Best Practices for Data Center Cabling

Introduction
Today’s Datacenter house a large number of diverse bandwidth-intensive devices, including bladed servers, clustered storage systems, virtualization appliances, and backup devices-all interconnected by network infrastructure. These devices need physical cables with an higher performance factor .
There are considerations outside of the cable plant and number of connectors alone: usability, scalability, costs and the ability to perform Moves, Adds and Changes (MAC’s). Additionally, some limitations exist based on the category of the cabling system. Copper and fiber distances may vary with the type of cabling system selected. We will discuss some of those parameters
and their potential impact on data center designs.
This Document will take you, briefly though the process of effect planning of cabling in data center which includes:

• Understanding cabling requirements
• Planning cabling infrastructure
• Selecting cabling components
• Implementing and testing cabling
• Manage Cabling infrastructure

Key Factors to be considered for Data Cabling Design:
Planning is the key. You may involve in wiring and cabling for new datacenter or upgrade of existing one.

• Review Common Media Types: Before you start, please review common media types used in datacenter.
  There are chances that a new type supported by device since you did similar project last time. For example, you implemented in datacenter few years back with 1Gig backbone and now current project need 10Gig backbone and has servers with 10Gig NIC also switches support 10Gig connections.
• Document the Current: if you are upgrading an existing datacenter, document the topology and various types cables used and present. Also document proposed cable type, count, distance, area of concerns, and any established internal cabling.
• Plan to accommodate both copper and fiber: use copper and fiber as needed. Build flexibility, so that the patching structure will allow a device to connect to any other device in datacenter.
• Use structure approach: create a structure and implement the same. In this plan core-distribution, distribution-access or MDF-IDF topology and follow the same.
• Define naming convention: Define an easy to understand naming convention for all cabling. It should be in such a way that anyone can understand how is the physical connections.

For example :
10^th port on 5 Patch Panel on rack 2 of 3^rd row can be
PC325-10 [PC{row}{rack}{patch panel}- {port}]

• Document the cabling design: once cabling is done and servers are connected, it gets very difficult to trace cable connections. So it is always best to document and manage cabling design.

For Example :
Server1 is connected on server_farm_sw1 on 4/5 port
SS111-10>>SF124-5 ( this can have multiple level of cable connections but document it and if it is too complicated make a flow diagram for “how to document”

• Modular Data Cabling: Modular cabling systems for fiber and copper connectivity are gaining in popularity. Modular cabling introduces the concept of plug-and-play, simplifying the installation of cables and reduces time and cost. In this
  cables are normally pre-terminated and tested.
• Trust the standards: Industry cabling standards are designed to protect the end user. Weather these standards are in draft or ratified state, they provide a firm foundation for establishing a coherent infrastructure, and guidance.

There are a number of standards organization and standards. The three best known cabling standards organizations are listed below:
United States ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 from the Telecommunications Industry Association
International ISO/IEC IS 11801 (Generic Customer Premises Cabling)
International TIA-942 from the TIA

• Use Color to Identify Cables: Color provides quick visual identification. Color coding simplifies management and can save you hours when you need to trace cables. Color coding can be applied to ports on a patch panel.

Example color scheme for patch cables:

• General Media Standards: Following list contains standard media types widely used.

Application	Media	Classification	Max. Distance	Wavelength
10GBASE-T	Twisted Pair Copper	Category 6/Class E UTP	up to 55m*
10GBASE-T	Twisted Pair Copper	Category 6A/Class EA UTP	100m
10GBASE-T	Twisted Pair Copper	Category 6A/Class EA F/UTP	100m
10GBASE-T	Twisted Pair Copper	Class F/Class FA	100m
10GBASE-CX4	Manufactured	N/A	10-15m
10GBASE-SX	62.5 MMF	160/500	28m	850nm
10GBASE-SX	62.5 MMF	200/500	28m	850nm
10GBASE-SX	50 MMF	500/500	86m	850nm
10GBASE-SX	50 MMF	2000/500	300m	850nm
10GBASE-LX	SMF		10km	1310nm
10GBASE-EX	SMF		40km	1550nm
10GBASE-LRM	All MMF		220m	1300nm
10GBASE-LX4	All MMF		300m	1310nm
10GBASE-LX4	SMF		10km	1310nm

• Horizontal Cabling: Use horizontal patch panels to accommodate cables in racks and manage them neatly. Also Cables should be labeled and tie using ties or Velcro.
• Vertical Cable Manager: Cable manger is used to manage cables going across racks. Mostly vertical cable mangers are covered and give neat and clear view.
• Overhead Cable Trays: Use over head trays to manage cables. Define Power cables and network
  cables and don’t keep them in same area.
  As Diagram shows

1. Power Cables
2. Power Cable trays
3. Network Cable trays
4. Cable Manager in Rack

Conclusion
Data Center Cabling is one time project viable for lifetime of Data Center. Choose wisely and make is a master piece. If you design it right, it will definitely going to add to success of your data Center.