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NETWORKING
Troubleshooting or making decisions regarding infrastructural changes based on incorrect , out of date or unreliable documentation is like walking a tightrope without a safety net . However , all too many network managers still carry out inventory and management of physical infrastructure with Excel spreadsheets – or even paper , pencil and Post-it Notes . Realistic expansion plans and risk analyses are impossible , let alone complying with legislation and best practices governing data security and availability .
An integrated hardware and software system is required to automatically detect when cords are inserted or removed and to document the cabling infrastructure , including connected equipment . Everything can be monitored and administrated from a common software tool . The entire infrastructure is represented in a consistent , up to date database , offering precise , real-time information on the current state and future requirements of the data centre . These dedicated solutions can trace and monitor all changes to a physical network , including switches , servers and patch panels , improving operational efficiency and facilitate management of passive infrastructure . functionality . Organising trays and cable management in a way that ensures a ‘ friendly ’ radius for fibre cables avoids performance limitations and damage , and thus downtime .
Double check measurements , ensure terminations are of the best possible quality , test wherever necessary , label and colour code , watch out for cramped conduits and make absolutely sure there are no cables or bundles resting on others . Bad cable management can result in intersymbol interference , damage and failure , resulting in data transmission errors , performance issues and downtime .
Cables should have a high fibre count and it should be possible to handle them in the same way as smaller cables ; they should be as easy to terminate as possible . Also , the solution should offer a lower cost per port than existing platforms , and provide a flexible upgrade path to accommodate needs for many years to come .
Higher density often results in unmanageable cabling , which makes moves , adds and changes ( MACs ), cable tracking and fault finding impossible . Dynamic data centre environments require on-going , precise and efficient asset management . The average data centre surface area is currently between 1,000 and 2,500m 2 , with thousands of network ports .
Edge data centres HD video , mobile computing and cloud services have all resulted into a need for enhanced network performance in order to deliver an outstanding user experience . To improve the quality of high-bandwidth applications outside large urban areas , so-called ‘ edge data centres ’ are on the rise . These position the ‘ edge ’ of the Internet further away from traditional internet hubs , where large volumes of frequently referenced applications and content are cached on servers close to somewhat less densely networked or ‘ tier-two ’ markets . An edge network may need to support several consecutive generations of hardware and bandwidth standards . In this case , high density – higher than 100 ports per rack unit – is essential . Traditional UHD solutions based on 72 ports per unit simply won ’ t suffice .
Most edge data centres contain five to 20 racks , often in a limited space . As a result , cabling from servers is directly connected to a fibre platform in a central network cabinet . Since this network cabinet also needs a lot of space for switches . An ultra-high density fibre solution is required as all fibres are directly brought from server ports to this UHD platform . The latest solution can accommodate up to 67 % more fibre optic connections in a traditional housing . It ’ s also important to realise that the use of data-hungry technology solutions might expand at amazing speeds , but the backbone can ’ t simply be replaced every few years . You need cables with high fibre count that retain the handling attributes of small cables , with minimal termination-related hassle .
In short … Today ’ s vast data growth and demand for more bandwidth calls for the largest port density in the smallest possible space . New solutions such as high density and edge networks can help cater to this demand and provide a flexible upgrade path for many years to come . After all , although data-hungry technology solutions are expanding at amazing speeds , data centre infrastructure can ’ t simply be replaced every few years . n
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