Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS®) - Online Classroom (exam included)

Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS®)  - Online Classroom (exam included)

Take your data centre expertise to the next level with the Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS®) course. Tailored for experienced professionals, this advanced certification builds upon the knowledge acquired in CDCP® and develops the skills needed to enhance the resilience, efficiency, and operational excellence of modern mission-critical facilities.

Throughout the course, you'll explore advanced topics including power and cooling infrastructure, redundancy strategies, energy optimisation, fire protection, structured cabling, physical security, environmental monitoring, and operational risk management. Using industry best practices and practical case studies, you'll learn how to assess existing data centres, address potential vulnerabilities, and implement improvements that maximise availability, reliability, and business continuity.

Whether you're overseeing critical data centre operations, leading infrastructure upgrades, or designing future-ready facilities, CDCS® provides the advanced knowledge and practical expertise required to drive operational excellence and support long-term business success.

Key Features

• 3 Days (8 hours/ day) Instructor-led Virtual Online Classroom
• Classroom available in English or Spanish (Contact us for confirmation)
• Advanced level for professionals
• Presentation slide included in English 
• E-book available in English, Chinese Simplified, Spanish
• 30+ hours recommended study time 
• 1 Year access to the learning platform & exam voucher (included together)
• Exam language: English, German, Spanish
• Program completion certification included

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the complete data centre design lifecycle and its key phases.
• Evaluate design documentation, technical proposals, and vendor solutions to ensure compliance with business and technical requirements.
• Apply redundancy principles to improve data centre availability and resilience.
• Assess building design considerations, including structural integrity, fire protection, thermal stability, and environmental risks.
• Understand best practices for raised flooring, electrical systems, UPS configuration, battery sizing, and power distribution.
• Identify and mitigate electromagnetic interference (EMI/EMF) risks to protect personnel and critical IT equipment.
• Design and optimise cooling systems, including advanced liquid cooling solutions for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
• Evaluate contamination control measures, fire detection, and fire suppression systems for mission-critical facilities.
• Measure and improve data centre energy efficiency using industry-standard metrics and best practices.
• Validate data centre infrastructure designs to enhance reliability, operational efficiency, and long-term performance.

Target Audience

• Senior data centre engineers and technicians
• Data centre facilities and operations managers
• Critical facilities engineers
• Infrastructure and systems engineers
• Network and telecommunications engineers
• Data centre consultants and solution architects
• Project managers responsible for data centre design or upgrades
• IT professionals involved in mission-critical infrastructure
• Professionals planning to progress towards expert-level data centre certifications

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites participants must hold a valid CDCP® certificate in order to be able to register for the CDCS®
• Experience working in data centre operations, facilities management, engineering, or IT infrastructure.
• A solid understanding of data centre design principles, power, cooling, and operational best practices.

Course Content

Data Centre Design/Life Cycle Overview

• Phases of the data centre life cycle

Standards and Rating Level Definitions

• Rating levels history and definitions
• Standards and guideline comparison
• N-redundancy options
• Distributed redundant options
• Concurrent maintainability
• Fault tolerant
• Substation requirements
• Example topologies
• Maintenance options

Building Considerations

• Building location and floor loading considerations
• Floor and hanging loads requirements
• Firing rating for walls and glass
• Blast protection and bullet proofing
• Forced entry protection

Advanced Raised Floor & Suspended Ceiling

• Raised Floor installation requirements
• Common raised floor problems
• Seismic protection
• Requirements for suspended ceiling

Advanced Power

• Electrical formulae
• Single Line Diagram (SLD)
• Overcurrent protection devices
• Earth Leakage protection
• Sizing of protective components
• Surge protection
• Power cabling and PDU requirements
• Types of generators
• Generator components
• Fuel storage and calculation
• Generator parallelling
• Required UPS specifications
• UPS parallel configuration
• Harmonic filters
• Battery bank terminology
• Calculating battery banks
• Battery charging
• Parallelling battery banks
• Battery testing
• Battery case selection
• Flywheel
• Hydrogen fuel cells

Advanced Electro Magnetic Fields

• Sources of EMF
• Single and three phase radiation
• Measuring EMF
• Safe distance guidance
• Calculation of EMF attenuation factors

