Cabling Insight - Let There Be Light by cxoinsightme

ISSUE 03

LET THERE BE LIGHT WHY FIBRE OPTIC IS THE OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR YOUR DATA CENTRE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

SMART CHOICES in enterprise workplace

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CABLING INSIGHT

EDITORIAL

Making the case for fibre Copper vs. fibre – which is the right choice for your data centre? This debate has been raging in the industry for a while, but it seems the scale is now tilting in favour of fibre. Traditionally, many enterprises have favoured copper over fibre in their data centre network infrastructure mainly because of cost. However, with the increasing Ethernet speeds and new technologies warranting more bandwidth and reliable connectivity, copper is slowly losing out to fibre. Copper can’t support transmission speeds beyond 10G, and we are

already talking about 400G, with Terabit ethernet looming large on the horizon. Besides, the range is also an issue with copper- it can transmit data only about 100 meters while single-mode fibre can go up to 25 miles. Fibre is ideal for both short and long-reach applications, and is widely used in metro and campus area networks. This edition of Cabling Insight has featured insights from industry experts on why the latest in optical transmission technologies are what you need to future-proof your data centre.

CONTENTS

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Why fibre optic is the obvious choice for your data centre network infrastructure

SIEMON CONNECTED FOR SUCCESS

CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR NETWORK

TRIDENT GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NETWORK

NEXANS GEARED FOR SPEED

COMMSCOPE WIRED FOR THE FUTURE

PRODUCTS

12 CABLING INSIGHT

COVER FEATURE

LET THERE BE LIGHT FIBRE OPTIC CABLING EMERGES AS THE CLEAR CHOICE FOR NEXT-GEN DATA CENTRES TO DELIVER SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE.

CABLING INSIGHT

ith the increasing adoption of new-gen technologies such as cloud, AI, and IoT, enterprises must rethink the cabling infrastructure in their data centres. It has to cater to the changing business requirements and network growth. While many organisations use a mixture of copper cable and fibre optic in their data centre network infrastructure, the former is reaching its limit in terms of range and transmission speed. This is now forcing IT professionals to prefer fibre optic cables instead of copper to future-proof their data centres. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN FIBRE OPTIC CABLING? Fibre is emerging as the dominant media type for backbone data centre infrastructure, says Prem Rodrigues, Director for the Middle East, Africa & India/SAARC at Siemon. As more and more fibre cable is being deployed due to newer switch-fabric mesh architectures and increased

“FIBRE DC NETWORKS ARE BECOMING MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED (GEOGRAPHICALLY), MORE FIBRE COUNT DENSE, AND OPERATING AT INCREASINGLY HIGHER SPEEDS WITH ETHERNET APPLICATIONS MOVING FROM 10G TO 200/100/50 AND 400G.” Stephen J Morris, Senior Product Manager, EMEA, Data Centre Connectivity Solutions at Panduit

virtualisation, link aggregation via break-out fibre assemblies is increasingly being used to help maximise space, port utilisation and maintain low latency. He adds these high-density data centre environments also require new solutions for patching and accessing individual ports. New fibre jumper designs provide a reduced overall footprint and the patch cord’s smallerdiameter uni-tube cable reduces pathway congestion and simplifies cable management. Fibre jumpers with pushpull boot designs eliminate the need to access a latch for easy installation and removal and avoid disruption or damage to adjacent connectors. Stephen J Morris, Senior Product Manager, EMEA, Data Centre Connectivity Solutions at Panduit, says fibre DC networks are becoming more evenly distributed (geographically), more fibre count dense, and operating at increasingly higher speeds with Ethernet applications moving from 10G to 50/100/200 and 400G. He comments higher density fibre distribution systems, smaller diameter cables and smaller connector solution are in part answering the fibre ‘densification’ challenge, however, careful consideration must be given to ensure higher density solutions do not come with added downtime (circuit) risk. The value of each fibre circuit is increasing exponentially, for example you could consider a 100G circuit 10X the value of a 10G circuit.

