LV Boards
Here we can see into the gland plate enclosures, where the large armoured cables will soon enter the boards to feed the various breakers seen in the chambers above
LV Boards
Here is another view of LV Room A, with the UPS Boards now also in their final places opposite the main board
LV Boards
The size of these boards makes taking a photo of them tricky – getting them all in view is nearly impossible – a wide angle lens in on our shopping list!
LV Boards
A view from the door of LV Room A, looking towards the boards now full situated, coupled, levelled and locked off
Containment
This is the view down one of the risers, as the containment between floors begins to take shape, and specialist containment for fire cable routes is run in
Containment
A look at some of the containment in place to hold the ladder work under the floor
Containment
Here we see the floor starting to go back down in Data Hall 1, now that the whips are in place – more on that further down in this post
Containment
Another view of the floor back in place at the rear of Row A in Pod 1, with only the termination at the PDU end to go
Containment
Lots of inter-room pathways have been made for cable routes in the past few weeks
Containment
The largest cables will be cleated to the ground, with slotted channel now fixed to the ground along these routes to accommodate this
Containment
Here we see the slotted channel in place under the floor in the LV Rooms
Containment
The main containment runs out to the generators are also starting to take shape
Exterior
Further progress has also been made outside the building, with the trenches dug for the ducting that will carry our HV feeds into our demise
Exterior
The main run of trench to take the ductwork out to the roadside
Exterior
Here’s a look at the poured transformer base, with the shutter forming fully removed
Exterior
A look at some of the machinery on-site to undertake the ground work
Exterior
The trench continues to the road, with steel plates in place to bridge the gap for access while the top remains open
Cabling
Here we see some of the smaller drums of earth cabling for this phase of the project arriving to site
Cabling
Here’s one of the larger drums of earth cable, clocking in at around 750kg
Cabling
Some more of the earth cabling in storage, along with a large quantity of the ladder to be installed around the facility
Cabling
A sizable delivery of the larger armoured cabling that will run between the LV rooms, and to the Data Halls
Cabling
Some of these drums are around 2 metres in diameter, with the delivery clocking in at circa eight tonnes
Cabling
Some more of the drums inside, awaiting their time to land on the large 10 tonne axels we have for pulling them in – each single length of cable can weigh as much as 300kg, and needs to be pulled in using special rollers
Cabling
A view of the cabling as it is laid under the floor, between the LV Rooms
Cabling
Much of the floor has come up to allow for the cabling to be routed, along with the temporary removal of the UPS boards
Cabling
The cabling has been partly stripped here, and installed into the gland plate ready for eventual termination
Cabling
This view shows the cables starting to be cleated together, which run the width of the building between the two LV Rooms – there are 15 more cables to join this first three
Cabling
The first set of cables reaching LV Room B, which will interlink the two boards
Cabling
This view further shows some of the underfloor containment, which is multi-layered in the LV Rooms (top layer removed here)
Cabling
This is a view of the now completed cabinet-side whip cabling in Data Hall 1, which will feed each of the racks with diverse power
Cabling
This room alone has eaten up over 2km of cabling, with well over 3,000 ties holding it all down to the tray
Cabling
Data Hall 1 has been flood cabled with feeds for all eventual rack locations, including the currently vacant spots for Pod 2
Cabling
Diverse cable routes always take pathways which reduce cross-over, in this instance only happening once, where A and B feeds need to move past each other as each pod is cross-fed – a cable bridge has been installed to handle this
Cabling
As always, the devil is in the detail, and we’re very pleased with how the underfloor cabling has come together in Data Hall 1
Cabling
A view down the length of Row B, with all commando sockets in place, and earth bonding for both the racks and the raised floor visible
Cabling
The A and B feeds to each rack only converge at the rack itself, otherwise maintaining fully separated routes throughout
Cabling
Keeping routes so strictly diverse in this way requires far more cabling and containment, which comes with a great deal of additional cost and labour, however it is vital for true client-facing A/B redundancy

As you can see, it’s been a busy few weeks on-site here at NLE.

Things are certainly ramping up as we move into the closing stages of the opening phase of the project, which will allow our first clients to install kit into Data Hall 1.

It’s certainly a rather intense time to be a part of the NLE project, as multiple trades push on with various aspects of the build in tandem, ultimately taking us towards the finish line at pace, and in line with expectations on our phase one launch.

What’s next?

For the time being, much of the same. Progress will continue on electrical over the coming weeks, and we will also be pushing ahead with other areas, including the various cooling systems throughout the facility.

by Matt Seaton

What are the services that a colocation data centre offers?

Many businesses are choosing to host their servers and other critical equipment with colocation data centre providers rather than managing this in-house. Let’s look at some of the services offered by colocation providers and why you should consider making the switch.

