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.

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.

MPO stands for “multi-fiber push on.” It was developed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in the early 90’s. MTP® is an MPO-style connector that is manufactured by USCONEC.

The MTP® design and performance has made significant improvements over the standard MPO connector. A common misconception is that these are two different styles of connector, when in fact they are the same footprint.

The MPO connector can accept up to 72 fibers in a single ferrule, but the industry standard is 12 fibers. CABLExpress was the first-to-market with a 24 fiber MTP solution that tested to a maximum of .35dB loss (matching the highest standard of the 12 fiber MTP). We plan to continue investing in and advancing this platform.

IEEE 802.3ba, the standard for implementing 40/100G Ethernet,  dictates that the MPO footprint be the standard for multi-mode transmission. This is a radical new transmission type called “parallel transmission.” This assures the MPO and/or MTP connector will be the future of optical transmission in the data center for the next few generations to come.

I recently wrote about spaghetti cabling in the data center and what you can do about it. One crucial step in this process is to map out your current data center layout (including cabling infrastructure), then use this to create a new map of the ideal data center cabling scenario.

At CABLExpress, we use Microsoft Visio to accomplish this. The program is ideal for mapping out your current data center layout, as well as creating plans for future upgrades.

You don’t even have to start from scratch when drawing shapes – Microsoft provides a free download of common data center equipment shapes from manufacturers like 3Com, Cisco, HP and Nortel.

We also have free Visio stencils of CABLExpress products available for download, such as enclosures, harnesses and racks.

In this episode of Cable Talk™, Josh Taylor talks about the “Respect Layer One” message. It is important to view the cables within structured cabling systems as an investment rather than a cost. By viewing it simply as a cost, you could be short-changing your data center and miss the long-term vision of how your cabling infrastructure will need to grow and change. This is particularly true with migrating to 40/100G Ethernet and 16G fibre channel.