WP#36 - Data Center Maturity Model (Obsolete)

Overview

This 2011 document (no. 36) describes a data centre through capability levels instead of collapsing it into one efficiency figure. The framework has two halves: facility (power, cooling, management) and IT (compute, storage, network). For each area it gives an operator a level definition answering "where am I now, and what is the next step". An assessment tool was distributed alongside the paper.

The scale runs from 0 to 5. Level 2 approximates the best practice current when the paper was written; level 5 represents a visionary state, roughly a five-year forward roadmap. That design makes the model both a benchmarking and a planning tool: the upper levels read as targets, not as something you could buy today. Authors include Harkeeret Singh and Dan Azevedo.

Two limits apply. The Green Grid has declared this edition obsolete, and the later update adds resource-efficiency and lifecycle criteria, so the level definitions reflect 2011 technology expectations. The full text also requires sign-in, so this page rests on the record summary. EN 50600-5-1 (maturity model for energy management) is the contemporary counterpart to read alongside. A score produced today would be measured against 2011 expectations, so it should be read as a period benchmark rather than an absolute grade.

Key points

1. Maturity levels run from 0 to 5.
2. Level 2 matches then-current best practice; level 5 is a visionary roughly five-year roadmap.
3. Areas covered: power, cooling, management, compute, storage and network.
4. The framework is split into facility (power, cooling, management) and IT (compute, storage, network).
5. The Green Grid marks this edition obsolete; the later version adds resource-efficiency and lifecycle criteria.

Using it in design

• Build a self-assessment questionnaire that scores a design or operation 0-5 per area and links each gap to a concrete design option.
• Label the model as a historical reference and point to EN 50600-5-1 as its contemporary counterpart.
• When a design scores low on cooling or power, present it with the PUE result from the same report so the "why" is visible.

Who should read it

Facility managers benchmarking operational maturity and product teams designing assessment questionnaires.

Related standards

• EN 50600-5-1 (maturity model for energy management)
• ISO/IEC TS 22237-...

Publication details

Authors

Harkeeret Singh; Dan Azevedo; David Ibarra; Rona Newmark; Steve O'Donnell; Zeydy Ortiz; John Pflueger; Nik Simpson; Victor Smith

Publisher

The Green Grid

Year

2011

Document number

WP 36

Document language

English

Source type

Industry body

Access

Citation only

Licence

Copyright retained; citation only — the publisher’s terms apply to the original document

Citation