London East Phase 2 Development Update 6

It’s been a while since we last published a Phase 2 update from Netwise London East (NLE), so we thought it would be a good time to update everyone on the current state of play.

We’ve been remarkably busy with both the ongoing expansion works at NLE, alongside the closure of Netwise London Central (NLC), which was retired from active service in early June.

Data Hall 4 went live in May, and quite remarkably, it’s already a touch over half full, despite opening to new clients just a couple of months ago. This is in large part thanks to the absorption of our customer base from NLC, which we migrated over the course of eight evenings in May, however we have also welcomed a host of exciting new clients into our latest data hall.

Let’s take a look at what’s been happening. We start with updates from back in mid-April, before jumping ahead to current day:

Cooling
As part of commissioning the primary cooling system in Data Hall 4, a number of adjustments were made to the global cooling control system, as we implemented a new hot air extraction methodology
Cooling
Here we see the early stages of the air intake louvres being cut into the rear fabric of the building, ahead of the first filtration layer frames being installed
Power
Commissioning the power delivery system inside of DH4 formed the latter stages of the deployment schedule for this room
UPS
We commissioned UPS systems for both DH4 and the forthcoming DH3 at the same time, to front-load some of the later commissioning works for the final hall deployment in Phase 2
UPS
Bringing UPS’s online is a major part of any data hall commissioning schedule, enabling the delivery of power to end user racks
UPS
Here we see the rear of the fully-completed and commissioned UPS arrangement in LV Room B
UPS
This is a view of the fully-completed and commissioned UPS arrangement in LV Room A
LOTO
We showed you our LOTO board in the last update, but here’s another look at the customised board, which is used extensively as we continue to deploy capacity at NLE
LOTO
Here’s a closer view of one of the locks used to safely lock out a circuit which is pending commissioning, or under maintenance
Rescue
In addition to the LOTO board and accessories, we also have rescue boards in each of the LV Rooms – we’re adding some additional exciting electrical safety features in the coming months, which haven’t yet been seen in UK data centres, so watch this space for more news on that
Core B
Here we see the core network upgrade as deployed on the B-side of the network at NLE – this was part of our full network-wide upgrade, which happened across several months in Q1/2, a six figure investment in our network as it continues to grow rapidly
DH4
This is the view across Data Hall 4, a few days before racks would begin landing for our new client waiting list, as well as the first racks migrating from NLC
DH4
This is another view across DH4 as we prepared the space for imminent client move in dates
DH4
Here we see the first racks being positioned, based on the initial requirements within the space – the containment systems for Pods 1 and 2 were then constructed around racks after the first wave of new client installs and rack migrations from NLC
DH4
Another view of early staging works in DH4
Now we jump ahead to DH4 as it stands today, in July 2024
DH4
Here we see both pods within DH4 at around 50% capacity, ahead of the glass door vinyl’s being applied
DH4
A view across DH4, with a crash cart in use – we have these Ergotron models deployed in each hall
DH4
The hall is now under heavy use by new and existing clients – we now move onto the deployment schedule for DH3

It’s fair to say that this summer has already been one of our busiest periods on record. Deploying a new data hall at NLE is no small task in itself, but to deliver this alongside the decommissioning of NLC – which also involved the in-house planning and execution of an entire facility migration – leaves us feeling incredibly proud of the team we have driving Netwise. The complexity of successfully realising a multi-faceted project like this cannot be understated, and seeing these tasks result in tangible improvements to service for our clients is always incredibly pleasing, particularly after making seven figure investments in our future here at London East.

But as with any operation of this nature, these are just the headline deliverable outcomes that have been worked on over the past several months. We’ve undertaken plenty of additional projects in tandem over the last quarter, which may be of interest to our readers.

We completed our full core network upgrade in May, with the final upgrade – and the most major works list – happening at our HEX/LD8 node. This involved a full conversion of this location to our Supernode architecture, which in this case required a full cabinet swap to accommodate. This type of thing requires considerable planning, however our team were able to complete the entire works list within the four hour maintenance window, which was an impressive feat. We also undertook a minor upgrade to our core node in Redcentric Shoreditch (formerly CLL), which brought the entire network upgrade project to completion. This comes as demand on our network grows rapidly, delivering world-class connectivity to clients across all of our on-net locations.