Projections show the colocation data centre market growing by more than 13 per cent annually between 2021 and 2028. It’s an industry that’s expected to be worth more than $117 billion at that point.

What is a colocation data centre?

A colocation data centre is a facility that can host your servers and other critical IT infrastructure for you.

Rather than keeping this equipment on-site at your own premises, the colocation centre provides the physical space and resources to operate this on your behalf with much greater success. You still have full access to your equipment, but it’s housed inside the data centre and uses its network, cooling, and other related infrastructure.

It’s important to note that in a colocation arrangement, you still own the equipment. You’re not renting the hardware from the data centre, only the space and services needed for its operation.

Services offered by colocation data centres

Using a colocation centre (also known as “colo”) gives you the flexibility of managing your own equipment without having to pay for and maintain the infrastructure in-house. These providers offer several services.

1. Better infrastructure

A colocation data centre operator such as London-based Netwise need to maintain high-quality, reliable infrastructure to attract customers. They host equipment for many companies so their resources are typically much better than the average business would have in-house.

Power

Colocation providers offer redundant, high-capacity power feeds to ensure your servers stay online and accessible. This includes UPS protection options for short-term outages and diesel generators with 48-hour on-site fuel supplies.

Network connectivity

To provide the bandwidth required to run dozens or even hundreds of servers, a data centre offers high-speed internet connections with the option to choose from many different network providers. This ensures that there’s no distinguishable difference in latency between a colocated server and an on-site server.

The level of network connectivity in a data centre offers better performance than a local connection.

Facilities

Data centres can also provide better facilities than hosting your servers in-house. They use the latest cooling technologies, a high degree of physical security, and more modern rack mount systems than you may have available locally.

2. Uptime guarantees

If you’re hosting your server in-house, any downtime is your responsibility. Colocation providers offer service level agreements (SLA) that include uptime guarantees.

Netwise offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, giving you the peace of mind that your servers will be available when you need them most.

3. Multiple geographic locations

Some colocation data centres, like Netwise, offer several geographic locations to choose from. This lets you host your server in a location of your choice, whether that’s one that physically close to your business or one that’s closer to your customers.

This lets you minimize your server’s latency by locating it closer to where the majority of its traffic comes from as well as have it nearby if your technicians are handling the maintenance.

4. Physical and network security

Most colocation providers provide a high level of physical security including guards, 24/7/365 surveillance systems, and biometric authorisation systems. This helps protect your servers from unauthorized in-person access.

They also provide better network security than many companies can maintain in-house. They stay on the leading edge of technological advances in network security, both in the tools they use and the training they provide their staff.

Maintaining the same degree of security in-house would require constant training for your IT staff as well as considerable costs for the latest equipment.

5. Cost savings

Your company could handle most of the services in this list in-house if you wanted. But the cost to do so would be much higher than the fees you’ll pay a colocation provider.

You would need to pay for faster network connections, new equipment, and other infrastructure costs. Some of those would be one-time costs while others would be ongoing.

You would also face higher payroll costs for training and maintaining round-the-clock support staff.

6. Service and support

When you host your servers in a data centre, you can choose to have your technical staff handle the maintenance or you can set up a support contract with the data centre provider. You may also want to consider a hybrid approach, with the data centre staff handling some tasks and your technicians handling others.

It may be more cost-effective for the provider’s staff to handle things like replacing a defective part or upgrading an internal component on your server. This avoids the need to send your technicians to the data centre to do the work.

7. Scalability

Colocation data centres have plenty of space for growth. If you want to add a new server or some other type of hardware to your network, they’ll most likely have the physical space and rack capacity to do so quickly.

If you’re hosting your server on-site, the amount of space you have available could limit your expansion options. In a case like that, you might face considerable capital costs to expand your server room or move to a larger facility.

Choosing the right UK-based colocation provider

If you’re looking for a UK-based colocation data centre, Netwise is here to help. We offer state-of-the-art colocation facilities in the centre of London that can connect you to users around the globe.

We offer a range of colocation packages ranging from 1U to 4U packages right up to full rack colocation. Get in touch with us today to see how we can provide you with reliable, high-performance hosting for your servers and other equipment.

by Matt Seaton

What does a colocation data centre do?

Looking for a more efficient way to manage your IT operations?

Budgeting for the IT requirements of your business can be a handful at the best of times. Have you ever considered making use of colocation data centres? It may be the best alternative for your data storage and application delivery needs. Find out about colocation, what it is and what it does in this article.

Colocation definition and concept

What is colocation? A colocation facility or ‘colo’ is a third-party location that houses servers and data equipment. The idea of colocation first started when businesses began moving equipment out of their offices in the 90’s.

