The Purpose of ANSI/TIA/EIA-942 Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers • The purpose of this standard is to provide requirements and guidelines for the design and installation of a data center or computer room. • It is intended for designers who need a comprehensive understanding of the data center design including the facility planning, the cabling system, and the network design. • It facilitates the planning for data centers to occur earlier in the building development process (architectural, facilities, and IT). Data centers support a wide range of transmission protocols. Some of these protocols impose distance restrictions that are shorter than those imposed by this standard. When applying specific transmission protocols, consult standards, regulations, equipment vendors, and system service suppliers for applicability, limitations, and ancillary requirements. Consider consolidating standardized and proprietary cabling into a single structured cabling system. The Standard Specifies: • Cabling design • Network design • Facilities design • Informative annexes containing “best practices” and availability requirements • Spaces • Pathways • Racks/cabinets