Networking

Pre-terminated fiber cabling has become a favorable choice for today’s high speed networks in data centers as this technology enables high bandwidth, high port density, easy management, future data rates migration and security monitoring. And modular system allows for rapid deployment of high density data center infrastructure as well as improved troubleshooting and reconfiguration during moves, adds and changes.  MTP cassette  is such a modular module. Usually it employs configuration of 12 fibers or 24 fibers, containing MTP adapter, LC/SC adapter, MTP-LC or MTP-SC patch cable etc, of which MTP-LC cassette is more widely used. As an assembly of the high density MTP/MPO pre-terminated fiber devices, it is dominant in high-density data centers for its reliable interface, optimized performance and minimized rack space. There are commonly three types of MTP cassettes available in market, including MTP LGX cassette,  MTP HD cassette  and  MTP TAP cassette . This a...

During data center upgrading or migration to higher data rate like 40G/100G, the network designer is always pursuing for flexibility. This is because devices or cabling components with great flexibility can not only decrease the cost for upgrading, but also provide more possibilities for the data center in the future. Switch has always been the most important device data center. Thus, a flexible switch should support a variety of transmission media and data rates, which could have significant positive influence during data center upgrading on cabling and costs. IBM G8264 switch is such a switch that is specially designed for data center, which is suggested to be used at layer 2 or layer 3, providing non-blocking line-rate, high-bandwidth switching, filtering, and traffic queuing without delaying data. However, to make full use of these switches, you should select proper connection components and cabling plans. This post will take IBM G8264 switch as an example to illustrate how to tak...

As 40/100G fiber network becomes a popular option in data centers, how to connect 40/100G devices with existing 10G devices in a cost-effective manner becomes a primary challenge for most of the data center operators. Breakout cables and breakout patch panels are two main solutions to address this challenge. So, what’s the difference between them, and which is better for your project? Continuing this tutorial, you may find more information about this. Breakout Cabling Solution Unlike 10G structures using duplex fiber (usually LC) cabling, the 40/100G or beyond 100G network uses parallel fibers (MPO/MTP) for transmission. Taking 40G network for example, it uses 4 x 10 Gbps parallel transmission mode to achieve the total data rate up to 40 Gbps. According to this principle, using a 40G to 4 x 10G breakout cable can achieve the migration from 10G to 40G network. What’s Breakout Cable? A breakout cable is a cable with multi-fiber strands. In general, a breakout cable is with one MPO...

The confinement system is the last but critical part of the entire cable management systems. Cable tie plays a very important role in this part. However, there are various types of cable ties in the market. Which one is better? Since nylon zip ties and hook-&-loop (Velcro®) ties are most common and controversial. This tutorial will compare these two types of cable ties in details. Overview of Cable Ties Cable ties are cheap and simple components used in cable confinement system. They are usually the last measure to ensure the cable managed in order. Cable ties are available in a variety of sizes and materials for use on different applications with different requirements. In addition, there are various of color options for cable ties. These color codes help users to manage the cabling and achieve easy troubleshooting. The most commonly used formats of cable ties are nylon zip ties and hook-&-loop (Velcro®) ties, as the Figure 1 & 2 shown: Figure 1. Drawin...

If you are in a data center, wipe your finger on a distribution cabinet or a patch panel. Then watch your finger, can you see the scene shown in the following picture? Your finger is attached with dust or dirt. This situation is so familiar to most telecom engineers working in data centers. However, how many people really care about it? You might recognize that the data center needs cleaning, but you might just think about it. This is the contaminant that can be seen and checked directly by eyes or touching. How about those dust or dirt inside the equipment? Over time, without timely cleaning, the accumulation of dirt and dust will lead to problems like overheating and various network failures. This is just the start of troubles, more are there to be deal with, if no proper action was taken. Why Clean the Data Center? What would happen, if there is no regular cleaning in data center? As mentioned, the most direct result of contaminant is overheating. Why? Dust  and p...