Uptime Institute 2021 Global Data Center Survey (11th annual) - press release

Overview

This document is the press release for Uptime Institute's eleventh annual Global Data Center Survey, run in the first half of 2021. More than 800 data center owners and operators and more than 550 suppliers took part. The release summarizes headline findings rather than the detailed tables of the full report, so its figures are best used to describe the general state of the industry. They should not be read as design targets for a specific facility or region.

The first group of findings concerns outages. Of respondents, 69% reported an outage in the past three years, down from 78% for the three years to 2020. Outages became rarer but more expensive: 62% of significant, serious or severe outages cost more than $100,000 (56% in 2020), and 15% cost over $1 million. In short, disruptions are less frequent but more damaging when they occur.

The second group looks at outage causes. Human error is involved in 79% of outages. On-site power is the most common cause, followed by cooling, software and IT, and network failures. This ranking suggests that redundancy decisions should be considered not only at equipment level but also in terms of operating procedures and training. Evaluating the power distribution and cooling chain together is a basic approach to reducing outage risk.

The third part covers efficiency and sustainability. Average annualized PUE was reported at 1.57 (1.59 in 2020), so improvement is marginal. Only 51% of respondents measure water use, one-third calculate carbon emissions and 25% track e-waste. On rack density, more than one-third of operators say their most common density is below 5 kW, and nearly half say it is 5-10 kW.

This is a press release; methodology details, sample breakdowns and sub-analyses sit in the full report. Even so, it is a frequently cited source that captures the industry's position on outages, density, PUE and sustainability measurement, and it is useful for supporting assumptions.

Key points

1. 69% of respondents reported an outage in the past three years, versus 78% for the three years to 2020.
2. 62% of significant, serious and severe outages cost more than $100,000 (56% in 2020); 15% cost over $1 million.
3. Human error is involved in 79% of outages.
4. On-site power is the most common outage cause, followed by cooling, software/IT and network.
5. Only 51% measure water use, one-third calculate carbon emissions and 25% track e-waste.
6. More than one-third report a most common rack density below 5 kW; nearly half report 5-10 kW.
7. Average annualized PUE is 1.57 (1.59 in 2020).
8. The 11th annual survey ran in H1 2021 with 800+ owners/operators and 550+ suppliers.

Using it in design

• Include WUE and carbon outputs by default in the sustainability report, since most operators do not measure them.
• In reliability modelling, treat cooling failures as the second most common outage cause after power.
• Cover operating procedures and human-error scenarios (maintenance actions, wrong switching) in the redundancy design.
• Compare your design rack density with the 5-10 kW band to note how far it departs from the industry norm.
• Use the 1.57 industry average as a benchmark when setting a PUE target.

Who should read it

Data center designers, operations managers and decision makers looking for industry benchmarks on outage risk or sustainability targets.

Publication details

Authors

Uptime Institute

Publisher

Uptime Institute

Year

2021

Document language

English

Source type

Industry body

Access

Free to read

Licence

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

Citation