AIC INSTALLATION STANDARDSIssued May 2016
AT&T Integrated CloudRevisedSeptember2018
AIC INSTALLATION STANDARDS (AICIS)
Introduction
This document presents detailed requirements covering all AIC infrastructure installations. Requirements are divided into Sections with each sections focused on a key area(s) needed to realize a quality installation. The expectation is that the vendors will understand these requirements and apply them to all AIC installation they deliver. These requirements cover all technical spaces AIC is deployed in which includes CO, SNRCs, IDC, EDC and NTC. As new technical spaces are introduced an effort will be made to examine and extend application of AICIS to this new space. Any reference to standard or industry standards should be interpreted as a reference to TIAA standards. Presented first are the general overall guideline used to craft these detailed requirements.
Overall Guidelines
AIC standards should only include installation requirements that are Critical to Safety and Critical to Service. Any other requirements become best practices/guidance for the installation vendors and will not be enforced
This guideline involves inclusion of only those installation requirements, in AIC Installation standards, that ensure:
- Safety of AT&T/Vendor employees and
- Avoiding conditions, caused by poor workmanship, that are highly likely to cause a service outage within useful life of the platform (3-5 years).
CONTENTSPAGE
1.General
1.1Introduction
1.2Scope
1.3General Requirements
1.4Laws, Rules And Ordinances
1.5Hazardous Waste
1.6Safety
1.7Tools and Precautions
1.8Installation Supplier Warranty......
1.9Quality Assurance Programs
1.10Workmanship
2.Rack/Equipment
2.1Placement
2.2Leveling
2.3Securing/Anchoring
2.4Shipping
3.Grounding/Bonding
3.1AIC Grounding
4.Intra Rack Power
4.1Power
4.2PDU Installation and load balancing
5.Cabling
5.1Cables and Cabling
5.2Securing Power Cables
5.3Power Cabling
5.4Power cables AT&T DC Plant Environment
6.Labeling
6.1Labeling
6.2DC power cables
6.3Power Labeling
1.General
1.1Introduction
1.1.1This document provides the installation standards for AT&T Integrated Cloud (AIC) build outs in AIC Technical Space environments. This document provides general requirements when doing equipment installation, modification, removals or building work activity in AIC Technical Space.
1.1.2Roles and Responsibilities:
a)“Installation Supplier” refers to organization performing the requested work activity.
b)“AT&T” refers to the Person(s) requesting the work activity.
1.1.3The fundamental Guiding Principles of all sections of this document are as follows:
a)AIC Installation Standards should only include those requirements that are Critical to Safety and Critical to Service.
b)Any other requirements will be considered Best Practice/Guidelines but will not be audited by AT&T.
c)These standards and guidelines are written:
- To ensure the Safety of AT&T and Installation Supplier employees
- Avoid conditions caused by poor workmanship that are highly likely to cause a service outage within the useful life of the platform (generally, 3-5 years)
- AT&T assumes no responsibility for any costs incurred by a given manufacturer or the Installation Supplier in conforming to the requirements of this document. Further, conformance to all requirements delineated in this document does not constitute a guarantee of acceptance of a given Installation Supplier’s product/service for use in AT&T AIC environments.
- AT&T reserves the right, without prior notice, to revise this document for any reason.
- AT&T reserves the right to audit Installation Suppliers for compliance to this document. Questions concerning the audit process or quality results should be referred to:
AT&T - U.S. Quality Assurance:
402 N 3RD ST
FLOOR 2
Saint Charles, MO 63301
Attention: Christine Holmes
1.2Scope
1.2.1The requirements contained in this document apply to installations in any AIC Technical Space which is defined as technical space dedicated to housing AIC equipment infrastructure either in stand-alone buildings or space within shared-use buildings.
1.2.2If collocated in buildings with existing Legacy Technical Spaces (e.g. COs, SNRCs, NTCs etc.) the AIC Technical Space shall be engineered to be separated from the Legacy Technical Spaces by one-hour fire rated barriers and shall follow applicable NEC and fire codes.
1.2.3The standards and requirements for site preparation and conditioning for AIC Technical Spaces is included in ATT-812-000-723, AT&T Integrated Cloud (AIC) Technical Space Building Infrastructure Design Requirements.
1.3General Requirements
1.3.1The Installation Suppliers shall ensure as part of the evaluation of the installation that all work has been completed in accordance with the AT&T detail specifications, AT&T engineering documents or approved changes to the AT&T detail specifications.
