Glossary
A & B Electrical Supplies
Electricity provided through two separate cables.
AC Power
Alternating Current power.
Air Handling Equipment
Fans and ducting that supply or remove air from a building.
Anti Pass-Back Doors / Mantraps
Controlled door system that prevents tailgating.
Argonite
An inert gas; a mixture of 50% argon and 50% nitrogen, used in
fire suppression systems.
Authorisation List
A list of authorised Personnel.
Authorised Personnel
Customer Personnel who have been given authority to request
specific data centre management activities and order services.
Building Management System (BMS)
An integrated computer system that monitors and, where
appropriate, controls a building's key engineering systems and
critical services.
Business Continuity Management (BCM)
A holistic management process that identifies potential impacts
which could threaten an organisation and provides a framework for
building resilience with the capability for an effective response
that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation,
brand and value creating activities. (Source: The Business
Continuity Institute).
Cable Baskets
Wire trays installed to carry power and data cabling.
Cable Management
The process of managing the routes of all cables entering and
travelling within the data centre, ensuring that they are labelled
and documented to facilitate installation and removal.
Cages
A caged area built within a suite for multiple customers sharing
services.
Carrier Neutral
Not allied to any particular telecommunications provider.
Close Control Units (CCUs)
Equipment delivering cooling to technical spaces within the data
centre.
Colocation
Housing of IT equipment in a shared area, available from a
single rack upwards.
Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC)
The perimeter cooling equipment installed within each data
suite.
Connectivity
The provision of devices and cabling used for communicating or
transmitting voice or data.
Corporate Governance
The system/process by which the directors and officers of an
organisation are required to carry out and discharge their legal
and regulatory accountabilities and responsibilities.
Cross Connects
All passive and active pairs/circuits from a customer leased
demised area entering a common Global Switch area or transiting
Global Switch owned cable or fibre pathways. Every CAT5 or CAT6
cable (4 twisted pairs in each type per cable) are treated as a
single pair per cable. A single coax cable is considered a single
circuit/pair and each pair of copper/optical in multi pair copper
and fibre cables are treated as a pair/circuit.
Data Centre
A Global Switch facility, parts of which are leased to
customers.
Data Risers
Vertical shafts up which cable baskets are routed.
DC Power
Direct Current power.
Disaster Recovery Sites
Off-site locations set up by organisations to allow them to
re-establish operations and continue to trade in the event of a
disaster.
Draw Pits
Pits that are positioned on a direction change point to
underground ducts.
Emergency Control Procedures
The procedures implemented by Global Switch which all Personnel
must adhere to in the event of an emergency.
Energy Usage Effectiveness (EUE)
The average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of a data centre
measured over a 12 month period, reducing seasonal influences.
Evacuation Procedure
The procedure by which a Global Switch data centre is evacuated
in the event of an emergency.
Facility
A Global Switch data centre, parts of which are leased to
customers.
Facility Rules and Regulations (FRR)
The document setting out the minimum standards that all
Personnel are required to maintain while at Global Switch data
centres.
FM200
A trade name for heptafluoropropane; a colourless and odourless
inert gas used in fire suppression systems.
Front Desk (also termed Reception)
The principal point of entry into a Global Switch data centre
with 24/7 manned presence.
Goods In
See 'Loading Dock'.
Hazardous Substances
Solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living
organisms, property, or the environment.
Hot Works
The use of any smoke or flame producing apparatus (i.e. hot air
guns, soldering irons, welding or Oxy).
HV power
High-voltage power.
HVAC Systems
Heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.
Inergen
An inert gas consisting of nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide
that is used for fire suppression and is electrically
non-conductive, and safe for human-occupied areas.
Isolation
The isolation by Global Switch technical staff of fire or
electrical systems.
Loading Dock (also termed 'Goods In')
A point of entry into a Global Switch data centre allowing, in
most instances, vehicle access for the loading and unloading of
deliveries and access to the 'Goods in' Lift.
Local Loop
The physical connection from the subscriber's premises to the
carrier's Point of Presence (POP). The local loop can be provided
over any suitable transmission medium.
LV Power
Low-voltage power.
M & E Services
Mechanical and Electrical Services.
Managed Diverse Fibre Ingress
Multiple entry points for fibre running into the building.
Material Safety Data Sheet
A form containing data regarding the properties of a particular
substance; used to estimate necessary precautions.
Meet-Me Rooms (MMR)
Highly secure areas in Global Switch data centres specifically
designed to house telecommunication providers' network
equipment.
Method Statement
A document detailing the way a work task or process is to be
completed, outlining hazards involved and including a step by step
guide on how to do the job safely. The Method Statement also
details control measures introduced to ensure the safety of anyone
who is affected by the task or process.
Mission Critical
Critical operational and/or business support activities (either
provided internally or outsourced) without which an organisation
would quickly be unable to operate.
Muster Point
Gathering point outside a data centre used in the event of an
evacuation of a Global Switch data centre.
MV Power
Medium-voltage power.
N+1
The provisioning of one unit beyond the normal (hence 'N')
operating need. For example, if five generators are required to
provide back-up power to a data centre, we'll provide an additional
sixth generator.
Optical Distribution Frame (ODF)
A point at which optical fibre interconnections are made between
the output of one piece of equipment and the input of another.
Optical Fibre
Simple strands of glass fibre used to transport information
(digital signals) from one point to another.
