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Certification Review: BICSI Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC)

Note

Originally published on November 25, 2023 on Medium, now updated and hosted here.

Introduction

I ❤️ data. So it’s no surprise when I say I love data centers—those amazing buildings that store most of the World’s data and make it available to us all as the Internet and the “Cloud.” The Internet itself is technically a massive network connecting data centers, and the Cloud is technically someone else’s computers, which are typically stored—no surprise again—in data centers.

In this certification review, I’m going to cover the BICSI Data Center Design Design Consultant (DCDC) certification. It’s been 18 months since my BICSI OSP certification, and it felt especially good to now complete the DCDC.

Early in my career I got pulled into the unfamiliar world of OSP and had to crash course it, so getting the OSP designation gave me confidence in and validation of new topics I needed to learn. But in getting the DCDC, it felt like coming home to some of the things I know and do best: managing racks of servers and the network equipment that connect them, along with the critical systems and building envelope that keep everything working.

One of my first responsibilities in my ICT career was being the project manager for the construction of two telecommunication huts that would deliver FTTX services across a small city. Each one was fed with diverse network and power sources; housed cable plant, network equipment, and servers; and required HVAC equipment to clean and cool the space. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was building data centers.

I found the project both fascinating and stressful. I was still trying to understand the fundamentals involved, so it was helpful to observe everything literally being designed, constructed, and connected. The many move/add/change issues created challenges and even conflicts, and as PM I had to mediate and resolve them without truly understanding.

Just as with OSP, learning how to design and operate data centers was a complicated process, and had to be delayed while I focusing on learning many other aspects of the job. Having already gotten involved in BICSI and completed the OSP Designer in 2021, I decided to pursue the DCDC credential, and will share my experience with you.

For full disclosure, while I am a dues-paying BICSI member and certification holder, this review is completely independent and not affiliated with or sponsored by BICSI in any way. All opinions are my own and are intended to inform readers about this certification and provide honest feedback about my experience in obtaining it.

  • in ICT
  • 20 min read

Resource Review: BICSI Outside Plant Design Reference Manual (OSPDRM)

Note

Originally published on October 2, 2022 on Medium, now updated and hosted here.

Introduction

In the early years of my journey into telecom, understanding the outside plant (OSP) was one of the most time-consuming things to learn. This was primarily due to the relatively obscure nature of the trade, compared to the more common topics of inside plant (ISP)/premises cabling and what we commonly call network engineering. These other disciplines each have a wealth of books, training material, and overall online content, so it was much easier to get started.

I was somewhat aware of BICSI in 2018, and familiar with the RCDD certification, but somehow I overlooked their OSP offerings for the first two years of my self-study efforts. When I finally looked into it, however, I realized this content could hold the key to my development and I dove in from there. You can read more about my overall BICSI OSP Designer certification review here.

The focus of this resource review, however, is to drill down into the main material for the BICSI OSP Designer curriculum: the BICSI Outside Plant Design Reference Manual, or OSPDRM. In this review I’m going to take an in-depth look at what it is, where you can get it, what makes this a great resource but also where it falls short, and whether or not I recommend it.

For full disclosure, while I am a dues-paying BICSI member and certification holder, this review is completely independent and not affiliated with or sponsored by BICSI in any way—it’s just my honest review. If I ever do sponsored promotional content, you’ll be told upfront.

  • in ICT
  • 7 min read

My Journey into Telecom

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Originally published on March 23, 2023 on Medium, now updated and hosted here.

My name is Eron Lloyd, and I’ve been working in the telecommunications industry for seven years. When I first started in 2016, I entered as a business analyst while working on my Master’s degree in data science. I had many years of experience in the information technology field, and assumed telecommunications would be a straightforward lateral move.

It wasn’t. I entered into what felt like a new realm. Sure, there were switches, servers, and many other familiar layers, but it wasn’t a typical enterprise environment. ILEC? CLEC? CLLI codes? Tariffs? Public Utility Commission? Working for a service provider is definitely a different world, and I quickly realized I had a lot to learn and needed to learn it quick.

Certification Review: BICSI Outside Plant (OSP) Designer

Note

Originally published on October 19, 2022 on Medium, now updated and hosted here.

Introduction

The BICSI Outside Plant (OSP) Designer certification was developed to help OSP engineers design and build outside plant facilities on either private property or the public Right of Way (ROW). On August 5th, 2021, I passed the BICSI OSP exam and earned my first major telecommunications certification.

Early in my career I was thrown into the world of OSP, but I didn’t actually know the best way to get started. Compared to network engineering, OSP is not a very popular trade that technical people consider when looking for career options in telecommunications engineering.

As a result, you can’t walk into a bookstore and buy a reference manual or training guide like you can for the Cisco CCNA. You won’t find extensive tutorials or videos online like you would for routing and switching content (but I hope to change that). When I did fortunately find the OSP Designer resources, I wished I had it much earlier in the process of getting oriented in OSP.

Realizing that challenge is part of what motivated me to start Telecom Craft and promote the resources and materials to help bring more people into the telecommunications engineering field and give them a path forward. So let’s start with a review of the BICSI OSP Designer certification, including what it is, where to find the related resources, who should pursue it, and how to pass.