We also grew our fleet in spring, with the addition of an electric pick-up truck, and our own low-loader, which is perfect for rack migrations. The latter vehicle comes in a relatively rare specification for us, with extra height and a 750kg tail lift, which makes it absolutely ideal for the movement of fully populated racks – a game changer for most facility migration projects.

Fleet 002
The first addition was 002 – this is our electric pick up truck, which is perfect for trips between our various London PoPs
Fleet 003
The most recent addition to the fleet is 003 – this is our low loader with uprated tail lift, which makes for the perfect rack migration vehicle
These join 001 – our original van which is still our most utilised vehicles

As part of bringing Data Hall 4 online in May, we rolled out new cooling system architecture, which involved some adjustments to how the extraction side of the system works. We now have a twin-hall shared extraction plenum, with a centralised control system, which we believe to be the first of its kind for an evaporative system such as ours. This involved the expert design work of multiple teams, and will also be a part of the roll-out for Data Hall 3 later this year.

Further to this, we have additional cooling being deployed in all data halls in the next few weeks, through the modular installation of further evaporative coolers. Each room is growing from four CREC units, to six CREC units.


NLC closure and migration project

In May, we migrated all of the clients in our London Central facility to our new London East facility.

Read more about why we closed NLC here

This took many months of planning, however we were able to complete the physical migration process in just eight evening sessions – a real testament to our broad in-house capabilities.

All 126 enclosures were successfully transitioned to our London East facility (with a few landing in other on-net locations where required), with most racks moved in a fully-populated state. This allowed for minimal client disruption, and the fastest possible transition from one site to the other. The fastest migration window took just two hours, from power down at NLC, to being back online at NLE.

Here we have some photos of the now retired facility, which served our clients well for nearly a decade:

NLC
The main office and NOC at NLC, following strip-out and decommissioning
NLC
A look at Data Hall 1, following strip-out and decommissioning
NLC
A final look at the outside of NLC, following a full de-branding of the building

The end of an era, but the beginning of a truly special new chapter for Netwise, as we focus on our campus site, London East. We will be expanding this location significantly in the coming months – more on this very soon.


What’s next?

The biggest upcoming build work will be the onlining of Data Hall 3, the final hall in the current building at Netwise London East. Work will begin on this hall in the coming weeks. This will be the final component of Phase 2, before Phase 3 works begin in late 2024 / early 2025 – this will be a major development phase.

We hope to announce the next phase of works in an official capacity in the next few weeks.

Otherwise, we will continue to welcome new clients to our world-class facilities, along with the provision of assistance to existing clients looking to grow. This is an exciting time for Netwise, and we look forward to sharing more news with you very soon.

London East Phase 2 Development Update 5

It’s been another very busy stint of work over at Netwise London East, as we continue to deploy Data Hall 3 and Data Hall 4.

While we’ve taken a relatively lengthy break from the #BuildBlog since the last update, the same cannot be said for the development schedule itself, which has been continuing at pace without pause.

Let’s get straight to the photo updates:

