This guide provides a framework for improved alignment between IT equipment hardware manufacturers (including manufacturers of computers, servers, and storage products), data center designers, and facility operators and managers. The guide covers four primary areas: equipment operating environment specifications, facility temperature and humidity measurement, equipment placement and airflow patterns (a hot- aisle/cold-aisle layout is recommended), and equipment manufacturers' heat load and airflow requirements reporting. Guidelines for facility operation personnel show how to lay out data centers for optimum reliability. Guidelines for manufacturers give advice on providing the airflow path for their equipment. Guidance on evaluating and testing the operational health of the data center and on reporting the environmental characteristics of a computer system is also given. Appendices contain psychometric charts and temperature and altitude charts. The first page of the book features a plastic cover holding a removable list of equipment thermal guidelines for data processing environments. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)