1.3.2All proprietary documents referenced in this document are available to contracted Installation Suppliers through signed nondisclosure agreements or as detailed in current contracts between AT&T and Installation Suppliers.
1.3.3Non-AT&T publications referenced herein should be obtained from the originator of the publication.
1.3.4Comments on this document should be submitted by e-mail to:
AT&T - U.S. Quality Assurance:
402 N 3RD ST
FLOOR 2
Saint Charles, MO 63301
Attention: Christine Holmes
1.4Laws, Rules And Ordinances
1.4.1The Installation Supplier shall comply with all applicable federal, state, county and local laws, ordinances, regulations and codes.
1.4.2The Installation Supplier shall comply with all applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations when dealing with hazardous materials and other work place hazards.
1.4.3The Installation Supplier will be responsible for providing all necessary permits from the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
1.4.4Where applicable, all work performed by the Installation Supplier shall meet or exceed the technical requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and all state, county and local codes.
1.4.5All work and materials shall conform in every detail to the rules and requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (if in the US), the State Electrical Code (if in the US) and present manufacturing standards. All materials shall be listed by UL and shall bear the UL label.
1.5Hazardous Waste
1.5.1The Installation Supplier shall discuss with the AT&T Representative any hazardous materials existing in the AIC Technical Space and/or hazardous materials to be used on the job and handled per the requirements of this document.
1.5.2The AT&T Representative shall adhere to guidelines and procedures established by AT&T EH&S, available on the AT&T EH&S (Environment, Health & Safety) web site, or via contact to the AT&T EH&S Hotline at 1-800-KNOW-EHS (1-800-566-9347).
1.6Safety
1.6.1The Installation Supplier shall be entirely responsible for the safety and instruction of its employees or representatives.
1.6.2The Installation Supplier shall take precautions to avoid harm to personnel, equipment and building (e.g., cutting installed threaded rod).
1.6.3The Installation Supplier shall immediately report to the AT&T Representative any accident, outside agency inspection or hazardous condition, including:
a)Any accident or injury that occurs to employees or subcontractors of the Installation Supplier while on AT&T premises.
b)Any OSHA inspection or citations issued to the Installation Supplier while on AT&T premises.
1.6.4Floors and work area shall be kept free of all potential hazards. The Installation Supplier shall avoid creating a slip or trip hazard.
1.6.5All waste materials, such as waste paper, foam, plastic, cloth bags, packing boxes, packing material and similar material supplied during the installation, shall be removed from the building by the Installation Supplier on a daily basis (or more frequently if required).
1.6.6All walkways, entrance and exit routes through the equipment area shall be kept clear of tools, equipment, equipment packaging, cable, etc. Caution signs/cones shall be posted where needed.
1.6.7The Installation Supplier shall not obstruct doorways, equipment aisles, corridors, stairs, fire exits, fire extinguishers and fire-fighting equipment, pull box alarms and electrical breaker/fuse panels.
1.6.8If the Installation Supplier has any questions in regard to safety, contact the AT&T Representative.
1.6.9The Installation Supplier shall ensure the following during the installation:
a)Combustibles are to be removed from equipment areas and placed under fire retardant / anti-static tarps in a designated staging area when not being installed.
b)That apparatus or materials are not stored in equipment aisles, corridors, stairs or fire exits.
c)That Installation Supplier’s personnel adhere to AT&T’s no-smoking policy.
d)That precaution is taken to prevent fire resulting from the use of temporary wiring, test wiring, lamps, soldering irons and other similar equipment.
e)That no activity cause the activation of smoke alarms or other sensors.
f)That Installation Supplier personnel are familiar with the building’s evacuation features.
g)That Installation Supplier personnel are familiar with the location and use of the fire extinguishing equipment in the installation area.
h)When there is any doubt, check with AT&T Representative for site-specific procedures or compliance.
1.7Tools and Precautions
1.7.1The Installation Supplier shall provide its own tools.
1.7.2Extension cords shall be NRTL listed, three conductor, 14 gauge or larger, commercial grade.
1.7.3All battery and AC powered tools shall be grounded or double insulated.
1.7.4The Installation Supplier shall remove all personal jewelry when performing any installation activities.
1.7.5Metal framed ladders, metal desks and metal chairs shall not be allowed in the immediate vicinity of AIC equipment.
1.7.6Non-conductive measuring devices (i.e. measuring tapes) shall be used in the vicinity of working AIC equipment.