Cabling
Before Christmas, we pulled in the supply cabling for both Data Halls 3 and 4
Cabling
The ground floor corridor – as with the first floor corridor – functions as the main arterial route for supply power to each hall
Cabling
Another view of the underfloor supply cabling within the ground floor corridor
Cabling
Once all cables are in position and cleated to the cable ladder, it can make for quite a satisfying photo opportunity – this is why we place glass floor tiles in certain locations throughout our facilities!
Cabling
The planning for routes and access for cables such as this is an involved process, requiring input from several areas of the overall design process
Cabling
Once the sub-floor room supply cabling is complete, in-room cabling can begin – here we see some of the large supply cables which will feed the new busbar system being deployed in the new halls
DH4
Here we see some of the infrastructure within Data Hall 4, in position and being commissioned – this view predominantly shows the A-side ODF as the main harness fibre is run in
DH4
Here we see the B-side ODF, ahead of termination and the internal fit-out beginning
DH4
This wide view shows the position of the backup / supplementary AC systems, as well as our new distribution board designs, as part of the new power delivery system being deployed in halls 3 and 4
DH4
This is a slightly closer view of the A-side distribution board, as well as the A-side supplementary CRAC
DH4
Here we see some of the complex containment work as part of the sub-floor power delivery system, ensuring all cable routes are carefully contained and managed
DH4
This view shows the new busbar / track system which is being used in halls 3 and 4
DH4
Here we see the B-side distribution board, alongside the dual-fed mechanical distribution board
DH4
The primary cooling system can be seen here, ahead of final commissioning – this is our CREC system, which is largely responsible for our world-leading PUE figures
DH4
Some of the systems that sit outside of the hall itself can be seen under commissioning here – this is the fire control panel, as cabling is put away
DH4
The A-side ODF again pictured here, shortly before all internal infrastructure is installed
DH4
Underfloor cabling has progressed further in this shot, showing additional routes dressed into place, and terminations about to begin
DH4
This internal view of the bottom section within the dual-fed mechanical board shows the enclosure empty, ahead of internal commissioning
Elec Test
We’ve added to our in-house electrical testing kit, as part of our recent NICEIC Approved Contractor status – more on this soon
Metering
We deployed some custom metering enclosures across our live data halls in the closing stages of 2023, which have been serving us with a host of power metrics ever since
LOTO Board
We’ve had a LOTO board custom made, which now sits outside of LV Room A – this serves as an enhanced electrical safety measure, as we continue to bolster our in-house capabilities across the board

This all sits alongside a whole host of additional organisation-wide projects, which includes the full upgrade of our entire core network, across all on-net locations. This will see the staged upgrade of all routing assets on our core network, to cope with ever-increasing demand from our clients. Telehouse has already been undertaken, with our London East site to follow in the next couple of weeks. Equinix LD8 will follow shortly thereafter.

We’ve also had another major round of development work undertaken on our customer portal. This predominantly concerns the backend of the system, with a custom IPAM administration and deployment module now live. We also have additions to the client-side coming very soon, which will improve the booking, tracking and handling of deliveries.

We’re tantalisingly close to announcing some very significant expansion news, but we’ll have to hold back on that for a little while longer – keep an eye on announcements in the coming weeks / months.

London East Phase 2 Development Update 4

We’ve been reasonably quiet with the #BuildBlog of late, with focus squarely on the deployment of additional capacity at London East, leaving little room for deep dives into progress (unfortunately!).

But we’re now back with this latest instalment, as we begin tracking progress on Data Halls 3 and 4.

Looking back on our last instalment of the build blog, Data Hall 2 was still very much under construction. This space is now fully fitted out as a private data hall for a single client, and is now under occupancy.

We’ve also got plenty of other updates to report across a range of areas within our London East facility, thanks to an ongoing development programme which extends beyond footprint capacity alone.

Let’s move onto the update photos. This first set were actually taken back in June, however the next instalment of the build blog ended up getting significantly delayed, so here they are:

This was the view across Pod 1 in Data Hall 2, as of June 2024
This was the view across Pod 1 in Data Hall 2, as of June 2024
The view across the Pod 2 footprint area, again in June
The view across Pod 2, again in June 2024
This is the B-side ODF in Data Hall 2 being pre-staged in the summer
This is the A-side ODF in Data Hall 2 being pre-staged in the summer
ODF
The view across to ODF B, as works continued in Data Hall 2 this summer
ODF
The checker plate bash protection was also fitted to the perimeter of Data Hall 2 around this time – this is the view of ODF A being pre-staged
ODF
Pre-staging the ODF enclosures allows for a speedier fit-out once the cabling process begins
ODF
Some of the control system cabling is being run overhead here
ODF
A view across Data Hall 2 as pre-containment works conclude
UPS
This view of LV Room B shows another UPS being rolled into place, ready to support Data Hall 3 in the near future
ODF
Here we see the A-side ODF in Data Hall 2 with some initial flood cabling underway, prior to termination – these are management cables, responsible for things like monitoring systems and CCTV
CREC HMI
This is the internal view of a CREC control system unit, with the front cover and control screen removed, as internal terminations conclude ahead of commissioning
General
Data Hall 2 just prior to having the racks and containment rolled in for assembly
DH2
We jump forwards slightly here, to a view across the now assembled Pods 1 and 2 in Data Hall 2 – this is taken from the rear of the hall, showing the custom layout for this client (the reasons for which will become clear further down in this post)