Back then, rented spaces are getting charged on per-rack settings. It soon evolved into wholesale data centres and now work at a hyper-scale level. Clients may turn to colocation facilities to rent space for their critical IT equipment.

However, rack space isn’t the only thing clients can get from a colocation facility. Clients of colocation facilities will also get resilient power, high-performance connectivity, world-class security, and state-of-the-art cooling, amongst other things.

What is a colocation data centre and what does it do?

Colocation data centres are buildings or warehouses that offer rental spaces for companies. They accommodates their networking equipment, servers, and storage systems.

These data carrier hotels not only provide their clients with the space needed to host their equipment. It also offers necessary services for the best data storage and application delivery, such as:

Power

A colocation data centre provides power for your systems all around the clock for seven days a week. They are also equipped with backup generators in case of power interruptions. This is crucial for businesses that rely on their data servers to deliver service to their clients.

Cooling

Overheating can cause your systems to malfunction and delay progress. Cooling systems can help you prevent this. Colocation facilities provide ample HVAC systems and other cooling technologies to keep your equipment in mint condition.

Bandwidth

A colocation data centre offers high-speed internet access. This allows clients to access their server’s processing power even if they’re away from the colo facility. If you have plans of collocating, you will only need to provide your business’ physical servers and data storage.

Unlike other kinds of data centres, colocation data centres have more flexibility. Its use can range from data storage to the delivery of applications. Many businesses turn to colocation providers for data management as it gives them the freedom to build diverse and well-integrated networks.

Scaling IT infrastructure more quickly and more affordably

The construction and operation of your own business data centre can cost a fortune. This major investment leads companies to sacrifice the quality of work for quicker development. Smaller businesses may also not have the liberty to build their own data centres.

This is where colocation data centres come in. Businesses can cut expenditures for data storage and management. These colo facilities also help their clients with operational costs.

Colocation providers help you minimize costs without foregoing the scale of your IT network. If you’re working on a budget, check out these best offers of rental racks.

Guaranteed uptime in mission-critical services

Colocation data centres protect your uptime by distributing your IT network to more locations. You can rest assured that your business will keep running even if one location goes down. There will always be another location to take over.

You don’t have to worry about losing crucial data like reports or confidential customer information. A colocation centre serves as an extra layer of disaster recovery.

However, it’s crucial to remember that your provider must be within the same tier as your business needs. Checking on your colocation provider’s network mix and tier carriers is also a good thing to do.

Physical security of your data and IT equipment

Traditional data centres focus on IT network storage and computing within their properties. This makes your company data susceptible to physical threats, like theft. Most office buildings are not designed design to prioritize the safety of data servers.

A more centralized network will not only increase the likelihood of break-ins. It’s also more vulnerable to natural disasters that can destroy the equipment itself, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

With colo facilities, you can ensure that your servers and equipment are secure. Colo facilities are often built based on industry standards for IT governance. Buildings may also adhere to the standards of other forms of security operations in your state.

Colocation providers are responsible for storing your systems, servers, and equipment. As an extra measure, they may review the physical security of your data. This ranges from perimeter security, video surveillance to 24/7 guard presence and biometric scanning.

Testing products and services for cloud fit

It’s important to note that not all applications are cloud-ready. Some applications can still be sensitive to latency. Some can even have heightened security risks.

For these cases, colocation data centres help their clients by testing whether the products and services can fit the cloud. Your chosen provider will create private clouds to test the products and services in a limited time. This can help you confirm if it’s ready for the public cloud.

Building an edge network

With the growth of the Internet of Things, networks must connect with more devices across bigger distances. Colo can close these gaps between your network and its data sources. They help in building edge networks and even support fog computing.

The closer you can bring your network to the edge of its data, the quicker and more secure you can process them.

How you can benefit from a colocation data centre

Colocation data centres have become a prominent way to store and manage business data. Whether it’s a financial relief to a business’ budget plan or securing the physical safety network, a colocation data centre can cover all your IT needs. Here are some of the benefits of colocation and how it can boost your business operations.

Interested in migrating to a colocation data centre? That’s where we come in. Get in touch with us for your colo inquiries and needs.

by Matt Seaton

London East Build Blog – Weeks 59 to 62

We have a very exciting instalment of the build blog this time around, as we see masses of containment and cabling begin to roll into position at London East, along with civil works for our HV mains incomers.

This is another major turning point in the development of the new facility, as we head ever closer to energising the site ready for client deployments.

Weekly overview

Massive change has begun in earnest this week, as masses of under floor containment begins to flow into Data Hall 1. This has been flood cabled, and the installation team will then move onto the main containment runs which allow for cabling between the upstairs data halls and the downstairs LV rooms.

