PRE-TERMINATED CABLES
13
Compact Cabling
The main task of a data centre is the operation of
IT applications on mainframes and servers, while
providing reliable processing of data and backup
to a storage system. The crucial requirement for
the infrastructure is uninterruptible operation of IT
applications such as ERP systems, databases, office
applications, operating systems and trouble free access
to the provider’s network and the Internet.
According to the OSI model, these applications
form the highest of the seven layers, while the
physical infrastructure necessary for data traffic forms
the first layer – the bit transmission layer. This covers
all mechanical, electrical and functional elements,
such as transmission media (copper, fibre), amplifiers,
transceivers and switches. If these do not correctly
and securely communicate with each other and
exchange data, an availability of between 95% and
100% will not be available.
Looking to the future
In the planning and development of data centres,
allowance must already be built into the cabling for
current and future requirements; for demands such
as high speeds, uninterrupted hardware changes,
ventilation, ease of service and last but not least,
redundancy.
Since the life cycles of active components due
to constant further development are considerably
shorter than those of the IT cabling, this cabling
should be transparent and independent from
current equipment. Foundations of such structured,
application-neutral IT cabling are described in the
European standard EN 50173 and in the international
standard ISO / IEC 11801. However, the requirements
for cabling components in data centres are much
higher than for normal building cabling. So when
setting up the infrastructure particular attention
should be directed to:
• Bandwidth and EMC resistance for copper systems
• Bandwidth and optical loss budgets of the various
fibre types
• Future-proofing for higher transmission rates
• Flexible distribution systems
• Cable design
By Metz Connect
www.metz-connect.com
Pre-terminated cable solutions ensure optimal and
reproducible quality with significant benefits both
now and in the future
& Play’ system components can be quickly and easily
installed or exchanged without tools. With DCCS2,
crowded cableways can be avoided. The cabling is
clearer and the risk of heat stress decreases. The
low fire load of DCCS2 installation cables provides
significantly improved security in the network.
With the twisted-pair range as well as the OM3 fibre
a consistent, future-proof 10-Gbit transmission is
possible - even with ultra-short links of less than five
metres. If, in a medium or long term transmission rates
of 40 or 100 Gbps are planned, the fibre optic cabling
should be designed with OM4 or OS2. The investment
is then safe for many years. n
Optimum Performance
In general, the cabling components, whether copper
or fibre optic, should be pre-terminated in the factory
to ensure optimal and reproducible quality, excellent
transmission properties, and therefore high reliability.
Alongside pre-terminated DCCS2 modules, these
‘plug & play’ solutions increase the availability of
applications and reduce installation times, both during
the initial installation and also for later adaptations.
The pre-terminated modules are delivered with
measurement protocols; they save time and money
and avoid installation problems. Service friendly ‘Plug
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