He adds service, scalability, and manageability of high-density fibre distribution systems is a key consideration to ensure system moves, adds and changes are handled efficiently and ‘rip and replace’ scenarios avoided. “There is increasing uptake and interest in using high core count ribbon cables, for example, 288F, 576F, or 864F. These can reduce cable diameter (volume) as an alternative to using a make-up of multiple smaller fibre count cables, thus take up less space in cable management systems and/or pathways. Such cables can be offered factory pre-terminated (for ultimate speed of deployment), or otherwise field terminated. Field splicing ribbon fibres (12F spliced at the same time) provides greater efficiencies compared to traditional single fibre splicing practice,” he says. According to Arafat Yousef, Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, Nexans Data Network Solutions, choice and the benefits of different cabling types vary greatly depending on the application – the needs of offices and enterprise are very different from data centres. Even data centres come in many different shapes and sizes and with that vast differences in how cabling is used. He says in the larger enterprise data centres, space constraints can be a significant problem as MAC (Moves Adds Changes) work is considered the norm. Therefore, Ultra High Density (UHD) patch panels are common to CABLING INSIGHT

COVER FEATURE

“CHOICE AND THE BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT CABLING TYPES VARY GREATLY DEPENDING ON THE APPLICATION – THE NEEDS OF OFFICES AND ENTERPRISE ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM DATA CENTRES. EVEN DATA CENTRES COME IN MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES AND WITH THAT VAST DIFFERENCES IN HOW CABLING IS USED.” Arafat Yousef, Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, Nexans Data Network Solutions

allow for periodic maintenance and cabling evolution. A UHD panel is typically defined as one that contains an average of 144 LC connectors in 1U. “These facilities must be designed with the intent to last through multiple generations of equipment. 100G is set to become the next speed for the core or spine network. Different variants of protocols for 100G Ethernet are now available using multimode fibre. Hyperscale data centres - Google and Facebook - have been working with 100G for some time and we expect these solutions to become widely adopted in Enterprise data centres as well. Different options using multimode fibre for 100G are becoming available. These are either based on parallel transmission or the recently introduced solutions based on duplex transmission,” he adds. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FIBRE OPTIC CABLING AS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL COPPER CABLING? Industry pundits say bandwidth (information carrying capacity) and distance (reach) are two primary reasons for choosing fibre over copper. “Fibre is considered more future proof than copper and will extend beyond today’s ethernet speeds of up to 400G to support the future Terabit roadmap. Twisted pair copper cabling is not a strong contender beyond 10G Ethernet, and its reach is limited to a mere 30m for 40G,” says Morris. He points out fibre is immune to the effects of electromagnetic interference CABLING INSIGHT

and radio-frequency interference (EMI/ RFI) and cross talk which can cause performance challenges and security concerns in copper-based systems. Fibre cable can also be run next to medical or industrial equipment without performance or interference concerns. Rodrigues says that to discuss the benefits of fibre optic cabling over copper, we need to look at different installation environments as different environments pose different cabling requirements. “One of the great advantages of fibre is its ability to provide large bandwidth and to support fast transmission speeds. Fibre is well positioned to support future speeds of 200, 400 and 800Gb/s (The IEEE for example has developed standards for 400Gb/s over multimode and singlemode fibre and the IEEE Beyond 400Gb/s Ethernet Study group is defining physical layer specifications to support 800Gb/s and potentially 1.6 Terabits per second (Tb/s)). Fibre optic cabling is therefore very well suited to support the data centre backbone, where transmission speeds are swiftly moving towards 100 and 200Gb/s and beyond,” he says. HOW CRITICAL IS FIBRE OPTIC TO 5G SUCCESS? Fibre optic has revolutionised the way the world communicates and connects with 5G, and this ease and access will only accelerate in the near future. It will have a significant impact on many areas of our lives from education, health, workplace to the economy.

