What it is about
Part 1 provides the terms, the reference models, and the classification system to which all design parts of the series refer. Every standard on the building, power supply, cooling, cabling, or security asks first: which classes has the owner selected?
The standard applies to all data centers regardless of size and type of construction, from the server room to the colocation site, and is aimed at owners, operators, designers, installers, auditors, and maintenance providers. It does not cover the selection of IT equipment and software, availability analysis across multiple sites, or safety and EMC requirements (EN 50600‑1:2019, Introduction and Clause 1).
Core requirements in our own words
Conformance starts with the risk analysis.
A design conforms to Part 1 only if a business risk analysis exists and the Availability Class, Protection Classes, and granularity level are derived from it. Clauses 4 and 5.1.
Risk is impact times probability.
Both are assessed in four levels and shown in a matrix; external threats to the location and the cost per outage are part of this. The standard does not prescribe a method. Clause 5.3.
Four Availability Classes, selected per discipline.
Power supply, cooling, and cabling are each classified individually in Class 1 to 4, from single path to fault tolerant. The data center reaches a class only when every discipline meets it. Clause 7.2.2.
No percentage values.
The standard describes structure and redundancy, not availability in nines after the decimal point, because a power outage of one second has different consequences than minutes without cooling. Clause 5.1 and Annex A.
Protection Classes per space and supply path.
Each space is assigned a Protection Class against unauthorized access, intrusion, and internal and external environmental events. The specific requirements are set out in Parts 2‑1 to 2‑5. Clause 7.3.
Measurability is defined before design.
The owner selects one of three granularity levels, from the data center as a whole down to the individual system. The measurement points of the design parts follow from this. Clause 7.4.1.
From our seminars: two misconceptions
“Availability Class 3 is the same as Tier III.”
Both systems say similar things about redundancy. The standard, however, describes results and leaves the technical solution open; the criteria catalogs of individual certifiers work with individual criteria. Proof of conformance with EN 50600 needs the risk analysis as its justification, not just the list of components.
“You can skip the risk analysis if you build Class 3 straight away.”
In projects, we often see the class being fixed before anyone has assessed the business risk. The standard makes the analysis a condition of conformance: the class, the redundancy per discipline, the Protection Classes, and the metering concept all follow from it.
Where Part 1 applies in a project
Strategy phase
Owner and designer assess the business risk and derive the classes and the metering concept. These decisions determine the investment for the entire service life.
Tendering
The specification states the classes and describes in functional terms what the infrastructure must achieve, instead of prescribing a technology.
Audit and leasing
The operator demonstrates to customers, insurers, or auditors which class the data center actually achieves.
This protects you from a class that does not cover the business risk or that finances redundancy nobody needs. The design process of the standard provides for this assessment before detailed design (Clause 8).
Status and revision
- Current edition
DIN EN 50600‑1:2019‑08, German edition of EN 50600‑1:2019; supersedes the 2012 edition.
- International
ISO/IEC 22237‑1:2021.
- Revision
- Draft, not a valid standard· prEN 50600‑1:2026
prEN 50600-1:2026 as an enquiry draft, comment period April 2026, further status of the procedure not known. Until publication, the 2019 edition applies. Committee CLC/TC 215, German mirror committee DKE/GK 719.
- Last reviewed
EN 50600‑1
Frequently asked questions
No, it is a European Standard, not a legal regulation. It becomes binding through contracts, specifications, and criteria catalogs, and it is regarded as a generally recognized rule of technology for data centers.
A qualitative classification of the infrastructure in four classes, from single path to fault tolerant. It describes which faults and which maintenance the power supply, cooling, and cabling must withstand without shutting down the load (Clause 7.2).
Yes, without it conformance with Part 1 is not possible. The Availability Class, Protection Classes, and granularity level are derived from it (Clauses 4 and 5).
Yes, to all data centers regardless of size and type of construction. A small server room may combine functions in one room but must be classified in the same way (Clause 6.2).
Yes, a draft prEN 50600‑1:2026 was in the European enquiry procedure until April 2026. Until publication, the 2019 edition remains valid without change.
Seminars
Related seminars
Training path 1/4
DC-21001Data Center – General Principles
3 days · In person · Live webinar · Video course
Structure, disciplines, and classification according to EN 50600; this saves you from having to start with the text of the standard.
Next date: 19–21 Oct 2026, onlinePrice plus VAT: €4,195Training path 2/4
DC-21002Data Center Design & Implementation
according to EN 50600 and ISO/IEC 22237
5 days · In person · Live webinar
The business risk analysis is worked through and translated into classes, tendering, and acceptance.
Next date: 23–27 Nov 2026, onlinePrice plus VAT: €6,990- DCS-23001
Data Center Passport
1 day · Live webinar
The starting point for everyone who works in a data center but does not design one.
Next date: 4 Dec 2026, online · GermanPrice plus VAT: €990
All prices plus VAT; the price is the same in every format.
- DIN EN 50600‑1:2019‑08 (German edition of EN 50600‑1:2019), Introduction, Clauses 1, 4, 5.1, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1 to 7.4, 8.1, Annex A, NA.2 (national annex of the German edition)
- ISO/IEC 22237‑1:2021
- prEN 50600‑1:2026 (enquiry draft, CLC/TC 215), catalog entry retrieved 17 September 2026
- DCE academy seminar practice: Data Center – General Principles (session April 2026), Data Center Design & Implementation (session November 2025)
