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DESIGN GUIDE

Table of Contents
Corning Cable Systems shall not be responsible for the performance of third-party products
or for any incorrect installation or installation in violation of Corning Cable Systems’ specifications and procedures.
SECTION

SECTION
1 Introduction
to Data Centers

Chapter One: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3


What is a Data Center? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Designing the Physical
Infrastructure

Chapter Four: Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18


General Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PoP Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Data Center Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
Server Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Intro to TIA-942 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16
Storage Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Redundancy in the Data Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18
Chapter Two: Data Center Networking Protocols . . . . . . 4-8 Chapter Five: Designing a Scalable Infrastructure. . . . 19-20
LAN Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Structured Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20
SAN Protocols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Zone Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance. . . . . . . . . . . 9-13 Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts . . . . . . . . . . 21-25
OM3/OM4 Laser-Optimized 50/125 µm Logical Topologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Multimode Fiber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10 Mapping Logical Architectures to TIA-942 . . . . . 22-24
Fiber vs. Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Future 40G/100G Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25
10G Electronics and Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
End Equipment Through Optical Fiber
Distance Capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
SECTION

Transceivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
OM3/OM4 EMBc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4 Performance Metrics
and Administration
SECTION

3
Chapter Eleven: Polarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49-52
Deploying the Physical Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation. . . . . . . . 53-62
Infrastructure Cable System Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
End-to-End Attenuation Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-58
Application Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter Seven: Choosing Infrastructure Components 26-38 Background and Trace Interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Preterminated Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Test Equipment: OTDR Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Standard-Density Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-31 Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
High-Density Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-38 Maintenance and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter Eight: Writing a DC Request for Proposal. . . . 39-46 Chapter Thirteen: Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63-66
Steps Needed to Implement an RFP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Choosing a Labeling Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Generic Specifications for PretiumEDGE™ Labeling Racks and Cabinets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-44 Labeling Patch Panels and Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-66
Generic Specifications for Pretium EDGE
1U Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Generic Specifications for Pretium EDGE
SECTION

5
4U Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Information and Tools
Chapter Nine: Procuring the Data Center Products . . . . . . 47
Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67-80
Chapter Ten: Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Table of Contents | LAN-1160-EN | Page 1


Notes
SECTION
1

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Introduction to Data Centers
Chapter One:
Overview

What is a Data Center? content distribution, file storage and backup, database

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


A data center, as defined in TIA/EIA-942, Telecommun- management, fail-safe power, HVAC controls, security
ications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers, is a and high-performance cabling infrastructure. As shown
building or portion of a building whose primary function in Figure 1.1, the functional areas of the data center can
is to house a computer room and its support areas. be broken down into:
The main functions of a data center are to centralize 1. Switching
and consolidate information technology (IT) resources, • Point of Presence (PoP) Zone
house network operations, facilitate e-business and to • Server Area Zone
provide uninterrupted service to mission-critical data 2. Storage
processing operations. • Storage Area Network

Data centers can be classified as either enterprise (private) PoP Zone


data centers or co-location (co-lo)/hosting (public) data This area of the data center is sometimes referred to
centers. Enterprise data centers are privately owned and as the “meet me” room. It is typically the area where

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


operated by private corporate, institutional or government the service provider enables access to their networks.
entities. Enterprise data centers support internal data This area contains many routers and core switches.
transactions and processing, as well as Web Services
and are supported and managed by internal IT support. Server Zone
Co-lo data centers are owned and operated by telcos This area of the data center provides the front-end
or unregulated competitive service providers and offer connection to the database servers. This area contains
outsourced IT services. Services that data centers typically many switches and servers. The protocols used to commu-
provide include Internet access, application or Web hosting, nicate in this area are 1 Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Storage Switching

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


PoP
SAN
Server Area
Server Area
PoP
Server Area
Server Area
SAN
PoP
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 1.1
Functional Areas of the Data Center | Drawing ZA-3580

Chapter One: Overview | LAN-1160-EN | Page 2


Storage Zone Network Efficiency
This area of the data center provides the back-end Data centers have seen significant growth in size and num-
connection to data. This area contains many types of bers in the past few years and should continue to see signifi-
storage devices. The protocols used to communicate in this cant growth in the future as networks continue to evolve
area are Fibre Channel Ethernet and small computer system and move toward 100 Gigabit Ethernet. Due to the consid-
interface (SCSI). erable growth in data centers, there is a need to have simple,
efficient cabling solutions that maximize space and facilitate
Regardless of the type of data center to be implemented, reduced installation time and costs. Preterminated solutions
there are three fundamental issues, or concerns, that are often the preferred solution as they provide higher fiber
should be addressed when evaluating each area of the density, reduced installation time and the ability to easily
data center infrastructure: facilitate moves, adds and changes (MACs).

1. Manageability Corning Cable Systems’ preterminated optical fiber cabling


2. Flexibility and Scalability solutions streamline the process of deploying an optical
3. Network Efficiency network infrastructure in the data center. A modular
design guarantees compatibility and flexibility for all optical
Manageability connectivity and easily scales as demands dictate and require-
End users are looking for a higher performance, low- ments change. The preterminated solutions also manage
profile solution for a more effective overall operation fiber polarity, virtually eliminating it as a concern in network
of the network. Manageability is essential; without it, the design, installation or reconfiguration.
cabling infrastructure takes over the data center in a short
amount of time. To increase control over the data center Corning Cable Systems’ newest preterminated solution,
infrastructure, structured cabling should be implemented. Pretium EDGE™ Solutions, provides increased system densi-
The key benefit of structured cabling is that the user ty when compared to traditional preterminated systems and
regains control of the infrastructure rather than living offers the highest port density in the market. Custom-engi-
with an unmanageable buildup of patch cords and an neered components enable simple integration into common
abundance of unidentifiable cables. SAN directors and switches, while the preterminated com-
ponents allow for reduced installation time and faster MACs.
Flexibility and Scalability
Flexibility and scalability of the cabling infrastructure A well-planned infrastructure can last 15 to 20 years and
allow quick and easy changes with little to no impact on the will have to be operational through multiple generations
day-to-day operation of the data center, as well as reduced of system equipment and data-rate increases. The following
risk that tomorrow’s technology will render an obsolete chapters address all of the factors to be considered for a
infrastructure. Scalability of the data center is essential well-designed data center cabling infrastructure.
for migration to higher data rates and for adding capacity
without major disruption of operations. The initial data
center must be designed so it can be scaled quickly and
efficiently as the requirements change. To meet the require-
ments and demands of the data center, the topology in the
data center, as well as the actual components used to imple-
ment the topology, must be explored. Both topology and
components, if chosen correctly, create an effective network,
save time and money, and create efficiency, manageability,
flexibility and scalability in the data center.

Chapter One: Overview | LAN-1160-EN | Page 3


Chapter Two:

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Data Center Networking Protocols

General Data center Ethernet deployments operate at speeds of 1G


Data centers contain many network transmission protocols and 10G utilizing predominately OM3 and OM4 multimode
for communication between electronic equipment. optical fiber. Multimode fiber installations usually operate
Ethernet and Fibre Channel are the dominant networks, at 850 nm with VCSEL transceivers. OM3 and OM4 fibers
with Ethernet providing a local area network (LAN) with 850 nm VCSEL transceivers provide significant

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


between users and computing infrastructure while Fibre economic value propositions when compared to single-mode
Channel provides connections between servers and storage fiber and DFB/FP transceivers.
to create a storage area network (SAN). See Figure 2.1.
To design a structured cabling system for a data center,
the designer should understand the different protocols LAN
that are used in each area of the data center. Core Switch

LAN Protocols SAN


Ethernet Switch
Ethernet
Ethernet is the most widely installed LAN data transmission Edge
Switch
technology and is standardized as IEEE 802.3. Ethernet is
FC
typically used in data center backbones to transmit data

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


FC
packets from the core router to the access switch to the Ethernet
server network interface card (NIC). Figure 2.2 illustrates
the Ethernet frame.
Storage
Ethernet originally began as a bus-based application Server
OM3
with coaxial cable as the primary bus medium that was Copper Cable
eventually replaced with fiber and copper twisted-pair
media. Ethernet is now deployed in data center switch
networks with optical connectivity in the backbone and Figure 2.1
copper connectivity that addresses short-length equip- Typical Data Center Architecture Today | Drawing ZA-3468
ment interconnects.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


TYPE

DESTINATION SOURCE
SOF

PREAMBLE DATA FCS


ADDRESS ADDRESS

7 OCTETS 6 OCTETS 2 OCTETS 4 OCTETS


1 OCTET 6 OCTETS 46-1500 OCTETS
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 2.2
Ethernet Frame Format | Drawing ZA-3675

Chapter Two: Data Centers Networking Protocols | LAN-1160-EN | Page 4


The IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ae task force groups released Optical Receiver Optical Transmitter
MTP® Connector MTP Connector
standards for Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet in
1998 and 2002, respectively. The primary 1G and 10G Rx
12 Fiber Position 1
Tx

physical media dependent (PMD) variants being deployed Rx


Rx
Tx
Tx

are provided in Table 2.1. Rx


Rx
Tx
Tx
Rx Tx
Rx Tx
Rx Tx
Future industry bandwidth drivers such as video applica- Rx Tx
Rx Tx
tions, virtualization and I/O convergence are driving the Rx Tx
Rx Tx
need for network data rates beyond 10G. In response to that
need, the IEEE 802.3ba task force was formed to develop Tx Rx
Tx Rx
guidance for 40G and 100G Ethernet data rates. OM3 and Tx
Tx
Rx
Rx
OM4 fibers are the only multimode fibers included in the Tx
Tx
Rx
Rx

standard. 40/100G distances for OM3 and OM4 are 100 m Tx


Tx
Rx
Rx

and 150 m, respectively. The 40/100G standard does not Tx


Tx
Rx
Rx

include guidance for UTP/STP copper media. Tx


Tx
Rx
Rx
1 Fiber Position 12

Ethernet duplex fiber serial transmission with a directly Figure 2.3 Z


modulated 850 nm VCSEL has been used for data rates up Parallel Optics for 100G Ethernet | Drawing ZA-3300
to 10G. Duplex fiber serial transmission becomes impractical
at 40/100G data rates due to reliability concerns when the
850 nm VCSEL is directly modulated across extreme tem-
peratures in the data center. Ethernet 40/100G multimode Optical Receiver
MTP Connector
Optical Transmitter
MTP Connector

fiber PMDs (40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR10)


12 Fiber Position 1
uses parallel optics with OM3 and OM4 fibers to mitigate Rx Tx
Rx Tx
the VCSEL reliability concern. Rx Tx
Rx Tx

40G Ethernet uses four 10G channels to transmit


and four 10G channels to receive while 100G Ethernet Tx Rx
Tx Rx
uses ten 10G channel to transmit and ten 10G channel Tx Rx
Tx Rx
to receive. See Figures 2.3 and 2.4. 1 Fiber Position 12

Optical Transmitter Optical Receiver


SAN Protocols MTP Connector MTP Connector

Fibre Channel
Figure 2.4
Fibre Channel is a high-performance, low latency, duplex Parallel Optics for 40G Ethernet | Drawing ZA-3299
fiber serial link application with data rates of 1 Gb/s, 2 Gb/s,
4 Gb/s, 8 Gb/s, 10 Gb/s and 16 Gb/s. It provides a very
reliable form of communication that guarantees delivery from the server host bus adapter (HBA) to the SAN Z
of information. The Fibre Channel T11 technical commit- director to the SAN storage. Similar to Ethernet, OM3
tees are responsible for developing transmitting guidance. and OM4 fibers are the dominant fibers and media type
Fibre Channel is used in the data center to transmit data used in the SAN network. Fibre Channel networks to date

TABLE 2.1
1G: Multimode 1G: Single-mode

1000BASE-SX (OM3: 1000 m, OM4: 1000 m) 1000BASE-LX (SM: 10 km)

10G: Multimode 10G: Single-mode

10GBASE-SR (OM3: 300 m, OM4: 550 m) 10GBASE-LR (SM: 10 km)

Chapter Two: Data Centers Networking Protocols | LAN-1160-EN | Page 5


TABLE 2.2: T11 Fibre Channel Speed Roadmap

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


T11 Spec Technically Market
Product Naming Throughput (MBps) Line Rate (GBaud)
Completed (Year) Availability (Year)
1GFC 200 1.0625 1996 1997

2GFC 400 2.125 2000 2001

4GFC 800 4.25 2003 2005

8GFC 1600 8.5 2006 2008

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


16GFC 3200 14.025 2009 2011

32GFC 6400 28.05 2012 2014

64GFC 12800 57 2016 Market Demand

128GFC 25600 114 2020 Market Demand

have exclusively used optical media for the backbone as Electronic Engineer’s (IEEEs) Data Center Bridging
well as the interconnect into the electronics. SAN Fibre committee are defining standards to converge the two into
Channel links are being designed and deployed today to a unified fabric with Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).
support migration to 16G. Maximum 16G OM3 and OM4

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


channel distances are 100 m and 125 m, respectively. Fibre FCoE is simply a transmission method in which the Fibre
Channel single-mode fiber usage is minimal in the data Channel frame is encapsulated into an Ethernet frame
center but is exclusively used for synchronization between at the server (Figure 2.5). The server encapsulates Fibre
primary and secondary data center sites. T11 activity has Channel frames into Ethernet frames before sending
recently started to develop 32G guidance. Initial objectives them over the LAN and de-encapsulates them when
are for a duplex fiber serial transmission solution with FCoE frames are received. Server I/O consolidation
OM3 and OM4 fibers for 70-100 m distance. Table 2.2 combines the NIC and HBA cards into a single converged
provides the T11 Fibre Channel speed roadmap. network adapter (CNA) which reduces server cabling and
power/cooling needs. At present, the Ethernet frame is
Fibre Channel over Ethernet removed at the Ethernet edge switch to access the Fibre
Data centers utilize multiple networks that present opera- Channel frame which is then transported to the SAN
tional and maintenance issues as each network requires dedi- directors. FCoE encapsulation standards activity takes

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


cated electronics and cabling infrastructure. As previously place at the Fibre Channel T11.3 committee.
discussed, Ethernet (LAN) and Fibre Channel (SAN) are
the typical networks in a data center. Fibre Channel’s T11
technical committee and the Institute of Electrical and
Ethernet

Channel
Header
Header

Header
FCoE

Fibre

CRC

EOF

FCS

Fibre Channel Payload


INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 2.5
Fibre Channel Payload | Drawing ZA-3673

Chapter Two: Data Centers Networking Protocols | LAN-1160-EN | Page 6


TABLE 2.3: T11 Fibre Channel Speed Roadmap

Equivalent Line T11 Spec Technically Market


Product Naming Throughput (MBps)
Rate (GBaud) Completed (Year) Availability (Year)

10GFCoE 2400 10.3125 2008 2009

40GFCoE 9600 41.225 TBD Market Demand

100GFCoE 24000 103.125 TBD Market Demand

Fibre Channel is a deterministic protocol that guarantees


delivery of information. Native Ethernet has not been LAN
deterministic and has relied on transmission control Core Switch
protocol (TCP) to retransmit dropped frames. With
FCoE, the Ethernet transport has been required to be SAN
updated to ensure that frames/packets are lossless without Switch
Ethernet
using TCP/IP protocol. The new enhanced Ethernet FCoE
Edge Switch
standard is called converged enhanced Ethernet (CEE). FC
FC
CEE standards activity takes place at the IEEE 802.1
Data Center Bridging working groups. FCoE

Table 2.3 provides the Fibre Channel Industry Association


Storage
(FCIA) FCoE speed roadmap. Where 10G FCoE utilizes
Server
serial duplex fiber transmission, 40/100G FCoE speeds OM3
will require parallel optics. Data centers should install SFP+ Twinax
12-fiber MPO backbone cables with OM3 or OM4 fiber
today that can be used for 10G FCoE and to provide an
Figure 2.6
effective migration path to emerging parallel optics that First Generation FCoE Architecture | Drawing ZA-3469
require an MPO interface into the switch electronics and
the server (Figure 2.6).
the Ethernet frame is removed to access the Fibre Channel
First generation FCoE implementation will focus on the frame. The Fibre Channel frame is then transmitted to the
edge switch and server. Ethernet OM3 or OM4 fiber SAN network. See Figure 2.6. This architecture solution
optical uplinks will be received into the FCoE enabled edge reduces the server interconnect cabling and adapter card
switch and then interconnected to the server CNA. Instead number by at least 50 percent.
of copper UTP interconnects, SFP+ direct attached twinaxial
copper cable is now used as the media with significantly Second generation FCoE deployments are expected
lower power and latency performance. The twinax copper to use FCoE enabled core switches and edge switches.
cable will be used for distances up to 7-10 m. Beyond that This architecture will continue to use basic Ethernet
distance, low-cost, ultra-short-reach (USR) SFP+ modules optical uplinks from the core switch to the edge switch and
and OM3 or OM4 optical fiber will be used. The encapsulat- SFP+ twinax interconnects into the server. The difference
ed Fibre Channel frame is returned to the edge switch where occurs when the FCoE frame is transmitted back through

Chapter Two: Data Centers Networking Protocols | LAN-1160-EN | Page 7


the edge switch to the core switch over the same optical

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


fiber previously used as the uplink to the server. At the FCoE SAN
Core Switch Switch
core switch, the FCoE frame is forwarded to the SAN
director where the Ethernet frame is removed and the FCoE

Fibre Channel frame is then transmitted to the storage


devices. This architecture solution reduces the server FCoE FCoE FC
interconnect cabling and adapter card number by Edge Switch
at least 50 percent and eliminates the Fibre Channel
HBA to SAN optical fiber trunk cable. See Figure 2.7.
FCoE
Storage

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Third generation FCoE architecture mirrors the second
generation with the exception that the core switch now
forwards the FCoE frame directly to storage where
Server
the Fibre Channel frame is accessed. This architecture OM3
solution reduces the server interconnect cabling and SFP+ Twinax
adapter card number by at least 50 percent, eliminates
the Fibre Channel HBA to SAN optical fiber trunk cable Figure 2.7
and eliminates the core switch to SAN director fiber Second Generation FCoE Architecture | Drawing ZA-3470
trunk cable. See Figure 2.8.

The FCIA has adopted specific guidance relative to the


cabling physical layer. Optical connectivity shall be in FCoE
accordance with IEEE 802.3ae (10GBASE-SR) utilizing Core Switch

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


OM3 or OM4 optical fiber. In addition, new installs FCoE
are recommended to be = < 100 m to be compatible with
emerging 40/100G Ethernet and 16/32G Fibre Channel. Storage
FCoE
The SFP+ is the preferred electronic interface for copper FCoE
and optical cable. This eliminates use of 10GBASE-T Edge Switch
copper UTP/STP cable.
FCoE
FCoE offers a data center unified fabric solution that
simplifies operational and maintenance of the cabling
infrastructure. FCoE facilitates utilization of low-cost
Ethernet electronics and OM3/OM4 optical connectivity Server
OM3
to support 10/40/100G data rates.
SFP+ Twinax

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


Figure 2.8
Third Generation FCoE Architecture | Drawing ZA-3471

INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Two: Data Centers Networking Protocols | LAN-1160-EN | Page 8


Chapter Three:
Fiber Type and Performance

As fiber becomes more widely deployed in the data center, include a minimum 2000 MHz•km effective modal band-
a system designer should evaluate all the various grades of width (EMB) for OM3 and 4700 MHz•km EMB for OM4.
multimode fiber optic cable to ensure the data center will The OM multimode fiber nomenclature originated in the
support current and future data rates. As data rates and ISO/IEC-11801, second edition standard and has been
the physical size of data centers increase, the need for adopted into TIA standards such as TIA-568, Rev C.3.
designing a bandwidth and link-length scalable network In addition to OM3 and OM4, OM1 and OM2 designations
is more important then ever. The purpose of this chapter are included for standard 62.5 µm and 50 µm multimode
is to familiarize the reader with OM3 and OM4 fiber types fibers, respectively. See Table 3.1.
and performance requirements needed to support local
area network (LAN) and storage area network (SAN) Data center high data rates in conjunction with the desired
applications commonly used in data centers. application distances support OM3 and OM4 as the default
choice fiber types. The small core size of 50/125 µm fiber
OM3/OM4 Laser-Optimized yields an inherent higher bandwidth capability than other
50/125 µm Multimode Fiber multimode fibers such as OM1 fiber. Tables 3.2 and 3.3
Data center LAN and SAN networks should be designed provide OM3 and OM4 fibers distance capabilities for
to support legacy applications as well as emerging high- Ethernet and Fibre Channel data rates.
data-rate applications. The emergence of high-data-rate
systems such as 10, 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet and 8 and Corning Cable Systems strongly recommends OM3 and
16 Gigabit Fibre Channel has resulted in OM3 and OM4 OM4 fibers for the data center. When compared to OM1
multimode fibers being the dominant optical fiber types and OM2 multimode fibers, OM3/OM4 fibers have
deployed in the data center. the highest 850 nm bandwidth to accommodate longer
distances, provide more system budget margin and support
The TIA-492AAAC OM3 detailed fiber standard was migration to higher data rates such as 16/40/100G.
released in March 2002, and the TIA-492AAAD OM4
detailed fiber standard was released in August 2009. The
fibers are optimized for laser-based 850 nm operation and

TABLE 3.1
Overfilled Modal Effective Modal
Optical Fiber
Fiber Reference Wavelength Bandwidth-Length Bandwidth-Length
Cable Type
Product (MHz•km) Product (MHz•km)
TIA-492AAAA-A
62.5/125 µm 850 200 Not Required
IEC 60793-2-10
multimode (OM1) 1300 500 Not Required
Type A1b
TIA-492AAAB
50/125 µm 850 500 Not Required
IEC 60793-2-10
multimode (OM2) 1300 500 Not Required
Type A1a.1
850 µm TIA-492AAAC-A
850 1500 2000
laser-optimized IEC 60793-2-10
1300 500 Not Required
50/125 µm (OM3) Type A1a.2
850 µm TIA-492AAAD
850 3500 4700
laser-optimized IEC 60792-2-10
1300 500 Not Required
50/125 µm (OM4) Type A1a.3

Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance | LAN-1160-EN | Page 9


TABLE 3.2: 850 nm Ethernet Distance (m)

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


1G 10G 40G 100G

OM3 1000 300 100 100

OM4 1000 550 150 150

TABLE 3.3: 850 nm Fibre Channel Distance (m)