“In order to unlock the full 5G potential, we need an infrastructure to sustain its demands. Unlike other networks in the past, 5G networks don’t have to be built from scratch. It is more about adding new components to already existing infrastructure. No other known medium has the capacities that fibre brings to the table and those capacities are vital to achieve the transmission rates, low latencies and bandwidths of 5G,” says Piers Benjamin, EMEA In Building Networks (IBN) Marketing Manager, Corning Optical Communications. The cliché of “limitless capacity” has been associated with optical fibre since the first commercial deployments in the 70’s but it still holds true, in that, no other technology can challenge fibre, and that’s why fibre’s role in 5G will be critical, he says. Yousef adds a different perspective: “With respect to 5G, the ‘cabling’ issues can be compared to the increased adoption of WiFi to connect to the LAN inside a building. In the same way that faster WiFi in the LAN drives the need for better cabling to connect the mesh of Wireless Access Points (WAP’s), 5G technology will also drive an increase in devices requiring more bandwidth and lower latency. Like the WAP’s, the 5G cellular structure to support this will need a much higher density of smaller cells which will ultimately rely on an extensive fibre backhaul.” Morris sums up: “5G’s network performance goals (bandwidth, reach, latency, immunity to EMI) are heavily predicated on the availability of fibre to cell sites and requires lots of it. “Optical fibre is already a preferred medium for existing wireless backhaul networks, and even in networks where this is not the case, the wireless backhaul eventually needs to connect into a fibre backhaul. Data communications is advancing from ‘mission critical’ to ‘life critical’ and fibre will become an increasingly prevalent and crucial part of networking infrastructure.”

Data Centre Infrastructure Solutions Copper and Fiber Cabling Cabinets and Racks Automated Infrastructure Management Intelligent PDUs Aisle Containment A TOTAL END-TO-END SOLUTION FOR YOUR NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

CONNECTING THE WORLD TO A HIGHER DATA CENTER STANDARD

www.siemon.com CABLING INSIGHT

SIEMON

CONNECTED FOR SUCCESS

PREM RODRIGUES, DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA & INDIA/SAARC AT SIEMON, ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A HIGH-PERFORMANCE NETWORK.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOP TRENDS IN DATA CENTRE AND LAN CABLING TODAY? In the data centre, fibre is emerging as the dominant cabling media due to its ability to provide better flexibility, scalability and higher bandwidth. As fibre continues to replace copper cables, increasing amounts of fibre must be routed and segregated from network distribution to SANs and server areas. Data centres are also becoming highly virtualised, with switch-fabric mesh architectures (i.e., spine-leaf) supporting low-latency networking. This means multiple redundant paths to connect every switch to every other switch which means more fibre cables, but also more fibre routed to more spaces and more equipment. This requires cable routing systems that are flexible and scalable by design to enable reconfiguring existing routes or adding new routes easily and quickly or replacing existing fibre to support new applications. This increase in fibre density also leads CABLING INSIGHT

to the increased use of link aggregation via break-out fibre assemblies to help maximise space, maximise port utilisation and maintain low latency. In these ultra high-density fibre patching environments, accessing individual ports to reconfigure connections becomes difficult. New fibre jumpers and assemblies offer a smaller-diameter uni-tube cable design to reduce pathway congestion and simplify cable management. Siemon recently enhanced their LC BladePatch fibre jumper with a new one-piece UniClick boot that further reduces the overall footprint to better accommodate high-density environments and that makes polarity reversal faster and easier. In LAN environments the trend towards network convergence continues with copper cabling infrastructures not only supporting voice and data but also delivering low voltage power via PoE technology to connected systems and devices. This requires shielded copper cabling for better heat mitigation to ensure stable cabling performance, as well as connecting hardware that complies with IEC 60512-99-0012 to protect both plugs and connectors when connecting and disconnecting under PoE load. WHAT KIND OF CABLING WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SUPPORT HIGHBANDWIDTH APPLICATIONS? In enterprise data centres we can see applications speeds at the data centre edge migrating from 10 to 25 and 40 Gb/s and in cloud data centres we see migration to 50 and 100Gb/s.

