)){kind=logo}
Certified Data Centre Expert
Progress to the advanced Design/Build level and develop the capability to manage data centre projects covering scope, planning, design, implementation, retirement and relocation.
Explore CDCE
Data Centre Design & Build
CDCS®
Certified Data Centre Specialist
Focuses on advanced criteria to review and improve existing facilities and evaluate new implementations. Includes engineering-level calculations across electrical, mechanical, and fire protection disciplines.
Competency Scope
Target Audience & Professional Profile
Experienced data centre consultants, chief facility engineers, technical lead designers, and mechanical/electrical consultants.
Selected Course Benefits
- Evaluate technical proposals and vendor documentation with greater confidence.
- Apply engineering-level calculations to infrastructure design decisions.
- Identify weaknesses in redundancy, cooling and protection strategies.
For further details on the programme and its benefits, download the CDCS® brochure.
Course Content
What the CDCS® Programme Covers
View the detailed topics included in EPI’s Certified Data Centre Specialist training programme.
CDCS® Course Syllabus
Data Centre Design/Life Cycle Overview
- Phases of the data centre life cycle
Standards and Rating Level Definitions
- Rating levels history and definitions
- Standards and guideline comparison
- N-redundancy options
- Distributed redundant options
- Concurrent maintainability
- Fault tolerant
- Substation requirements
- Example topologies
- Maintenance options
Building Considerations
- Building location and floor loading considerations
- Floor and hanging loads requirements
- Firing rating for walls and glass
- Blast protection and bullet proofing
- Forced entry protection
Advanced Raised Floor & Suspended Ceiling
- Raised Floor installation requirements
- Common raised floor problems
- Seismic protection
- Requirements for suspended ceiling
Advanced Power
- Electrical formulae
- Single Line Diagram (SLD)
- Overcurrent protection devices
- Earth Leakage protection
- Sizing of protective components
- Surge protection
- Power cabling and PDU requirements
- Types of generators
- Generator components
- Fuel storage and calculation
- Generator parallelling
- Required UPS specifications
- UPS parallel configuration
- Harmonic filters
- Battery bank terminology
- Calculating battery banks
- Battery charging
- Parallelling battery banks
- Battery testing
- Battery case selection
- Flywheel
- Hydrogen fuel cells
Advanced Electro Magnetic Fields
- Sources of EMF
- Single and three phase radiation
- Measuring EMF
- Safe distance guidance
- Calculation of EMF attenuation factors
Advanced Cooling
- Cooling definitions
- Psychrometric chart
- ASHRAE recommendations
- Heat dissipation
- Equipment airflow
- Floor plan set-up
- Types of perforated tiles
- Rack door construction
- Delta-T and impact
- Optimizing airflow
- Thermal unit conversions
- Calculating air volume displacement (CFM/CMH)
- Cooling capacity calculations
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
- Air-conditioner efficiency
- SHR impact on OPEX
- Efficiency indicators
- Air-conditioner selection
- Humidity control
- Redundancy requirements
- Installation requirements
- Service corridor considerations
- Set points and calibration
- Advanced cooling technologies – air cooling
- Advanced cooling technologies – liquid cooling
Advanced Fire Protection
- Fire triangle
- Fire detection systems
- Installation and testing of smoke sensors
- Water-based suppression systems
- Gas-based suppression systems
- Calculate gas content
- Release and hold times
- Fire detection panel requirements
- Verification of installation
- Ongoing maintenance
- Alternative systems
Designing and Installing Scalable Network Cabling Systems
- TIA-942 cabling structure topology
- Copper and fibre cabling
- ToR and EoR design
- Installation best practices
- Grounding and bonding
- Cables labelling and administration
Environmental Specifications / Contamination Control
- Acoustic noise effects, regulations, specifications and limits
- Data centre contamination categories
- Contamination measurements, standards and limits
- Preventive measures
Data Centre Efficiency
- Business drivers for environmental sustainability
- Green standards and guidelines
- Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)
- PUE categories
- Additional performance metrics
- Open Compute Project (OCP)
- Savings on cooling infrastructure
- Savings on light infrastructure
Curriculum Objectives
Key Learning Outcomes
- Perform engineering-level verification calculations across power, cooling, and fire suppression
- Review vendor bids and technical submittals for accuracy and standard compliance
- Critically assess single points of failure in complex topologies
Exam
The exam is a 90-minute closed book exam, with 60 multiple-choice questions. The candidate requires a minimum of 45 correct answers to pass the exam.
Certification & Accreditation
Candidates who successfully pass the exam will receive the official ‘Certified Data Centre Specialist’ certificate. The certification is valid for three years after which the student needs to re-certify.
The CDCS® course and certification is accredited by EXIN, which is a global, independent and not-for-profit accreditation and examination institute.
Where Can CDCS® Take You Next?