Don't get me wrong -I don't have plans in regards to the construction of a datacenter however I thought it'd be interesting if users would list what would be needed to setup one up. I have seen such a topic on the internet and the opinions given by members of the forum were definately interesting. I'd be curious to see the expectations of fellow HD members.

Good question, first the toughest job, finding the right location. You want your building to be located somewhere where you have access to at least two different power feeds from two different grids. This location would also need to be somewhere that has easy access to multiple internet backbones as well as have a low enough water table to allow you to dig a nice deep, dry basement (preferably multiple levels underground). Then you can put up your new building containing a "hardened bunker" for the actual data center and upper floors for meeting rooms, shipping and receiving, office space, etc. You'll have multiple power feeds with automatic transfer and backup generators if all feeds fail. You'll need enough fuel capacity to run for a minimum of 4 days and have contracts for emergency fuel delivery. You'll need contracts with the generator company to provide repairs (spares) if a generator fails (and of course N+1 generators to begin with). Same with your heating and cooling. A proper security system, and guards. State of the art fire supression systems, etc. Only after all the basic infrastructure is taken care of can you venture down to the bunker and equip it. Raised floors, surplus cooling capacity including chilled water, secured racks and rooms for those clients needing it. And of course multiple and redundant fiber links to multiple carriers with load balancing / fail-over capabilites.
Once you have those basic needs taken care of you can get to work on the rest of the stuff.

- That's why most people lease space (co-locate), a lot easier/cheaper to have someone else do the work. Although if you are lucky you can sometimes get a good deal on an existing facility.

But those places make millions of dollars a year, so if you have the capital to invest I would suggest doing it. That market is not to saturated yet.

Quick tip:
Try and get on the same grid as a major hospital

Those grids are so redunudant that it's almost not funny.

Simon

talk to carriers about whether they can get into your chosen area
redundant everything
cooling, power, security, location ...

simplest is to employ a consultant who's already been involved

Yes I will say a consultant would who has aready gone though this stuff would really be a big plus point as he will know some incoming problem and its neccesary precaussion that can be taken care off. This will be a factor of quick growth and a matter of better quality too

Well...umm...there are a TON of things to think about when setting up a datacenter but before I go into any of the technical details let me tell you the most important thing.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$: You need a lot of $$$$

TRau gave some good tips. Some other things to take note of:

• Don't forget about a backup plan! There are times when power fails and the backup power grid also fails (the Northeast grid blackout a few years back is an exaggerated example). So, be sure to have a contract with a diesel company or gas station to run diesel/gas powered backup generators capable of running your servers at full or limited capacity.
• When placing the servers, it is better to stack than to place back-to-back or even front-to-back. Basically what I mean by this is keep the fact that servers generate heat in the back of your mind at all time. You don't want the server fans working 100% of the time when they don't have to. So, try to avoid this by choosing good server placement.

There's probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting. So, you may see some addition bullets pop up here later in the week.

The most important thing is to know who your clients are and what they are expecting to pay, dont expect to compete on price if you go out and build a top of the line datacenter, its best to know how much infrastructure costs your market is willing to bear. If you look at several of the lower priced colocations out there, they have the basics, but the higher proced colocations are generally in the high realestate areas and have massive generators, air conditioning, fiber carriers and power distribution system, and you will pay for that.

Well,
All you need to do is consult someone who basically deals in setting up datacenters for people in exchange for some money for himself..
they'll guide you through the process smoothly
just use google to find someone in your area.

Some set up a datacenter in an old warehouse. They give little thought to the location, redundancy, or security, but they promote themselves as a premium datacenter. It is no surprise that these are usually the cheapest providers out there.

Yes, that is the most important first steps, and unfortunately sometimes overlooked.

Don´t forget to hire good service technican.

You will want at least n+1 redundancy on connections like power, fibre, suppression etc. I've heard of many cases where contractors cut through a DC's fibre line - Its even happened to us unfortunately. Luckily there was a redundant connection!

Your going to need more then one. I am also planning a data center for our webhost. Securety is BIG dont go to someone who is second best.

You could also approach existing data centers and ask for their construction plans to see how things are laid out. Also build a 'feature list'