High-speed interconnect cables are recommended for this part of the data centre. These point-to-point cables are utilised for high-speed transmission of large data volumes between switches, servers and storage devices and are available as Direct Attach Copper Cables (DAC), Active Optical Cables (AOC) or transceiver assemblies. Cord options that support transmission speeds from 10Gb/s to 100Gb/s will ensure that data centre facilities are sufficiently supported when upgrading their network equipment from 10Gb/s to 25 and 100Gb/s. In the data centre backbone where uplink speeds are clearly moving towards 100Gb/s in enterprise data centres and towards 200 and 400 Gb/s in cloud facilities, OM4 multimode and singlemode fibre cabling is recommended. Utilising Base-8 MPO connectivity will facilitate easy migration to these higher speeds. IS AUTOMATED INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT THE KEY TO ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES? AIM can support operational efficiency in various ways. This is because AIM provides real-time tracking and reporting of networkwide physical layer activity, saving time, effort and money when irregularities occur on the network that need to be addressed. AIM provides real-time monitoring of the entire network (including networks at remote offices) and stores network information in a software-driven database that is automatically updated in real time as moves, adds and changes are made, ensuring that the network condition is known at all times. AIM also sends real-time alerts to IT or security staff when unauthorized events occur on the network (e.g. detecting unauthorized devices attempting to connect to your LAN), enabling them to react immediately to prevent network outages and potential downtime. This is supported by circuit trace capability which quickly identifies the location of a fault in a channel and so drastically reduces the time required to find and fix a network outage. The reports provided also show available switch or patch panel ports, and end devices can be tracked by location, equipment type, manufacturer, service or other criteria, providing better visibility and utilisation of these critical assets.

CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR NETWORK

PIERS BENJAMIN, EMEA IN BUILDING NETWORKS (IBN) MARKETING MANAGER, CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS, EXPLAINS WHY YOU NEED FIBER OPTIC CABLES TO BUILD AN AGILE NETWORK READY TO MEET FUTURE DEMANDS. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN FIBRE OPTIC CABLING? The fibre optic market is growing exponentially. It is expected to be valued at approximately $12 million by 2028 and poised to reach a compound annual growth rate of 12.14% during this period, according to market reports. This growth has been led by factors including the rise in demand for broadband which continues to fuel the optical fiber market, especially when it comes to bringing ultra-broadband to homes, an area that was particularly highlighted during the pandemic. Last year, bandwidth demand surged due to the shift to remote working, online learning and e-commerce. In the Middle East specifically, the drive towards the digital transformation of the IT infrastructure and the demand for a strong network is a key driver for fibre optic adoption. The increase in 5G antennas, localized data centres, and fibre-connected homes and offices creates, in these parts of the network, more fibre connections and higher bandwidth of fibre connection. Advanced technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things also drive fibre demand as these technologies put pressure on the networks and data transmission needs. These developments over the last year have led to carriers and network operators to look for the most efficient way to increase bandwidth. More often, this means installing fiber connections in novel locations or tight spaces not originally designed for

network connections. To meet that need, Corning introduced Evolv Solutions with Pushlok Technology, consisting of fiber optic terminals and connectors that are miniaturized to accommodate more fiber connections in smaller spaces. These optical solutions are a prime example of Corning’s innovation portfolio in action. We are constantly investing in our R&D efforts to keep up this high level of innovation. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FIBRE OPTIC CABLING AS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL COPPER CABLING? Fibre optic has gained increasing acceptance as it has evolved to go faster and further pushing bandwidth limits to create a more connected world than it was possible through traditional cabling. Today, a single optical fibre can carry more than 50 TB per second and enough to support 10 million simultaneous HD video streams. It is considered to be six times stronger than titanium and 40,000 times clearer than diamond. Fibre optic is safe, reliable and scalable and offers unmatched bandwidth and distance advantages and will undoubtedly be a key component in the networks of the future. In addition, compared to copper, fibre cabling require much less space, offering more capacity for future upgrades and often reduced maintenance costs. When it comes to high-speed transmissions and capacities, copper cables are reaching their limit. As fiber infrastructure evolves to meet increasing

demands for more dependable networks, traditional copper networks might seem to become severely outmoded. Copper, however, remains a compelling media for the last point-to-point connection to a device. Ultimately, as emerging smart, connected infrastructures become more and more reliant on fibre, there is still a place for copper in connected building infrastructures. IS FIBRE OPTIC IDEAL ONLY FOR SHORT REACH APPLICATIONS? Fibre optic being scalable and versatile has redefined the capabilities of short reach or traditional applications such as Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE is a system that passes electric power along with data over a twisted-pair copper cabling system, up to a distance of 90m, and for many businesses, this is more than sufficient. Where challenges can start to occur, however, is when PoE is required throughout a larger enterprise space and more fibre is introduced to the horizontal. Our devices aren’t always within 90 metres of an intermediate distribution frame (IDF) closet or telecom room (TR). Sometimes we may have to power devices that are outdoors and require outdoor cables that exceed many hundreds of metres. Common applications for long distance PoE applications include: Security CCTV camera networks, distributed antenna systems (DAS), passive optical networks (PON) and any remote low-voltage powered applications. Thankfully, we are seeing new technologies as well as evolutions of existing well-known technology rising to fill the gaps. CABLING INSIGHT