Permanent Access Cards
A Global Switch data centre access card allocated to a
particular individual. It must be carried and displayed by the
individual at all times and allows the individual access to the
data centre for non-work related activities 24x7x365 without the
need for pre-booking or clearances by security.
Permanent Access Schedule
A list of Permanent Access Card holders.
Permit Holder
Personnel nominated on a Permit to Work as being responsible for
the work that is due to be or is being carried out.
Permit to Work (PTW)
A Global Switch document that controls access to a data centre
for the purpose of undertaking work.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Protective clothing and other devices designed to protect an
individual while in potentially hazardous areas or performing
potentially hazardous operations.
Personnel
Employees of Global Switch or its customers as well as all
contractors, suppliers and consultants.
Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)
A scheduled service visit carried out by a competent and
suitable agent, to ensure an item of equipment is operating
correctly thereby avoiding any unscheduled breakdown and
downtime.
Point of Presence (POP)
The location at which a carrier establishes itself to cross
connect with another, or, in Internet Service Provider (ISP)
definition, a point at which an ISP exchanges traffic and
routes.
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)
A metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data
centre. It is determined by dividing the amount of power entering a
data centre by the power used to run the computer infrastructure
within it and is expressed as a ratio, with overall efficiency
improving as the quotient decreases towards 1.
Preventative Maintenance Strategy
See 'Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)'.
Pricing Matrix
A list of prices for specific services associated with the data
centre.
Private Suite
Highly flexible, resilient self-contained private data centre
space within purpose-built facilities.
Proximity Card System
A computer controlled access system using electrically
controlled locks that are released when an authorised card is
placed against a proximity reader.
Purchase Order (PO)
The reference number issued from customers to Global Switch when
purchasing a product or service. Sending a PO to Global Switch
constitutes a legal offer to buy products or services.
Rack
Housing of IT equipment in a shared area, available from a
single rack upwards.
Raised Flooring
A removable flooring system laid above the concrete core to
allow cable baskets and other building services to pass underneath,
as well as creating space for cooling air.
Reception
See 'Front Desk'.
Redundancy
Having one or more back up systems available in case of failure
of the main system.
Registered Email Address
The email address of 'Authorised Personnel'; associated with the
authorisation levels each individual has in respect of data centre
management requests and ordering of services.
Restricted Materials
Any material prohibited from entering technical space due to the
potential for it to cause harm or damage to the operation of
equipment within the technical space.
Risk Assessment
A document determining the quantitative or qualitative value of
risk related to a concrete situation and a recognized threat or
hazard.
Risk Management
The culture, processes and structures that are put in place to
effectively manage potential opportunities and adverse effects.
Risk Mitigation
A selective application of appropriate techniques and management
principles to reduce or mitigate either likelihood of an occurrence
or its consequences, or both.
Safe Systems of Work (SSW)
A Global Switch process detailing how work will be carried out
in a safe manner.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A formal agreement between a service provider (whether internal
or external) and their customer (whether internal or external)
which covers the nature, quality, availability, scope and response
of the service provider.
Service Provider Neutral
Not allied to any telecommunications or IT service provider,
which means you have complete freedom to select the provider that
suits your needs.
Site Accident Book
A book held at each data centre for the reporting of all
accidents and near misses.
Site Services
External services that enter the data centre, for example,
services such as power and connectivity.
Splicing Chamber
A large pit or room where telecommunication cables are joined.
Used to change from external grade cables to internal grade
cables.
Standard Operating Procedures
Procedures that are undertaken in Global Switch data centres on
a day-to-day basis to ensure the safe and continuous running of
Global Switch data centres.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
Local country, region or location specific legislative
requirements that must be followed or put in place.
Sub Duct
Duct connectivity between a telecommunication provider's
external chamber and the point of entry to a building.
Supervision
The resource provided by Global Switch to oversee work or
visits.
Supervision Requirement
The term used by Global Switch to estimate the resource that
will be provided to oversee work or visits.
Supervisory Services Charge
The charge to a customer associated with 'Supervision'.
Technical Real Estate
Purpose-built, resilient environments in which IT equipment is
securely housed.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
A system which provides continuity of power in the event of a
mains power failure - can be battery or diesel driven.
Valid Photo Identification
Acceptable forms of identification, including passport, driving
license, or other government issued documents with photographic
identification.
VESDA Systems
Very Early Smoke Detection Alarms.
Visitor
An individual that has been cleared to access the date centre,
or specific areas of the data centre and that who not been issued a
Permanent Access Card.
Visitor Access Card
A card issued to a Visitor which allows access to the data
centre or specific areas of the data centre for a single day. The
card must be returned to Global Switch security prior to the
Visitor departing the data centre at the end of each day.
Visitor Access Request
The process by which access for a Visitor to a Global Switch
data centre is requested.
Work
Any activity which could affect or disrupt either Global Switch
or customer operations.
Work in a Confined Space
Any work in an enclosed or partially enclosed space as defined
by local statute.
Work on Electrical Systems
Any work on Global Switch electrical plant, distribution
pathways or customers' PDUs that could impact the Global Switch
infrastructure.
Workplace Substance Register
The register of chemical or hazardous materials stored within
the data centre.
Works Supervision
The resource provided by Global Switch to oversee work.
Zone
A location or group of locations within a Global Switch data
centre. It is normally used when discussing customer data suites
and cages.