Advanced Cooling

• Cooling definitions
• Psychrometric chart
• ASHRAE recommendations
• Heat dissipation
• Equipment airflow
• Floor plan set-up
• Types of perforated tiles
• Rack door construction
• Delta-T and impact
• Optimizing airflow
• Thermal unit conversions
• Calculating air volume displacement (CFM/CMH)
• Cooling capacity calculations
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
• Air-conditioner efficiency
• SHR impact on OPEX
• Efficiency indicators
• Air-conditioner selection
• Humidity control
• Redundancy requirements
• Installation requirements
• Service corridor considerations
• Set points and calibration
• Advanced cooling technologies – air cooling
• Advanced cooling technologies – liquid cooling

Advanced Fire Protection

• Fire triangle
• Fire detection systems
• Installation and testing of smoke sensors
• Water-based suppression systems
• Gas-based suppression systems
• Calculate gas content
• Release and hold times
• Fire detection panel requirements
• Verification of installation
• Ongoing maintenance
• Alternative systems

Designing and Installing Scalable Network Cabling Systems

• TIA-942 cabling structure topology
• Copper and fibre cabling
• ToR and EoR design
• Installation best practices
• Grounding and bonding
• Cables labelling and administration

Environmental Specifications / Contamination Control

• Acoustic noise effects, regulations, specifications and limits
• Data centre contamination categories
• Contamination measurements, standards and limits
• Preventive measures

Data Centre Efficiency

• Business drivers for environmental sustainability
• Green standards and guidelines
• Power Usage Eectiveness (PUE)
• PUE categories
• Additional performance metrics
• Open Compute Project (OCP)
• Savings on cooling infrastructure
• Savings on light infrastructure

Exam & Certification Details

The certification exam is completed online at the end of the course. It is a 90-minute, closed-book exam consisting of multiple-choice questions. Candidates must achieve the minimum passing score specified by the certification provider. Successful candidates receive their results immediately and can access their digital certificate through the student portal.

• Participants who successfully pass the certification exam will receive the official Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS®) certificate. The certification is valid for three years, after which recertification is required to maintain your credential.
• The CDCS® course and certification are accredited by EXIN, a globally recognised, independent, not-for-profit certification and accreditation body that upholds international standards for IT and data centre professionals.

FAQ

What is the Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS®) certification?

CDCS® is an advanced data centre certification that builds on the knowledge gained in CDCP®. It focuses on improving data centre design, resilience, efficiency, and operational excellence using internationally recognised best practices.

Is this course practical?

Yes. CDCS® uses real-world scenarios, case studies, and best-practice methodologies to help participants assess existing facilities and implement practical improvements.

Is this a hands-on technical course?

The course focuses on practical best practices and operational knowledge rather than equipment installation or vendor-specific technologies. It equips participants with the skills to assess, improve, and manage data centre facilities effectively.

Is the certification internationally recognised?

Yes. CDCS® is accredited by EXIN, a globally recognised independent certification body, making it a respected credential for professionals working in mission-critical facilities around the world.

What career opportunities does CDCP® support? 

CDCP® prepares professionals for roles such as:

• Data Centre Engineer
• Data Centre Operations Engineer
• Facilities Engineer
• Critical Facilities Technician
• Infrastructure Engineer
• Data Centre Consultant
• Technical Project Manager
• Site Operations Specialist

What career opportunities does CDCS® support?

CDCS® is valuable for professionals in roles such as:

• Senior Data Centre Engineer
• Critical Facilities Engineer
• Data Centre Operations Manager
• Infrastructure Manager
• Data Centre Consultant
• Technical Architect
• Facilities Manager
• Mission-Critical Infrastructure Specialist

What course should I take after CDCS®?

Professionals looking to further specialise can continue with advanced EPI certifications, including:

• Certified Data Centre Expert (CDCE®) – Enterprise-scale data centre design and consultancy.
• Certified Data Centre Facilities Operations Manager (CDFOM®) – Advanced operational leadership and management.
• Specialist certifications in energy efficiency, audits, governance, compliance, and sustainability.

These certifications help experienced professionals progress into senior technical, consulting, and leadership roles within the global data centre industry.