TRIDENT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NETWORK

BASSEL ALHALABI, FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR AT TRIDENT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES; FRANK STRAKA, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR ENTERPRISE AND JEFF PALIGA, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL DATA CENTER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT PANDUIT, EXPLAIN HOW TO BUILD A PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN SUPPORT THE EVER-INCREASING NETWORK SPEEDS.

CAN YOU SHARE SOME KEY TRENDS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN LAN AND DATA CENTRE CABLING? Bassel: The most critical trend driving the evolution in LAN and DC physical infrastructure is the so-called ‘need for speed’ resulting from the infrastructure modernisation since edge and distributed computing introduced an additional layer, warranting a high-performance network with reduced latency and increased bandwidth. The future physical infrastructure is expected to maintain high availability, deliver robust performance and ensure resiliency. Hence, there is a dire need for efficient high bandwidth, low power, small form factor, and cost-effective cabling and connectors that provide scalability, conformity, and assurance. Frank: The need for bandwidth keeps increasing – with new technologies like Wi-Fi 6 and 4K video driving bandwidth demands faster than were forecast. It is critical to deploy an infrastructure that supports increasing data needs. Users should look for convergence towards Ethernet within different commercial office CABLING INSIGHT

technologies. For example, remember how security cameras used to run over CCTV? Now the vast majority of new cameras are all IP-based. Panduit anticipates this with other building technologies like HVAC, lighting, security, and other building sensors. New technologies like Single Pair Ethernet will help drive the adoption of these technologies. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS TO FUTURE-PROOF THEIR NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE? Frank: Install a Category 6A cabling system. This will give you the maximum 10 gigabit per second data rate over copper while also providing the best performance with technologies like Power over Ethernet. Category 6A cable is the highest-rated copper cabling system designed around supporting a commercial building. As a result, companies can be expected to install this more and more. HOW WILL 5G AND CLOUD IMPACT STRUCTURED CABLING IN DATA CENTRES? Jeff: 5G will serve as a key enabler to deliver applications and services at performance levels never seen before. So if

we think of 5G as an overlay infrastructure with great bandwidth, security and low latency, then you can imagine how cloud, edge deployments and central offices rearchitected as data centres (CORD) can and will benefit various users from multiple vertical markets. As a result, there will be more demands put on all types of IT infrastructure and now in less traditional locations, including the conventional data centres. The cabling infrastructure will have to perform in a ‘flatter’ sense by connecting more servers to servers and using the highest performing cabling, mostly fibre, but still utilising copper where it makes sense in terms of cost, distance, and bandwidth. DO YOU THINK COPPER STILL HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN DATA CENTRES? Frank: The main drawback to copper versus fibre is that copper does not support the highest data rates like fibre. However, the data rates it can support (up to 10 gigabits per second) can be sufficient for many customers. For those customers, copper is still the most cost effective way to connect two ports due to the fact that you do not need a transceiver. Jeff: There are clearly some significant benefits of copper vs. fibre and fibre vs. copper, but the reality is that copper will be able to provide a reliable and cost-effective option to deliver shorter reach links within the data centre, when compared to fibre optics. This will depend on the configuration/topology of each data centre. Copper will certainly play a role in future data centre / IT deployments.