1.8Installation Supplier Warranty
1.8.1The Installation Supplier shall provide warranty as per AT&T negotiated contracts.
1.9Quality Assurance Programs
1.9.1The Installation Supplier shall conform to AT&T’s Quality Assurance Program as specified by the AT&T’s Quality Assurance organization in support of these requirements.
1.10Workmanship
1.10.1The Installation Supplier must be proficient in using the manufacturer’s products, adhere to the engineering, installation and testing procedures and utilize the approved products and devices.
1.10.2The Installation Supplier shall be experienced in all aspects of this work and may be required to demonstrate direct experience on systems of similar scope and size and shall have demonstrated competency for the job assigned.
1.10.3All cut materials that shall be installed shall have any sharp or rough edges finished with a file or grinder and performed outside of the office.
1.10.4Additionally, any scratches or blemishes to the materials exposing bare metal shall be touched up with the appropriate finish coating.
2.Rack/Equipment
AIC Rack/Equipment Requirements
2.1Placement
2.1.1Rack Placement of Hot / Cold Aisles: Racks shall be arranged with alternating rows fronts of racks facing each other in a row to create ‘cold’ and ‘hot’ aisles.
2.1.2Uninterrupted rack rows should not exceed 40 continuous feet in length. Racks shall be aligned according to the clearance recommendations. (Per ATT –812-000-723 AT&T integrated Cloud (AIC) technical Space Building Infrastructure Design Requirements)
2.1.3Computing Equipment Placement: Equipment shall be placed in racks with ‘cold’ air intake at the front of the rack. Blanking panels shall be installed in empty rack spaces to improve the functioning of the airflow. Special arrangements and exceptions will be made for large computing equipment.
2.1.4Placement relative to floor tile grid: When placed on access floor, racks shall be arranged so that they permit tiles in the front and rear of the racks to be lifted. Racks shall be aligned with either the front or rear edge along the edge of the floor tile. Racks shall be placed such that the threaded rods that secure the racks to the slab will not penetrate an access floor stringer.
2.1.5For details of Rack-Roll/Rack-Stack refer to Reference ATT-TELCO-IS-JA-000-004-121.
2.2Leveling
2.2.1Racks located within Low Seismic Risk regions shall rest on the floor surface with or without the use of leveling feet and caster assemblies.
2.2.2Racks located within High Seismic Risk regions shall rest on the floor surface without the use of leveling feet or caster assemblies.
2.2.3Racks levelers shall be deployed as per manufactures guidelines.
Note: Seismic Risk regions can be investigated at
2.3Securing/Anchoring
2.3.1Equipment deployed within High Seismic Risk regions shall be installed within GR-63-CORE Seismic Zone 4 certified racksEquipment deployed within Low Seismic Risk regions shall be deployed within racks rated for IBC and UL rated (minimum requirement). Worst case conditions in the IBC Seismic 4 standard shall be considered when performing the modeling test.
2.3.2Racks shall be plumb, level and junctioned together using the appropriate manufacturer supplied hardware. It assures that the racks are attached and aligned securely to each other, supporting and dispersing weight equally for the maximum capacity. Uprights of adjacent racks shall be joined together per manufacturer’s specifications to form a continuous lineup.
2.3.3Low Seismic Risk regions: Side junctioned racks located within an equipment lineup shall be anchored with bolts to the floor using a minimum of two AT&T approved floor anchors (refer to Figure 1). Free standing non-junctioned racks shall be anchored with bolts to the floor using a minimum of four AT&T approved floor anchors (refer to Figure 1).
2.3.4Racks located within High Seismic Risk regions shall be anchored with bolts to the floor using a minimum of four AT&T approved seismic floor anchors. Refer to Figure 2.
FIGURE 1 -- Cabinet Anchoring – Low Seismic
FIGURE 2 -- Cabinet Anchoring – High Seismic
2.3.5Racks shall not be mechanically connected to any suspended grid system. This includes ceiling suspended and stanchion suspended system. This does not include stubbed up systems supported from the tops of racks or stanchions.
2.3.6In lineups where racks are the primary or only support for overhead cable rack, the equipment rack shall be secured to building floor with four anchors and junction to adjacent racks. Refer to Figure 2.
2.3.7Where equipment racks shall not be side junctioned, a space of 5 inches minimum shall be provided between the adjacent racks or building walls, columns or other structural members.
2.3.8No part of any equipment installed within or apparatus attached to the rack shall extend beyond the footprint of the rack.