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


4G 8G 16G

OM3 380 150 100

OM4 480 190 125

Expectation is that implementing an OM3/OM4 physical outside sources, fiber produces no electronic emissions,
layer solution should provide a 10-15 year service life therefore it is not a concern of the Federal Communications
without recabling. Commission (FCC) or European emissions regulations.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Cross-talk does not occur in fiber systems and there are no
Cable, connectors, hardware and electronics are now readily shared sheath issues as with multipair unshielded twisted-pair
available to support usage of these 50 µm fibers. The techni- (UTP) copper cables. Also, standards activity has shown
cal and commercial community has recognized the benefits evidence of alien cross-talk between UTP copper cables that
of OM3/OM4 as the fibers have been adopted into IEEE cannot be corrected by electronic digital signal processing
40/100G and Fibre Channel 4/8/16G transmission stan- (DSP). Because all-dielectric cables, as well as the new
dards as well as the TIA-568-G3 structured cabling and dielectric armored cables, can be used, grounding concerns
connectivity standards. The 850 nm wavelength now offers can be eliminated and lightning effects dramatically reduced.
and will continue to offer the most economical solution Optical fibers are virtually impossible to tap, making it the
for data center applications based on electronic costs. most secure media type. Most importantly, optical bandwidth
The data rate scalability of OM3 and OM4 fibers provides cannot be adversely affected by installation conditions.
the ultimate media solution for data center managers to Compare this to the copper system impairments that an
ensure their structured wiring systems support legacy as installer can impact.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


well as future application needs.
10G Electronics and Cooling –
Fiber vs. Copper The Optical Advantage
A well-planned structured cabling system in the data center 10G optical switch electronics and server adapter cards
will support both the applications of today as well as the require less power to operate compared to 10G UTP cop-
future. Corning Cable Systems’ data center solutions do per. The high insertion loss of copper cables at the extended
just that, allowing today’s systems to grow gracefully as frequency range needed to support 10G and the required
requirements change without concern of obsolescence. electronic digital signal processing (DSP) noise-reduction
Fiber is the most attractive medium for structured cabling circuitry means that energy consumption will inevitably be
because of its ability to support the widest range of applica- higher than that of low-loss fiber interconnects. 10GBASE-
tions at the fastest speeds for the longest distances. SR SFP+ optical transceivers consume a maximum of 1.0
Additionally, fiber has a number of intrinsic advantages watt (typical 0.5 watt) per port compared to 6-8 watts per
beneficial to any application at any speed. Fiber is immune port for a 10GBASE-T copper switch. SFP+ chassis line
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency cards are intended to support up to 48-64 ports, while
interference (RFI), therefore its signals cannot be corrupted 10GBASE-T cards are expected to have 8-16 ports.
by external interference. Just as it is immune to EMI from 10GBASE-SR server adapter cards typically use less

Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance | LAN-1160-EN | Page 10


than nine watts to service up to 300 m, while announced
10GBASE-T cards use 24 watts to service up to 100 m. As network speed grows, optical fiber
Experts have stated that 10GBASE-T over CAT 6A or offers significant advantages over copper
CAT 7 twisted-pair can extend up to 100 m, but power
requirements hinder its cost-effectiveness. A 10G optical 10 Gbps Example
system requires far fewer switches and line cards for equiva- 90%
lent bandwidth capability of a 10G copper system. Fewer

10G optical instead of 10G copper (%)


Electricity cost savings by using
switches and line cards translate into less energy consump-
tion for electronics and cooling to minimize operational 85%
expenses and support environmental initiatives. See Figure
3.1. One optical 48-port line card equals three 16-port line
80%
cards. As with the 10G copper switches, the 10G copper
server adapter card’s high power consumption and cooling
needs result in a higher operational expense. The industry
75%
10GBASE-T expectation is that three to four watts per
port will be the lowest achievable power consumption.
70%

240

288
144

192
High fiber density, combined with the small diameter of

96
48
optical cable, maximizes raised floor pathways and space
utilization for routing and cooling. Optical cables also offer Number of 10G Ports

superior pathway usage when routed in aerial cable trays. Figure 3.1
A 0.7-inch diameter optical cable would contain 216 fibers Electronics and Cooling Savings
to support 108 10G optical circuits. The 108 copper cables
required to provide equivalent capability would have a
5-inch bundle diameter. The 10G twisted-pair copper cooling damming effects and interference with the ability
cable’s physical design contributes to major patch panel of ventilation systems to remove dust and dirt. Optical
and electronic cable management problems. The larger cable offers significantly better system density and cable
CAT 6A outer diameter impacts conduit size and fill ratio management and minimizes airflow obstructions in
as well as cable management due to the physical size and the rack and cabinet for better cooling efficiencies.
increased bend-radius. Copper cable congestion in pathways See Figures 3.2 and 3.3.
increases the potential for damage to electronics due to air

Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3


Optical Cable (left) vs. Equivalent Copper Cabling | Photo LAN874 Copper Cable Management

Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance | LAN-1160-EN | Page 11


INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS
End Equipment Through Optical Fiber
Distance Capabilities
Span length, application and data rate are the determining
factors in the selection of fiber type and end equipment.
All must be considered in order to make the best overall
selection. OM3 and OM4 fibers are appropriate for the
majority of data center applications, as the associated opto-
electronic transmission equipment is usually more economi-
cal than that for single-mode systems. Analysis of a specific

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


system design will lead to the selection of the most suitable
fiber type and end equipment, after which detailed consider-
ation of the optical parameters for both fiber and the system
is necessary. The following is a discussion of the nature and
meaning of those optical parameters with which the design-
er should be familiar.

Transceivers Figure 3.5


SFP/SFP+ Transceiver | Drawing ZA-3674
The transceiver is an electronic device that receives an
electrical signal, converts it into a light signal and launches
the signal into a fiber. It also receives the light signal and
converts it into an electrical signal as well. For data rates 850 nm transceiver. See Figure 3.4. The 850 nm VCSEL

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


=>1G, a multimode transceiver uses an 850 nm VCSEL and transceiver provides the optimum technical and economic
a single-mode transceiver uses a 1310 nm fabry-perot (FP) solution for high bit rate (≥ 1 Gb/s) operation that makes
or distributed feedback (DFB) laser. Transceivers operating OM3/OM4 the most deployed optical fibers in the data
at 1G and higher data rates migrated from light emitting center today.
diodes (LEDs) to laser sources due to the LED modulation
rate limitation and wide spectral width. For systems operat- SFP/SFP+ are the dominant transceivers used for data rates
ing at data rates greater than 622 Mb/s, lasers must be used. 1G to 16G (see Figure 3.5). Industry-standard multisource
VCSEL fabrication and packaging costs are significantly less alliances (MSAs) have defined the transceiver performance
than for a single-mode FP/DFB laser. The relative cost of attributes (wavelength, spectral width, Tx power, Rx power,
an FP/DFB transceiver is typically 2-3 times the cost of an etc.) to insure interoperability and reliability. The SFP/SFP+
transceiver performance attributes are incorporated into
the Ethernet and Fibre Channel standards to specify system
requirements and capabilities. Most transceivers interface

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


3.5 with LC duplex connectors.
850 nm optics
3.0
1300 nm optics The QSFP transceiver will be used for 40G OM3/OM4
2.5 Ethernet parallel optics. The optical connector interface
Relative Cost

will be the 12-fiber MPO-style connector. The CXP


2.0
transceiver will be used for 100G Ethernet parallel optics.
1.5 The optical connector interface will be the 24-fiber MPO-
style connector. Similar to the SFP/SFP+ transceiver, the
1.0 QSFP and CXP transceivers performance attributes are
0.5 incorporated into the 40/100G Ethernet standard to specify
system requirements and capabilities.
0.0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 3.4
Relative Cost of Single-Mode vs. Multimode 10G Transceiver

Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance | LAN-1160-EN | Page 12


OM3/OM4 EMBc To ensure field performance, EMB is calculated for 10
For systems operating at data rates greater than 1 Gb/s, actual laser sources which have been determined to repre-
TIA/EIA-455-220 and IEC 60793-1-49 bandwidth test sent the performance extremes of all encircled compliant
methods are used to measure the fiber effective modal VCSELs. Of these 10 sources, the one yielding the lowest
bandwidth (EMB) that include a series of small spot size EMBc value is taken to represent the minimum expected
launches (approximately 5 µm) indexed across the fiber core. performance level of all standards-compliant VCSELs, and
Measurements are made of the output pulse time delay and the EMBc value associated with this source is therefore
mode coupling power of the fiber as a function of radial referred to as the minimum calculated EMB or minEMBc.
position. These measurements are referred to as differential
mode delay (DMD) measurements. Data from these meas- The primary advantage of the minEMBc method over the
urements can be analyzed by two methods to determine DMD mask method is that the minEMBc method guaran-
whether the fiber meets the EMB requirement of a specific tees standards-compliant fiber performance under worst
application. The first method for translating DMD meas- case source/fiber interactions while providing an actual
urements into an EMB prediction is commonly referred to value of bandwidth in the scalable units of MHz•km. The
as the DMD mask approach, where the leading and trailing minEMBc value can then be used to calculate bit rates and
edges of each pulse are recorded and normalized in power link lengths for systems requiring EMB values other than a
relative to each other. This normalization approach reduces minimum 2000 MHz•km. Corning Cable Systems recom-
mends that multimode fiber intended for current or future
use at data rates ≥ 1 Gb/s should be specified according to
the raw DMD data to focus exclusively on time delay, where
the overall fiber delay is calculated as the difference between
the times for the slowest trailing edge and the fastest leading minEMBc values rather than pass/fail performance indicated
edge in units of ps/m. In order for a fiber to be determined by the DMD mask method.
as meeting the required minimum value of 2000 MHz•km
EMB for OM3 at 850 nm, the DMD data must conform to
one of six templates or masks and must not show a DMD
measurement greater than 0.25 ps/m for any of four speci-
fied radial offset intervals. In order for a fiber to be deter-
mined as meeting the required minimum value of 4700
MHz•km EMB for OM4 at 850 nm, the DMD data must
conform to one of three templates or masks and must not
show a DMD measurement greater than 0.11 ps/m for any
of four specified radial offset intervals. It should be noted
that this method provides only a pass/fail estimation against
the 2000 MHz•km and 4700 MHz•km requirements.

The newer method for predicting EMB from DMD data


is called calculated effective modal bandwidth (EMBc). As
mentioned, the DMD measurement characterizes a single
fiber’s modal performance in high detail, including both
modal time delay and coupling as a function of radial
position. With EMBc, the fiber’s performance is then
characterized by a series of 10 sources which are chosen
to span across a range of 10,000 encircled fluxed compliant
VCSELs. Conceptually, this is done by weighting the
individual DMD launches to approximate the radial power
intensity distribution of any desired VCSEL. Those
weightings are then combined with the raw DMD data to
construct an output pulse for that fiber/laser combination.
The resultant output pulse can then be used to calculate
EMB in units of MHz•km.

Chapter Three: Fiber Type and Performance | LAN-1160-EN | Page 13


SECTION

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Designing the Physical Infrastructure
Chapter Four:
Standards
2

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
General Standards network flexibility. TIA-942 outlines additional factors
There are two types of environments in the data center: crucial to data center design, including recognized media,
local area networks (LANs) and storage area networks cable types, recommended distances, pathway and space
(SANs). considerations and redundancy. In addition to standards

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


compliance, the need for infrastructure flexibility to
A LAN is a network linking multiple devices in a single accommodate future moves, adds and changes due to
geographical location. Typical LAN speeds are 1 Gb or growth, new applications, data rates and technology
10 Gb Ethernet. advancements in system equipment must be considered.

A SAN is an area in the network linking servers to storage Data Center Needs
equipment, which introduces the flexibility of networking As data centers face the continued need to expand and
to servers and storage. Speeds are typically 2G, 4G, 8G or grow, the fundamental concerns are constant. Data
10G Fibre Channel. center infrastructures must provide reliability, flexibility
and scalability in order to meet the ever-changing data
When designing a data center, several factors should be center network.
taken into consideration, including standards compliance.
TIA-942, Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for • Reliability: Data center cabling infrastructures
must provide security and enable 24 x 365 x 7 uptime.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Data Center, details several of the factors that should be


considered when designing a data center. When imple- Tier 4 data centers have uptime requirements of 99.995
menting a structured cabling solution, the standard recom- percent, less than one-half hour per year.
mends a star topology architecture to achieve maximum

Chapter Four: Standards | LAN-1160-EN | Page 14


• Flexibility: With the constant in data centers being • Equipment distribution area (EDA): Allocated for
change, the cabling infrastructure must be modular end equipment and shall not serve the purposes of
to accommodate changing requirements and easy to an ER, MDA or HDA.
manage and adjust for minimal downtime during • Telecommunications room (TR): Supports cabling to
moves, adds and changes. areas outside the computer room and shall meet the
specifications of ANSI/TIA-569-B.
• Scalability: Cabling infrastructures must support data
center growth, both in addition of system electronics The components of the cabling infrastructure, as defined
and increasing data rates to accommodate the need for by TIA-942, are as follows:
more bandwidth. The infrastructure must be able to
• Horizontal cabling
support existing serial duplex transmission and provide
a clear migration path to future parallel optic transmis- • Backbone cabling
sion. In general, the infrastructure should be designed
to meet the challenges of the data center over a 15- to • Cross-connect in the ER or MDA
20-year service life. • Main cross-connect in the MDA

TIA-942 • Horizontal cross-connect in the TR, HDA, MDA


TIA-942, Telecommunications Infrastructure Standards • Zone outlet or consolidation point in the ZDA
for Data Centers, was released in April 2005. The purpose
of this standard is to provide information on the factors • Outlet in the EDA
that should be considered when planning and preparing
the installation of a data center or computer room.
TIA-942 combines within a single document all of the
information specific to data center applications. This
Access Entrance Room Access
standard defines the telecommunications spaces, infra- Providers (Carrier Equip and
Demarcation)
Providers

structure components and requirements for each within Horizontal Offices, Ops. Center,
Support Rooms
the data center. Additionally, the standard includes guid- Cabling

Computer
ance as to recommended topologies, cabling distances, Backbone Telecom Room Main Distribution Area
(Routers, Backbone LAN/SAN Room
Cabling (Office and Operations
building infrastructure requirements, labeling and Center LAN Switches) Switches, PBX, M13 Muxes)

administration, and redundancy.

Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area
Data Center Spaces and Infrastructure (LAN/SAN/KVM
Switches)
(LAN/SAN/KVM
Switches)
(LAN/SAN/KVM
Switches)
(LAN/SAN/KVM
Switches)
The main elements of a data center, defined by TIA-942,
Zone Dist Area
are the entrance room (ER), main distribution area
(MDA), horizontal distribution area (HDA), zone Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet)
Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet)
Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet)
Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet)

distribution area (ZDA), equipment distribution area


(EDA) and telecommunications room (TR).
• Entrance room (ER): The space used for the Figure 4.1
TIA-942 | Drawing ZA-3301
interface between data center structured cabling
and interbuilding cabling, both access provider
and customer-owned. The ER interfaces with the
computer room through the MDA.
• Main distribution area (MDA): Includes the main
cross-connect, which is the central point of distribution
for the data center structured cabling system and may
include a horizontal cross-connect when equipment
areas are directly served from the MDA. Every data
center shall include at least one MDA.
• Horizontal distribution area (HDA):
Serves equipment areas.

Chapter Four: Standards | LAN-1160-EN | Page 15


In a data center, including HDAs, the maximum distance

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Horizontal
Cabling
allowed for horizontal cabling is 90 m, independent of Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet)
Zone Dist Area
Horizontal
Cabling
media type. With patch cords, the maximum channel 90 m (Horizontal Dist.)
100 m (Channel Dist.) Horiz Dist Area
distance allowed is 100 m, assuming 5 m of patch cord at (LAN/SAN/KVM
Switches)
each end of the channel for connection to end equipment. Horizontal
Cabling
When a ZDA is used, horizontal cabling distances for Equip Dist Area 90 m (Horizontal Dist.)
(Rack/Cabinet) 100 m (Channel Dist.)
copper may need to be reduced.
C

Figure 4.2
Depending on the type and size of the data center, the Horizontal Distribution Area Topology | Drawing ZA-3581
HDA may be collapsed back to the MDA. This is a typical

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


design for enterprise data centers. In this scenario, the
cabling from the MDA to the EDA, with or without a
Access Providers
ZDA, is considered horizontal cabling. In a collapsed
design, horizontal cabling is limited to 300 m for optical
fiber and 90 m for copper. Main Distribution Area
Computer
Offices, Ops. Center, (Routers, Backbone LAN/SAN Room
Support Rooms Switches, PBX, M13 Muxes)
TIA-942 defines the maximum distance for backbone
cabling as being application and media dependent.
Horizontal
Cabling
Zone Dist Area 300 m optical
or 90 m copper

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area
(Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet)

Figure 4.3
Reduced Data Center Topology | Drawing ZA-3427

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Four: Standards | LAN-1160-EN | Page 16


Redundancy in the Data Center

Primary Customer Secondary Customer


Maintenance Hole Maintenance Hole
• TIA-942 includes four tiers relating to (Tier 1 and Higher) (Tier 2 and Higher)

various levels of redundancy (Annex G)


DATA CENTER

TIER 3
TIER 1
2 TIER
TIER 3
• Tier I – No Redundancy
– 99.671% available Primary Entrance Room Secondary Entrance Room
(Tier 1 and Higher) (Tier 3 and Higher)

• Tier II – Redundant component, but 1 path

TIER 1

TIER 4
Offices,
Operations Center, 3 TIER
– 99.741% available Support Rooms TIER 4

• Tier III – Multiple paths, components, Telecom Room


Primary Dist Area
(Tier 1 and Higher)
TIER 4 Secondary Dist Area
(Optional for Tier 4)
but 1 active path
– 99.982% available COMPUTER
Horiz Dist Area
ROOM (LAN/SAN/KVM
• Tier IV – Multiple paths, components, Switches) Horiz Dist Area
(LAN/SAN/KVM
Horiz Dist Area
(LAN/SAN/KVM
all active Cabling Zone Dist Area
Switches) Switches)

– 99.995% available Optional


Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area
– < 1/2 hour downtime/year Cabling
(Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet)

Figure 4.4
Tier Ratings for Data Centers | Drawing ZA-3582

Tier Ratings for Data Centers Tier I Data Center: Basic


Additional considerations when planning a data center A data center with a Tier I rating has no redundancy.
infrastructure include redundancy and reliability. TIA-942 The data center utilizes single paths and has no redundant
describes redundancy using four tiers to distinguish components.
between varying levels of availability of the data center
infrastructure. The tiers used by this standard correspond From the Uptime Institute
to industry tier ratings for data centers, as defined by the A Tier I data center is susceptible to disruptions from both
Uptime Institute. The tiers are defined as Tier I, II, III planned and unplanned activity. It has computer power
and IV, where a higher tier rating corresponds to increased distribution and cooling, but it may or may not have a
availability. The requirements of the higher-rated tiers are raised floor, a UPS, or an engine generator. The critical
inclusive of the lower level tiers. Tier ratings are specified load on these systems is up to 100 percent of N. If it does
for various portions of the data center infrastructure, have UPS or generators, they are single-module systems
including telecommunications systems architectural and and have many single points of failure. The infrastructure
structural systems, electrical systems and mechanical should be completely shut down on an annual basis to
systems. Each system can have a different tier rating, perform preventive maintenance and repair work.
however; the overall data center tier rating is equal to Urgent situations may require more frequent shutdowns.
the lowest of the ratings across the infrastructure. Operation errors or spontaneous failures of site infrastruc-
ture components will cause a data center disruption.

Chapter Four: Standards | LAN-1160-EN | Page 17


Tier II Data Center: Redundant Components From the Uptime Institute

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


A data center with a Tier II rating has redundant Tier IV provides site infrastructure capacity and capability
components, but utilizes only a single path. to permit any planned activity without disruption to the
critical load. Fault-tolerant functionality also provides the
From the Uptime Institute ability of the site infrastructure to sustain at least one
Tier II facilities with redundant components are slightly worst-case unplanned failure or event with no critical load
less susceptible to disruptions from both planned and impact. This requires simultaneously active distribution
unplanned activity than a basic data center. They have a paths, typically in a system-to-system configuration.
raised floor, UPS and engine generators, but their capacity Electrically, this means two separate UPS systems in which
design is N+1, which has a single-threaded distribution each system has N+1 redundancy. The combined critical

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


path throughout. Critical load is up to 100 percent of N. load on a system does not exceed 90 percent of N. As a
Maintenance of the critical power path and other parts of result of fire and electrical safety codes, there will still be
the site infrastructure will require a processing shutdown. downtime exposure due to fire alarms or people initiating
an emergency power off (EPO). Tier IV requires all com-
Tier III Data Center: Concurrently Maintainable puter hardware to have dual power inputs as defined by the
A data center with a Tier III rating has multiple paths, Institute’s Fault-Tolerant Power Compliance Specifications
but only one path is active. Version 2.0, which can be found at www.uptimeinstitute.org.
The acid test for a fault tolerant data center is the ability
From the Uptime Institute to sustain an unplanned failure or operations error without
Tier III level capability allows for any planned site infra- disrupting computer room processing. In consideration
structure activity without disrupting the computer hard- of this acid test, compartmentalization requirements must
ware operation. Planned activities include preventive and be addressed.
programmable maintenance, repair and replacement of

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


components, addition or removal of capacity components,
testing of components and systems and more. For large
sites using chilled water, this means two independent sets of
pipes. Sufficient capacity and distribution must be available
to simultaneously carry the load on one path while
performing maintenance or testing on the other path.
Unplanned activities such as errors in operation or sponta-
neous failures of facility infrastructure components will still
cause a data center disruption. The critical load on a system
does not exceed 90 percent of N. Many Tier III sites are
designed with planned upgrades to Tier IV when the
client’s business case justifies the cost of additional protec-

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


tion. The acid test for a concurrently maintainable data
center is the ability to accommodate any planned work
activity without disruption to computer room processing.

Tier IV Data Center: Fault Tolerant


A data center with a Tier IV rating has multiple active
paths and provides increased fault tolerance. INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Four: Standards | LAN-1160-EN | Page 18


Chapter Five:
Designing a Scalable Infrastructure

Figure 5.1
Data Center Example | Drawing ZA-3583

Structured Cabling EDA


TIA-942 provides structured cabling guidance for data EDA Server
SAN Cabinet MDA
centers. To implement a structured cabling solution, a
star topology is recommended. If an unstructured cabling
solution is used (e.g., a point-to-point installation with SAN Switch EDGE Switch
jumpers), moves, adds and changes (MACs) to the data
center become difficult. Issues that may arise include the Distribution
Switch
following: manageability, scalability, cooling, density and
Servers
flexibility. For data centers utilizing access flooring, it is
imperative to keep under-floor obstructions like cabling
SAN

LAN

to a minimum so cooling airflow is not impeded.


Router

With a star topology, maximum flexibility in the network


Storage LAN
is achieved. TIA-942 states that both horizontal and
backbone cabling shall be installed using a star topology. Figure 5.2
The cabling infrastructure should be implemented to allow Data Center Topology | Drawing ZA-3584
moves, adds and changes without disturbing the cabling
itself. MACs include network reconfiguration, growing
and changing user applications and/or protocols.

