In the latest episode of Cable Talk™, I talk about the ANSI/BICSI 002-2011 standard that covers data center design, cabling, structured cabling design, power, cooling, and other topics. The importance of cabling when planning or upgrading a data center is critical in both fiber optic and copper cabling alike.

Check out our archived webinar, “Preparing for the Next-Gen Data Center: 16G Fibre Channel.” James Mallon, Systems Engineer from Brocade, presented on the changes in the physical layer and hardware platforms when migrating to 16G Fibre Channel.

You know the signs in restrooms that read “Employees Must Wash Hands”? Well, before cabling up your network, you should always clean your fiber optic cabling connectors to ensure optimum performance. A pretty simple science if you ask me…but a lot of fiber installers are unaware of the importance of cleaning cable connectors before deploying in the network space.

As next-gen data centers continue to evolve, ensuring that your fiber is properly performing will only grow in importance. Dirt and scratches on your fiber connectors can negatively impact your overall network: contamination can lead to link loss and even create downtime. And if you have watched our “Cable Talk” episodes, you already know that “Nobody likes downtime!”

So how can you take care of this problem? Check out our One Click Cleaner. It’s an inexpensive way to confirm your fiber cabling is working to the best of its ability. It is available several styles for MPO, LC, SC and ST style connectors. Check out this quick video to see how they work. And always remember, inspect, clean, and inspect again folks! Happy Cabling!

I just returned from the 2012 BICSI Winter Conference & Exhibition. It was great to get together with other colleagues and individuals that all have one thing in common: we respect layer one! One of the great benefits of this conference is the educational opportunities, and BICSI certainly delivered this year.

The most common theme that I heard throughout the conference was that 40/100G Ethernet isn’t just on the horizon, it’s already here. This will have profound effects on data center structured cabling – which wasn’t a surprise to me, we’ve been preparing for this for years!

One of the choices data centers must consider when migrating to 40/100G Ethernet is whether to use fiber or copper cabling. Based on what I’ve seen, fiber will be the primary cabling type. The IEEE 802.3ba standard for 40/100G Ethernet states a maximum distance of 7M to run 40/100G, and that will be using “active” cables. (An active cable is a cable with a transceiver hard-wired to it.) This limitation rules out copper as a primary medium of transport.

Fiber optic cabling does offer the choice between multi-mode and single-mode cabling. There are a few key factors to weigh here: distance, transmission type and total link cost. Single-mode fiber will run longer distances and will still utilize a serial transmission. Multi-mode fiber will require parallel transmission, which is a dramatic change for many, and can only run limited channel lengths.

Cost is, of course, key factor here – which makes multi-mode fiber an attractive option. Single-mode fiber is cheaper, but the transceivers are very expensive. Overall, a multi-mode link is projected to be about half the cost of a single-mode. This cost delta is based largely on the expensive lasers required for single-mode transmission. The link distances for multi-mode fiber running 40/100G Ethernet is 100M using OM3 fiber, and 150M using OM4. Since roughly 90% of data center link distances are within the multi-mode distance limitation, it appears to be a no-brainer.

Because of this, it is evident that multi-mode fiber will be the predominant cabling of choice for these higher network speeds. Single-mode will be used only when necessary, and copper could potentially be utilized in specialized areas where short link distances occur. Another consideration for copper: copper transceivers will utilize more power.

Choosing your cabling infrastructure is a critical decision for any data center team, but there is a wealth of information out there (and this site!), and I would suggest doing a little research until you feel comfortable with your decision. We also have a dedicated team to help answer any further questions you may have – give us a call and 800.913.9465 to find out more.

We’ve covered different fiber connectors in the data center with a series of quick, helpful blog posts.

Depending on your current and future data center infrastructure needs, your connector choice can either provide for easy or painful future upgrades and technology migration.

Connectors built for future technologies like 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (like the MPO-style connector) are a smart investment, although they do present an upfront cost. On the flip side, if you’re still running into ESCON connectors, it’s time to upgrade!

Somewhere in the middle?

Use this as a guide for determining a plan for your cable connector needs.

Check out our other fiber connector posts on the MPO, LC, SC, MT-RJ, ST, FC and ESCON connectors.

You’ll see how fiber connector technology has advanced throughout the years and have more information tohelp you make the right decision.

Fiber Connector Resources

MPO Connectors

LC Connectors

SC Connectors

MT-RJ Connectors

ST Connectors

FC Connectors

ESCON Connectors

Still have questions?  Never fear.  You can bring your questions to any of our infrastructure specialists.  We are happy to talk with you about your specific situation and help guide you toward the right solution.