Data Center Systems Eng.

Catalog description

This course delivers a comprehensive, systems-level exploration of data center design, sustainability, and innovation, grounded in the principles of systems engineering. Students will learn to view data centers as complex, dynamic systems-integrating physical infrastructure, IT, operations, and environmental factors. The curriculum emphasizes systems thinking, holistic lifecycle analysis, hardware and software integration, supply chain management and interdisciplinary integration, drawing from best practices in systems engineering to address challenges in scalability, reliability, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Through case studies, modeling, hands-on labs, and invited lectures from industry leaders, students will develop the skills to architect, optimize, and manage next-generation data centers that are resilient, adaptive, and aligned with evolving business and societal needs. The course content covers data center fundamentals and historical perspectives, data center system architectures, thermal management and cooling systems, electronic packaging (CPU, GPU), power infrastructure, operational efficiency, site selection, supply chain engineering and testing, data center security, AI infrastructure, system availability, reliability engineering, and energy efficiency. Prerequisites: ISE 314 Computer Program for Engineers or equivalent computer programming course. Offered every Spring or as needed.