Data Center service capabilities

The WaTech data center facilities are for customers to install their own information technology (IT) equipment and operate it in a secure, professionally managed, state-of-the-art data center. The service provides space, power, cooling, connectivity, physical and network security for servers, storage, and networking equipment.

Statewide enterprise service capabilities

The Data Center Service has been designated as an enterprise service under EA-02 – Establishing an Enterprise Service Policy and EA-02-03-S Data Center Enterprise Service Standard. This means that one of WaTech’s Data Centers must be used by all state agencies to house physical IT infrastructure, such as servers, storage systems, and network equipment.

The Data Center enterprise service designation provides the following service capabilities:

1. Basic data center service: Provides core infrastructure and facility support for hosting, operating and maintaining IT systems, including:
   • IT equipment enclosures: Houses and protects servers and networking hardware in secure, organized racks or cabinets.
   • Power and cooling: Supplies reliable electrical power and maintains optimal environmental conditions to ensure continuous IT system operation.
   • Fire system: Detects and suppresses fires using integrated detection, alarm, and extinguishing technologies to protect equipment and personnel.
2. Physical security: Ensures controlled access and protection of the facility through 24/7/365 surveillance, access controls, and monitoring systems.
3. Shipping and receiving: Manages the secure intake and dispatch of IT equipment and materials entering or leaving the data center.
4. Industry Tier 3 standards: 99.982% uptime and capable of meeting third-party regulatory compliance requirements.

Features & Benefits

Benefits of the WaTech Data Center

• Data center facilities are available 24/7/365. 
• Fully redundant to support routine maintenance.
• As a customer, you have four separate choices for network connectivity, from fully managing your own network to using WaTech to manage it for you.
• Includes options to add other WaTech services to extend the functionality of your systems.
• As your equipment reaches the end of service life, you have alternatives to procuring replacement equipment.
• Preserve your investment in IT equipment while avoiding the costs and complexities of managing a facility.

Features of WaTech Data Center facilities

Customer amenities

• Meeting spaces are available on the first- and second-floor common areas.
• Customer workspace is available with power connections and carts for moving heavy equipment.
• Onsite parking.
• Close proximity to Intercity Transit services.
• Delivery support services are available with coordination.
• Trash removal.

Customer Responsibilities

• Provide an escalation path defining who should be contacted (and when) in the event of problems with systems that are monitored by WaTech staff. 
• Properly configure systems to use the redundant power and network equipment provided in the facility, if the customer chooses redundant power and network connections. This is highly advisable to maintain Tier 3 status. 
• Submit all requests for service or emergencies to the WaTech Support Center – support@watech.wa.gov or through the Service Now Customer Portal.

Physical security

Physical security includes restrictive key card access, key management systems, and 24/7 security monitoring. General requirements and practices that govern access to the Data Center include: 

• Access to the data center facility is limited to authorized personnel only.
  • Customers must identify the list of authorized staff to access the facility and systems.

• The data center is physically secured by card reader door locks and monitored by physical security staff 24/7.
• Security cameras provide 24/7 recorded video surveillance of activity within the data center.  
• Access to enclosures is controlled via hard keys.
  • Hard keys are granted via a pre-approved process in which WaTech issues proximity badges and grants customer access to the specific enclosure key.
  • Hard keys are controlled by a key management system. 

• Customers must abide by WaTech physical security policies and procedures. 
• Customers must provide vendor name, model number, and specifications for all IT equipment.

• Customers must follow documented communications and ticketing processes. 

Fire system

• Double Interlock Pre-Action Fire Suppression System: This system requires detection of multiple events in order to prevent accidental activation.
• Very Early Smoke Detection and Alarm (VESDA) system: This continuously samples air in the data center to detect the presence of smoke particles suspended in the air.

Power and cooling

• Electrical and mechanical infrastructure with redundant capacity and multiple independent distribution paths serve the computer equipment. Only one distribution path is required to serve the computer equipment at any time.
• Building Management System (BMS) and Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) provide control and monitoring for mechanical and electrical equipment.
• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system is provided for conditioning AC electrical power.
• N+1 power (with backup in place should any single system component fail) and cooling redundancy design.
• A generator provides backup power in the event of a utility power outage within 10 seconds. A UPS battery system covers the 10-second gap during failover.
• Generators have a two-day (48 hour) fuel supply, with fuel delivery arrangements.
• WaTech periodically reviews customer’s usage of primary and redundant circuits to verify that customers are not overloading the circuit or using a backup circuit as a primary source. 
• WaTech ensures temperature and humidity does not deviate from current data center standards detailed in American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRE) standards. 

IT Equipment Enclosures

• Raised floor area is equipped with secure, pre-configured IT equipment enclosures.
• Enclosures have lockable doors on the front and back.
• The usable space in a standard IT equipment enclosure is 42 rack units (U).
• The dimensions are 24” wide (outside) x 48” deep.
• The inside width is adjustable to meet a 23” or 31” requirement.
• Enclosure Power Standard is (2) 208 volts 3 Phase RMPDU with auto sensing for 110 volts.
• WaTech will install all cabling between enclosures and/or have direct oversight of all IT equipment installations.
• WaTech will work with customers to design and plan all adds, moves, and changes of IT equipment in the data center.

Connectivity and space management

• Data, voice and video TV connectivity through multiple carriers.
• Standardized copper and fiber cable tray systems.
• Space management services include consultation for planning additions, moves, and changes to IT equipment and physical connectivity.
• Compliant with American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), and Energy Information Administration (EIA) standards.

Shipping and receiving

• WaTech provides facilities for shipping and receiving IT equipment. Specific details must be coordinated with the Facilities Space Management Team. Failure to do so may result in a delay or refusal of a shipment as a matter of security. 

Emergency Situations

In an emergency situation, WaTech may at its discretion and without prior notice, take emergency intervention steps in a manner deemed appropriate by WaTech to expeditiously terminate any threat posed by the emergency situation. 

Emergency situations that require intervention may include, but are not limited to: 

• Threats to the life, health, or safety of the public, WaTech employees, customers, contractors, vendors or other personnel. 
• Threats to the safety, stability, availability, or security of the WaTech facility, data communications infrastructure, or other WaTech customer’s equipment or data. 
• Customer’s equipment found to be in violation of any applicable law. 
• Lawful order(s) from a court, law-enforcement agency, government administrative agency, or other public safety agency with jurisdictional authority. 

Basic data center service

The data centers provide enclosures for customer IT equipment, supports network connections to either the WaTech core network or to third-party providers and firewall services.

With connections through the WaTech core network, customers also receive:

• Network connection monitoring.
• 24/7 help desk support.
• Ongoing technical support for network connections and firewalls.
• Vulnerability scanning.
• Ability to remotely see and access devices:
  • Can use operating system utilities such as PuTTY (a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application) or Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
  • Can also use server management technologies such as HP's Integrated Lights Out (ILO) and Dell's Remote Access Controller (DRAC).

Pricing

Rates effective as of July 1, 2025

Service forms and documents

• Place a Data Center Move, Add, or Change Request
• Service Action Plan