Chapter Five: Designing a Scalable Infrastructure | LAN-1160-EN | Page 19


Implementation of a star topology with ZDAs allows for

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Access Entrance Room Access
a flexible and manageable cabling infrastructure. Cabling Providers (Carrier Equip and
Demarcation)
Providers

can be consolidated from hundreds of jumpers to just a Horizontal Offices, Ops. Center,
Support Rooms
few low-profile, high-fiber-count trunk cables routed to Cabling

Computer
several zone locations. When adding equipment, extender Backbone
Cabling
Telecom Room
(Office and Operations
Main Distribution Area
(Routers, Backbone LAN/SAN Room
Center LAN Switches) Switches, PBX, M13 Muxes)
trunks (usually much lower fiber count than the trunks,
i.e., 12 fibers to 48 fibers) can be added incrementally,
interconnected at the ZDA (TIA-942 only allows one Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area Horiz Dist Area
(LAN/SAN/KVM (LAN/SAN/KVM (LAN/SAN/KVM (LAN/SAN/KVM
ZDA in a link; ZDAs cannot be concatenated) and routed Switches) Switches) Switches) Switches)

to the equipment racks. This can be done easily without Zone Dist Area

disrupting the backbone cabling and without pulling floor

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area Equip Dist Area
tiles across the entire data center. (Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet) (Rack/Cabinet)

Figure 5.3
TIA-942 | Drawing ZA-3301

Zone Distribution in the Data Center

Standards Compliance Zone Distribution Area (ZDA) located


in the center of each zone
When designing a data center to meet these needs, best Server Cabinets Server Cabinets
Main Distribution
Frame

practices should be followed. TIA-942 addresses recom-

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


ZDA

mended design practices for all areas of the data center, Cabinets
Server Cabinets Server Cabinets

ZDA MDF
including pathways and spaces and the cabling infrastructure. grouped
into zones
Server Cabinets Server Cabinets

ZDA

Design Recommendations Using Zones Additional


Cabinet
Main Distribution
Area (MDA)
Zones
Zone distribution is not only a design topology recom-
mended in TIA-942, but also one incorporated into many Figure 5.4
data centers operating today. Consider these steps when Identify Zones or ZDAs | Drawing ZA-3585 ZA-3585

considering a zoned architecture:


1. Identify zones or zone distribution areas (ZDAs) Trunk Cabling Star Networked
from the MDFs to the ZDAs

throughout the data center.


2. Install high-fiber-count cabling from the MDA to the ZDA

localized zones or ZDAs. Cabinets

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


ZDA MDF
grouped
3. Distribute lower-fiber-count cabling from the ZDAs into zones

to the cabinets or components within the zone. ZDA

Additional Main Distribution


Cabinet Area (MDA)
Zones
Zone distribution provides many benefits when
incorporated in the data center cabling infrastructure: Figure 5.5
• Reduces pathway congestion. Install High-Fiber-Count Cabling | Drawing ZA-3586 ZA-3586

• Limits data center disruption from the MDA and eases


Connectivity is quickly and easily deployed
implementation of MACs. from the ZDAs to the Server Cabinets on an
as-needed basis

• Enables a modular solution for a “pay-as-you-grow”


approach. ZDA

Cabinets
ZDA MDF
grouped
into zones

ZDA
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Additional Main Distribution


Cabinet Area (MDA)
Zones

Figure 5.6
Distribute Lower-Fiber-Count Cabling | Drawing ZA-3587 ZA 3587

Chapter Five: Designing a Scalable Infrastructure | LAN-1160-EN | Page 20


Chapter Six:
Determining the Fiber Counts

The selection of the fiber count, or number of fibers used TABLE 6.1
in the cable plant, is an extremely important decision that
impacts both the current and future system capabilities,
Layer Logical Architecture
as well as the cost of a communications network. The
development and widespread use of fiber in all aspects of
the data center network require the designer to plan not
only for the immediate system requirements, but for the Core
evolution of future system demands as well. Since these
fiber systems will provide service for a number of differ-
ent applications later, the number of fibers designed
into the network today must be carefully considered.
Before fiber counts are determined, the designer needs Aggregation
to analyze the following:

1. Physical infrastructure design for data centers


• TIA/EIA 942
• Defining MDAs, HDAs and ZDAs Access
2. Logical topologies for data centers
• Common architectures
3. Mapping logical topologies into the physical
infrastructure
• TIA-942 and logical architectures Storage
• Choosing the proper TIA-942 architecture

Logical Topologies for Data Center


While standards help guide the data center physical Aggregation
infrastructure, the data center logical infrastructure The aggregation layer provides a point where all server
does not have a standards body helping with design. area devices can share common applications such as fire-
Logical architectures as shown in Table 6.1 vary based walls, cache engines, load balancers and other value-added
on customer preference and are also guided by the services. The aggregation layer must be able to support
electronics manufacturers. multiple 10G and 1 Gig connections to support a
high-speed switching fabric.
Though a standard does not exist, there are some
common architecture best practices that can be followed. Access
Most logical architectures can be broken into four layers: The access layer provides the connectivity between the
aggregation layer shared services and the server farm.
1. Core Since additional segmentation may be required in the
2. Aggregation access area three different segments are needed:
3. Access 1. Front-end segment – This area contains web servers,
4. Storage DNS servers, FTP and other business application
servers.
Core 2. Application segment – Provides the connection
The core layer provides the high-speed connectivity between the front-end servers and the back-end servers.
between the data center and the campus network. 3. Back-end segment – Provides connectivity to the
This is typically the area where multiple ISPs provide database servers. This segment also provides access
connections to the internet. to the storage area network (SAN).

Storage
The storage layer contains the Fibre Channel switches and
other storage devices such as magnetic disc media or tape.

Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts | LAN-1160-EN | Page 21


TABLE 6.2: Mapping Architectures

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


TIA-942 Physical Architecture Area Logical Architecture Area

MDA = Main Distribution Area Maps to Core and Aggregation

HDA = Horizontal Distribution Area Maps to Aggregation

ZDA = Zone Distribution Area


Maps to Access and Storage

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


EDA = Equipment Distribution Area

Mapping Logical Architectures to TIA-942


The key for many data center designers is how to translate Core Layer
the many logical topologies onto a TIA-942 structured
cabling infrastructure. This translation will affect some
of the key design elements of a structured cabling solution Aggregation
such as fiber counts, hardware considerations and physical Layer

cable runs. The first step is to translate the TIA-942 areas


(MDA, HDA, ZDA, EDA) to the logical architecture areas
(core, aggregation, access, storage). Table 6.2 shows a

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


comparison between the two.
Access
Layer
The next step is to take an example logical architecture
Front-End App Back-End
and translate it to a TIA-942 structured cabling solution. Layer Layer Layer

In this example, we will use a small data center and map


the logical architecture shown in Figure 6.1 to the physical
Storage
architecture of the data center (racks and cabinets) that is Layer

shown in Figure 6.2. Storage


Layer

The next step is to choose the TIA-942 architecture that Figure 6.1
will best map to the logical architecture shown in Figure Logical Architecture | Drawing ZA-3656
6.1. Since this data center is small, a reduced TIA-942
architecture will be implemented. In this architecture,

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


an MDA, ZDA and EDA will be implemented.

INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts | LAN-1160-EN | Page 22


In implementing this structured cabling design, the data
center will be segmented based on the logical topology
shown in Figure 6.1. The segmentation will be as follows:

1. Collapse the core switching LAN and SAN and


aggregation switching in the MDA area.
2. Segment the access layer into three zones (front-end,
application and back-end).
3. Segment the storage into a separate zone.

Each zone will use a middle-of-the-rack (MoR) Figure 6.2


interconnect solution for the cabling and within each Data Center Rack Layout | Drawing ZA-3540
zone, the EDAs will utilize a top-of-the-rack interconnect.
The EDAs will serve the electronics in each cabinet and
the ZDAs will serve the EDAs. The ZDAs will homerun
back to the MDA where they will terminate in a main Front-End
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
• Core Switching
• Aggregation Switching
Layer Zone
cross-connect (MC). This is shown in Figure 6.3. Server Cabinets • SAN Switching

Application
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Layer Zone
The next step is to determine the number of fibers that Server Cabinets

MC
are needed to implement this structured cabling solution. Back-End
Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

Two things the designer needs to take into account are: Server Cabinets

Storage
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Zone

1. Redundancy requirements for each section or zone Storage Cabinets


Main Distribution Area
(MDA)
2. Networking requirements
Figure 6.3
Many data centers are set up to have redundant cable Data Center Cabled Architecture | Drawing ZA-3541
routes to each zone area. An “A” and a “B” route are very
common in today’s infrastructure design. Redundancy in
the data center will increase the fiber count to each zone.

Networking requirements will also affect the fiber counts


in the data center. Many networking configurations will Up To 20 10GE Uplinks Per Switch
require redundant switches in each rack to reduce single
points of failure in the data center. Also the number
2x Switch
of upstream ports versus downstream ports (oversubscrip-
tion) will affect the fiber count.

As illustrated in the switch configuration shown in


Figure 6.4, this configuration calls for two switches on top
of the EDA cabinet. Each switch will feed 16 blade servers 32x 10GE
for a total of 32 “downstream” ports. The number of 2x Blade Server Chassis
“upstream” ports (fiber links back to the MDA) will With 16 Pass-Through
depend on how much the network engineers want to 10GE Connections
oversubscribe the switch. For example, to have a 1:1 over-
subscription, you would need 32 upstream ports to match
the 32 downstream ports. Table 6.3 shows the fiber counts
required for this configuration. 16x 10GE

Figure 6.4
Switch Configuration | Drawing ZA-3657

Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts | LAN-1160-EN | Page 23


TABLE 6.3: Oversubscription Ratios for 10G

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Oversubscription Ratio
10G Uplinks Per Switch Fiber Count Per Switch Fibers Per Rack
Per Switch

8:1 4 8 24

4:1 8 16 48

1.6:1 20 40 96

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Using Table 6.3 and applying a 1.6:1 oversubscription would
yield a fiber count configuration shown in Figure 6.4. Main Distribution Area
(MDA)
Front-End
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Layer Zone
Core “A” Core “B”
In Figure 6.5 each of the nine EDA cabinets require
96 fibers to support the oversubscription rate and the Application
Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

requirements for redundancy. Using 144-fiber trunk


cables yields three 144-fiber cables to Core A and three Back-End
Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

144-fiber cables to Core B. The same process would need


96F 96F 96F 96F 96F 96F 96F 96F
to be repeated for the other zones in this example. Storage
Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
3 x 144F 3 x 144F

The Future: 40G/100G Systems

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Migrating to the next generation of switches will require FigureFront-End
6.5
Main Distribution Area
(MDA)

careful planning for fiber counts. Advanced systems such Fiber Layer
CountZone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Configuration | Drawing ZA-3658 Core “A” Core “B”

as 40G Ethernet and 100G Ethernet will require thousands


of fibers for network connectivity. 40G Ethernet systems
will utilize a 12-fiber MPO-style (MTP®) connector as
the interface into the end electronics. A basic configuration
for a 40G switch may consist of 12 fibers per port and
16 ports per card (Figure 6.6).

If the designer replaces the 10G switches with 40G


switches, the fiber count would increase. Using the same 1

scenario as before (32 servers) and the same oversubscrip- 2

tion ratios as before, the fiber counts per rack increase.


3

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


4

Table 6.4 shows the fiber counts based on 40G. 5

Figure 6.6
Switch Configuration | Drawing ZA-3588
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts | LAN-1160-EN | Page 24


TABLE 6.4: Oversubscription Ratios for 40G
Oversubscription Ratio
40G Uplinks Per Switch Fiber Count Per Switch Fibers Per Rack
Per Switch
8:1 4 48 72

4:1 8 96 144

1.6:1 20 240 288

Using Table 6.4 and applying a 1.6:1 oversubscription would


yield the fiber count configuration shown in Figure 6.7. Main Distribution Area
(MDA)
Front-End
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Layer Zone
Core “A” Core “B”
In this example each of the nine EDA cabinets require
288 fibers to support the oversubscription rate of 1.6:1 Application
Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

and the requirements for redundancy. Using 144-fiber


trunk cables yields nine 144-fiber cables to Core A and Back-End
Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

nine 144-fiber cables to Core B.


288F 288F 288F 288F 288F 288F 288F 288F
Storage
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Zone 9 x 144F 9 x 144F

100G Ethernet systems will utilize a 24-fiber MTP®


Connector as the interface into the end electronics.
A basic configuration for a 100G switch may consist
Figure 6.7 Main Distribution Area
of 24 fibers per port and 16 ports per card. FiberFront-End
Count Configuration | Drawing ZA-3658
(MDA)
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

If the designer replaces the 10G switches with 100G


switches, the fiber count would increase. Using the same
oversubscription ratios as before, the fiber counts per rack
increase. Table 6.5 shows the fiber counts based on 100G.
Main Distribution Area
(MDA)
Front-End
Using Table 6.5 and applying a 1.6:1 oversubscription Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
Core “A” Core “B”

would yield a fiber count configuration shown in


Application
Figure 6.8. Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

Back-End
In this example, each of the nine EDA cabinets require Layer Zone
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

576 fibers to support the oversubscription rate of 1.6:1 576F 576F 576F 576F 576F 576F 576F 576F
Storage
EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
and the requirements for redundancy. Using 144-fiber Zone 18 x 144F 18 x 144F

trunk cables yields 18 144-fiber cables to Core A


and 18 144-fiber cables to Core B.
Figure 6.8
Fiber Count Configuration | Drawing ZA-3658

TABLE 6.5: Oversubscription Ratios for 100G


Oversubscription Ratio
100G Uplinks Per Switch Fiber Count Per Switch Fibers Per Rack
Per Switch
8:1 4 96 144

4:1 8 192 288

1.6:1 20 480 576

Chapter Six: Determining the Fiber Counts | LAN-1160-EN | Page 25


SECTION
3

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Deploying the Physical Infrastructure
Chapter Seven:
Choosing the Infrastructure Components

Preterminated Solutions

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


In commercial building installations, an optical fiber • A pre-assembled solution can increase the versatility and
cabling link is typically assembled in the field at the job productivity of the installation crew with fewer demands
site. The cable is pulled in from a reel of bulk cable, cut to on specialized tooling and installation skills.
length, attached to the patch panel housing and terminated
• An optical fiber link component can be completely assem-
with field-installable connectors on each end. The termi-
bled and tested prior to leaving the factory. Most of the
nated ends are then loaded into adapters in rack- or wall-
problems associated with the traditional field installation
mountable housings. Finally, the complete link is tested for
occur with the field connectorization and correct loading
continuity and attenuation.
of the connectors into the hardware. These problems are
Alternatives to the traditional implementation method greatly reduced with factory-terminated connectors.
are factory-terminated and pre-assembled solutions.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


The design and product selection process remains the same
The time-consuming steps of installation, such as cable
with selection and specification of fiber type, fiber count,
sheath removal, cable furcation, connector installation
cable type, connector type and hardware type appropriate
and hardware assembly, can be completed in the factory.
for the environment.
The complete package is shipped to the job site ready
for quick and easy installation. The following additional steps are required:
Preterminated cables and hardware are ideal for use in 1. Predetermine the installed link length.
data centers to enable utilization of high-density fiber ports.
In these applications and others, the benefit of a pre-assem- 2. Ensure that a connectorized cable end can be pulled
bled solution saves installation time, reduces system down- through the path (i.e., conduit) or space for the cable
time and provides a more flexible and scalable solution route. This must take into account the pulling grip size.
with high-quality factory terminations than traditional field Corning Cable Systems preterminated solutions are
installation methods.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


well-suited for the data center for the following reasons:
With little planning prior to ordering, preterminated • Denser optical networking solutions, free raised floor
solutions offer several advantages over the traditional and rack space
installation such as:
• Significantly faster installation times
• An optical fiber link can be quickly and easily installed.
This can be most advantageous for projects where system • Modular design for faster moves, adds and changes
downtime must be minimized or where disruption of the • Factory terminations
floor space cannot be tolerated. Hence, a pre-assembled
solution can be useful to have on hand for emergency 1. Consistent results from an ISO 9001 and TLQ9000
repairs or for the re-cabling of a facility that must remain certified factory
occupied and functional.
2. 100 percent factory tested
• A pre-assembled solution can be useful where cost
• Defined accountability, built-in compatibility
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

control of a project is most important. The completion


of many of the labor assembly steps at the factory can • Elimination of variability in material and installation costs
significantly reduce the variability of installation cost
in the field.

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 26


Standard-Density Solutions
When standard density requirements apply, Corning Cable
Systems recommends Plug & Play™ Universal Systems for
the effective implementation of a factory-pre-assembled
solution. Plug & Play Universal Systems integrate many of
Corning Cable Systems high-quality components, cables,

PUSH
connectors and hardware into a variety of preterminated,

TO REMOVE
pre-assembled and factory-tested solutions while seamlessly

Pull
managing polarity.

CONEC
MTP® Multi-Fiber Connector
Plug & Play Universal Systems utilize the MTP®
Connector. The MTP Connector is a multi-fiber array-style
connector that can accommodate up to 12 fibers in roughly Figure 7.1
the same size and footprint as an SC connector. It has a MTP Multi-fiber Connector | Drawing ZA-1572
single high-density footprint of 25 x 10 mm and features
simple push-on/pull-off mating. A general industry term
for this style of connector is MPO. This connector, which Plug & Play Systems Components
is used in both multimode and single-mode applications, Cable Trunk Assemblies
maximizes valuable panel and hardware space, ensuring A traditional Plug & Play Universal Systems trunk consists
high density. MTP Connectors are manufactured with of an optical cable with each end factory-terminated with
either alignment pins or with alignment holes to ensure MTP Connectors and a pulling grip on one or both ends.
proper alignment of the fibers. A connector with alignment Trunks are available in a variety of fiber types and typically
pins always mates with a connector with alignment holes. carry a plenum rating unless otherwise specified. When
(Figure 7.1). The MTP Connector offers: ordering Plug & Play Universal Systems trunks, the MTP
Connectors on both ends will have pin alignment holes.
• Up to 54 percent reduction in pathway congestion
This ensures that it will integrate with the remaining parts
of the system that have pins. It should be noted that MTP
• Modularity and scalability with a fiber count that maps
Connector panels have neither pins nor alignment holes, as
to current and future line-card port counts
they are connection points for various components of the
Plug & Play Universal Systems.
• Universal wiring and superior loss performance for
migration to higher data rates To successfully deploy a cable that is preterminated on both
ends, it is necessary to accurately predetermine the installed
link length. This can be relatively straightforward if well-
defined pathways and spaces exist for the cable route, which
is usually true for the data center environment.

If the route is less defined, preterminated cables can still


be utilized by specifying the trunk cables be longer than
the known length and planning for the storage of excess
cable loops.

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 27


Pulling Grips

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


The factory-terminated connectors on the Plug & Play™
Universal Systems trunk cables are protected with a
protective pulling grip (Figure 7.2). This grip is designed
to be installed by being hand-pulled through a duct, under a
raised floor and through a riser shaft or through a dropped
ceiling. The pulling grip is rated to a 100 lb tensile load.

In a data center environment, cable will be pulled through a


variety of pathways such as overhead trays, raised floor, conduit

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


and fiber troughs. The size of the pulling grip, the number of
turns in a pull and existing cable fill will dictate the maximum
size of the cable as well as the overall cable pull strategy. Figure 7.2
Plug & Play Universal Systems Pulling Grip with
The pulling grip comes in various outer diameters and Integrated Mounting Hardware | Photo LAN654
will accommodate single-fiber connectors and duplex small-
form-factor connectors, such as LC and MTP® Connectors.
When the grip is open, the connectors are in a protective
mesh. After the grip is populated with connectors, it is closed
and encased inside the black mesh netting that facilitates
pulling the cable. The grip has a tensile strength of 100 lb
that provides more than sufficient pull strength for most
hand-pull installation requirements.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Mounting features in the furcation plugs integrate the trunk
cable mounting into Corning Cable Systems hardware. The
design allows you to attach assemblies quickly into equipment
racks or cabinets with optional mounting brackets. It is
critical to reiterate that a designer must take into account the Figure 7.3
size of the pulling grip when determining conduit and other Plug & Play Hybrid Trunk, 144 fiber | Photo LAN801
constricting pathways.

Extender Trunks Hybrid Connector Trunks


Extender trunks are typically used to distribute portions, or and Hybrid Extender Trunks
all, of the fibers in a Plug & Play Universal Systems trunk to Plug & Play Universal Systems hybrid connector trunks

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


other areas of the infrastructure, such as in a zone distribution are terminated with MTP Connectors on one end of the
area (ZDA). The extender trunk interconnects to a standard trunk and discrete LC or SC connectors on the other end
Plug & Play Universal Systems trunk via an MTP Connector for applications requiring one end of the trunk to connect
adapter panel. An extender trunk physically differs from a directly into system equipment or patch panels. Storage
standard Plug & Play Universal Systems trunk in that it has devices, for example, are often stand-alone units that do
an MTP Connector with pins on one end and an MTP not have rack space for mounting patch panels. Additionally,
Connector with alignment holes on the other. The end with if floor space is not available to add a ZDA, the hybrid
pins mates to the standard Plug & Play Universal Systems connector trunk or extender trunk would be a viable option.
trunk, which has alignment holes to accept the alignment Hybrid trunks would plug into a module on the MTP
pins. The extender trunk extends the reach of the network by end and into electronics panel on the discrete fiber end.
acting like an extension cord. For example, the pinned end of The hybrid extender trunk would plug into a trunk on the
the extender trunk plugs into the alignment holes of a main MTP end and into electronics panel on discrete connector
trunk, while the alignment holes on the extender trunk’s end (Figure 7.3).
other connector plugs into a Plug & Play Universal Systems
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

module or harness that is pinned.

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 28


Modules
Plug & Play™ Universal Systems modules transition from the
MTP® Connector on the trunk cable to the discrete connec-
tors used in electronics. For example, if an LC duplex con-
nector is used on the edge switches, an MTP-to-LC duplex
module requires only one panel space in the hardware for up
to 24 fibers, utilizing that valuable real estate wisely by using
LC duplex connectors to double the capacity of the box
instantly (Figure 7.4).

Note: Polarity is discussed in detail in Chapter Eleven. Corning Cable Systems


Application Engineering Note 69, “Plug & Play Universal Systems” also
addresses polarity.

Integrated Trunk Module


The Integrated Trunk Module (ITM) is an innovative
design that incorporates the benefits of a module with
discrete connectors with the advantage of an integrated Figure 7.4
Plug & Play Universal Systems Module | Photo LAN1797
trunk cable. Figure 7.5 shows the module in detail. The
Integrated Trunk Module is a preterminated 12-fiber MTP
Connector trunk assembly integrated into a Plug & Play
Universal Systems module. The trunk cable stored within
the module is easily deployed to an exact length, so precise
pre-planning of cable length is not required. It is ideal for
the zone distribution area in a large data center as it pro-
vides a quick and convenient method for deploying and/or
re-deploying optical connectivity. In a small data center, it
is perfect for connecting the main distribution area to the
system equipment cabinets.

