TMCnews Featured Article

The cloud can’t be slow. Well, it is slow sometimes. But cloud data centers can’t afford to be the weak link in the chain, which means network cabling must be as efficient as possible.

While there are several network cabling options, the clear advantage goes to fiber optic cabling, which provides faster speeds, higher density, and top reliability.

Solutions such as Panduit’s Opti-Core fiber optic technology allow for speeds of 40G/100G for Ethernet longer than 150 meters, according to the company, making fiber optic cabling bring the speed necessary for cloud data centers.

Reliability is there with fiber optic cabling, too.

With setups such as Panduit’s Signature Core Fiber Optic Cabling System, signal integrity can be maintained beyond all other types of multimode fiber, according to the company.

The technology lets network architects flexibly deploy less expensive multimode fiber links versus more expensive singlemode links, which can amount to a savings of thousands of dollars per link. A reach of 550m means that virtually all of the fiber optic links within a datacenter can be deployed using the Signature Core Fiber Optic Cabling System, too, according to Panduit.

Fiber optic cabling makes sense when it comes to cable density, too, of course, but historically this density advantage was offset by scalability issues.

“The historical method of fiber-optic connectivity deployment consists of a high-fiber-count distribution cable being pulled in place, connectors terminated to the end of the cable, and then mated to a fiber adapter panel that is installed in a fiber enclosure,” according to an article in Cabling Installation & Maintenance. “The reliability and ultimate optical performance of a traditional field-installed connector solution are highly dependent on installer skill and the installation’s environment.”

This issue has since been solved by leveraging pre-terminated systems. These pre-terminated fiber optic connectivity solutions consist of trunk cables that are pulled into place and snapped into pre-terminated cassettes or fiber-adapter panels, according to the Cabling Installation & Maintenance article. Factory-terminated cables and cassettes eliminate the intrinsic variations associated with performing field terminations, cutting out installation error.

Such pre-terminated fiber optic systems also make fiber optic scalable and plug-and-play.

“Quick fiber-optic connectivity deployment methods are becoming increasingly popular, offering higher reliability than traditional field-installed methods,” noted the article. “These solutions provide a compact cabling footprint, as many fibers can be consolidated into a single, pre-terminated cabling element.”

This all adds up to making fiber optic cable a popular choice in the data center. 

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.