NEXANS DATA NETWORK SOLUTIONS

GEARED FOR SPEED

ARAFAT YOUSEF, MANAGING DIRECTOR – MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA, NEXANS DATA NETWORK SOLUTIONS, EXPLAINS HOW TO BUILD MORE INTELLIGENT AND ADAPTIVE NETWORKS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY STRUCTURED CABLING TRENDS TO WATCH OUT FOR? Advanced Wi-Fi and PoE are driving the need for higher quality cabling in ceilings. As the wireless part of the networks can now handle gigabit speeds, the wired interface’s capability becomes critical. Wi-Fi 6 access points are often equipped with multiple 2.5 or 5Gbit/s (IEEE 802.3bz) uplink ports and powered by IEEE 802.3bt compliant PoE. The original PoE standard, ratified in 2003, offered up to 15 Watts of power, whereas the latest PoE standard (IEEE 802.3bt) offers up to 90W output power at the Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and 71.3W at the Powered Device (PD). This means that Category 6A cabling as a minimum is recommended in order to support both the bandwidth and power demands. Convergence is also on the rise as more and more building systems merge onto IP

networks. As a result, we see a demand for intelligent building infrastructure in which a wide range of functionalities can be managed and monitored over a converged network. The related increase in devices and need for enhanced flexibility is resulting in the emergence of technologies such as the Digital Ceiling and Single Pair Ethernet. The Digital Ceiling is essentially a network of smart products and applications installed in the ceiling, where they are connected and powered. This makes it possible to keep up with new devices and user demands and changing use of building spaces. ‘Single Pair Ethernet’ (SPE) - essentially Ethernet over a single twisted pair of wires - incorporates data and ‘power over data line’ (PoDL) and will open the way to accommodate increasing numbers of sensors and devices by expanding the capacity of the main 4-pair network. These developments will boost the need for monitoring and management, making Automated Infrastructure Management (AIM) providing 100% accurate automated documentation of the cabling infrastructure and connected equipment even more critical. We’re seeing bandwidth migration in data centres and the need to manage different density requirements in different parts of the network. HOW CAN CIOS KEEP UP WITH NETWORK DEMANDS WHILE MEETING THEIR BUSINESSES’ SUSTAINABILITY GOALS? It is vital to ensure the network can adapt to new transmission requirements as well as changing ways of working and new

business practices. The network needs to be flexible enough to allow for changing types of usage. For example, businesses may expand or become smaller. Fewer people may be working in an office - but using significantly more IoT connected devices. Or an employer might introduce ‘smart desking’ and ‘hot desking’ policies or stimulate employees to work different hours. Keeping up with this requires careful planning ahead for future requirements. Smart choices are required to accommodate future expectations and unexpected developments without over-specifying and over-spending. WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS TO PREPARE FOR 100G IN ENTERPRISE DATA CENTRES? There are multiple options for achieving reliable 100G connections using multimode fibre, based on parallel transmission or, more recently, duplex transmission. The distance that can be bridged is restricted to around 100m. However, this is not an issue for most enterprise data centres. Generally, channel lengths remain shorter than 100m. Current complex data centre configurations can increase the number of connections which can restrict the optical budget. Replication of core switches or fibre channel directors are adding more and more connections to the channel. In these cases, ultra-low loss connectivity can be a solution. Ultra-Low Loss solutions can accommodate increased complexity without sacrificing reach. Longer distances can be bridged, which is essential in today’s vast hyper-scale data centres, in which multiple rooms need to be interconnected. Ultra-Low Loss connectivity solutions facilitate scaling up or down, and adding, removing or changing large numbers of connections without compromising on optical budget at higher speeds. DO FTTO SOLUTIONS OFFER MORE BUILTIN PROTECTION? Yes. The latest generation of FTTO switches are equipped with a state-of-the-art network processor and provides enhanced security, as well as greater redundancy and performance. Nexans switches support all relevant security and encryption mechanisms, such as IEEE 802.1x, SNMPv3, HTTPs, SSH and SCP. Switch firmware also provides high-level protection against cyber-attacks. CABLING INSIGHT

COMMSCOPE

WIRED FOR THE FUTURE

EHAB KANARY, COMMSCOPE INFRASTRUCTURE EMEA, EMERGING MARKETS SALES VP, ON TOP TRENDS SHAPING THE DATA CENTRE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

CABLING INSIGHT

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEW TOPOLOGIES AND OTHER TRENDS SHAPING DATA CENTRE CABLING? In order to answer the needs of remote workers and customers, making the facilities’ operations efficient and safe while aiming for high performance are the basis points for the upcoming 2021 data centre cabling trends. When pursuing these goals, companies will spearhead the digital transformation throughout the industry’s evolution. As the remote workforce is in need of better connectivity and immediate response times, this has driven the widespread use of single-mode fibre.