Harnesses
Like modules, harnesses allow the user to maintain
modularity with a system solution implemented by
providing a transition from the MTP Connectors used on Figure 7.5
the trunk or extender trunk cables to single- or dual-fiber Integrated Trunk Module | Photo LAN1680
connectors. A harness is a cable assembly with a multi-fiber
pinned MTP Connector on one end and simplex or duplex
connectors at the ends of up-jacketed legs.

Rather than terminate the end of a trunk into a module,


the trunk is interconnected to a harness through an MTP
Connector adapter panel. The individual connectors at
the opposite end of the harness assembly can be plugged
directly into equipment or into patch panels, with patch
cords used to provide connectivity to equipment (Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.6
Harness | Photo LAN1371

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 29


Patch Cords

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Patch cords can be purchased with various options for the
fiber and connectors used. In a data center installation that
is implemented with structured cabling in mind, patch cords
or jumpers should only be used to provide connectivity
between end equipment and trunk cables, or cross-connec-
tions between trunk cables. Long-length patch cords should
not be used as the primary method to install cabling between
pieces of equipment located in various areas of the data
center. This is because the type of cable used in patch
Figure 7.7

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


cords is a lighter construction than distribution cables
PCH-M3-01U | Photo LAN994
and cannot stand up to the heavy usage environment of
under-floor raceway or overhead ladder racks.

Hardware
In addition to the modular cabling components of the
Plug & Play™ Universal Systems solution, hardware choices
for the data center must be considered. Typically the main
distribution area is very dense and requires a higher-density
rack-mount solution. When implementing structured cabling
within a zone distribution area, a low-profile solution is
desirable within a rack. Other zone locations include above
the rack in the cable tray or below the rack underneath

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


a raised floor. Figure 7.8
PCH-02U | Photo LAN1008

For a cabinet or rack solution, Corning Cable Systems


recommends the Pretium® Connector Housing (PCH)
(Figures 7.7, 7.8 and 7.9) or the dense 1U 96-fiber shelf
(Figure 7.10). The PCH is available in rack heights of 1U,
2U and 4U. The PCH includes an additional four inches of
depth for increased slack storage space inside the housings,
as well as a 1U integrated horizontal jumper management
for the PCH-04U. The 96-fiber shelf comes configured
specifically for LC duplex connections.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


Figure 7.9
PCH-04U | Photo LAN1399

INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 7.10
1U 96-Fiber Shelf | Photo LAN1248

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 30


For an overhead or sub-floor zone distribution solution,
Corning Cable Systems offers the Fiber Zone Box (FZB-
04U) which provides module capacity and/or up to 12-panel
capacity. The FZB-04U fits through a standard 2 x 2 ft floor
or ceiling tile (for overhead installations). In either solution,
the Fiber Zone Box provides a space for the interconnection
of cabling, via modules or panels. The FZB-04U accepts up
to 4U of 19-in rack-mountable equipment inside it, allowing
for combining copper patch panels in the same housing as
fiber patch panels (Figure 7.11).

Another type of hardware to use when space is a concern is


a low-profile bracket that can be integrated into equipment
cabinets that accept modules or panels, such as the
RBC-02P or CPP-01U-PNL (Figures 7.12 and 7.13).

Figure 7.11
Fiber Zone Box with Blank Panels | Photo LAN589

Figure 7.12
RBC-02P with Module | Photo LAN1208

Figure 7.13
CPP-01U-PNL Low-Profile Bracket | Photo LAN1361

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 31


INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS
Figure 7.15
Pretium OM3 Jumper | Photo LAN1528

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Figure 7.14 Figure 7.16A
Pretium EDGE Solutions | Photo LAN1740 Trunk Pulling Grip | Photo LAN1569

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


High-Density Solutions
When high density is a requirement, Corning Cable Systems recommends
Pretium EDGE™ Solutions. Pretium EDGE Solutions, a complement to
the Plug & Play™ Universal Systems product family, provides increased
system density when compared to traditional preterminated systems and
offers the highest port density currently in the market. Custom engineered
components enable simple integration into common storage area network
(SAN) directors, while the preterminated components allow for reduced
installation time, as well as faster moves, adds and changes (MACs). Figure 7.16B

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


144-Fiber Trunk Cable | Photo LAN1568

Factory-terminated solutions including both Plug & Play Systems and


Pretium EDGE Solutions provide improved system performance, ensure
component compatibility and yield consistent quality. Pretium EDGE
Solutions consist of optical trunks, extender trunks, modules, harnesses, Standard Plug & Play Systems Furcation
housings and jumpers. Enabled by reduced cable diameters and Corning®
ClearCurve® multimode optical fiber (Figure 7.15), the trunks and extender
trunks have an innovative pulling grip to increase the speed of deployment
while offering superior protection of the assembly (Figure 7.16A and
7.16B). Trunk furcation is smaller than its predecessor (Figure 7.17) and
easily integrates inside the hardware via a cradle to create a rapid one-hand Pretium EDGE Solutions Furcation
strain-relief system.
Figure 7.17
Trunk Furcation Comparison | Photo LAN1551
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 32


The universally wired modular system components enable
fast and simple networking moves, adds and changes
with none of the polarity concerns associated with special
polarity-compensating components.

Pretium EDGE™ Solutions Components


Trunk Cables
Pretium EDGE Solutions trunk cables (Figure 7.18A) utilize
the MTP® Connector and support 12 to 144 fibers. Pretium
EDGE Solutions result in up to 65 percent space savings.

Five to six times the fiber tray capacity can be achieved over
traditional bulkier cabling solutions while minimizing cable
tray weight and cooling air impediment. The trunk cables
contain Corning® ClearCurve® multimode optical fiber,
which enables a bend-radius of five times the cable outside Figure 7.18A
diameter and allows for smaller slack storage coils or loops. Pretium EDGE Solution Trunk, 12-Fiber | Photo LAN1548
The cables feature a 2.9 mm round furcation leg which
provides easy routing and improved slack storage.

Pretium EDGE Solutions trunks feature a furcation plug


design that offers stress-free strain-relief of the cable, and
a small-profile furcation plug allows installation of all fiber
counts inside a 1U housing.

All trunks are shipped with appropriate strain-relief brackets


for integrating into Pretium EDGE Solutions housings.
The trunk furcation features a transition boot for smooth
transition out of rack/floor hardware. The pulling grip allows
the trunk to be easily installed around the corners of tray and
ladder racks, while its robust design allows the trunk to be
pulled through conduit using up to 100 lb of pulling tension
while providing complete protection for the connectors.
All trunks are packaged on a plastic corrugated reel for
easy installation. This reel can be easily broken down for Figure 7.18B
Pretium EDGE Solutions Trunk Reel | Photo LAN1567
cost-effective disposal (Figure 7.18B).

Pretium EDGE Solutions trunks have been tested and meet


the skew criteria to ensure the system is 100G Ready.

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 33


Extender Trunks

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Pretium EDGE™ Solutions extender trunks are used to
extend the Pretium EDGE Solutions trunk cables from a
zone consolidation area. For example, a high-fiber-count
trunk can be deployed from a main distribution area
(MDA) to a zone distribution area (ZDA). Smaller-fiber-
count extender trunks can then be utilized to distribute
fiber into multiple cabinets within a row. Network design-
ers can build the backbone cable (trunks) to full capacity
by utilizing this design. As equipment is added, extender

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


trunks are deployed. This ensures that the core data center
will experience very little of the disruption normally
associated with point-to-point design philosophy.

Extender trunks are manufactured with pinned MTP®


Connectors on one end of the cable trunk and non-pinned Figure 7.19
MTP Connectors on the other end. The pinned MTP Pretium EDGE Solutions Module | Photo LAN1542
Connectors mate with the non-pinned connectors of the
Pretium EDGE Solutions trunk and the non-pinned MTP
Connectors are plugged into the Pretium EDGE Solutions
module or harness.

Modules

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Pretium EDGE Solutions modules are used to break
out the 12-fiber MTP Connectors terminated on trunk
cables into LC connectors to facilitate patching into
system equipment ports, patch panels or work area outlets.
The 12-fiber module features LC port adapters across
the front and an MTP Connector adapter in the back
Figure 7.20
(Figure 7.19). A factory-terminated and -tested optical Trunk Installation into Pretium EDGE Solutions Modules
fiber assembly inside the module connects the front | Photo LAN1751
adapters to the back MTP Connector adapter.

Pretium EDGE Solutions modules are housed at the front


of the housing and may be installed or removed from

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


either the front or rear. This results in faster installation
by allowing a technician to strain-relieve the trunk, route
trunk legs, plug the MTP Connector into the module
and install the module into the housing all from one side
of the cabinet row.

INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 34


The module features an LC shuttered adapter, so there is no
need for dust caps, which can be lost. Unlike other shuttered
adapters on the market, this adapter is VFL compatible.
The innovative design diffuses the red VFL light, allowing
easy visualization of port identification without needing to
manually open each shutter (Figure 7.21).

The diffusion property of the door material also provides


laser safety for the technician. This revolutionary inward
opening design also allows for a single-hand LC duplex
operation, while its concave shutter door ensures there is Figure 7.21
no contact with the connector end face during installation. VFL-Compatible Shutter | Photo LAN1545
Pretium EDGE™ Solutions modules are packaged in an
easy-open plastic container to facilitate bulk packaging for
reduced waste during data center installation (Figure 7.22).

The use of Pretium EDGE Solutions modules in the data


center offers the advantage of greater manageability and
flexibility with a modular infrastructure. As future connec-
tivity requirements change, modules can be easily exchanged
to meet those needs, while leaving the existing trunk cable
infrastructure in place. The MTP® Connector backplane
allows for future upgradeability to parallel optics.

Figure 7.22
Module in Easy-Open Plastic Packaging | Photo LAN1543

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 35


Harnesses

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Pretium EDGE™ Solutions harnesses are used to break out
the 12-fiber MTP® Connectors terminated on trunk cables
into LC connectors (Figure 7.23). With a pinned MTP
Connector on one end that connects to a Pretium EDGE
Solutions trunk, the other end is equipped with LC-style
uniboot connectors that plug into electronic ports. The use
of harnesses provides a solution that occupies less space than
traditional jumpers, as the cable end of the harness is much
smaller than six equivalent patch cords. This reduced cabling
Figure 7.23

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


bulk improves airflow for increased cooling and facilitates
Pretium EDGE Solutions Harnesses | Photo LAN1554
easier moves, adds and changes (MACs).

Utilizing 12-fiber MTP and LC uniboot connector


technology, the Pretium EDGE Solutions harnesses reduce
cable congestion in front of the SAN director for easy
MACs. The harnesses feature a custom-engineered taper
to match the port pitch in the electronics to provide
seamless integration between the cabling infrastructure
and electronics. Furcation plugs can be snapped together
to maximize harness organization in front of the electronic
ports, and they contain an integrated Velcro strap hoop to
improve the cabling aesthetics of the densest SAN directors

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Figure 7.24
(Figure 7.24). Pretium EDGE Solutions Harnesses Installed in Electronics
| Photo LAN1536
Pretium EDGE Solutions harnesses are available in two
lengths. Short harnesses allow for minimal cable slack when
placing the electronics adjacent to the housing containing
the MTP Connector interconnect panels. Longer harness
legs allow flexibility to mount the hardware and electronics
anywhere within the same cabinet, and the MTP Connector
leg slack can be stored in the vertical manager.

MTP Connector Panels


Pretium EDGE Solutions MTP Connector panels are

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


used to provide a convenient interconnect point between
the trunk cables and harness or trunks and extender trunks. Figure 7.25
The panels are available with two or four MTP adapters, Pretium EDGE Solutions MTP Connector Panels, 24-Fiber
| Photo LAN1546
providing interconnect for 24 or 48 fibers (Figure 7.25 and
7.26). Pretium EDGE Solutions MTP Connector panels
are housed within the front of the 1U or 4U housings. The
panels may be installed or removed from either the front
or rear direction. The MTP Connector backplane allows
for future upgradeability to parallel optics. Pretium EDGE
Solutions MTP Connector panels are packaged in a recy-
clable easy-open plastic container to facilitate bulk packag-
ing for reduced waste during data center installation.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 7.26
Pretium EDGE Solutions MTP Connector Panels, 48-Fiber
| Photo LAN1795

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 36


Figure 7.27
Pretium EDGE Solutions 4U Housing | Photo LAN1564

Housings
Pretium EDGE™ Solutions housings are available in both
1U and 4U sizes and mount in 19-in racks or cabinets.
Combined with Pretium EDGE Solutions trunks, modules
and jumpers, they provide industry-leading high-density
connectivity, with a port density of 576 fibers within a single
4U housing (Figure 7.27). The housings are highly config-
urable to meet the dynamic connectivity environments of
both the main distribution area (MDA) and equipment
distribution area (EDA) locations in the data center.

In the MDA, the Pretium EDGE Solutions housing provides


a cross-connect for first level backbone cables, entrance
cables and equipment cables. In the EDA, the housing is an Figure 7.28
Pretium EDGE Solutions Housing, Rear View | Photo LAN1746
interconnect to system equipment (such as SAN switches,
servers and IP switches). This allows for the effortless addi-
tion of groups of switches, storage devices or servers with its
modular design. The housing also accommodates the mixing
and matching of multiple Pretium EDGE Solutions modules
and panels within one chassis.

The 4U housing contains 12 individually sliding trays and


the 1U housing contains two trays. Each tray can accommo-
date as many as four 12-fiber modules, resulting in improved
finger access to connectors and allowing for individual access
without compromising the optical connectivity of other
ports. This feature leads to fast and simple moves, adds
and changes of port configurations. Each sliding tray can
accommodate any of the following port configurations:

• Four Pretium EDGE Solutions 12-fiber modules that can


be installed from the front or the rear of the housing.

• Four Pretium EDGE Solutions MTP® adapter panels. Figure 7.29


Cable Entry into Pretium EDGE Solutions Housing | Photo LAN1747

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 37


Front jumper management guides on each tray allow for

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


jumpers to be routed to the left or right (Figures 7.30 and
7.31). External jumper routing guides facilitate proper slack
management to ensure drawer movement. These guides
are designed at the pivot point between the extreme drawer
positions. Industry-leading port labeling is available on the
rear side of the housing’s front door, and each housing
includes mounting plug receptacle areas at the rear, which
enable fast and easy installation and strain-relief of Pretium
EDGE™ Solutions trunk cables. Brush cable entry makes

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


trunk entry quick and easy.

Jumpers
Corning Cable Systems offers the most complete line of Figure 7.30
Pretium EDGE Solutions External Jumpers | Photo LAN1783
connectors and factory-terminated cables, including jumpers
that meet or exceed all industry standards for reflectance and
insertion loss. Corning Cable Systems’ advanced, state-of-
the-art manufacturing process ensures unsurpassed jumper
performance. Fibers and ferrules are thoroughly screened at
the beginning of every process, assembled and polished in
a carefully monitored and controlled process, and tested to
ensure the same outstanding quality in every connector.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Pretium EDGE Solutions jumpers (Figure 7.32) are highly
flexible, easily routed assemblies that use a small-diameter
2-fiber interconnect cable to improve the management
of high-density applications. Containing bend-insensitive
multimode and single-mode fiber, the jumpers are
designed to withstand tight bends and challenging cable
routes. Pretium EDGE Solutions jumpers improve bend Figure 7.31
Pretium EDGE Solutions External Jumpers | Photo LAN1732
tolerance without sacrificing critical bandwidth capability
or requiring any adjustments to standard field installation
or maintenance procedures.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 7.32
Pretium EDGE Solutions Jumper | Photo LAN1547

Chapter Seven: Choosing the Infrastructure Components | LAN-1160-EN | Page 38


Chapter Eight:
Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal

This section will discuss how to choose the proper Generic Specification Example:
specifications needed to create a good request for proposal Pretium EDGE™ Solutions
(RFP). The RFP process is an important step in insuring Corning Cable Systems reserves the right to update these
that the data center designer procures the proper product. specifications without prior notification.
The steps needed to implement an RFP are:
Pretium EDGE Solutions: General
1. Pre-work Pretium EDGE Solutions include factory-terminated
Figure out what you really need, what you want, and system components that can be quickly mated to form
what is possible for the data center design. an end-to-end optical link between patching locations
2. Distinguish between needs and wants and/or equipment ports. Pretium EDGE Solutions are
Use proper wording to make sure you can separate high-density system solutions with reduced installation time.
“needs and wants.”
3. Decide what the winner will look like • Pretium EDGE Solutions are modular solutions with
Each RFP response will be different. Each company fiber trunks terminated with 12-fiber MTP® Array
that responds will have different strengths. Connectors that mate at each end to a transition harness
4. Organize the document or transition module. Harnesses are cable assemblies
Make sure the document has a logical flow and that that transition from a 12-fiber MTP Array Connector
the points are clear. to single-fiber connectors. Modules have an identical
5. Introduction configuration and they are protected in a modular case.
Explain to potential bidders why you are publishing Modular system solutions offer a greater degree of
the RFP. flexibility in managing equipment moves, adds, or
6. Requirements changes. An example of this type of system is given
This section is the most important and it usually takes in Figure 8.1.
the most time. Make good use of generic specifications
(see examples in this chapter) to help you write correct Pretium EDGE MTP-terminated
Module Trunk Cable
requirements. Optional
Transceiver MTP-terminated
7. Selection criteria LC Duplex
Patch Cord
Extender Trunk

In this section you tell the bidders how the winning Rx/Tx
bidder will be selected. MTP to LC Duplex
Transceiver
8. Timelines Harness

This section tells companies who want to bid on your Tx/Rx

RFP how quickly they must act and how long the
Figure 8.1
process may take. This is also where you tell the Modular Pretium EDGE Solutions Connected to Transceiver
bidders how long the evaluation process will take. Ports with Jumpers and Harnesses | Drawing ZA-3667
9. Process
In this section you explain how the process will work- To maintain proper system polarity, components shall be
from sending out the RFP to awarding the contract specified to comply with universal wiring as described in
and starting the work. Chapter 11 for new builds.
10. Decide how to send out the RFP
Most RFPs are mailed, but you can send the RFP Insertion loss specifications of individual components
by e-mail or post it on your company website. represent the expected performance when mated to other
11. Decide to whom to send the RFP system components of like specification.
Your company’s list of acceptable vendors.
12. Send the RFP

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 39
Trunk Specifications and Options • A tool-less snap-on device shall be used to secure the

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Trunk Function and Construction trunk into the hardware. There shall be three types of
• The operational temperature range for trunks shall snap-on devices depending on fiber trunk count and
be -10° to +60°C. application. For low-fiber-count trunks (12 through
• Trunks shall be all-dielectric construction. 36 fibers), single and double stack snap-on devices shall
• Trunks shall be constructed with MTP® Connectors be offered. The double stack snap-on devices allow you
at both ends. to secure twice the trunk density within the hardware.
• Trunk fiber count shall be specified as 12, 24, 36, 48, Single stack snap-on devices shall be available for trunks
72, 96, or 144. with fiber counts greater than 36.
• Trunks shall be furcated (subdivided) into 12-fiber legs • Trunk furcation plugs shall provide a mounting point
(subunits). Standard leg length shall be 33 in +3/-0 in. for a protective pulling grip and shall be capable of

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


• Trunk length shall be specified as the distance between sustaining the rated tensile load of 100 lbs.
furcation points at each end of the cable and shall not • Trunk furcation plugs shall incorporate mechanically
be inclusive of the length of the legs at each end. designed features that allow securing the trunks inside
• Trunk furcation plugs shall consist of a molded outer or outside a connector housing.
shell filled with an epoxy encapsulant. • The trunk components shall be RoHS compliant.
• The furcation plugs shall be square in order to facilitate • Trunk cables shall be manufactured with ultra-bendable
plug rotation in 90 degree increments. This feature fiber and meet the fiber performance mentioned in
allows mounting the trunk into the hardware in any Table 8.2.
orientation and avoids standing torsional forces applied • The trunk cable shall have a minimum bend-radius of
to the cable.
five times the cable’s outside diameter.
• There shall be two plug sizes depending on the fiber
• The trunk cable shall meet the application requirements
count trunk. Trunks with 12 to 36 fibers shall be
of the National Electric Code® (NEC® Article 770)
constructed with a size 1 plug. The size 1 plug

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


OFNP and FT-6 listed for plenum.
dimensions shall be 14.7 mm x 14.7 mm x 108.6 mm.
• The trunk cable shall meet the outer diameters specified
The plug shall have a saddled area with dimensions of
in Table 8.1.
11.5 mm x 11.5 mm x 46 mm in order to accommodate
a field-installable snap-on device to secure the plug into
the hardware. Trunks with 48 to 144 fibers shall be
constructed with a size 2 plug. The size 2 plug TABLE 8.1: Trunk Cable Outer Diameter
dimension shall be 20 mm x 20 mm x 108.6 mm.
Fiber Trunk Count Trunk Cable OD (mm)
The plug shall have a saddled area with dimensions of 12 4.8
16.8 mm x 16.8 mm x 46.6 mm in order to accommodate 24 6.4
a field-installable snap-on device to secure the plug into 36 7.0
the hardware. 48 7.6
• The trunk shall incorporate a flexible boot at the back of 72 9.8
the epoxy plug, in order to provide a uniformly smooth 96 10.4

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


transition between the plug and the trunk cable. 144 11.5

TABLE 8.2: Available Fiber Types, Optical Specifications, Jacket Colors for Trunks
Multimode Single-Mode
Pretium® 300 Ultra-Bendable Pretium 500 Ultra-Bendable Bend-Improved Single-
Priority
Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Mode (1310/1550 nm)
Fiber Attenuation,
3.0/1.0 3.0/1.0 0.4/0.3
max (dB/km)
Minimum Over Filled Launch
1500/500 3500/500 -/-
(OFL) Bandwidth (MHz•km)
Minimum Effective Modal
2000/- 4700/- -/-
Bandwidth (EMB) (MHz•km)
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Jacket Color Aqua Aqua Yellow

Notes:
1) As predicted by RML BW, per TIA/EIA 455-204 and IEC 60793-1-41, for intermediate performance laser-based systems (up to 1 Gb/s).
2) As predicted by minEMBc, per TIA/EIA 455-220 and IEC 60793-1-49 for high-performance laser-based systems (up to 10 Gb/s).