Now we can catch up in time to where things stand today, with the next run of photos from the past couple of weeks – apologies for any gaps in progress, we’ve been very busy!

DH2
Here we see Pod 1 inside of Data Hall 2, which is now handling live services
DH2
This is a custom, installed-to-request workbench area for the private tenant of Data Hall 2, which sits behind the shortened Pod 2
DH2
Having access to your own private data hall allows for additional deployment options, such as these storage cabinets for spare components
DH2
This view across to Pod 2 in Data Hall 2 shows the inter-pod cable ladder in place, which is now handling active connections for this tenant
DH2
This is a view of both live pods in Data Hall 2, ahead of some final finishing touches, such as the pod door vinyls and some custom lighting options as selected by the client
DH1
Here we see the rear of Row D in Data Hall 1 – the next wave of racks will be deployed as part of Data Halls 3 and 4 in Q1 2024; we now have very limited availability, so get in touch early if you need assistance with space
General
The ground floor is in full development mode, as general non-essential access is now closed
Cabling
As part of the next phase of development, works are now well underway for bringing Data Hall 4 online, with 3 to follow shortly thereafter – here we see one of the many cable drums in Data Hall 4, as it is prepared for installation
Cabling
The ground floor arterial corridor for power cabling is now being filled with the critical power routes required for the next two halls at London East
Cabling
These routes support diverse critical power runs for rack PDUs, as well as supporting power for mechanical systems
Cabling
This is a cable entry aperture into Data Hall 4, which has been skinned to allow for easy fire sealing once all cabling has been finalised
CRECs
Here are the CRECs in place for Data Hall 4, including all of the custom containment and blanking for the additional unit positions, matching the design for Halls 1 and 2
CRECs
The rear-facing air intake louvres have been cut in for both Halls 3 and 4, ahead of system commissioning in due course
UPS
Having additional UPS systems in pre-staging will speed along the deployment time for Halls 3 and 4
UPS
This view inside of LV Room A shows one of the newly arrived UPS systems undergoing some staging works, with internal access granted via removal of a side panel
Exterior
We’ve also undertaken a round of improvement works in the front compound – we now have on-site EV charging via our fast-charger, which will be available for use very soon
Exterior-
We’ve also now marked out parking bays, and installed some Armco to better guide client movements in the front compound, and to protect the sliding vehicle gate more comprehensively
Loading Bay
Our loading bay has had some storage upgrades, including this full-height pallet racking wall, which has been loaded up with components to form part of our future expansion phases
PDUs
We’ve developed a custom storage solution for our APC PDUs, with some of our on-site stock shown here making use of this new hanging system
Roof
We now have direct internal roof access, via this custom hatch, which has a detachable ladder system, for easy and quick personnel access to the roof for inspection of our hot air escape routes

Recycling
Each floor now has a dedicated waste handling area, allowing clients to dispose of both general waste and recyclables with greater ease
Dyson
All toilets within the facility now have Dyson hand dryers, something we have carried across from our London Central facility – these are on backlit standoffs for an added luxury finish
Check In
Our custom check in system has now been live across both of our facilities for a little while, with the introduction of our new QR code system – this has been performing well for clients, representing a massive improvement over the previous system
Reception
Our reception area now has the same Naturewall cladding as our Build and Break Area, and as found in some other common areas, to continue through this visual motif
Reception
This also effectively boxes in some major cabling routes, which is always welcomed over having such things on display in reception

As you can see, despite the delay in getting this build blog instalment posted, we’ve been rather busy.

