Understanding the Standardization Process of Data Centers

The article continues a previous discussion on data center development, highlighting a strikingly similar timeline across internet companies: starting with custom servers, then standardizing IT modules, followed by mechanical/electrical modules, and finally building standardized facilities.

It explains why this sequence makes sense: servers dominate hardware costs, and internet firms excel at tailoring software and system architecture, making custom ICT equipment a priority. After ICT devices are standardized, the next logical step is standardizing the tightly coupled IT modules and then the mechanical systems.

Comparisons between domestic and foreign internet companies show similar adoption patterns, though the depth of standardization and design experience varies. The article advises assessing an organization’s technical control over IT equipment and the expected value of standardization before committing to micro‑module or IT‑module initiatives.

Three practical questions are answered:

Why do major players like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Yahoo adopt different modular designs? Because their custom server strategies differ, influencing overall data‑center architecture and TCO considerations.

How to determine the appropriate level of modularity? By using a standardization‑process matrix; for most data centers, focusing on large mechanical system standardization yields the greatest benefit.

Where to start when modularizing a data center? Prioritize the modules that offer the highest benefit with the lowest difficulty, tailoring the approach to whether the organization follows an internet‑company model or a colocation/enterprise model.

The article critiques the hype around “micro‑modules,” arguing that true rapid delivery depends on comprehensive standardization across all layers, not just a small subset of components. It illustrates this with a typical IDC delivery flow and shows how high‑level standardization can transform a sequential process into a parallel, prefabricated one, dramatically reducing deployment time.

Analogies such as cooking noodles versus instant noodles, and DIY PC building versus pre‑configured laptops, are used to convey how design standardization and prefabrication improve efficiency and quality.

For large users, the recommendation is to strengthen control over both IT and mechanical domains, possibly engaging experienced foreign consultants for system design while handling detailed engineering locally. Small and medium users lacking internal expertise should consider outsourcing, cloud services, or colocation.

The article concludes by summarizing three core methodologies presented throughout: the four‑element modular analysis, the value formula, and the data‑center standardization process, emphasizing that understanding these frameworks enables the industry to advance toward more sophisticated, globally competitive data‑center solutions.