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The National Housing Authority (NHA) inaugurated its new data center as part of its Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Modernization Program on April 1, 2022.

NHA General Manager Marcelino P. Escalda, Jr., Assistant General Manager Engr. Victor C. Balba, Corporate Operations and Systems Development Department (COSDD) Manager Isaac L. Nacilla led the official unveiling of the new data center held at the NHA Main Office compound in Quezon City.

According to Mr. Nacilla, the new data center is an outdoor all-in-one prefabricated modular data center with integrated power supply system, cooling, infrastructure management, and firefighting solution. The data center features magnitude 9 earthquake resistance, an Ingress Protection (IP) 55-rated water and dust protection level, and a service life of 25 years. It houses a hyper converge infrastructure system and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It is primarily intended to strengthen and supplement all online operations of the Authority.

As one of GM Escalada’s legacies, this project is a hope enabler that the Authority will be able to continue its services with improved tools to support its operations. This data center will house a system that automatically processes data and information encoded or recorded by concerned departments, districts, or regional offices and consolidates them into one database. It will address issues of duplicity, data integrity, and security. It will provide a 24/7 service, remote access and management, and uninterrupted internet service.

Mr. Nacilla said, “Since the operation of NHA until the present, we are using outdated IT infrastructure which can no longer support our growing operations. Likewise, our existing network has outlived its use, control, and access, thus needing immediate rehabilitation and modernization.”

He added that the NHA Management has endeavored to implement the Data Center Migration and Network Rehabilitation since last year to keep pace with the existing global standards, and more importantly, to safeguard the Authority’s data. However, there were delays in delivering the equipment and materials due to quarantine measures as well as lockdown protocols.

The new data center, Mr. Nacilla explained, targets the recording and storage of NHA’s different systems such as Lots Inventory System, Billing and Collection System, Geographic Information System, and others, including internet and IP Telephony.

Among the features of the new data center are as follows:

Green

The data center features a high-efficiency SmartLi UPS, an in-row cooling (AC), hot aisle containment, low heat transfer coefficient enclosure and 4+1 cooling redundancy.

SMART

Full-facility, 3D, visualized management is available through NetEco intelligent management system. Intelligent operations and maintenance, using tables and mobile apps.

RELIABLE

The enclosure offers a 25 years service life and rated OP55 protection level and also has GR-63-CORE Zone 3 anti-seismic protection. Sixty minute fireproofing and 3D temperature map further eliminate potential risks caused by hotspots. Operating temperature of -20C to +50C, and backup time of 1 hour.

Meanwhile, the NHA ICT Modernization Program entails the following undertakings:

• Installation and commission of a fiber optic backbone cabling within the vicinity of the Main Office;
• Redesign, installation, and commission of NHA’s cabling infrastructure for voice (telecommunications) and data;
• Upgrading of the PABX – the multiline telephone system used by the Authority;
• Migration of the data center/server room from a room type data center (situated in the old COSDD building) to a modular type data center (now located near the GSD-COSDD building;
• Security improvement of the new modular data center with an upgraded network firewall, environmental monitoring system, and door access system; and
• Decommissioning of the old existing cabling of the Authority.