2.3.9The fronts of the base of all racks in a common lineup shall be aligned. An exception to this requirement is permitted for racks that are shown on the floor plan to be out of alignment with the other racks in the lineup. Exceptions should only be made on an as-needed basis and framework extension beyond existing racks in the lineup into the front or maintenance aisle shall not exceed 3 inches.
2.3.10For more detailed information on Equipment framework anchoring (raised access floor) – refer to ATT-TP-76402, Section 10.
2.4Shipping
Reference ATT-TELCO-IS-JA-000-004-121, “Potential Rack & Issues” Job Aid Rack-n-Roll Feasibility Check List
2.4.1From Manufacture to VAR Facility: The empty equipment rack shall be shipped from the rack manufacturing warehouse to the VAR facility on standard shipping pallet with cardboard protective corners, cardboard top plate and shrink-wrap.
2.4.2From Value Added Resource (VAR) to Site: VAR is to provide a shock resistive pallet designed for AIC specific racks deployments. VAR to also provide a ramp capable of allowing AIC racks to be rolled from said pallet, if applicable. The shock pallet is to be returned to the VAR facility once the rack has been removed from the pallet. More details can be found in Rack & Roll Checklist ATT-TELCO-IS-JA-000-004-121.pdf.
2.4.3The VAR Facility is to palletize and crate the assembled equipment rack for shipment to installation site.
2.4.4Tilt/shock indicators shall be attached and activated on the shipping container to indicate potential equipment damage during transit. The VAR facility is to attach tilt/shock indicators on the shipping container, as per manufacturer’s instructions, in a manner that allows for front-to-rear and side-to-side tilt monitoring.
3.Grounding/Bonding
3.1AIC Grounding
3.1.1All equipment, racks, and overhead racking (if used) shall be properly bonded to the site grounding system to insure safety of personnel and reliability of service. Rack doors shall be bonded to the racks.
*Note: Equipment rated at less than 30Amps can be grounded via securing screws. A separate ground cable is required for equipment rated at 30Amps and above..
3.1.2At a minimum, the grounding installation must comply with all applicable articles of the current issue of the National Electrical Code NFPA-70.
3.1.3Grounding conductors shall be sized to handle the maximum possible AC and/or DC fault current.
3.1.4The Installation Supplier shall apply a thin coat of NO-OX-ID “A” anti-corrosive compound to all connections of dissimilar metals to inhibit future corrosion.
Note: Per the instructions from the No-ox manufacturer, terms used to apply No-ox include "thin", "light", and "the ideal amount is 1 molecule thick". Our Hyground connectors specify a minimum thickness of 0.030” (30 mils). To be consistent with this we would recommend the same minimum thickness underneath the lug.
4.Intra Rack Power
4.1Power
4.1.1All AIC Power installation work shall be in accordance with the NEC® and NFPA.
4.2PDU Installation and load balancing
4.2.1Equipment shall be plugged into ports assigned by Design Team.
4.2.2Once AC devices are powered-up and placed under load, the PDU’s LED readout (or management tools) shall be reviewed to determine if the load is evenly distributed across the electrical phases and do not exceed 80% of the PDU branch capacity. If the load is not distributed equally across the three (3) electrical phases, in consultation with the design team, care shall be taken to re-locate the power-plugs to other electrical phases. This approach should also be taken to balance loads across any single phase PDU (CDU) branches and do not exceed 80% of the PDU branch capacity.
4.2.3Separate A&B diversely sourced protected PDUs shall be provided. Exception: When the equipment rack is designed exclusively for single power feed equipment.
4.2.4Each PDU shall be engineered with a dedicated branch supply circuit sourced from a PPSC and load managed, not to exceed 80% of the PDU circuit breaker.
4.2.5Each PDU shall be installed in a rack per manufacturer’s recommendations. PDU’s shall be placed so as to not impede the removal of any equipment from the rack.
5.Cabling
5.1Cables and Cabling
5.1.1Communication cables/jumpers shall be compliant with ANSI/TIA Standards, 10/40/100 technology, and Method B (Key up Key up).
5.1.2MPO mated connectors shall include alignment pins.
5.1.3LC connectors shall permit polarity reversals in the field.
5.1.4OM4 communications channel shall not exceed 150m limit.
5.1.5Cables/jumpers shall be protected from sharp edges, hot surfaces, and supported to prevent excessive strain on the connectors while maintaining proper bend radius.