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.

In this edition of CABLExpress’s Cable Talk Sr. Product Manager Josh Taylor shows us why we should respect Layer One copper. This Cable Talk is quick tutorial on the what Layer One Copper is, what it does, why it is important and why failing to respect it can and does cause performance issues and down time.

This is the first of two Cable Talks focused on Layer One… Look for the fiber optic edition of Cable Talk coming to you in the next few weeks.

This article was contributed by Brittany Szulis

Looking for a quick and easy way to clean up that cable mess you put on your “To-Do” list? Let CABLExpress give you a few pointers.  Copper Trunking is the latest and greatest way to run CAT5e and CAT6 cabling through your Data Center as well as network closets. The simple idea behind Copper Trunking are the factory terminated ends to create an easy installation process, when the bundled cabling is used in conjunction with a modular patch panel system it cuts down on install time by 80%.  Since the 110 punchdowns are done for you in our factory, excellent time and cable management are going to be a great benefit. You can choose from a multitude of options to pick the right trunk for your data center.

So what is a copper trunk?

A copper trunk is a preterminated copper bundle held together by a durable sheathing for quick adds, moves and changes within your Data Center. The trunk makes it easy to pull through racks, cabinets, under or above the floor or ceiling.  You can choose from riser or a plenum rated jacket, CAT5e or CAT6, staggered ends for extra cable management in a row, and we can build virtually any length! Start planning today and get CABLExpress involved. If you are confused about length let us know and we can assist. Measure from each point that the copper trunk will be running through and always add 10% for bend radius and corners! Contact anyone on the CABLExpress team today and find out how you can save time and money in your Data Center.

To get a better idea how to apply / measure a copper trunk check out this YouTube video.

I recently came across an article authored by Carrie Higbie, Global Director of Data Center solutions and services.   The article titled Copper and Fiber Decisions for a 10Gb/s Data Center is a interesting read.…

“In the “old days’ a few short years ago, cabling, both copper and fiber, was rather benign to data center design. Likewise, power was a necessary evil that was considered to be a cost of doing business. With green initiatives swaying decisions, power with resultant cooling needs, and upgraded cabling infrastructures are bringing facilities back into the discussions for networking gear. With varied capabilities of copper and fiber to support the higher bandwidth demands in the data center, an end to end approach to these decisions is the most cost effective approach for data center planning.”   Read More