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Data Center Tiers: What’s the Difference Between 1, 2, 3, and 4?

Data center tiers are a classification system, ascending 1, 2, 3, and 4 –with some operators even pushing for 5 – that are used to evaluate data center facilities, consistently, regarding their potential site infrastructure availability, also known as uptime. Specifically, the tier ratings stipulate what a data center can offer in terms of redundancy and resiliency, as well as how much potential downtime a customer could experience for a year.

As a general rule, the difference between data center tiers is that tier 1 offers no redundancy of any critical system, tier 2 has partial redundancy in their electrical & HVAC systems, tier 3 contains dual redundancy for power & cooling equipment, and tier 4 possesses fully redundant infrastructure.

Data centers are commonly rated by the Uptime Institute, an independent organization, which has issued over 2,500 certifications to data centers in more than 110 countries. The Uptime Institute ranks data centers through four distinct tier certification levels: Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, and Tier IV. Regarding availability, Tier I has the most expected downtime or worst performance, while Tier IV offers the least anticipated downtime or best performance.


Importantly, the Uptime Institute’s four data center tiers are progressive, meaning each level includes the requirements of all the lower tiers.

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