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 40
TABLE 8.3: Pulling Grip Specifications – MTP®-Terminated Trunks
Recommended Minimum
Cable Type/Fiber Count Grip Outer Diameter (in) Duct Size/Minimum Bend-Radius

12-36 Fibers 1.6 2.5-in with 18-in elbow


48-144 Fibers 2.15 3.0-in with 18-in elbow

• The trunk legs shall be round and have a 2.9 mm outer Trunk Protective Pulling Grips and Covers
diameter with no preferential bend for easy routing. • Both ends of a trunk shall have a protective packaging
• Trunks shall meet the connector performance over the furcation plug, legs, and connectors. Customer
specifications of TIA/EIA-568-C.3, Optical Fiber may specify a protective pulling grip on one end, both
Cabling Components Standard, (normative) Annex A. ends, or neither end.
• Pulling grips shall be fastened to the epoxy furcation
Trunk Fiber Types, Optical Specifications, plug in a manner that isolates the cable assembly
and Jacket Color components (connectors and legs) from tension, torsion,
• Available fiber types and their optical performance crush, and bending loads encountered when following
specifications shall be as indicated in Table 8.2. recommended installation practices.
• Trunk jacket color shall be as indicated in Table 8.2. • Pulling grips shall withstand a maximum pulling force
of 100 lbs.
Trunk Connectivity • Trunk pulling grip diameter and minimum allowable
• Where modular trunks are specified, connectors shall be bend-radius shall be as indicated in Table 8.3.
MTP having 12 fibers per ferrule. • The pulling grip shall be a three components design.
• MTP-terminated primary trunks shall have non-pinned The components include a zipper bag, a corrugated
MTP Connectors on both ends. tube and two coupling shelves that allow quick and easy
• MTP-terminated extender trunks shall have pinned removal of the pulling grip.
MTP Connectors on the end to be interconnected with a
primary trunk and non-pinned MTP Connectors on the Trunk Packaging
other end. • The trunk shall be packaged in a corrugated plastic reel.
The trunk shall be secured to the reel with shrink wrap.
• The plastic reel shall be constructed with 100%
recyclable polypropylene material.
• The reel shall have the dimensions and capacities shown
in Table 8.4.
TABLE 8.4: Reel Capacity and Dimensions
Reel Capacities (ft)
Trunk Fiber Count Reel A Reel B Reel C
12 5-999
24 5-999
36 5-999
48 5-800 801-999
72 5-450 451-999
96 5-400 401-999
144 5-300 301-800 801-999
Reel Dimensions (in)
Reel A Reel B Reel C
Flange Diameter 23.5 23.5 23.5
Drum Diameter 15.68 15.68 15.68
Traverse Width 5 12 18

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 41
Harness Specifications and Options Harness Fiber Types and Optical Specifications

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Harness Function and Construction • Available fiber types and their optical performance
• Harnesses shall be 12-fiber cable assemblies used as a specifications shall be as indicated in Table 8.5.
transition between MTP®-terminated trunk legs and end
equipment ports or patch panels. Harness Connectivity
• Harnesses MTP Cable shall be plenum-rated. • Harnesses shall be terminated with a pinned MTP
• The harness shall provide a means to transition from Connector and legs shall be terminated with duplex
MTP Connectors to LC duplex connectors. The break- LC uniboot style connectors.
out legs shall use a single two-fiber non-preferential bend
2.0 mm cable terminated with duplex LC connectors and Jumper Specification

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


share a single boot. Jumper Function and Construction
• The harness breakout point shall be a molded epoxy plug. • The jumper shall be a 2-fiber cable assembly used as a
• The harness epoxy plug shall include a feature that allows transition between the LC side of a harness or module
mating two harnesses together in order to dress the fibers and end equipment ports.
in an aesthetically pleasant manner. A hook-and-loop • Jumper shall be plenum-rated.
strap shall be provided with every harness in order to • Jumper shall have LC duplex connectors and share a
secure the harnesses together. single boot for both connectors.
• Harness shall be color coded according to Table 8.5. • The boot shall have an overall length from the connector
• Specific breakout leg lengths and overall harness length to the boot of 2.02 in.
shall be tailored to meet the following equipment port • The jumper shall be constructed with a single 2 mm
layout as indicated below. round cable with no preferential bend that allows easy
- Cisco 9513/9509/9506 LC stagger. routing and reduces jumper congestion in the housings
- Brocade 48000/DCX-4S LC stagger and vertical managers.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


- Cisco Nexus 7010/7018 LC stagger
- Universal LC leg length of 6 in. Jumper Fiber Types and Optical Specifications.
• The harness shall be available with 7 ft cable length • Available fiber types and their optical performance
(tail) for adjacent mounting of hardware and SAN specifications shall be as indicated in Table 8.5.
Director and 10 ft cable length for flexible mounting
options within the cabinet.
• Harness length shall be measured from the MTP
Connector to the end of the furcation point.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


TABLE 8.5: Components Optical Specifications - Available Fiber Types, Colors
Multimode Single-Mode
®
Pretium 300 Ultra-Bendable Pretium 500 Ultra-Bendable Bend-Improved Single-
Priority
Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Mode (1310/1550 nm)
Fiber Attenuation,
3.0/1.0 3.0/1.0 0.4/0.3
max (dB/km)
Minimum Over Filled Launch
1500/500 3500/500 -/-
(OFL) Bandwidth (MHz•km)
Minimum Effective Modal
2000/- 4700/- -/-
Bandwidth (EMB) (MHz•km)
Jacket Color Aqua Aqua Yellow
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Breakout Leg Colors Jacketed Same as Jacket

Notes:
1) As predicted by RML BW, per TIA/EIA 455-204 and IEC 60793-1-41, for intermediate performance laser-based systems (up to 1 Gb/s).
2) As predicted by minEMBc, per TIA/EIA 455-220 and IEC 60793-1-49 for high performance laser-based systems (up to 10 Gb/s).

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 42
TABLE 8.6: Modules - Available Fiber Types, Optical Specifications, Adapter Colors
Multimode Single-Mode
Pretium® 300 Ultra-Bendable Pretium 500 Ultra-Bendable Bend-Improved Single-
Priority
Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Mode (1310/1550 nm)
Fiber Attenuation,
3.0/1.0 3.0/1.0 0.4/0.3
max (dB/km)
Minimum Over Filled Launch
1500/500 3500/500 -/-
(OFL) Bandwidth (MHz•km)
Minimum Effective Modal
2000/- 4700/- -/-
Bandwidth (EMB) (MHz•km)
Adapter Color
LC Aqua Aqua Blue
MTP Aqua Aqua Black
Notes:
1) As predicted by RML BW, per TIA/EIA 455-204 and IEC 60793-1-41, for intermediate performance laser-based systems (up to 1 Gb/s).
2) As predicted by minEMBc, per TIA/EIA 455-220 and IEC 60793-1-49 for high-performance laser-based systems (up to 10 Gb/s).

Adapter Panel Specification • Modules shall contain one 12-fiber cable assembly
Adapter Panel Function and Construction within a protective housing.
• Panels shall meet the following dimensions • Modules shall have shutter LC adapters at the front.
4.87 in x 3.53 in x 0.463 in (L x W x H). • Modules shall be dimensionally compatible with Pretium
• Panels shall provide a means for joining MTP®- EDGE Solutions rack-mountable connector housings.
terminated trunks entering the back of an MTP adapter • The small form module shall meet the following
panel to a pinned MTP-terminated extender trunk or dimensions 4.87 in x 3.53 in x 0.463 in (L x W x H).
harness entering at the front of the panel. It shall provide a high-density solution when loaded into
• Panels shall be dimensionally compatible with Corning the 01U and 04U Pretium EDGE Solutions housings.
Cable Systems LANscape® Pretium EDGE™ Solutions • Modules shall permit front and rear installation into
rack-mountable connector housings. the Pretium EDGE Solutions housings.
• Panel design shall permit front and rear installation into • When uninstalling a module from the back, a rear
the Pretium EDGE Solutions housings. accessible retention trigger and finger handle must be
present in order to facilitate this operation. An I.D.
Module Specifications and Options and warranty seal label shall be affixed to every module.
Module Function and Construction • When mounted in a connector housing, the adapter
• Modules shall provide a means for joining MTP- sleeves shall be accessible from the front, thus providing
terminated trunks entering the back of an appropriately a cross-connection point with other modules.
designed connector housing to LC jumpers or cables • Modules shall contain discrete fiber and port
entering the front of the housing. identification. This fiber and port identification shall
be pad printed on top and bottom of the modules.

TABLE 8.7: Components Optical Specifications - Available Fiber Types


Insertion Loss, max (dB)*

Multimode Single-Mode
Pretium 300 Ultra-Bendable Pretium 500 Ultra-Bendable Bend-Improved Single-
Priority
Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Optimized 50 µm (850/1300 nm) Mode (1310/1550 nm)
MTP Mated Pair Loss 0.35 0.35 0.75

LC Mated Pair Loss 0.15 0.15 0.5

Module Loss 0.5 0.5 1.3

*Insertion loss specifications when mated to other system components of a like performance specification.

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 43
Module Connectivity • Extender trunks shall have both MTP Connectors

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


• Cable assemblies within modules shall be terminated with installed in the Standard Ribbon Position.
MTP® Pinned Connector at the back and LC connector • Modules and harnesses shall contain MTP Connectors
at the front. in the Standard Ribbon Position.
• Each module shall contain 12 fiber terminations. • Modules shall have polarity-managed fiber routing as
• All connectors shall be inside the module but shall be shown in Figure 8.2.
accessible for mating through adapter sleeves mounted • Harnesses shall have polarity-managed fiber routing
through the wall of the module. within a furcation plug as shown in Figure 8.3.
• Module shall have a self-retracting shutter adapter
mechanism that allows a single hand operation.

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


• The shutter adapter shall eliminate the need to remove
and re-install dust caps. The shutter adapter shall be VFL
compatible. The adapter sleeves shall be color coded as
indicated in Table 8.6.

Module Fiber Types and Optical Specifications


• Available fiber types and their optical performance MTP Key-up MTP
with Reverse Key-down
specifications shall be as indicated in Table 8.6. Ribbon
Positioning
• Module insertion loss performance shall be as indicated Guide
in Table 8.7. Pin

Identical
Universal
Modules
Module packaging
• The modules shall be packaged in blister packs. Simplex/Duplex Fiber

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


The blister pack’s overall dimensions shall be
4 3/4 in x 3/4 in x 7 3/16 in. Figure 8.2
• The blister packs shall have the ability to be stored Universal Wiring Scheme – Modules on Both Ends
| Drawing ZA-3591
in a box or be hung when using hook merchandising
storage device.
• The plastic reel shall be constructed with 100 percent
recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material.

Components Insertion Loss Specifications


All components shall meet the maximum insertion loss
values indicated in Table 8.7.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


Universal Polarity Management System MTP Key-up MTP
with Reverse Key-down
Trunks, modules and harnesses shall follow the fiber Ribbon
Positioning
routing schematic of Figure 8.2 and Figure 8.3.
Guide
• Standard ribbon position is defined as having the end Pin

face of the blue fiber on the left of the MTP Connector Universal
Module
as the MTP end face is viewed in the key-up position. Universal
Harness
• Reverse ribbon position is defined as having the end face Simplex/Duplex
Furcation
Fiber Terminations
of the blue fiber on the right of the MTP Connector as Plug

the MTP end face is viewed in the key-up position.


• Keys schematically represented in the down position are Figure 8.3
drawn with a dashed line. Universal Wiring Scheme – Harness on One End
| Drawing ZA-3592
• All MTP Connectors shall mate key-up to key-down.
• Primary trunks shall have MTP Connectors on one end
oriented in the standard ribbon position and MTP Notes:
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Connectors on the other end oriented in the reverse 1) All MTP Connectors shall be installed in standard ribbon position
ribbon position. except as noted.
2) Extender trunk shown in upper right corner is optional.

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 44
Generic Specification for 1U Pretium EDGE™ • The trays shall be manufactured using 18-gauge cold
Solutions Housing rolled steel or equivalent for structural integrity and
Rack-Mountable Connector Housings shall be finished with reflective silver powder coat for
Rack-mountable connector housings shall be available for durability.
cross-connecting or interconnecting purposes. • The trays shall slide 3.6 in to the front in order to
provide appropriate finger access to the connectors and
Standards modules. The tray shall have a closed and open position
• Housings shall be mountable in an EIA-310 compatible with their respective mechanical stops.
465 mm (18.3 in) rack. One EIA rack space or panel • The Pretium EDGE Solutions hardware shall provide
height (denoted as 1U) is defined as being 44.45 mm access to each adapter port with no interference of
(1.75 in) in height. adjacent ports. In addition the accessibility to the
connectors shall be tool-less.
1U Housing • The trays shall have a cut-out in front of each module
• Housings shall be available in a 1U size. location in order to provide accessibility from the top
• The housing shall be modular, allowing the installation and bottom of adapters and modules.
of 12-fiber Pretium EDGE™ modules in order to provide • The trays shall incorporate rails to facilitate front and
scalability in increments of 12 fibers. The maximum rear module installation while providing a locking
housing density shall be 96 fibers when it is fully loaded mechanism that secures the module in place.
with modules. • The trays shall have protruding finger tabs on the sides
• The unit shall be mounted with a 5.33 in to allow easy access to modules and connectors. The
frontal projection. tabs shall have silk screened numbers for tray identification.
• The unit shall not exceed a depth requirement • The rails shall incorporate a release button, engraved
of 16.3 in. with the word “push”, which allows removal of modules
• The 1U Pretium EDGE Solutions housing shall have from the front.
two sliding trays contained in a single drawer and shall • The trays shall provide visible module identification
allow the installation of four modules per tray. The with the letters A, B, C and D.
drawer shall slide out and tilt 25 degrees for easy
module installation. The unit shall have eight trunk strain-relief locations
• The unit shall meet the design requirements of which allow fully loading the housing to its maximum
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 and the plastics flammability capacity using 12-fiber trunks.
requirements of UL 94 V-0.
• Housings shall be manufactured using 0.050 in aluminum The housing shall contain a front door. This door shall be
or equivalent for structural integrity. The housing’s hinged with a pivot point at the bottom of the housing.
drawer and mounting brackets shall be manufactured The door shall utilize a sliding latch mechanism to provide
with 18-gauge cold rolled steel. The housing shall be easy access when opening and closing.
finished with a reflective silver coat for durability.
Installation fasteners shall be included and shall be The housings shall have a removable cover at the back
black in color. of the housing and shall provide protection to trunk legs.
The connector housings shall have a labeling scheme that
Tray complies with ANSI/TIA/EIA-606.
• The 1U Pretium EDGE Solutions housing shall have
two sliding trays and each having four modules capacity.
• Each tray shall provide connectivity through 48 LC
connectors when fully loaded.
• Each individual tray shall have patch cord routing guides
that allow a transition and jumper management point.
The jumpers shall be able to exit through the right and
left sides of the housing. This jumper management
scheme shall provide access to individual trays to ease
administration in high-density applications.

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 45
Generic Specification for 4U Pretium EDGE™ • The trays shall slide 3.6-in to the front in order to

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Solutions Housing provide appropriate finger access to the connectors and
Rack-Mountable Connector Housings modules. The tray shall have a closed and open position
Rack-mountable connector housings shall be available for with their respective mechanical stops.
cross-connecting or interconnecting purposes. • The Pretium EDGE Solutions hardware shall provide
access to each adapter port with no interference of
Standards adjacent ports. In addition, the accessibility to the
• Housings shall be mountable in an EIA-310 compatible connectors shall be tool-less.
465 mm (18.3 in) rack. One EIA rack space or panel • The trays shall have a cutout in front of each module
height (denoted as 1U) is defined as being 44.45 mm location in order to provide accessibility from top and

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


(1.75 in) in height. bottom of adapters and modules.
4U Housing • The trays shall incorporate rails to facilitate front and
• Housings shall be available in a 4U size. rear module installation while providing a locking
• The housing shall be modular, allowing the installation mechanism that secures the module in place.
of 12 fiber Pretium EDGE™ Solutions modules in • The trays shall have protruding finger tabs on the sides
order to provide scalability in increments of 12 fibers. to allow easy access to modules and connectors. The
• The maximum housing density shall be 576 fibers when tabs shall have silk screened numbers for tray identification.
fully loaded with modules. • The rails shall incorporate a release button, engraved
• The unit shall be mounted with a 5.33-in frontal with the word “push”, which allows removal of modules
projection. from the front.
• The unit shall not exceed a depth requirement of 18.35-in. • The trays shall provide visible module identification
• The unit shall meet the design requirements of with the letters A, B, C and D.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 and the plastics flammability

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


requirements of UL 94 V-0. The unit shall have 24 trunk strain-relief locations
• Housings shall be manufactured using 0.063-in allowing fully loading the housing to its maximum capacity
aluminum or equivalent for structural integrity using any trunk fiber count. When deploying 12-fiber
and shall be finished with a reflective silver powder trunks, a double stack strain-relief method shall be used.
coat for durability. Installation fasteners shall be
included and shall be black in color. The housing shall incorporate three strap points in order
• The housing shall include two field-installable slack to secure the trunk legs with hook-loop straps preventing
management brackets at the front of the housing. these from exiting the housing perimeter.
The brackets shall provide jumper slack management
at the front of the housing and shall allow easy tray The housing shall contain front and rear doors. These
deployment when the tray is fully loaded with Pretium doors shall be hinged with a pivot point at the bottom of the
EDGE Solutions jumpers. housing. The doors shall utilize a sliding latch mechanism

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


to provide easy access when opening and closing.
Tray
• The 4U Pretium EDGE Solutions housing shall have The housings shall have two open-ended slots, one on
12 sliding trays with each having a four modules capacity. each side for quick and easy trunk installation. These slots
• Each tray shall provide connectivity through 48 LC shall be covered by cable entry brushes.
connectors when fully loaded.
• Each individual tray shall have patch cord routing guides The connector housings shall have a labeling scheme that
that allow a transition and jumper management point. complies with ANSI/TIA/EIA-606.
The jumpers shall be able to exit through the right and
left sides of the housing. This jumper management
scheme shall provide access to individual trays to ease
administration in high-density applications.
• The trays shall be manufactured using 18-gauge cold
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

rolled steel or equivalent for structural integrity and


shall be finished with reflective silver powder coat for
durability.

Chapter Eight: Writing a Data Center Request for Proposal | LAN-1160-EN | Page 46
Chapter Nine:
Procuring the Data Center Products

An important step in data center design is procuring the


product. Shipping times will affect the overall scope of
the project. Planning the logistics in a data center build
will depend on product procurement. Corning Cable
Systems products are widely distributed and can be
purchased from the following distribution channels:
Founded in 1972, Communications Supply Corporation is
a leading distributor of low-voltage network infrastructure
and industrial wire and cable products.

Through a network of 33 branch offices, CSC distributes


a full range of products to support advanced connectivity
for voice and data communications, access control, security
When you demand only the best from your network,
surveillance, building automation, video distribution, life
you can depend on Accu-Tech. Accu-Tech is strongly
safety broadcast systems and electrical construction and
committed to providing superior products and support to
manufacturing for commercial, residential and government
deliver unparalleled business experience to their customers.
customers.
www.accu-tech.com
CSC is recognized for delivering measurable value and
outstanding support to its customers and suppliers alike.
Vast application expertise makes CSC an unbiased knowl-
edge resource for product information, documentation
and training.

www.gocsc.com
Anixter is a leading global supplier of communications and
security products, electrical and electronic wire and cable,
fasteners and other small components. Anixter helps their
customers specify solutions and make informed purchasing
decisions around technology, applications and relevant
standards. Throughout the world, Anixter provides inno-
vative supply chain management services to reduce their
customers’ total cost of production and implementation.
Graybar has specialized in supply chain management
services and distribution of high-quality components,
www.anixter.com
equipment and materials for the electrical and
telecommunications industries for over 80 years.

Incorporated in 1925, Graybar procures, warehouses, and


delivers just about any kind of electrical or communica-
tions and data product, component, or related service to
its customers. It stocks and sells hundreds of thousands of
items from thousands of manufacturers.

www.graybar.com

Chapter Nine: Procuring the Data Center Products | LAN-1160-EN | Page 47


Chapter Ten:

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Installation

Choosing the Contractor Installation


A key decision in the data center network is choosing a A good contractor should also be able to assist with the
contractor for the installation. Some key questions that installation process. The contractor should be able to
need to be addressed before selecting a contractor are: help the customer:
1. How long has the contractor been in business? 1. Purchase, receive, inspect and bring components

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


2. Is structured cabling the contractor’s core business? to the work site
3. What percentage of the contractor’s business is from 2. Choose components that they have been trained
structured cabling? to install
4. Does the contractor install fiber optic cable
and hardware? The technicians actually doing the installation should be
5. Does the contractor have a market expertise in trained and certified by manufacturers of the products
data centers or server farms? being installed or by different organizations such as:
6. Does the contractor have adequate insurance 1. BICSI
and bonding? 2. FOA (Fiber Optic Association)
7. Does the contractor belong to professional
organizations, such as BICSI? Certification is important and protects the end user.
8. Is the contractor certified by the manufacturers?

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Is that certification current? Post Installation: Testing, Troubleshooting,
9. Does the contractor have approvals and licenses from Documentation and Restoration
unions as well as safety and construction boards? All of these items need to be discussed with the contractor
10. Which manufacturers does the contractor represent? before work begins. The contractor and customer need
to agree on what is covered in the scope of work. For
The fiber optic contractor should be able to work with example, testing may be included, but troubleshooting
the customer in each installation project through these and restoration may not be included. It is good to have
three key areas: a clear understanding with the contractor on what items
1. Network design will be covered.
2. Installation
3. Post installation
• Testing, troubleshooting, documentation,

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


restoration

The contractor should be experienced in fiber optic


installations and should provide references.

Network Design
A good contractor should be able to assist with the
design process. The contractor should be able to
help the customer:
1. Choose the correct optical fibers
- OM2, OM3, OM4, OS2
2. Choose the correct optical cables
- Outside plant, indoor, riser, plenum
3. Choose the correct hardware
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

- High-density, connector type


4. Choose the correct vendors
5. Understand standards
- TIA-942

Chapter Ten: Installation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 48


Notes
SECTION
4

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Performance Metrics and Administration
Chapter Eleven:
Polarity

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


SC Connectors Orange Fiber (B) Blue Fiber (A)
Key
Key MT-RJ Ferrule
Duplex Clip (top of the ferrule)
Fiber

Orange Fiber (B) Blue Fiber (A)


Cable Jacket
Single-Fiber Cables

Figure 11.1
Simplex and Duplex Connector Polarity | Drawing ZA-2418

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


What is Polarity and Why Does it Matter? Simplex and Duplex Connector Polarity
Polarity is the process of ensuring that the information sent Simplex and duplex connectors and adapters are all keyed
by a transceiver on the transmitter (Tx) port is received by to ensure the same orientation of the connector upon mat-
the end equipment on the receiver (Rx) port. The primary ing. This keying establishes the orientation of one fiber to
goal of polarity in the backbone infrastructure is to ensure the other (polarity) because the simplex/duplex connectors
that in every panel, the Tx port ends up at an Rx port. can only insert into the adapter in one direction. Polarity is
This ensures that when craft connects your end equipment, managed at the patch panel or outlet by using consecutive
they will simply connect Tx on the panel to Rx on the fiber numbering and rotating the adapter on one end of
equipment, and Rx on the panel to Tx on the equipment. the link or by installing backplane fibers using reverse-pair
If polarity is not actively managed in the backbone, the positioning. Polarity is important so “transmit” is not
only way to install the patch cabling would be through trial accidentally plugged into “transmit.” Both polarity methods

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


and error. If there are multiple patching areas in a system, are accepted by TIA/EIA-568-C.0 and C.3.
this becomes a very difficult task.
Figure 11.1 shows the difference in fiber configurations
To ensure that polarity is maintained in a structured for single-fiber and single-ferrule duplex connectors.
cabling environment, TIA/EIA 568-C.0 describes Optical fiber cabling should be installed so that the
three sample methods that may be used to manage this odd-numbered fiber within the cable is paired with the
challenge. The standard is very specific in distinguishing next consecutive even-numbered fiber (e.g., fiber 1-blue
between mandatory items and suggested items. Polarity paired with fiber 2-orange, fiber 3-green paired with
is an area where the standard recognizes that a variety fiber 4-brown). This installation of paired fibers forms
of methods may be employed and that listing them all the Tx and the Rx transmission paths used in providing
would not be possible. As such, they listed three sample a telecommunications circuit.
methods that we will discuss, and they left open the
option to improve upon those methods while remaining To achieve these transmission paths while retaining cable
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

standards-compliant. integrity, reverse-pair positioning may be used. Reverse-


pair positioning is achieved by installing fibers in consecu-
tive numbering sequence (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4 …) on one end of

Chapter Eleven: Polarity | LAN-1160-EN | Page 49


an optical fiber link and installing fibers using reverse-
pair numbering (i.e., 2, 1, 4, 3 …) on the other end of the
MC IC HC WA
optical fiber link.
Back
Optical fiber patch cords, as specified in TIA/EIA-568-C.3,
must be used when completing circuits using reverse-pair
positioning.