While single-mode fibre has been present for a while, its deployment has not been done quickly enough. As more data centres choose to adopt 400G Ethernet in 2021, we are predicting an accelerated adoption of single-mode fibre. In 2020, due to the disruptions in international transport and supply chain activities, the adoption of the fibre was slowed down as it was more difficult to obtain the components. However, this is predicted to change this year as restrictions ease up and things go back to normal. ARE YOU SEEING ANY REAL ADOPTION OF 400G AMONG ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS? As data centres in the Middle East are gaining momentum, the construction of traditional brick-and-mortar facilities is also growing along with the rising development of modular facilities. In order to adapt to the growing requirements of consumers, there has been an inevitable increase in the adoption of 400G as networking technologies have moved from being a convenience to becoming a necessity in the day-to-day life of companies and network subscribers. As 100G drove higher fibre counts in 2020, larger hyperscale and cloudbased data centres have had to make the leap to 400G connections. Business leaders within the data centre space have realised the need to adopt 400G to allow for high latency, high-bandwidth, and reliable connectivity. WILL FIBRE REPLACE COPPER IN DATA CENTRES? The rise in fibre cabling as a trending topic for data centres is due to the need for speeds which surpass those set by the practical limits of copper as well as the advances in optoelectronics. Despite this, copper cannot be ignored as it still plays a leading role in data centres. As copper cabling evolves and more innovations arise, it is essential to simplifying and speeding up deployment and time-to-service.

With reduced diameter copper cords and cable alongside other technology advances, copper can permit easier and more efficient usage of space within cable management and pathways. While fibre-optic technology is better suited to support the need for further data centre speeds, copper remains an optimal and low-cost solution for 10G and below connections. HOW WILL 5G IMPACT CABLING IN THE DATA CENTRE? 5G is a driving force of shifts and changes in the data centre. With more edge computing or micro data centres going online, this supports the need to provide lower latency in population centres, as consumers anticipate the ability to use their mobile device at all times and regardless of location with high bandwidth. However, asking how 5G will affect life inside the data centre is analogous to asking how a city would stand up to a natural disaster. The answer is, it depends—on the city and the storm. Make no mistake, 5G will most definitely alter how data centres are designed and, in some cases, will change the role they play in the larger network. By some estimates, data centres will be spending over half their operating budget to support 5G by 2025. The degree of change within the various data centre environments will depend on the application requirements. The data traffic generated by the numerous sensors and devices may produce a steady stream of data while others will be delivered intermittently or produced in irregular bursts of information. The questions which arise are around data collection and processing optimisation as well as the density of information needing to be processed in the core data centre. After these are answered, network engineers must determine the best way to move the data through the network. Different latency and reliability requirements demand the possibility of prioritising data traffic at a granular level. The key is for

edge networks to create a financial model that makes it profitable. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF CLOUD-MANAGED NETWORKING? In the absence of “business as usual,” enterprises and small businesses are moving to the cloud, and this trend will only accelerate no matter what happens in the worldwide landscape. Companies that were eyeing an eventual migration are now quickly moving to adopt a cloud-based paradigm for their businesses. Industry giants who have shifted their sales tools to the cloud are seeing triple-digit profit growth thanks to the pandemic. The cloud allows immediate access to data and information for businesses implementing it while streamlining the connectivity of IT teams in the management process. Today’s networks need to incorporate more complex datarich applications, diverse devices, and users than ever before which adds to the challenge of network management. Cloudmanaged networking allows IT teams to achieve visibility, speedy troubleshooting, and cost-efficient management of their multi-gig network. By eliminating the need for physical intervention, virtualised networks are gaining traction in order to help organisations manage complexity. “Leaner” IT organisations that utilize cloud-managed networking can easily provision, manage, optimise, and troubleshoot a high-performance enterprise wired and wireless network via a single web dashboard or native mobile application.The cloud can provide IT with the troubleshooting tools to stay on top of potential network anomalies which could affect services and react quickly to the latter through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques. Cloud networking software can help IT with prioritising issues according to the severity in order to ensure reduced unplanned downtime plummets and increased network performance. CABLING INSIGHT