We’ll continue to get our head down with development work on the run up to the new year, as demand for our services remains exceptionally high. We hope to have another update prepared for our avid readers in the next couple of months.

We also have some further news on the horizon with regards to continued expansion, which we hope to be releasing early next year. Needless to say, we’re very excited for what 2024 will bring.

London East Phase 2 Development Update 3

Progress continues with Phase 2 development works at Netwise London East (NLE), as we head into the warmer summer months.

Data Hall 2 is approaching completion, which will be another fantastic milestone to reach in the total development journey of our newest facility. There have been solid advancements made in all aspects of the Data Hall 2 roll-out, with the most notable being the progress made on power and cooling infrastructure.

As before, we’ll keep things brief, and move straight onto the progress shots:

Containment
Here we see the underfloor electrical containment starting in Data Hall 2
Containment
The island area seen in the centre here is the eventual position of Pod 1 within this space
Containment
The containment provides direct pathways to every possible rack footprint within a data hall, and provides safe routes for all other supporting infrastructure cabling
Containment
Seeing the containment routes come together is always a pleasing visual change in the sub-floor area of each hall
Cabing
As with Data Hall 1, the underfloor power for racks in this space is deployed using several kilometres of cabling, to mounted underfloor commando sockets
Cabing
Great care is taken to ensure that A and B power feeds to each client rack do not cross over, only meeting at the point of use / rack
Cabing
Here we see some of the immaculately laid cabling for the A-side feeds reaching Pod 2
Cabing
Each cable runs between a given rack position and the relevant power distribution board for that side of the power delivery system
Cabing
Here we see the commando sockets at the point of termination, along with the earth bonding flowing in behind, for the racks and for the raised floor system itself
Cabing
The cable runs here ensure no cross-over between A and B feeds on the under-rack containment, which is now more visible at this stage of the installation
Cabing
As always, we’re absolute sticklers for quality and detail, even when it will rarely / never be seen
Cabing
The mains ring which spans the underfloor area and supplies our cleaners sockets is now also in place
Cabing
The cable drums for this part of the build are certainly smaller than those required for the LV room fitouts in Phase 1, but these still clock in at around 400kg per drum
General
Aside to underfloor cabling, the remaining bulk of the termination work is found in each of the four PDUs, and the dual-fed mechanical boards – all finished in striking orange
Cabing
The distribution boards have by far the highest concentration of terminations to be undertaken
Cabing
The in-board terminations are just as carefully handled as everywhere else – a work of art
Cabing
This is one of four power distribution boards in Data Hall 2
Cooling
The cold corridor area of Data Hall 2 has also continued to develop, as the evaporative system is now plumbed in for supply, and has its drainage in place, ready for commissioning
Cooling
The hot air exhaust plenum is ready for the commissioning of the extract fans in due course
Work Room
The first floor store room has been acting as our development side office, providing a space for site meetings, plans, and all other items necessary for a project on this scale to move ahead successfully

Further to the visual updates above, the supplementary / backup air conditioning system is also nearing the point of commissioning, with the pipework installation underway, following the same routes as with the system for Data Hall 1.

Once Data Hall 2 is livened up in terms of the power delivery system(s), the full commissioning works for the primary and secondary cooling systems can begin, which will bring the room to the point of safe occupancy (pending the fitout of the containment Pods, of course!).

We’ve been extremely pleased with progress on-site in the last few weeks. One thing that continues to shine through above all else is the quality of the work, which is something we and our clients alike have come to expect from a Netwise data centre. Every detail is carefully considered, resulting in a truly remarkable facility that we can be proud of for many years to come.

Working Phase 2 around an already active data centre has added additional challenges, not felt during Phase 1 (whereby the site was unoccupied by client deployments). While none of the works undertaken as part of Phase 2 pose any risk to live client services, there are many considerations to bear for enabling continued client access while many areas of the facility are being actively worked on.