Implementing Reverse-Pair Positioning Legend:


Rx Tx Rx Tx
Blue Backbone Fiber
To implement reverse-pair positioning in the cabling Orange Backbone Fiber
Front
system, the following steps should be taken. Blue Patch Cord Fiber
Orange Patch Cord Fiber

1. Assign each fiber in a given cable a sequential number


following the same order as described in TIA/EIA-568- Figure 11.2
C.3 (see Table 11.1). Reverse-Pair Positioning | Drawing ZA-2419

2. Install connectors on both ends of the cable as follows


(see Figure 11.2): equipment typically has standard duplex transceiver ports,
a) On one end of each cable, install the fibers in the trunks are plugged into a factory-made furcation or
consecutive order (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4 …). module that transitions from the MTP Connector to a
duplex connector/adapter style. Like simplex and duplex
b) On the other end of each cable, install the fibers in connectors and adapters, the MTP Connectors and
reverse-pair numbering (i.e., 2, 1, 4, 3 …). adapters are also keyed to ensure the proper orientation
Notes: is maintained when connectors are mated. With MTP
1. From the installer’s point of view, fiber 1-blue will appear on the left on one Connectors, this keying establishes the orientation of one
end and on the right on the other end of every link. Fiber 2-orange will fiber array in one connector relative to the array in the
appear in the opposite manner, right on one end of the link and left on the mating connector, but does not ensure that fiber-pair
other end of the link.
polarity is maintained. This is accomplished in one of
2. Reverse-pair positioning may be obtained by installing the fibers on the
connectors in this manner or by installing connectors into the adapters in several different methods. These methods are examined
this orientation. in the following diagrams.
3. Successive cables placed in the channel (e.g., MC to IC, IC to HC) should
be installed as described above.

Array Connector Polarity


Dense data center wiring requirements dictate the use of
array-style connectors like the MTP® Connector. These
scenarios often utilize factory-terminated MTP to MTP
connectorized cables or trunks. Since there are array
connectors on both ends of these trunks, and the end

TABLE 11.1: Polarity

Fiber Number Color Fiber Number Color

1 Blue 7 Red
2 Orange 8 Black
3 Green 9 Yellow
4 Brown 10 Violet
5 Slate 11 Rose
6 White 12 Aqua

Chapter Eleven: Polarity | LAN-1160-EN | Page 50


Method A

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Method A (Figure 11.3) uses a single module type wired
in a straight-through configuration and two different patch
cords in an optical circuit. One patch cord is straight wired
and the other has a pair-wise flip. All components in the
channel are mated key-up to key-down. No guidance is
included in the standard to differentiate where the patch
cord with pair-wise flips should be used, and how to make
it easily recognizable from the regular straight-wired
duplex patch cord. Because polarity is addressed in the

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


patch cords, the end user is ultimately responsible for
managing it. Figure 11.4
Method B | Drawing ZA-3027

Method C
Method C (Figure 11.5) uses a pair-wise flip in the
trunk cable to correct for polarity. This enables the use
of the same module type on both ends of the channel and
standard patch cords. Because polarity is managed in the
trunk, extending the links requires planning of the number

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


of trunks in order to maintain polarity. The TIA standard
does not include text regarding the ability to migrate to
Figure 11.3 parallel optics for Method C, but parallel optic capability
Method A | Drawing ZA-3026
can easily be achieved with a special patch cord to reverse
the pair-wise flips in the trunk.

Method B
Method B (Figure 11.4) uses a single module type wired in
a straight-through configuration and standard patch cords
on both ends. The differences are that all components in
the system are mated key-up to key-up. When the link is
configured in this fashion, physical position #1 goes to
physical position #12 on the other end. A module on one

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


end is inverted so that logically (labelwise), position #1
goes to position #1. This method requires advanced plan-
ning for module locations in order to identify the module
types and location of the inverted module in the optical
link. This adds complexity to the polarity management. Figure 11.5
Using an MTP® Connector key-up to key-up configuration Method C | Drawing ZA-3028
does not easily accommodate angled polished (APC)
single-mode connectors.
Universal Polarity Management Method
The Universal Polarity Management Method (Figure 11.6)
is an enhanced polarity management method that improves
upon the sample methods listed in TIA/EIA 568-C.0 as
was the intent of the standard. The method uses the same
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

module and patch cord type at both ends with no inversion


or reconfiguration needed to maintain polarity. Polarity
is easily accomplished and managed with the modules’

Chapter Eleven: Polarity | LAN-1160-EN | Page 51


internal fiber wiring scheme. The system is mated key-up
to key-down. The method supports simple concatenation
✦ ✦

of multiple trunks without affecting polarity. The method R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

easily accommodates all simplex/duplex connector types as Module with Module with
MTP Connector MTP Connector
well as single-mode fiber APC MTP® Connectors. Similar
to Methods A, B and C, the universal polarity management Key-Up to Key-Down Key-Up to Key-Down
method easily facilitates migration to parallel optics. The Trunk with Standard MTP and
Ribbon Twist MTP Connectors
wired modular system components enable fast and simple
networking moves, adds and changes without polarity
concerns associated with special polarity-compensating
components used in Methods A, B and C.
Figure 11.6
Universal Polarity Management Method | Drawing ZA-3486
Parallel Optics for 40G and 100G Ethernet
The IEEE standard for 40G and 100G Ethernet
employs a parallel optics scheme for multimode fiber. For example, for 40G Ethernet, eight fibers from a 12-fiber
The IEEE 802.3ba task force has specified parallel MTP connector would be used. Four fibers would be used
transmission of 40G and 100G Ethernet to 100 m with for Tx at 10G, and four others would be used for Rx at
OM3 fiber and 125 m with OM4 fiber. 40G Ethernet 10G for an aggregate signal of 40G. To transmit 100G
parallel optics transmission will utilize the current 12-fiber Ethernet, one would use 20 fibers on a single 24-fiber
MTP Connector while 100G Ethernet will utilize a 24-fiber MTP Connector (Figures 11.7 and 11.8). Ten would
MTP Connector to transmit data on multiple fibers. transmit 10G each or 100G in aggregate. The other
10 would then receive 10G each or 100G in aggregate.
The end electronics would then multiplex the data.
Corning Cable Systems’ Universal Polarity Management
Method is fully compatible with the final polarity scheme
developed by this task force.

Optical Receiver Optical Transmitter


MTP Connector MTP Connector

12 Fiber Position 1
Rx Tx
Rx Tx
Rx Tx
Rx Tx

Tx Rx
Tx Rx
Tx Rx
Tx Rx
1 Fiber Position 12

Optical Transmitter Optical Receiver


MTP Connector MTP Connector

Figure 11.7 Figure 11.8


Parallel Optics for 100G Ethernet | Drawing ZA-3300 Parallel Optics for 40G Ethernet | Drawing ZA-3299

Chapter Eleven: Polarity | LAN-1160-EN | Page 52


Chapter Twelve:

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Testing and Documentation

Testing of any installed cabling system in the data center Cable System Testing
is crucial to ensuring the overall integrity and long-term End-to-end attenuation and OTDR tests provide quantita-
performance of the network. Documenting test results tive measures of the installed performance of the cable
quantifies system quality, identifies system faults and estab- system and its components. This section outlines the basic
lishes accountability when multiple vendors are involved. concepts, test methods, test equipment and specific appli-

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Simple, reliable and field-proven test procedures are already cation guidelines for each type of testing. A summary of
established for certifying that an optical fiber cabling system recommendations for cable system testing by segment
is properly installed. Proper testing also maximizes the concludes the section.
system’s longevity, minimizes downtime and maintenance,
and facilitates system upgrades or reconfigurations. In preparing for data center tests, the following guidelines
are important for efficient and accurate test results:
This chapter addresses testing, documentation and mainte-
nance of optical fiber cabling systems for new installations, • Ensure that the test jumpers (end-to-end attenuation)
system upgrades and individual components in the data cen- or test fiber box (OTDR) are of the same fiber core size
ter. With more than 25 years of field experience, Corning and connector type as the cable system, e.g., 50/125 µm
Cable Systems offers straightforward test procedures and core test jumpers should be used for testing a 50/125 µm
practical guidelines for system testing. This information multimode cable.
is in accordance with TIA/EIA-568-C. Since the standard

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


• Ensure that optical sources are stabilized and have
addresses only the end-to-end attenuation test, we have center wavelengths within ± 20 nm of the 850/1300 nm
combined this with additional information on other test multimode and 1310/1550 nm single-mode nominal
methods and common field test practice applicable in the wavelengths. In accordance with TIA/EIA-526-14-A,
data center. multimode LED sources should have spectral widths
Attenuation, defined as optical power loss measured in from 30-60 nm at 850 nm and 100-140 nm at 1300 nm.
decibels (dB), is the primary test parameter in optical fiber • Ensure that the power meter and the light source are set
systems. Cables, connectors, splices and patch cords all to the same wavelength.
contribute to the system’s overall attenuation. Additional
loss may also be induced by tight bends or excessive forces • Ensure that all system connectors, adapters and jumpers
placed on the cable during transport and installation. are properly cleaned prior to and during measurement.
Testing must be done after installation to ensure that the
cable system meets the attenuation specifications set forth End-to-End Attenuation Testing

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


by the end user. Implementing the recommendations of this The single most important test of an installed link is end-
chapter provides solid proof of system integrity and ensures to-end attenuation. This is a measure of the optical power
reliable system operation. loss between cable termination points. Acceptable loss
values are dependent upon the system length, wavelength
and number and type of connectors and splices. The end-
to-end loss should always be less than the link-loss budget
calculated in the system design. The best way to verify that
the cable meets the loss limit is to measure each segment
from patch panel to patch panel. Because of the stress and
bending that cables can be subjected to during installation,
Corning Cable Systems recommends measuring the
attenuation of each connectorized link after installation.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 53


Background Connect a short test jumper between the optical source
The attenuation of installed cable systems is measured and the optical meter. Ensure that the reference power in
by the insertion loss method. This method uses an optical dBm is within acceptable range per unit specification. This
source and optical power meter to compare the difference power level is simply the output power of the light source
between two optical power levels – first measuring how coupled into the jumper to the meter (See Figure 12.1).
much light is put into the cable at the near end, and then Press the reference button on the meter, and the meter
measuring how much light exits the far end after the cable reading should then read 0dB. Note: Never disconnect or adjust
system is inserted in between. the jumper connection at the optical source after recording the reference value.
This can change the value.
These absolute optical power levels are measured in dBm.
By definition, dBm = 10 log (Pout)/1 mW of power, hence Mandrel Wrapping
the “m” in dBm. In accordance with TIA/EIA-568-C.1, mandrel wrapping
should be used when performing power through testing
Loss (dB) = P2 (dBm) - P1 (dBm) on multimode fiber. Optical fibers are designed to attenu-
Where: P2 = Output Power (dBm) ate the cladding modes almost immediately. Along with
P1 = Input Power (dBm) the light in the core, there may be some high-order modes
in the cladding due to the fully flooded launch condition.
Procedure These high-order modes normally have a much higher
End-to-end attenuation testing is performed by a simple attenuation than lower-order modes, and often will not
three-step procedure in accordance with TIA/EIA appear at the far end of a fiber link of sufficient length.
specifications: Due to these high-order modes, issues arise during the
• Multimode fiber: OFSTP-14A referencing step of a typical attenuation test.

• Single-mode fiber: OFSTP-7A


Five Turns Around a Mandrel
(Multimode Fiber Only)
The procedure described here is for patch panel to patch
panel applications only. Test Jumper #1

A stabilized light source and optical power meter are used


to quickly and accurately measure the attenuation of each OTS-600 OTS-600

terminated fiber as shown in Figure 12.1. Best results are -20.0 dBm

achieved with factory-terminated test jumpers. 1 2 3 1 2 3

7
5

8
6

9
Power Received = P reference (dBm) 4

7
5

8
6

0 0

= -20.0 dBm
End-to-End Attenuation Test for
Single-Fiber Connectors Figure 12.1
Step 1: Reference End-to-End Attenuation Test | Drawing ZA-3593
For the TIA/EIA-568-C compliant networks, Corning Cable F
Systems recommends the use of a 1-jumper reference as Referencing occurs with test jumpers that are only a few
described in the procedures below. Performing the 1-jumper meters in length. Over a short distance, the high-order
reference provides the most accurate and appropriate test modes do not completely dissipate before reaching the
for your system. Additional jumper referencing will falsely test meter. This extra optical power is calculated into the
improve results by eliminating potential loss events. reference. When actual system testing occurs, however,
Note: A 2-jumper reference should only be used when your system begins at
the higher-order modes completely dissipate over the
a patch panel and ends directly in end equipment. Additionally, a 3-jumper
reference should only be used when your system begins and ends directly in the length of the system and do not reach the meter. This
end equipment. difference in power gives the appearance of a higher-loss
system. To prevent the high-order modes from invalidating
the test results, they need to be attenuated during the
referencing step to obtain a valid measure of the optical
power that will actually travel along the fiber core. This is
often done by wrapping a length of fiber around a smooth,
round mandrel (rod) during the testing process. The fiber
used should be long enough to allow for five wraps around

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 54


the mandrel. The bending caused by wrapping the fiber

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


around the mandrel will strip out (attenuate) the high-
order modes in the cladding. User Tip: Although the output
connector of the optical source can be different from the system connector type, the
optical meter’s connector input must match the system. It is important, therefore,
that the optical meter have interchangeable connector adapters. Additionally,
pure optical test equipment rather than copper test equipment with optical
capabilities is recommended for the most reliable and accurate results.

Figure 12.1 is an example of a test setup that incorporates


a mandrel wrap. Figure 12.2 shows the step of referencing

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


the optical power output of the test source and then the
testing of a system. Note that at the transmitter, the
mandrel and wrapped jumper are used both during the
reference step and during the system testing.
Figure 12.2
OTS-600 Series Optical Source and Meter | Photo LAN1199
Refer to TIA/EIA-568-C.1 or Corning Cable Systems
Application Engineering Note 68 on mandrel wrapping
during multimode testing.

Step 2: Check
Five Turns Around a Mandrel
Disconnect test jumper no. 1 from the power meter and (Multimode Fiber Only)

insert a second test jumper (test jumper no. 2), using an Test Jumper #1 Test Jumper #2

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


adapter, between the jumper used in Step 1 and the optical Adapter
(System Connector Type)
power meter. Verify that the two test jumpers are good by OTS-600 OTS-600

ensuring that the power is within the appropriate connec- Power Received = P check = 0.4 dB 0.4 dB

tor loss, typically < 0.5 dB. If this criterion is met, contin- 1

7
2

8
3

9
1

7
2

8
3

0 0

ue to Step 3. Note: Do not reference at this point.

If the criterion is not met, clean all connectors except the Figure 12.3Five Turns Around a Mandrel
(Multimode Fiber Only)
source connection point and repeat Step 2. If the loss is End-to-End Attenuation Test | Drawing ZA-3593
still greater than 0.5 dB, replace test jumper no. 2 and
repeat Step 2. If the loss is still greater than 0.5 dB, try
replacing the adapter and repeat Step 2 (see Figure 12.3). O

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


TABLE 12.1: Mandrel Wrapping with Multimode Fiber

Mandrel Diameter Mandrel Diameter


Fiber Core Size For 3 mm (0.12 in) cable For 2 mm (0.08 in) cable

50 µm (Standard OM2/OM3) 22 mm (0.87 in) N/A


®
50 µm (Corning Ultra-Bend) @ 850 nm N/A 4 mm (0.16 in)
50 µm (Corning Ultra-Bend) @ 1300 nm N/A 22 mm (0.87 in)
62.5 µm 17 mm (0.67 in) N/A

Note: Mandrel part numbers currently available in NAFTA and ready for shipment.
OTS-MANDREL-50
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

OTS-MANDREL-62
OTS-MANDREL-4
OTS-COMBOMAN (This part number comes with the Standard 50 µm and 62.5 µm.

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 55


Step 3: Test
Five Turns Around a Mandrel
Leave the two test jumpers attached to the optical source (Multimode Fiber Only)

and optical meter. Disconnect the two jumpers at the Test Test
Jumper System Jumper
adapter. Attach the optical source/test jumper no. 1 to #1 Patch Patch #2
one end of the system fiber to be tested and the power OTS-600
Panel Panel
OTS-600

meter/test jumper no. 2 to the other end of the same Power Received = P test 7.7 dB

fiber. Record the losses for each fiber to be tested 1

4
2

5
3

6
1

4
2

5
3

7 8 9
Power Received = P check = 7.7 dB 7 8 9

(see Figure 12.4 and 12.5). 0 0

Figure 12.4
End-to-End Attenuation Test | Drawing ZA-3593 ZA-3593

End-to-End Attenuation Test for


MTP® Pinless Connector Links
Equipment required for this test:
• Optical source with SC optical port
OTS-600
• Optical meter with SC optical port

• 12-fiber SC to MTP pinned Connector hybrid


jumpers – two
850nm
• 12-fiber MTP Connector to MTP Pinless Connector
jumper – one
-7.7 dB
• SC-SC jumper – three

• MTP Connector adapters – two

• SC adapters – two
Note: The example herein utilizes a light source and power meter that each
have an SC connector interface; other single-fiber interface types work in a 1 2 3
Figure 12.5
similar fashion.
OTS Display | Drawing ZA-3594
4 5 6

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 56


Step 1: Setting the Reference

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


(using the 3-Jumper Reference Method) SC Jumper No. 1

Connect the ends of the SC jumper to the optical source


and meter as shown in Figure 12.6. Ensure that the power Source Meter
reading in dBm is within the specified range of the optical -18.0 dBm
source for the fiber type under test. Press the reference
button on the meter. SC Jumper No. 1 SC Jumper No. 2
Figure 12.6
Determining the Output Power of the Source Using One
Insert a second SC jumper into the setup as shown in Jumper | Drawing ZA-3596Connector pair
S
Figure 12.7, connecting to test jumper no. 1 on one end

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


and to the meter on the other. The loss reading should
not be higher than the value specified for the test jumper
SC Jumper No. 1 SC Jumper No. 2
connectors, typically 0.5 dB or less for factory-terminated
single-fiber connectors. Press the reference button on Connector pair
the meter. Source Meter
-18.5 dBm

Decouple the connector pair made in the previous step.


Insert test jumper no. 3 between jumper no. 1 and no. 2 Figure 12.7 SC Jumper No. 1 Connector Pair
as shown in Figure 12.8. The loss reading should not Checking the Test Connectors | Drawing ZA-3596
SC Jumper No 3
be higher than 0.5 dB. If a higher than expected loss is
measured, clean the connectors and retest. If the jumpers
continue to test high, replace each jumper with a new one
C
until the measurement reading is in the appropriate range.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


SC Jumper No. 1 Connector Pair
Press the reference button on the meter. The meter should SC Jumper No. 3
display 0.0 dB.
Source
SC Jumper No. 2
Meter
Note: Contrary to earlier guidance, a 3-jumper reference should be used
-19.0 dBm
for an MTP®-MTP Connector link due to the cable/system configuration. Connector Pair

MTP Connector links are typically terminated in multi-fiber connector modules


or directly into end-equipment requiring the use of a 3-jumper reference.
Figure 12.8
ectors MTP Pinned Connector SC Connec
Setting
Blue Legup the Reference Step with Three Jumpers
Blue Leg
Step 2: Checking MTP Connector Test Jumpers | Drawing ZA-3596
Remove jumper number 3 from the test setup. Connect
the blue leg of a 12-fiber SC to MTP Pinned Connector
hybrid jumper to the SC jumper at the source and the M
blue leg of a second 12-fiber SC to MTP Pinned Hybrid MTP Pinned Connector

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


SC Connectors SC Connectors
O

Blue Leg Blue Leg


Connector jumper to the SC jumper at the meter, as
shown in Figure 12.9. Connect the test sets and test
jumpers together with an MTP Connector to MTP
Connector (both WITHOUT pins) jumper. For proper MTP Pinless Connector

polarity testing with standard jumpers, the same jumper OTS-600

Aqua Leg Aqua Leg


OTS-600

M
leg (same number or color) must be connected to the
setup for each measurement. 1

7
2

0
3

9
1

7
2

0
3

Source Meter
1.5 dBm
MTP Pinned Connector
Figure 12.9
SC Connectors
Setup and Verification MTP
of Test
PinlessJumpers
Connector SC Connectors
| Drawing ZA-3596
Bl L Bl L
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 57


The meter should now display a negative value of (≤ 1.0 dB). MTP Pinned Connector
Do Not Reference Here (do not press the reference button SC Connectors MTP Pinless Connector SC Connectors
Blue Leg Blue Leg
on the meter). These values are obtained by using the maxi-
mum loss of 0.5 dB for a single-mated MTP® Connector
pair. This value can be taken from the manufacturer’s
specification for maximum connector pair loss. The maxi-
mum resultant sum of two mated pairs would be a 1.0 dB OTS-600

Aqua Leg Aqua Leg


OTS-600

loss. Disconnect the blue leg of each SC to MTP Pinned


Link Under Test
Hybrid Connector jumper and connect with the orange legs. 1

7
2

0
3

9
1

7
2

0
3

Test through all 12 SC connectors in sequence, ensuring that


Source Meter
all connectors involved in the testing process are sound; each 1.5 dBm
reading should be below the acceptable level. After verifying
Figure 12.10
all 12 SC legs, remove the pinless MTP Connector to Testing the MTP Connector Link Starting with the Blue Fiber
MTP Connector jumper from the setup. | Drawing ZA-3596

The system is now ready to test.


for the system. If 1300 nm testing is unnecessary, consider
Step 3: Test testing at 850 nm only. Single-mode fiber should still be
Without disconnecting from the units, take source and meter tested in one direction at both 1310 nm and 1550 nm.
to the distant ends of the system (Figure 12.10). Each test
value represents the system loss along one run of fiber. Acceptable link attenuation or system budget is dependent
on the backbone length, the number of splices, and the
Reconnect the first SC connector of each MTP Connector number of connector pairs. Unless otherwise specified, max-
to SC cable assembly to the source and meter SC jumpers. imum acceptable fiber attenuation values can be determined
Connect the MTP Pinned Connectors of each SC to MTP from the cable data sheet or the manufacturer’s specifica-
Connector jumper to the system MTP Pinless Connectors. tions. The attenuation value (dB/km) multiplied by length
Record the measurement for fiber one. Disconnect the first (km), will give you the maximum fiber attenuation (dB).
SC connectors of each MTP Connector to SC cable assem- Furthermore, if the link contains splices or connector pairs,
bly and reconnect with the second SC connectors. Record add 0.3 dB per splice point and 0.75 dB per connector pair
the measurement for fiber two, then repeat for all 12 fibers. per TIA/EIA-568-C.3.

