Tag Archives: Data Center

If your organization is considering a new VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) system, you should think about the structured cabling system needed to support it and maximize its potential. The following summarizes the advantages your digital phone system will have with a well-designed structured cabling system.

Decreased Noise

CAT 6 and CAT 6A cable provides more noise reduction than older cables. Fiber optic cabling is even better. Less noise resistance results in more static and faulty connections during phone conversations. Higher levels of noise also decrease network speed because the system is forced to retransmit data until it is no longer corrupted. Although purchasing lower quality cable saves money in the short run, it may result in long term business losses because of slower response times and annoyed customers.

Lengthened Runs

Higher quality cable will be capable of supporting longer runs that are free of artifacts and errors. Fiber optic cables are not restricted by the length of runs. It is the superior option for a data center or business telephone system because of its excellent noise resistance and high speed. Although second choices, CAT 5e to CAT 6A cabling are capable of supporting runs to 100 meters without noise. Cables that can support long runs provide greater flexibility for layouts, decreasing the need for data hubs or repeaters and increasing reliability.

Maintenance Savings

CAT 5e, CAT 6, and fiber optic cables are highly dependable. However, if they ever become faulty or the network needs to be reconfigured, a structured cabling system that is well organized and diligently marked will save time spent on maintenance. While a company’s network is down, business may be impacted, resulting in lost revenue. Tracing faults is made much easier by a sound structured cabling system.

Transmission Speed

Business is often time-sensitive, and you will want to use the highest quality cable your company can afford. CAT 6A cable is capable of supporting a maximum of 10 Gigabits per second while CAT 5e can only achieve 100 mbps. Older, less capable cables are not recommended because their slow data transmission and high noise levels cannot meet current VOIP demands.

Progressive Office Cabling

Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of their clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, their teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call their toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

Whenever there is an IT systems issue, the resolution can often be delayed by poorly structured cabling. Enterprises often turn to their IT staff or an electrical contractor for cabling, but they would be wiser retaining a professional cabling service with years of experience. The following are important cabling tips for data center management.

Highest Quality for Budget

As expected, higher quality cabling materials are more costly, but have superior performance. For example, gold connectors have greater resistance to corrosion, but they will also be more expensive than lower-quality connectors. If your firm’s cabling will be difficult to access or located in a corrosive environment, cables with gold connectors will be the right choice.

Cabling Capable of Company Volume

Category 5, 5E and 6 are cable types and each has its own capabilities in terms of the amount of data carried, speed of transmission, and distance covered. Consult with a professional network cabling service to discuss your present and future requirements in order to select the proper cabling.

Fiber Optic for the Future

Companies expecting large data volumes in the future or requiring longer distances should select fiber optic cables. Retain expert cabling professionals because fiber optic installation will entail particular requirements that can be complex.

Accurate Measuring for Planning

When the recommended span is exceeded, cable becomes more vulnerable to distortion, degrading data quality and speed. IT staff with limited experience may not properly measure the entire distance by not accounting for corners or obstacles.

Margin for Future Modifications

The office may be reconfigured or cable connections may be moved in the future. Thus, it would be wise to allow some margin for future modifications by providing plentiful slack for each cable installed.

Labeling for Organization

An IT team should know precisely where a cable starts and terminates. Clear labeling enables faster tracing of faults, minimizing downtime and resulting losses in revenue. Cabling service professionals carry out proper labeling as a matter of routine.

Progressive Office Cabling

Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of their clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, their teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call their toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

As mentioned previously, modern data centers must be flexible, scalable, reliable, and manageable, making best practices required. Part 3 will cover Color Identification and Naming Scheme.

Color Identification

A method of fast visual identification, color coding makes management simpler, conserving time spent on the tracing of cables. Patch panel ports can also be coded, and various colored jacks and inserts are also coded. As determined by a particular manufacturer’s own color scheme, cables are available in numerous colors, each of which can be made applicable to the specific function of a cable or connection type.

Color schemes are expandable through the use of color bands at the end of every cable, using various colored sleeves and colored ports on the patch panel. However, it will also be necessary to use a secondary non-color scheme to make it possible for those who are color blind to identify the cables.

Naming Schemes

After determining the physical layout for the cabling that will be used, use a naming scheme that can be logically applied for facilitating fast and effortless identification of every cable component. Labeling can be an especially effective way to improve team communication among staff members because it makes confusion and uncertainty unlikely when a colleague must search for a particular component. Clear labeling is integral to the success of the naming scheme, and it should not be neglected.

A good naming scheme documents and labels every cable component. The following is the typical hierarchy for a naming scheme: Building, Room, Rack, Patch Panel, Workstation Outlet, Port, and Cable. Each should receive a designation indicating its location preceded by the area(s) above it. For example, Rack A03 would receive the designation SJ01-5D11-A03, if Room is designated SJ01-5D11, and Building is designated SJ01.

Upon the approval of the naming scheme, your team can begin labeling components. The team should prioritize drafting a manual that details the naming scheme and include it as part of the training program for newly hired data center administrators.

The Best Practices for Cable Component Selection will be discussed in the next series.

Union Network Cabling

When your work requires a unionized cabling group, call on Progressive Office Inc. for your commercial Cat5e/6/6a and fiber cabling projects. Specializing in cabling for data, voice, security and even the latest WiFi and LiFi solutions. Phone: (202) 462-4290

As mentioned in Part 1, modern data centers must be flexible, scalable, reliable, and manageable, making best practices required. Part 2 will cover cabling for Modular Data, High Density/High Port Count Fiber Equipment, and Standards.

Modular Data

Increasing in popularity, modular cabling systems for fiber and copper connectivity introduces the plug-and-play concept, which simplifies cable installation and significantly decreases costs and labor. Typically, cables are factory-terminated and tested.

While modular cabling is less costly when the infrastructure is modified in-house, it will not be as flexible because of the possible required commitment to a vendor for ongoing compatibility.

High Density/High Port Count Fiber Equipment

When networking equipment gradually grows in density and port counts rise to several hundred, the proper management of the connected cabling will also require increased effort.

In the past, the direct connection of cables to individual ports of equipment with low port-counts was thought to be manageable. Unfortunately, the same task will be very time consuming for high-density/high-port-count equipment. Eventually, the addition or removal of cables directly connected to these ports will be almost impossible.

The utilization of Multifiber Push-On (MPO) cable assemblies featuring a single connector at one end of cable and multiple duplex breakout cables at the other end will ease cable management.

The concept revolves around pre-connecting high-density/high- port-count Lucent Connector (LC) equipment with LC-MPO fan-out cable to dedicated MPO modules inside a dedicated patch panel. Once completely cabled, this patch panel will work as "remote" ports. Ideally the patch panels should be located on top of the cabling equipment to facilitate access to overhead cabling. This method significantly decreases cluttering of equipment and cables, resulting in improved cable management.

Standards

The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) are the main organizations that develop structured cabling standards for the industry. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) committees do the testing and then set performance specifications.

Standards compliance makes sure that systems function at specified levels, allows backward compatibility, and a greater variety of equipment will be available internationally. Widespread global acceptance of standards allows the sourcing and use of equipment manufactured by different countries.

Color Identification and Naming Scheme will be discussed in Part 3.

Union Network Cabling

When union work requires a unionized cabling group, call on Union Network Cabling for your commercial Cat5e/6/6a and fiber cabling projects. Specializing in cabling for data, voice, security and even the latest WiFi and LiFi solutions. Phone: (202) 462-4290