Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1284149
44 I ICT TODAY OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION PLAY A ROLE Proper operations and administrative practices are a key component of protecting EDCs and should include pro- cesses, tools and technologies that help monitor and assess ongoing risks. Defined security policies and proce- dures should be in place for monitoring and responding to authorized and unauthorized access, as well as for coor- dinating with local utilities and agencies regarding emer- gency response and law enforcement. Periodic inspections of the site, perimeter, enclosure(s) and ingress point(s) from normal wear or damage caused by trespassers, theft or vandalism are highly recommended. These processes may also need to consider that EDCs may have slower speed of reaction among operations staff and may need to cover multiple locations, especially for unmanned sites, which presents the case for predictive analytics and service-oriented software enabled by the very technologies these EDCs support such as AI. Security and protective measures should, therefore, be derived by sensors and software, such as integrated power monitoring systems, temperature and humidity sensors at the room and cabinet level, leak detectors, air quality sensors, and vibration sensors. Automation con- siderations that could help physical security operational needs at an EDC include advanced networked technolo- gies, such as motion/occupancy sensors, dry contact sensors, and biometric access control. Automated infrastructure management (AIM) solutions are also an excellent tool for detecting and reporting, in real time, any unauthorized changes to the patch cord connectivity. Moreover, AIM systems can even be integrated with security cameras, where present, to activate and record during unauthorized events. CONCLUSION While this article covers the importance of physical pro- tection, it should also be noted that cybersecurity is a key consideration for EDCs that should be addressed. As orga- nizations, such as TIA, BICSI, and AFCOM, continue to address best practices for EDCs through standards devel- opment and educational curriculum, there will be more much-needed recommendations for ensuring that EDCs remain operational, secure and reliable. Without these critical practices in place to protect EDCs, the emerging technologies they aim to support like self-driving vehicles, smart traffic systems, virtual and augmented reality, tele- medicine, drone delivery, and M2M communication will struggle needlessly as they gain adoption. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Jacques Fluet is the edge data center program director at the Telecommunications Industry Associa- tion (TIA). He has over 30 years of telecommunications and ICT industry experience in wireless, optical, and wireline networks. He has been involved in products and services development for equipment vendors for most of his career—from the design phase to large deployments. He has held various leadership positions leading engineering teams for Nortel and Ericsson and has been involved in projects around the world. Since joining TIA, he has been involved in 5G, IoT, smart buildings and EDCs with a special interest in new applications from various vertical domains enabled by next generation networks. Jacques can be reached at jfluet@tiaonline.org. Automation considerations that could help physical security operational needs at an EDC include advanced networked technologies, such as motion/occupancy sensors, dry contact sensors, and biometric access control.