For additional information, please refer to Corning Cable Systems Applications For example, a system that has 1.6 km of fiber, two connec-
Engineering Note AEN 78 – Field Test Procedure for Measuring Optical Power tor pairs and two splices. If the fiber in the cable is 50/125
Loss of MTP (Pinless) Connector Links. µm, the maximum fiber loss is 1.6 km multiplied by 3.5
dB/km @ 850 nm and 1.5 dB/km @ 1300 nm for values
Application Guidelines of 4.2 dB @ 850 nm and 1.8 dB @ 1300 nm. With a total
Testing the attenuation of each segment from patch panel connector loss of 1.5 dB and a total splice loss of 0.6 dB,
to patch panel allows the loss of virtually any path to be the budget will be 7.7 dB @ 850 nm and 4.5 dB @ 1300 nm.
determined by adding the loss of the segments involved.
This testing will ensure predicted system performance, OTDR Testing
document the system as built and allow routine mainte- End-to-end attenuation testing measures the total amount
nance checks. of loss between two end points. To find out what causes
this loss and where it occurs in the cable system, an
The current TIA/EIA 568 Rev. C standard recommends Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is needed.
end-to-end attenuation tests on both specified wavelengths An OTDR can locate fiber events and measure the losses
for every connectorized fiber in the backbone and tests at attributable to cable, connectors, splices and/or other
one wavelength in horizontal segments. Based on current components. The graphical display of loss over a cable’s
multimode deployments where the vast majority of applica- entire length provides the most revealing analysis and
tions use 850 nm transceivers, Corning Cable Systems documentation available on a cable link, commonly
recommends determining if 1300 nm testing is necessary referred to as its signature trace.
in the backbone by reviewing potential future protocols

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 58


Because of the OTDRs ability to provide detailed analysis

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


of individual installed components with access to only
one end of the fiber, it is the most versatile installation
and troubleshooting tool that can be used in a variety
of scenarios:

• Cable Acceptance – evaluates the integrity, overall


length and fiber attenuation in dB/km for cables before
and after installation. This is useful for checking a cable
against specification, uncovering point defects due to
handling during transport or installation, and effectively

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


measuring unterminated fibers.

• OTDR Signature Trace Documentation – provides Figure 12.11


useful documentation for cable system acceptance, OV-1000 OTDR | Photo LAN731
network planning, and maintenance as the “as-built”
fiber blueprint.

• Connector and Splice Loss – measures and documents


field-installed connectors and midspan mechanical or
fusion splices. This allows the installer to determine
whether a splice or connector is acceptable or needs to
be reworked.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


• Troubleshooting – provides both (a) a benchmark of
initial system performance for comparisons over time
and (b) a powerful tool for identifying and locating cable
problems or breaks by accessing only one end of the
cable. Fiber discontinuities and localized losses are clearly
visible when compared to original signature traces.

Background and Trace Interpolation


An OTDR works a lot like radar, sending pulses of laser
Figure 12.12
light out through the fiber and then precisely measuring
Sample OTDR Signature Trace | Drawing ZA-3659
the level and time delay of the reflected pulses as they
return. The OTDR presents this as loss and distance

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


information in graphical format, providing a detailed • Spikes or humps indicate reflective events such as con-
overview of the entire cable length at once. Figure 12.11 nectors or mechanical splices where the continuity of
and Figure 12.12 shows the OV-1000 OTDR and a the glass is interrupted. The final spike on the trace
sample OTDR signature trace. indicates the end of the fiber.

• The OTDR plots distance in meters or feet on the hori- • Test fiber boxes are required to mitigate the effects of
zontal scale and relative loss in dB on the vertical scale. OTDR high-powered launches which may saturate the
The overall trace declines from left to right, indicating OTDR receiver. This generates an inaccurate trace for
that the light is being attenuated by the fiber, connectors the first several meters of the tested system. A minimum
and splices as it travels down the length of the cable. length of 100 m for multimode systems and 300 m for
Linear sections represent continuous spans of cable. single-mode systems is required. Test fiber boxes are
the same fiber core diameter as the system length
• Slopes indicate distributed loss over a section of fiber being tested.
(steeper slopes indicate higher fiber loss in dB/km).
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

To allow measurement of the connector loss at the optical


• Vertical drops represent point losses at connectors, patch panel, a test fiber box is used to connect between the
splices and faults. The magnitude of the drop OTDR output and the interconnect hardware.
represents loss in dB.

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 59


The OTDR user can place markers and cursors on the Test Equipment: OTDR Analysis
trace to make measurements more easily and reliable. A variety of units incorporating the OTDR concept are
Some OTDRs and multifunction testers provide a function available. More useful OTDRs include:
that automatically configures the OTDR, performs a
signature trace and measures the position and loss of each • Dual 850/1300 nm multimode and 1310/1550 nm
event in the cable system. Figure 12.13 shows an example single-mode operation in the same unit; whether or not
of an OTDR table summarizing the event data gathered in single-mode is used today, the unit should be upgradeable
such a function. to meet future requirements

For further information on OTDR measurements, refer to


• Portable, battery-powered operation
these Corning Cable Systems Application Engineering Notes:
AE Note 003, Unidirectional Single-mode Measurements
AE Note 007, Gainers • An internal flash, USB port and hard drive
AE Note 033, OTDR Return Loss Measurement for trace storage
AE Note 036, Optical Fiber Fault Location Procedure
AE Note 050, “Ghost” Reflections on the OTDR • A companion PC software package for analysis,
comparison and printing of saved traces

• Integrate power meter and visual fault locator functions


into the same unit, maximizing the unit’s utility and
cost-effectiveness.

• Combining a multi-tester with an optical source allows


end-to-end attenuation test results to be stored in a file
and associated with their respective OTDR traces.

As the number of fibers and cable systems increases, these


fiber management and documentation features save time
and effort.

Figure 12.13 Bandwidth and Dispersion


Sample OTDR Table | Drawing ZA-2892 Bandwidth and dispersion measure characteristics of
the information of the information carrying capacity of
Connector and Splice Loss Measurement fiber. Fiber optic cable can be specified for various grades
For all cable segments, Corning Cable Systems recommends of bandwidth or dispersion performance. Actual system
OTDR measurement of each field-installed connector bandwidth or dispersion is a function of the fiber quality,
and each mechanical or fusion splice at one wavelength length and transmitter characteristics. It is common practice
to ensure they meet acceptable loss values certified by to specify cable bandwidth and dispersion performance
the installer. Loss values from some manufacturers’ splice to meet the requirements of TIA/EIA-568-C as discussed
machines can be substituted for OTDR measurements in Chapter 3, ensuring compatibility with transmission
provided they employ either a LID-SYSTEM™ Unit or electronics without field testing. The fiber manufacturer’s
LPAS system to obtain splice loss values. Again, unless bandwidth or dispersion performance should be documented
specified otherwise, acceptable losses are ≤ 0.75 dB per on a specification sheet and saved for future reconfigurations
mated connection and ≤ 0.3 dB per splice for multimode and upgrades.
and single-mode. To measure a near-end connector loss,
a test fiber box of sufficient length (typically ≥ 100 m for
multimode or ≥ 300 m for single-mode) is used to connect
between the OTDR and patch panel and has a cable span
of ≥ 75 m following the connector.

User Tip: Use of a test fiber box also allows simultaneous OTDR testing of a link’s
signature trace and near-end connector loss. These test results can be documented
together on OTDRs that have event tables.

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 60


Summary of Cable Systems Testing Careful planning and accessible documentation also help

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Recommendations to avoid costly retesting or cable plant replacement when
Based on the characteristics of backbone and horizontal subsequent upgrades or reconfigurations are undertaken.
cable segments, Table 12.2 summarizes both multimode Following the requirements stated in TIA/EIA-606,
and single-mode test recommendations for all connectorized Corning Cable Systems recommends maintaining
fibers. If any fibers are left unterminated, Corning Cable accessible documentation of the following test results
Systems recommends performing an OTDR inspection and cable records.
for spans longer than 75 m.
Test Results
• End-to-end attenuation data
Documentation

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Documentation plays a vital role in the long-term success
• OTDR signature traces
of any cabling system with regard to system reconfiguration,
upgrades and maintenance. End-to-end test results
• Certificate of compliance for connector and splice loss
establish the initial integrity and performance of a system.
Documents of work performed on the fiber plant can be
Cable Records
used for liability protection in the event that multiple
• Cable specifications
vendors are involved. Equally important, these records
establish “as-built drawings” and can be compared to
• Cable route diagram
current conditions when troubleshooting.
a. Fiber routing and location information
b. Fiber connectivity information
c. Splice point locations
d. Patch panel locations

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


e. Cable lengths
f. Cable part numbers

TABLE 12.2: TIA-568-C.1 System Testing Recommendations


Data Center Segment

Backbone Horizontal Equipment


Test Method Cabling Cabling (Multimode) Required

End-to-End Dual wavelength insertion loss 850 or 1300 nm • Optical Meter


Attenuation • Multimode: 850 and 1300 nm (multimode) • Optical Source(s)

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


(Required) • Single-mode: 1310 and 1550 nm • Mandrel
Note: For Corning Cable Systems guidelines, see page 58.
• Two Test Jumpers
• One Adapter
OTDR Test OTDR inspection of each Fiber > 75 m Troubleshooting • OTDR
(Optional Only as required for links • Test Fiber Box
for Inside Plant) • Multimode: 850 and 1300 nm exceeding the
• Single-mode: 1310 and 1550 nm budgets dB limit

Dual wavelength or bi-directional


testing as required

OTDR inspection of each field-


terminated connector and each
splice at one wavelength:
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Note: Simultaneous testing of a fiber’s


signature trace (above) and near-end
connector loss can save test time
and documentation.

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 61


Maintenance and Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Process Flow
Because of the quality and importance of information Troubleshooting can be very difficult but can be made easy
transmitted over fiber optic systems, ongoing service is with a defined process. Using a basic fiber system, Tx→
critical. A properly installed and tested system requires plant→ Rx, one can develop a basic process for testing.
minimal routine maintenance. Ensuring proper connector First, the received power level is measured and compared
care and cleanliness and checking the routing and protection to the receiver sensitivity specification using a source and
of system jumpers are simple safeguards that are central meter test such as Corning Cable Systems’ OTS-600. If the
to preventing possible service interruptions. received power is normal, the receiving electronics should
be diagnosed to identify the problem. If, on the other hand,
In the case of system error or failure, troubleshooting the received power level is low, the transmitter output
and service restoration can be performed quickly and easily. power should be measured next. A low transmitter output
There are three key components required for efficient indicates a problem with the transmitter output or electron-
troubleshooting: ics. In these cases, follow the procedure in diagnosing the
electronics or call the appropriate vendor for assistance.
• Documentation – Initial test results and cable records
are essential to effective maintenance and troubleshoot- If the transmitter output is normal and the received power
ing. Contrasting current test results with the original is low, excessive loss is occurring in the cable plant. A power
documentation quickly and clearly identifies changes meter with a test jumper is then used to confirm whether or
and potential trouble spots. not there is a problem with the system jumper. If the system
jumpers have acceptable loss, then the fault probably lies
• Test Equipment – Using a simple power meter and within the terminated cable plant itself. Losses in the cable
initial attenuation test results to isolate faults will plant are most often caused by damaged connectors and cut
eliminate unnecessary service calls and minimize or damaged cable.
downtime. Faulty patch cords can be replaced. If the
fault lies within the cable plant, an OTDR can be used Once a problem is isolated to the cable plant, a high-resolu-
to pinpoint its exact location. tion OTDR such as Corning Cable Systems’ OV-1000 is
used to locate the fault. A comparison of the original signa-
• Troubleshooting Plan – A simple but effective flow ture trace to the current OTDR trace can easily identify and
chart or procedure can be used to quickly isolate a fault locate a fault or break. If the fault is determined to be near
to either a network transmitter, receiver, patch cord an end-point, a visual fault locator such as Corning Cable
or cable segment. The first step requires only a power Systems’ VFL-350 can be used to pinpoint a problem within
meter, test jumper and the “as-built” documentation. splice trays, connecting hardware and patch cords.

Chapter Twelve: Testing and Documentation | LAN-1160-EN | Page 62


Chapter Thirteen:

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Labeling

An important step in the documentation process is proper Labeling Racks and Cabinets
labeling of all the data center infrastructure components. With today’s data centers, finding the right patch panel
Every component of the telecommunications infrastructure and port starts with quickly finding the rack or cabinet that
should be labeled in an independent manner. For purposes houses the patch panel. Some data center administrators have
of tracking the fiber and documentation, the most important created their own system for identifying cabinets or racks in

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


things to keep in mind with the labeling system are the local a data center, but TIA-606-A-1 is meant to help streamline
and remote site terminations defined by the location of the the process, promote a consistent and reliable methodology
telecommunications building, rooms, rack or cabinet, fiber and make it easier on the data center administrator. Creating
panels and fiber or port ID and the fiber itself. rack/cabinet identifiers in the data center is accomplished
by using X and Y coordinates that relate to floor tiles in a
Choosing a Labeling Method raised-floor system or to the number or rows and cabinets
The ANSI/TIA-606-A-1 standard specifies administration in a data center floor plan. The “X” coordinate is an alpha
for a generic telecommunications cabling system that character and the “Y” numeric, resulting in a unique identifi-
will support a multi-product, multi-vendor environment. er for each rack and cabinet. TIA-606-A-1 specifies that the
It provides a uniform administration approach that is inde- rack/cabinet identifier label shall be placed at the top and
pendent of applications, which may change several times bottom on both the front and rear of each rack or cabinet.
throughout the life of the telecommunications infrastruc-

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


ture. It establishes guidelines for owners, end users, manu- Each telecommunications space also has a unique identifier
facturers, consultants, contractors, designers, installers and where “F” is a numeric character that identifies the floor of
facilities administrators involved in the administration of the building and “S” is an alpha character that defines the
the telecommunications infrastructure. space. The XY cabinet identifier follows the FS identifier
(FS.XY), creating a specific location for racks and cabinets
that can be applied to any space.

AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AI AJ AK AL AM AN AO AP AQ AR AS AT
01
X-axis
02 (MDA)
Front - End
03 Layer Zone EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


Core “A” Core “B”
04
Sample Cabinet AG04

05Application
Layer Zone EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
06

07
Back - End
08 Layer Zone EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA

09

24F 24F 24F 24F 24F 24F 24F 24F


10
Storage
Zone EDA EDA EDA EDA ZDA EDA EDA EDA EDA
3 x 36F 3 x 36F
11

12
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Y-axis

Figure 13.1
“Grid Coordinate” System for Data Center Equipment | Drawing ZA-3660

Chapter Thirteen: Labeling | LAN-1160-EN | Page 63


Labeling Patch Panels Detailed and accurate record keeping enables users to
TIA 606-A also contains additional identifiers for patch logically “map” fiber terminations within the data center
panels and ports or fiber. Most commonly, patch panel from local equipment to remote equipment. It is suggested
identifiers are numeric and designate the top left corner that users employ labeling guidelines demonstrated in
of the patch panel location starting from the bottom of EIA/TIA-606 for mapping the network. Guidelines below
the frame or cabinet and are specified in rack units. provide an analogous solution in accordance with TIA-606
for labeling to be employed with Pretium EDGE
Individual panels, modules and port or fiber identification Solutions hardware. Additions in the suggested coding
with the patch panel are also accounted for in documenting are accounted for to identify chassis trays and modules.
the local and remote fiber termination location. Fiber
panels should be clearly labeled with port or fiber ID. Hardware Labeling
Documentation should clearly identify what fiber strands • Hardware components come pre-labeled for
are connected to which bulkhead and typically specify the identification and promote a consistent labeling scheme.
range of ports or fibers the trunk is servicing locally and • User must provide their own label maker and media for
remotely. the frame or cabinet and hardware.
• Labeling is best supported with use of adhesive-backed
The documented code that is printed and recorded on the label makers with media up to one-half inch in height.
label can be constructed by combining the pertinent identi- • Front door of the chassis has a locating crop mark
fiers for each hardware component for the local and remote suggesting a consistent location for the printed ID label
location of the fiber terminations by properly identifying that identifies the location of the chassis within the frame
the elements of the infrastructure. This code can be used or cabinet.
to track each component of the infrastructure. • Chassis trays are pre-labeled 01 to 12 from the bottom
of the chassis to the top.
Labeling Fiber • Module positions within each chassis tray are identified
Fiber termination identification is equally important in map- by alpha characters A through D from left to right.
ping the data center network. Individual fibers (such as • Modules or MTP® panels come assembled with adapters
jumpers) must be clearly labeled to identify local and remote and silk screened with fiber and/or port ID.
location. Typically a single jumper will contain two labels on • Chassis comes equipped with a label card that is easily
each end of the fiber near the termination point identifying removable from the inside of the front door and requires
the specific local ID and the remote ID the jumper is patch- no additional fastening to remain in place. This label
ing to. It is important to follow suit with previous defined may be written on but use of a label maker is best.
code indicating rack or cabinet ID, patch panel ID and more • Label card supports adhesive-backed label media and
specifically the individual port or fiber termination location. printed labels may be easily adhered or removed for
This allows users to easily trace jumpers from one location moves, adds and changes.
within the network to the next. Most common identification
methods for individual fiber ID employ the use of flag or Cable/Jumper Labeling
wraparound preprinted labels. Documentation should clearly • Labeling of cable and jumpers is equally important
identify individual fiber strands of the cable or jumper. and can be completed following same suggested
coding system shown on page 65 and cross reference to
Numeric identifiers for cables and cable strands can be used recommended guidelines of EIA/TIA-606. A preprinted
solely to differentiate them from other cables sharing their code on flag/wraparound labels is suggested and may be
same characteristics. purchased from many media suppliers.

Example
The code shown on page 65 provides an analogous solution
in accordance with TIA-606-A-1 for mapping to be
employed with Corning Cable Systems Pretium EDGE™
Solutions hardware.

Chapter Thirteen: Labeling | LAN-1160-EN | Page 64


INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS
LOCAL ID REMOTE ID

CODE f1 s1 - x1 y1 - z1a1 T-t1 : m1pn1 TO f2 s2 - x2 y2 - z2a2 T-t2 : m2pn2


STEP 5 - Documentation
Printed Label records Remote
termination of Trunk Cable

STEP 4 - Module location with Fiber or Port Range


m1 = Module location within Tray (A, B, C, or D)
pn1 = Fiber or Port range within Module

STEP 3 - Tray location

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


T-t1
t1 = Tray location within chassis

STEP 2 - Chassis location


z1 = "Optional" identifies Front or Back of the Frame or Cabinet
Use "F" for Front or "B" for Back
a1 = Location of top / left corner of chassis within Frame or Cabinet
Specified in Rack Units

STEP 1 - Frame / Cabinet location


f1 = "Optional" Floor of the building
s1 = "Optional" Telecom Space ID
Floor space grid coordinate location of Frame or Cabinet defined by:
x1 = Two Alpha indicating row
y1 = Two Numeric indicating position

Ex: 12 N - AJ 04 - 28 T-06 : A1-12 TO 12 N - BK 09 - 40 T-08 : A1-12

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Figure 13.2
Suggested Code For Labeling | Drawing ZA-3661

Hardware labeling involves a 5-step process that identifies


the local and remote site. Use the suggested code in Figure
13.2 and the following steps to map your location.

STEP 1: Frame or cabinet location


STEP 2: Chassis location
STEP 3: Tray location
STEP 4: Module location with fiber or port range

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


STEP 5: Documentation

STEP 1 – Frame or Cabinet Location (Figure 13.3)


Identify location of frame or cabinet within the floor space
grid coordinate system. Preprint labels and adhere to the
front and back of the frame or cabinet at the top and bottom.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Figure 13.3
Step 1: Frame or Cabinet Location | Drawing ZA-3662

Chapter Thirteen: Labeling | LAN-1160-EN | Page 65


STEP 2 – Chassis Location (Figure 13.4) STEP 4 – Module Location with Fiber
Identify location within the frame or cabinet (in rack units or Port Range (Figure 13.6)
from the bottom) by locating the top/left corner of the Each tray comes pre-labeled A through D to identify
chassis. Print two labels and adhere one to the front door the module position within the tray.
using the crop mark for alignment. Adhere the second
label to label card on the inside of the door.

MODULE LOCATION D A
WITHIN A TRAY C B
B
A

LC MODULE

FIBER or PORT RANGE


WITHIN MODULE
FIBER ID

4
3 2
2
1 1

PORT ID

Figure 13.4 Figure 13.6


Step 2: Chassis Location | Drawing ZA-3663 Step 4: Module Location | Drawing ZA-3665

STEP 5 – Documentation (Figure 13.7)


STEP 3 – Tray Location (Figure 13.5) Identify remote location and determine code to be printed
Identify location of tray within the chassis. following Figure 13.7. It should only be necessary to print
Trays come pre-labeled 01 to 12 from the bottom the remote location. Adhesive labels may be affixed to the
to the top of the chassis. label card on the inside of the front door.

06
4
- AJ0
12N

04-28
12N-AJ

PRINTED LABEL RECORDS


REMOTE TERMINATION OF
TRUNK CABLE
2
:A1-1
-40 T-08
BK09
TO 12N-

12N-AJ04-28

TO 12N-BK09-40 T-08:A1-12

4
- AJ0
12N

Figure 13.5 Figure 13.7


Step 3: Tray Location | Drawing ZA-3664 Step 5: Documentation | Drawing ZA-3666

Chapter Thirteen: Labeling | LAN-1160-EN | Page 66


SECTION
5

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Information and Tools
Glossary
The following are terms used within this guide. These terms are defined within the context of the optical fiber industry.

ABF Anaerobic-Cure Connector


Air-blown fiber. An alternate fiber provisioning scheme A field-installable connector with a polymer epoxy that
which requires pre-provisioning plastic tubes to all possible hardens when combined with an activating agent.