London East Phase 2 Development Update 2

We’ve been making steady progress on Phase 2 of our deployment plan at Netwise London East (NLE). This includes the total completion of Pod 2 in Data Hall 1, and large strides towards the onlining of Data Hall 2 in the coming months. This will be followed shortly thereafter with the base infrastructure deployment for Data Halls 3 and 4 later in the year.

We’ve been moving ahead firmly across various areas of general infrastructure, electrical and cooling systems for Data Hall 2, with the primary evaporative cooling system now in place ahead of commissioning. The feeder connections from the LV rooms to the in-hall distribution boards are now also in place, ahead of the main electrical works for the diverse rack feeds beginning in the coming weeks.

We’ll keep things brief this time around, so let’s get straight to the update photos:

Cabling
Here we have some of the additional cabling required to bring the next phase online at NLE
Cabling
Each of our data halls require a significant quantity of cabling to link them back to our diverse LV rooms
Cabling
We’ve certainly worked our way through a healthy number of large cable drums at this stage
Cabling
Pulling in these large armoured cables between floors can certainly be a challenge for the teams involved in this work
Cabling
With the main power cabling route handled under the raised floor at NLE, certain areas are cordoned off while works are underway, however disruption is generally kept to no more than a couple of hours at a time, per area
Cabling
These cable routes are already populated with live service power, as Data Hall 1 is fed via the same risers – here we see some new cabling ahead of being tied and cleated
Cabling
The longer of the two routes for the DH2 power delivery is from LV A – here we see the longer run with some of the cabling loose laid into the underfloor ladder
Cabling
The cabling routes flow down the risers to the diverse LV rooms, once they leave the main corridor(s)
Cabling
Considered placement of the large cable drums is vital in ensuring a smooth run-off of the cabling into the raised floor area – the same can be said for the cable rollers
Cabling
Drum placement must consider disruption, ease of access, and result in the least possible amount of free tail once the cable is fully released
DH2
Data Hall 2 has a range of components ready for installation, including some of the distribution boards, and the custom-made ODFs
Cooling
The primary cooling system for DH2 is now in place, that being our evaporative system which famously delivers our world-leading PUE figures
Cooling
As with DH1, we have space for seven CREC units, however we have deployed four initially – it is not expected that additional coolers will be needed, however installing them later would be a straightforward addition
Cooling
The cold corridor filtration system and overhead extraction loop are now complete for DH2 – this is taken ahead of the lights being installed, hence the low light conditions and temporary insulation panels
Pod 2
Pod 2 now has a range of active client deployments within it – in fact, Row C is now almost entirely accounted for
Pod 2
Pod 2 now also completes the full in-hall ODF to ODF pathway using the overhead ladder and trough system
Pod 2
Here’s a view of the back end of Data Hall 1, with both rear Pod entry door systems in view, and the CREC system for this room
Pod 2
This is the view inside Pod 2, as viewed from the rear entry doors
BuildRoom
Our Build and Break Room is now fully fitted out, and sees great use already by our clients
BuildRoom
The function of this one space is split at our London Central facility, which makes use more tricky, so we decided to consolidate amenities at London East for an improved visitor experience
BuildRoom
The wall features continue here, to tie in with other areas of the facility
BuildRoom
We’re particularly proud of our customer kitchen here, which has been expertly installed by our in-house facilities team, to the highest specification
BuildRoom
Be sure to check out the Build and Break Room on your next visit

We now have a dedicated roof hatch system installed over the storage mezzanine, for easier, direct access to the roof, which is important for speedy access to our heat extraction loop. We’ll update readers with photos of this area next time around.

We’re expecting to see a dramatic uptick in progress on Data Hall 2 in the next few weeks, as we head towards the peak activity period which will enable occupation of the space. This will also provide some additional visual change to enable a more in-depth update, which is something which has been lacking since the completion of Phase 1 – we apologise to our regular Build Blog readers for this!