PRODUCTS

CORNING CONTOUR OPTICAL FIBRE

CATEGORY CORNING HAS INTRODUCED its latest innovation, Corning SMF28 Contour optical fibre, to help telecommunications operators address the ever-expanding number of connected devices, build-out of 5G networks, and advances in cloud computing. Networks perform at their best when errors are minimized during fiber installation and when existing infrastructure is used efficiently during upgrades. Corning engineered SMF-28 Contour fibre to meet those needs. This product will allow customers to seamlessly upgrade their optical infrastructure,

enabling the cost-effective deployment of future-ready networks. The fiber offers: • Superior bendability designed to reduce the impact of errors during installation and optimize reach in densely cabled environments where 5G networks are being deployed. SMF-28 Contour fiber is an ITU-T G.657.A2 fiber that has 10 times the macrobend resilience of G.652.D fibres and seven times the macrobend resilience of G.657.A1 fibers. The associated increase in microbend resilience enables dense, high-fiber-count cables needed to meet the demands of future high-capacity networks. • Exceptional compatibility with legacy networks while providing superior bend protection, which can mean up to 50% faster installation by minimising corrective splice loss work. Other G.657. A2 fibers also provide bend protection but with a compromised, lower mode field diameter. SMF-28 Contour fiber does not compromise, providing both G.657.A2 bend protection and a

matched 9.2-micron mode field diameter in the same product. • Wide spectrum and industry-leading low-loss transmission across all the wavelengths that constitute the communication systems of today and tomorrow. First, SMF-28 Contour fiber’s industry-leading low attenuation delivers 10% longer reach in all networks and up to 20% wider access-network coverage. Second, SMF-28 Contour fiber’s bend loss protection enables up to twice the network reach in new long-wavelength fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) systems. Together, these features enable larger FTTH subscriber areas and greater revenue potential. SMF-28 Contour fibre is available in a standard 242-micron configuration and a smaller 190-micron configuration. Smallerdiameter designs are increasingly important because while bandwidth demands have grown, the space available for network infrastructure has not. The 190-micron version of SMF-28 Contour fibre enables smaller cables with higher fibre counts – maximising use of existing infrastructure.

SIEMON LOCKIT PATCH CORDS SIEMON HAS LAUNCHED ITS NEW LockIT category 6 and category 6A patch cords in the Middle East. The new cords prevent unintended or unauthorised disconnections in a network. Siemon’s LockIT patch cords are available as shielded and unshielded category 6A and unshielded category 6 cords and can be freely inserted into an RJ45 outlet at end device locations or patch panels. They can be removed using the included LockIT Cord Key. The new cords are ideal for preventing disconnection of devices such as security cameras, point-of-sale terminals, self-service kiosks, digital displays and other devices in publicly accessible spaces like schools, retail stores, transportation hubs, hospitality venues and hospitals. LockIT cords are also suited for protecting missioncritical network connections within data centres and telecommunications spaces. They are offered in both 26 and 28 AWG constructions, with 28 AWG offering a smaller diameter for better airflow and increased flexibility in highdensity patching areas. The extended length of the LockIT Cord Key facilitates easy unlocking in these tight spaces.

CABLING INSIGHT

All cords feature a transparent low-profile boot that ensures proper bend relief and a bright red locking tab that makes it easy to identify secure connections. The LockIT cords feature Siemon’s patented metallic isolator and internal load bar for superior category 6 and category 6A transmission performance. Integrated PowerGUARD technology that ensures mechanical reliability in high temperature environments up to 75° C also improves heat dissipation in remote powering applications, including power over Ethernet (PoE) and power over HDBaseT (PoH). The patch cords are part of Siemon’s LockIT system that includes brightly-coloured yellow secure LC and RJ45 outlet locks that are freely inserted and locked flush into any standards-compliant RJ45 outlet or LC fibre adapter to block port access, while providing a clean appearance without obstructing adjacent outlets or protruding beyond the outlet face.

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