We’ve also got major civils happening both on-site and in the local area, as our incomers make their way to us, along with our first dark fibre links.

Containment
The underfloor containment for the commando whips being installed in Data Hall 1
Containment
A closer look at the containment runs which flank Pod 1 in Data Hall 1
Containment
This containment will carry the A and B feed whips from each side of the in-room power distribution units, along with some supplementary supplies for M&E equipment
Containment
A view across Data Hall 1, from the eventual position of Pod 2, looking at Pod 1 as it floats above the containment being installed underneath
Containment
Here we see the containment being installed around the central supporting platform for Pod 2, or whichever additional pod layouts are required in Data Hall 1
Containment
Containment beyond Data Hall 1 spans the entire building, including the risers, one of which is pictured here with preparative works underway for cable ladder installation
Electrical
The electrical boards have been installed on their custom plinths in Data Hall 1, on both A and B sides – the A side boards are pictured here, along with the M&E board which has an integral ATS to handle twin incomers from the LV rooms
Electrical
A closer look at the underside of the A-side boards, with the cable entry and exit pathway for A incomers and A-side whips
Electrical
These are the B-side power distribution units, which are installed on the opposite side of Data Hall 1
Electrical
While Data Hall 2 will likely remain as empty white space for a little while, we’re pre-installing the electrical infrastructure, including the in-room PDUs as seen here
Electrical
The plinths and bases are installed on the other side of Data Hall 2 here, with the PDUs being prepared for installation atop these shortly
Electrical
The Data Hall 2 PDUs being prepared ahead of installation on the associated plinths and expansion enclosures
Electrical
The first drum of cable on axle stands in Data Hall 1 for commando whips – this is the first run of over 2km of power cabling for this room alone
Electrical
The first rack commando feeds being loose laid onto the basket
Electrical
Some of the whips, because of the careful consideration of runs to avoid parallel runs and cross-over, are extremely long, and as such our corridors have proven helpful for preparation ahead of pulling in
HV Roadworks
Our HV supply is making its way to us from the relevant substations, with a view of the route works on the surrounding roads on the trading estate
HV Roadworks
Another view of the road works, which have spanned the entire length of Cody Road for delivery to us
HV Roadworks
The works have required careful closure control across considerable distances, as have the civil works for our fibre routes
LV
Our LV rooms are prepped and ready for the boards to arrive, which are landing with us early next week – an exciting milestone
Trades Canteen
Data Hall 4 has been doubling up as a trades canteen and plans overview space while various contractors are on-site
Transformer
The first of the ground works equipment arriving on-site, ready to begin digging in our transformer base
Transformer
During the dig, we had a daily collection of outcoming ground materials to keep the working area clear
Transformer
The shutter forms in place for the pour of the highly complex, reinforced transformer base
Transformer
The pour of the base will be undertaken early next week, ahead of the transformer enclosure arriving shortly thereafter
VESDA
Additional works have been underway in other areas, including final containment runs for the LV room VESDA and fire systems – these continue on into the risers, which are having twin-run trunking installed to handle all fire systems in these rooms
VESDA
The steel conduit bending station as setup in Data Hall 4, which has allowed for the smooth bend radius forming of conduit which needs to change directions

As you can see, things are changing rapidly now that the main electrical works are underway. Next week, we’re expecting to see completion on the in-room work for Data Hall 1, meaning containment works will begin in the LV rooms, and all of the runs in between.

We’re now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the large LV switchboards, which will be an exciting development for us. It’s a part of the project that we’ve been excited to see take shape, and an area of enormous financial investment.

While the base of the transformer may appear to be a somewhat simple hole in the ground, and a straightforward concrete pour, in reality it’s anything but. The internal rebar structure has been welded on-site, and is bonded directly to very deep earthing rods to ensure safety during operation.

Once Data Hall 1 is phase one complete on commando cabling, our team will move in to complete some additional items, including M&E feeds for cooling, VESDA pipework, ODF installation for network and fibre, and other related containment and cabling pieces.

What else has been happening?

We’ve extended our reach in Telehouse through to North 2.

As part of a private client deployment, we’ve rolled out two new racks in North 2, and as part of this we’ve now got diverse 10Gbps feeds from our network delivered into the building, from our Supernode in North, and our core node in HEX / LD8.

We’re excited to see our network continue to grow, reaching new facilities as our transit proposition helps business grow their presence online.

What’s next?

We’ve really just got lots of the same coming up; containment and cabling for the most part, throughout the facility, as we head towards energisation.

This will include works on the HV and transformer side, and will lead onto various M&E works including cooling power, data, control, and further leading on from that, VESDA air sample pipework.