ISO/IEC 22237: The international standard for data centers
In the course of digitalization, the need for secure and available data centers is constantly increasing. At the same time, the requirements for energy efficiency and sustainability are also increasing.
The international standard ISO/IEC 22237 addresses these growing demands and provides an approach with which data centers can be assessed and certified holistically - from infrastructure to environmental aspects.
Reliable basis for planners, installers & operators
Based on ISO/IEC 22237, data centers around the globe can be planned, built and operated according to the same principles.
Trust among international customers & business partners
An ISO/IEC 22237 certificate proves that your data center meets comprehensive requirements for availability, security, energy efficiency & sustainability.
Your complete service package
We offer you the complete package: from workshops to concept & planning assessment as well as conformity assessments to successful certification.
ISO/IEC 22237 Data Center Standard: What you need to know
Our whitepaper provides an overview of the international standard ISO/IEC 22237 and describes how data center operators can reach a conformity to the standard.
Download with restricted access
What is ISO/IEC 22237?
The international standard ISO/IEC 22237 (Information technology – Data center facilities and infrastructures) lays the basic groundwork for data centers being planned, built and operated in future based on the same principles worldwide.
As the international counterpart to the European data center standard EN 50600, ISO/IEC 22237 – together with ISO 30134 – constitutes a holistic approach to describing all aspects of the installation and infrastructure of data centers. This includes requirements for availability and security (ISO 22237-x) and for energy-efficiency and sustainability (ISO 30134-x) of the physical infrastructure.
Up to date 5 out of 7 parts of the ISO/IEC 22237 have been published. Further parts are available as technical specifications (TS), and will follow successively.
What benefits does ISO/IEC 22237 deliver?
International comparability
The global standard ISO/IEC 22237 will in future allow better international comparability of data centers.
A meaningful certificate
Providing a criteria catalog (e.g. TSI. ISO22237) allows the simple, transparent and reliable certification of future data centers.
Clear specifications for high-availability data centers
Whether for planning, construction or operation, ISO/IEC 22237 defines holistic requirements for data centers.
In future, it will no longer be a case of comparing apples with oranges
As a shared foundation for understanding, ISO/IEC 22237 will strengthen confidence in the availability of a data center.
Reliability during the planning phase for new data centers
With requirements for ISO/IEC 22237 conformity, data center operators can achieve valuable competitive advantages during the planning phase.
Continuous improvement process
With its two-year recertification period, the certification ensures high quality and aids with maintaining the conformity to latest developments of the standard.
What services does TÜV NORD offer relating to ISO/IEC 22237?
Even though ISO/IEC 22237 is only thus far available in part, not yet having been published in full, we can already confirm conformity with the standard on the basis of our existing criteria catalogs. In this respect, we benefit in particular from our active participation in the standardization committee, which enables us to continuously develop and update our TÜV NORD criteria catalogs. In preparation for certification under ISO/IEC 22237, we provide:
Workshops on requirements & assessment considerations
Within the framework of workshops, we prepare you optimally for an audit & certification according to ISO/IEC 22237 and the associated requirements.
Concept & planning assessment
Our experts support you in planning and designing your data center according to the requirements of ISO/IEC 22237.
Conformity assessments / gap analyses
With the help of conformity assessments or GAP analyses, we uncover any remaining deviations or weak points with regard to ISO/IEC 22237.
Certification based on TSI:STANDARD
On the basis of the TSI.STANDARD, our experts carry out the ISO/IEC 22236 certification of your data center in accordance with the published parts of ISO/IEC 22237.
What are the contents of ISO/IEC 22237?
Structure of the standard
The requirements of ISO 22237 are currently divided into 7 parts:
- ISO/IEC 22237-1: General Concept
- ISO/IEC 22237-2: Building Construction
- ISO/IEC 22237-3: Power distribution
- ISO/IEC 22237-4: Environmental control
- ISO/IEC TS 22237-5: Telecommunications cabling infrastructure
- ISO/IEC 22237-6: Security systems
- ISO/IEC TS 22237-7: Management and operational information
Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 have already been published. The remaining parts are currently available as a Technical Specification (TS), and will progressively be transferred into officially applicable parts of the standard. The implementation is however expected to take up to 2 years.
The 4 availability classes of ISO/IEC 22237
Just like EN 50600 before it, ISO/IEC 22237 draws distinctions between the following four availability classes, which relate to the energy supply, cooling system and cabling:
Availability class 1
Data center with a single, non-redundant supply path.
Availability class 2
Data centers with partial redundancies based on a supply path.
Availability class 3
Data center has multiple independent supply paths.
Solution for maintenance during ongoing operation.
Availability class 4
Data center has multiple independent supply paths.
Fault-tolerant, except during maintenance.
What is the relationship between ISO/IEC 22237 and EN 50600?
Since 2015, EN 50600 has been providing the planners, installers and operators of data centers with an integrated approach to the planning, construction and operation of a data center. ISO/IEC 22237 builds on this, bringing the requirements to an international level. In relation to the parts of the ISO standard already published, the good work of the EN 50600 committee is reflected in the fact that the requirements have been adopted into the ISO standard practically unchanged from the EN standard.
The two standards compared:
ISO/IEC 22237 | EN 50600 | Topic |
ISO/IEC 22237-1 | EN 50600-1 | General concepts |
ISO/IEC 22237-2 | EN 50600-2-1 | Building construction |
ISO/IEC 22237-3 | EN 50600-2-2 | Power distribution |
ISO/IEC 22237-4 | EN 50600-2-3 | Environmental control |
ISO/IEC TS 22237-5 | EN 50600-2-4 | Telecommunications cabling infrastructure |
ISO/IEC 22237-6 | EN 50600-2-5 | Security systems |
ISO/IEC TS 22237-7 | EN 50600-3-1 | Management and operational information |
Process of an ISO/IEC 22237 Certification
1.
Workshop (optional)
For the best possible preparation for ISO/IEC 22237 testing & certification, we recommend holding a workshop.
2.
Document review
Our experts review the documents you create with regard to the requirements of ISO/IEC 22237.
3.
On-site audit
After the document review, an on-site audit of the planned & implemented measures in your data center takes place.
4.
Preparation of the audit report
Based on the results of the document review & the on-site audit, you will receive a meaningful & comprehensive audit report from us.
5.
Certificate issuance
If your data center meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 22237, you will receive the desired certificate from us.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions at a glance
Since ISO/IEC 22237 is still partly available in the form of technical specifications and is therefore still in the coordination process, certification is currently only possible in accordance with the five parts already published. The other parts of the standard will be added successively.
Since the publication of the revision of the TÜV NORD's own criteria catalog TSI.STANDARD V4.5 on 01.07.2023, certification according to ISO/IEC will be offered as an optional module for TSI certification. The relevant requirements are worked out accordingly. The procedure is comparable to the EN 50600 certificate, which can also be optionally obtained in combination with the TSI certificate for several years now. However, with the TÜV NORD GROUP's own TSI.STANDARD you can already optimally prepare for a certification according to ISO/IEC 22237. This is because it works with the requirements of the international standard, so that we can confirm that you are on the right path to ISO/IEC 22237.
Customers can thus obtain a total of 3 certificates in one procedure: TSI, EN 50600 and ISO/IEC 22237.
ISO 22237 can be considered a supplement to ISO 27001.
While ISO 22237 focuses on the quality and availability of an infrastructure facility, ISO 27001 focuses on general information security and serves as a guideline for the structure of an information security management system (ISMS).
Why we are a strong partner for you
Independence
Expertise
International network of experts
Tailor-made for you
Industry experience