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


service locations. Fiber is later selectively installed to serv-
ice locations. ABF is not compliant to TIA-568 standards Analog
and is not accommodated by typical building construction A communications format that uses continuous physical
practices. variables such as voltage amplitude or frequency variations
to transmit information.
Acceptance Cone
An imaginary cone that defines the angle with which an ANSI
optical fiber will accept incoming light. American National Standard Institute

Access Jumper Aramid Yarn


A length of fiber placed between the Optical Time Domain Strength elements that contribute cable tensile strength,
Reflectometer (OTDR) and an event along a fiber that is to support and additional protection of the optical fiber

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


be measured. This allows the user to see fiber on both sides bundles.
of the event so that its loss can be estimated. Length must
be significantly greater than the OTDR attenuation dead Arbitrated Loop
zone. A mechanical media termination device designed to Fibre Channel topology in which devices are connected
align and join fiber optic connectors; often referred to as a in a loop; a token is used to control access.
coupling, bulkhead or interconnect sleeve.
Armor
Adapter Additional protective element beneath the cable outer
A mechanical media termination device designed to align jacket used to provide protection against severe outdoor
and join optical fiber connectors; it is often referred to as a environments and gnawing rodents. It is usually made of
coupling or interconnect sleeve. plastic-coated steel and it may be corrugated for flexibility.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


AHJ As-Built Test
Authority having jurisdiction. The organization, office Test performed after all installations (cable placement,
and/or individual responsible for approving equipment, splicing, connectorization) have been completed, to show
an installation, or a procedure. Note: the phrase “authority the system performs to specifications; usually comprised
having jurisdiction” is used in a broad manner since of OTDR and end-to-end attenuation tests.
jurisdictions and approval agencies vary as do their
responsibilities. ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
A network communications protocol standard with
ALTOS® Cable a digital transmission switching format; designed for
Corning Cable Systems’ stranded loose-tube cable in which scalable bandwidth and multimedia voice, data and
buffer tubes contain two or more fibers and which uses video transmission.
innovative waterblocking technology for craft-friendliness.
Attenuation
AM
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

The decrease in magnitude of signal power transmitted


Amplitude modulation. An analog signal with a constant between points; a term used for expressing the total loss
frequency and varying amplitude. of an optical system, normally measured in decibels (dB)
at a specific wavelength.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 67


Attenuation Coefficient Bend-Radius (Fiber)
The rate of optical power loss with respect to distance Radius a fiber can bend before the risk of breakage or
along the fiber, usually measured in decibels per kilometer increase in attenuation. See Cable Bend-Radius.
(dB/km) at a specific wavelength; the lower the number,
the better the fiber’s attenuation. Typical multimode wave- Broadband
lengths are 850 and 1300 nanometers (nm); single-mode Denotes transmission facilities capable of handling a
wavelengths are 1310 and 1550 nm. Note: When specifying wide range of frequencies simultaneously, thus permitting
attenuation, it is important to note the value is maximum. multiple channels in communications systems. It is
normally associated with CATV systems.
Backbone (Data Center)
Provides interconnection between the main distribution Buffering
area, the horizontal distribution area and entrance facilities. (1) A protective material extruded directly or around
the coated fiber to protect it from the environment
Backbone Cabling (LAN) (also known as tight-buffered); (2) extruding a tube around
The portion of premises telecommunications cabling that colored fiber to allow isolation of the fiber from stresses
provides connections between telecommunications closets, in the cable (also known as buffer tubes).
equipment rooms and entrance facilities. The backbone
cabling consists of the transmission media (optical fiber Buffer Tubes
cable or copper twisted-pair), main and intermediate Extruded cylindrical tubes covering optical fiber(s) used for
cross-connects, and terminations for the horizontal cross- protection and isolation. See Loose Tube.
connect, equipment rooms, and entrance facilities. The
backbone cabling can further be classified as interbuilding Bulkhead
backbone (cabling between buildings) or intrabuilding See Adapter.
backbone (cabling within a building).
Bundle
Backscatter Many individual fibers contained within a single jacket or
The portion of light that is scattered by the structure of buffer tube. Also, a group of buffered fibers distinguished
the glass and travels back toward the source. The OTDR in some fashion from another group in the same cable core.
uses this scattered light to make measurements.
BW
Bandwidth Bandwidth
Measure of the information-carrying capacity of an optical
fiber usually measured in MHz•km at a specific wave- Byte
length. The higher the bandwidth, the better the fiber. A sequence of 8 bits.
Note: This term is often used to specify the normalized modal bandwidth of a
multimode fiber. Cabinet
A physical enclosure for rack-mountable equipment.
Base-2 Cabling Systems Cable, optical fibers and other material(s) assembled
Data center backbone and horizontal cables that are to provide mechanical and environmental protection
terminated on each end with a 2-fiber duplex connector. for the fibers.

Base-12 Cabling Systems Cable Assembly


Data center backbone and horizontal cables that are Optical fiber cable with connectors installed on one or
terminated on each end with a 12-fiber MPO connector. both ends. Cable assemblies are generally used for inter-
connection of optical fiber cable systems and opto-elec-
Base-24 Cabling Systems tronic equipment. If connectors are attached to only one
Data center backbone and horizontal cables that are end of a cable, it is known as a pigtail. If connectors are
terminated on each end with a 24-fiber MPO connector. attached to both ends of a low-fiber-count cable, it is
known as a jumper or patch cord.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 68


Cable Bend-Radius Chromatic Dispersion

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Cable bend-radius during installation is the smallest radius Signal dispersion caused by light traveling at multiple
bend for a cable experiencing a tensile load. Cable bend- wavelengths which arrive at the detector at different times.
radius installed is the smallest diameter bend for a cable
that is under no tensile load. CJP
Closet jumper-management panel
CamSplice™ Mechanical Splice
Corning Cable Systems’ non-adhesive mechanical splice. Cladding
The material surrounding the core of an optical fiber.
Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision The cladding must have a lower index of refraction to

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Detection (SMA/CD) keep the light in the core.
This is the communication scheme used in a shared
Ethernet network. Class of Service
The four classes include connection oriented, connection-
Cascade less, datagram and fractional bandwidth services.
An architecture in which switches are daisy-chained
together. Frames are passed from switch to switch until Coating
the port for the destination device is reached. A material applied to a fiber during the manufacturing
process to protect it from the environment and handling.
CATV
Community access television Coaxial Cable
A central conductor surrounded by an insulator, which in
CCH turn is surrounded by a tubular outer conductor, which is

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Closet connector housing covered by more insulant; also called coax cable.

CCS Collision
Closet connector and splice housing The result when two users attempt to send data simultane-
ously on a shared media network. Data is corrupted and
CDF both devices must retransmit their information.
Closet distribution frame
Composite Cable
Central Member A cable containing both fiber and copper media.
The center component of a stranded loose tube cable. It
serves as an anti-buckling element to resist temperature- Computer Room
induced stresses. The central member material is steel, An architectural space to accommodate data

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


fiberglass or glass-reinforced plastic (GRP). processing equipment.

Centralized Cabling Conduit


A cabling topology used with centralized electronics con- Pipe or tubing through which cables can be pulled
necting the optical horizontal cabling with intrabuilding or housed.
backbone cabling passively in the telecommunications
closet or main cross-connect. Connecting Hardware
A device used to terminate an optical fiber cable with
Channel connectors and adapters providing an administration
A dedicated path between two devices characterized by point for cross-connecting between cabling segments
very high data rates and very low overhead; it is typically or interconnecting to electronic equipment.
hardware intensive and addresses system data as part of
the “setup” information.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 69


Connector Cut-Off Wavelength
A mechanical device used to align and join two fibers The wavelength below which a single-mode fiber will
together to provide a means for attaching to and support more than one mode of light.
de-coupling from a transmitter, receiver or another fiber.
Commonly used connectors include the MT-RJ, SC, CWDM
ST® Compatible and LC connectors. Coarse wavelength division multiplexing

Connector Module Data Center


A connector panel with a pre-installed cable assembly A building or portion of a building whose primary function
(or assemblies) on the back plane, which can be spliced to is to house a computer room and its support areas.
backbone cable fibers (designed for use with patch panels).
dB
Connector Panel See Decibel.
A panel insert designed for use with patch panel housings.
Connector panels often contain pre-installed adapters. Dead Zone
Attenuation dead zone is the distance after a reflective
Core event at which the trace line has returned to within 0.5 dB
The central region of an optical fiber through which light of the actual backscatter line. It is caused by the laser pulse
is transmitted. reflecting as it passes through the connection or event.

Coupling Decibel
See Adapter. The unit for measuring the relative strength of light signals
expressed as dB. It is equal to one-tenth the common
Cross-Connect logarithm of the ratio of the two power levels. It is expressed
Incoming and outgoing fibers terminated in adapter sleeves in dBm when a power level is compared to 1 milliwatt.
or the backplane of the patch panel. Single-fiber jumpers,
which are installed on the front plane, complete the circuits. Demarcation Point
A point where the operational control or ownership
Cross-Connect Switch changes.
A fabric switch that connects only to other switches (I/O).
Dielectric
CSH Non-metallic electrically non-conductive. Glass fibers
Closet splice housing are considered dielectric. A dielectric cable contains no
metallic components.
Composite Second-Order Beat (CSO)
A clustering of second-order beats 1.25 MHz above
Digital
A data format that uses discrete physical levels to
the visual carriers in CATV systems.
transmit information.
Composite Triple Beat (CTB)
Dispersion
A clustering of third-order distortion products around
The broadening of light pulses along a length of the fiber.
the visual carriers in CATV systems.
Two major types are (1) modal dispersion caused by differ-
ent optical path lengths in a multimode fiber; (2) chromat-
Corning® ClearCurve® Multimode Optical Fiber
ic dispersion which is the sum of material dispersion and
The world's first laser-optimized multimode fiber to
waveguide dispersion in single-mode fiber. Material dis-
withstand tight bends at or below 10 mm radius with
persion is pulse spread caused by different index of refrac-
substantially less signal loss than traditional multimode
tion for light of various wavelengths in a waveguide mate-
fiber. This new fiber allows designers, installers and
rial. Waveguide dispersion is caused by light traveling at
operators of enterprise networks - including local area
different speeds in the core and cladding of single-mode
networks, data centers and industrial networks - to deploy
fibers with the spreading of a light pulse as it travels down
optical fiber in more places by delivering all of the band-
a fiber. The higher the dispersion, the lower the maximum
width benefits of optical fiber in a package that is easier
transmission frequency.
to handle and install than copper.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 70


Dispersion-Shifted Fiber Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Single-mode fiber that has a zero dispersion wavelength Radiated or conducted electromagnetic energy that has
in the 1500 nm region. an undesirable effect on electronic equipment or signal
transmissions.
Distributed Feedback Laser (DFB)
Edge-emitting laser typically used for 1310 nm/1550 nm End-to-End Test
operation. Measurement of optical power loss using a source and
meter which transmits into one end of the fiber and
DMD receives at the other end; typically from one patch panel
Differential modal delay to another.

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Documentation Entrance Facility
The methodical recording of test and physical data for a An entrance to a building for both public and private
fiber system, including OTDR traces, end-to-end losses, network service cables including the entrance point at
connector and splice losses, route diagrams, meter/foot the building wall and continuing to the equipment room
marks such that a complete record is produced of the or space.
active condition of the completed system.
Entrance Room (ER)
DSP A space in which the joining of interbuilding or
Digital signal processing intrabuilding telecommunications backbone facilities
takes place.
DTE
Data terminal equipment Equipment Room

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


A centralized space for telecommunications equipment
Duplex Connector that serves the occupants of a building. An equipment
Two connectors mechanically joined side by side; room is considered distinct from a telecommunications
terminating two separate strands of fiber. closet because of the nature or complexity of the
equipment.
EDA
Equipment distribution area. The computer room space Ethernet
occupied by equipment racks or cabinets. An IEEE network protocol standard for a 10 Mb/s local
area network. The IEEE 802.3 standard defines the
EDC various requirements and speeds of Ethernet that include
Environmental Distribution Center 10 Mb/s, 100 Mb/s, 1000 Mb/s (1 Gb/s) and 10 Gb/s
Ethernet. Also see Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet and

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


EDGE 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
See Pretium EDGE™
Event
Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) Any component, such as connectors, splices, faults etc.
The system modal bandwidth observed in a link for a that is displayed on an OTDR trace.
specific fiber with a specific source.
Event Search
Effective Modal Bandwidth, Calculated (EMBc) An OTDR’s ability to use an algorithm to search,
It predicts source fiber performance by integrating the automatically, for all events in the cable, reporting their
fundamental properties of light sources with the multi- location and loss.
mode fiber’s modal structure ensuring that the effective
modal bandwidth (EMB) of a fiber will meet the 10 Gb/s Fabric
requirement of 2000 MHz•km with any conforming laser. Topology using switches to connect one or multiple
devices to other devices that are part of the network.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 71


Fan-Out FM
Corning Cable Systems’ tight-buffered breakout-style Frequency modulation
multi-fiber cable designed for ease of connectorization
and rugged applications for interbuilding or intrabuilding FOTP
requirements. Fiber optic test procedures; defined in TIA/EIA
Publication Series 455.
Fast Ethernet
Ethernet at 100 Mb/s transmission rate. This is defined by FP
the IEEE 802.3 standard. Fabry perot (laser)

FCC Frame
Federal Communications Commission The smallest subset of data; frames make up sequences.

FCoE Fresnel Reflection Losses


Transmission method in which the Fibre Channel frame Reflection losses that are incurred at the input and output
is encapsulated into an Ethernet frame at the server. of optical fibers due to the differences in refraction index
between the core glass and immersion medium.
Ferrule
A mechanical component, generally a rigid ceramic tube, FTTx
used to protect and align a fiber in a connector. Fiber to the x. A growing practice of provisioning
individual subscribers with 100 percent optical fiber from
Fiber the POP to the premises. The parity cost of fiber relative
Thin filament of glass; an optical waveguide consisting of a to copper plant and its extraordinary bandwidth advantage
core and a cladding that is capable of carrying information have made FTTx economically attractive in many
in the form of light. applications.

Fiber Bend-Radius Full-Duplex


Minimum radius a fiber can bend without experiencing Capable of transmitting and receiving over the same
a reduction in optical fiber reliability. channel simultaneously. In pure digital networks, this is
achieved with two optical fibers.
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)
A standard for a 100 Mb/s fiber optic local area network. Functional Levels
The model (consisting of five levels) that defines Fibre
Fiber Identifier Channel operation. These levels include the physical media,
A device that bends a fiber (slightly) so that enough light encoding scheme, frame layout and services mapping.
leaks out that a detection can determine the presence of
traffic and its direction, as well as recognize the presence Fusing
of a test tone (usually 2 kHz). The actual operation of joining fibers together by fusion
or by melting.
Fiber Optics
Light transmission through optical fibers for communica- Fusion Splice
tion or signaling. A permanent joint produced by the application of localized
heat sufficient to fuse the ends of two optical fibers,
Fibre Channel forming a continuous single-light path.
Connecting protocol commonly used in data centers to
link servers to storage arrays. Fibre Channel mandates FZB
reliable delivery of data. Common data rates are 1 Gb/s, Fiber zone box
2 Gb/s, 4 Gb/s, 8Gb/s and 10 Gb/s.

Field-Installable Connector
An optical connector that can be assembled in the field
(at the job site) and installed by hand.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 72


Gainer Horizontal Cross-Connect (HC)

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


A splice loss measurement in which the trace appears to go The horizontal cross-connect (HC) is where the building
up (more power) and there appears to be a gain, instead of backbone and horizontal cabling meet in the telecommuni-
a loss; typical in cases where fiber of differing manufactur- cations room (TR).
ers is spliced together. Testing from the opposite direction
usually produces a corresponding loss equal to the power Horizontal Distribution Area (HDA)
gain measured from the other direction. A space in a computer room where a horizontal
cross-connect is located.
GbE
See Gigabit Ethernet. Housing

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


An enclosure, usually metallic, for splicing or termination.
Ghost
An “echo” caused by highly reflective components (connec- Hybrid Cable
tors) in which light is reflected back from the connection, A fiber optic cable containing two or more different types
strikes another connection, which reflects it back out into of fiber, such as 62.5 µm multimode and single-mode.
the fiber, only to be reflected back to the OTDR again.
ICH
Gigabit Ethernet Industrial connector housing
A 1000 Mb/s transmission rate. This is defined by the
IEEE 802.3 standard. IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
Gigahertz (GHz)
A unit of frequency that is equal to one billion cycles IEEE

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


per second. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Graded-Index Index-Matching Gel


Multimode fiber design in which the refractive index A gel with an index of refraction close to that of the optical
of the core is lower toward the outside of the fiber core fiber used to reduce reflections caused by refractive-index
and higher toward the center of the core, thus providing differences between glass and air.
higher bandwidth capabilities.
Index of Refraction
Half-Duplex The ratio of light velocity in a vacuum to its velocity in
The transmission of data in both directions, but only one a given transmission medium.
direction at a time. For example, two-way radio (push-to-
talk phones) use half-duplex communications. When one Insertion Loss

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


party speaks, the other party listens. See Loss

Heat-Cure Connector Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)


A field-installable connector with a polymer epoxy that A combination of electronics, telecommunications and
hardens when exposed to heat. information technology to the transportation sector for
improving safety and travel times on the transportation
Horizontal Cabling system. Intelligent transportation systems collect,
That portion of the LAN that provides connectivity store, process and distribute information relating to
between the horizontal cross-connect and the work-area the movement of people and goods.
telecommunications outlet. In the data center, the
horizontal cabling provides connectivity between the Interbuilding Backbone
main distribution area/horizontal distribution area to The portion of the backbone cabling between buildings.
the equipment distribution area. The horizontal cabling See Backbone Cabling.
consists of transmission media, the outlet, the terminations
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

of the horizontal cables and horizontal cross-connect. Interconnect Sleeve


See Adapter.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 73


Intermediate Cross-Connect (IC) Laser
A secondary cross-connect in the backbone cabling Light amplification by the simulated emission of radiation.
used to mechanically terminate and administer backbone A device that causes a uniform and coherent light that is
cabling between the main cross-connect and horizontal very different from an ordinary light bulb. Many lasers
cross-connect. deliver in an almost perfectly parallel beam (collimated)
that is very pure, approaching a single wavelength. Laser
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) light can be focused down a tiny spot as small as a single
An organization that sets international standards, founded wavelength.
in 1946.
Latency
Intrabuilding Backbone The time delay that frames experience in traversing the
The portion of the backbone cabling within a building. network, both relative to absolute time and each other.
See Backbone Cabling. Voice and video are very sensitive to latency, whereas data
generally is not very sensitive to latency.
I/O Switch
A fabric switch that connects to both devices Least Squares Analysis (LSA)
(input and output) and cross-connect switches. An OTDR loss measurement made using linear regression
to determine the slope of the trace on each side of an event
ITU and extrapolate this slope to the location of the event,
International Telecommunications Union determining the vertical difference at that point, which
is the loss measurement.
JPEG
Joint picture expert group Lens Profile Alignment Systems (LPAS)
A method of fusion splicing in which the fibers are aligned
Jumper based on the profile or the fiber. This method aligns the
Optical fiber cable that has connectors installed on both cladding of the fiber, not the fiber cores.
ends and used at cross-connects and at end equipment to
facilitate patching. See Cable Assembly. Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
A display and lighting technology used in almost every
Jumper Management electrical and electronic product on the market, from a
A means of providing an orderly administration of fibers. tiny on/off light to digital readouts, flashlights, traffic
This is essential in areas of high density and should provide lights and perimeter lighting. LEDs are commonly used
a means of routing single-mode and multimode fibers hori- in digital transmission sources for speeds ≤ 622 Mb/s.
zontally, vertically, and front to back in rack installations.
Link
Kilometer (km) A telecommunications circuit between any two telecommu-
One thousand meters, or approximately 3,281 ft. nications devices, not including the equipment connector.
The kilometer is a standard unit of length measurement
in fiber optics. Conversion is 1 ft = 0.3048 m. Local Area Network (LAN)
A geographically limited communications network
kpsi intended for the local transport of voice, data and video;
A unit of force per area expressed in thousands of pounds often referred to as a customer premises network.
per square inch; usually used as the specification for fiber
proof test, e.g., 100 kpsi. Local Injection and Detection (LID)
A method of fusion splicing in which a light is injected
LANscape® Solutions into the core of one fiber and sensed in the other.
The complete tip-to-tip approach to fiber cabling solutions The fibers are aligned until the maximum amount of
for private networks that consists of a comprehensive set light passes between them and they are fused together.
of integrated products, services and support to ensure
a successful and efficient fiber network that will serve as Logical vs. Physical Toplogy
a stable communications infrastructure for years to come. A logical topology is how devices appear connected to the
user. A physical topology is how they are actually intercon-
nected with wires and cables.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 74


LOMMF Mesh Network

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


Laser-optimized 50/125 µm multimode fiber where the A communications network in which there are at least two
bandwidth is optimized at 850 nm wavelength in support pathways to each node. A “fully meshed” network means
of ≥ 1 Gb/s operation. that every node has a direct connection to every other
node, which is a very elaborate and expensive architecture.
Loose Tube Cable Most mesh networks are partially meshed and require
Type of cable design whereby colored fibers are encased traversing nodes to go from each one to every other.
in buffer tubes.
Meter
Loss Device to measure optical power level (dBm).

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Reduction in optical power due to adsorption, scattering
and/or reflection. Meter/Foot Marks
The distance markings stamped on the cable jacket by the
MACs factory in either m or ft.
Acronym for moves, adds and changes. Usually associated
with data centers. Micrometer (µm)
One millionth of a meter; 10-6 m; typically used to express
Main Cross-Connect (MC) the geometric dimension of fibers, e.g., 62.5 µm.
The centralized portion of the backbone cabling used
to mechanically terminate and administer the backbone Mode
cabling, providing connectivity between equipment rooms, A term used to describe an independent stable light path
entrance facilities, horizontal cross-connects and interme- in a fiber, as in multimode or single-mode.
diate cross-connects.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Mode Conditioner
Main Distribution Area (MDA) The practice of wrapping a multimode fiber around a
The space in a computer room where the main mandrel for the purpose of causing light in the cladding
cross-connect is located. (cladding modes) to be lost, as well as to facilitate a more
even distribution of light across the core.
Mass Splicing
Joining two to 12 fibers simultaneously by fusing the Mode Field Diameter (MFD)
fibers together. The area of a single-mode fiber in which light actually
travels. This is typically larger than the core of the fiber.
Material Dispersion
Pulse dispersion caused by the variation in the speed Modulation
of light with wavelength. Coding of information onto the carrier frequency.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


This includes amplitude, frequency or phase modulation
MDPE techniques.
Medium density polyethylene; a type of plastic material,
used as outside plant, commonly cable jackets. Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
An ISO/ITU standard for compressing video.
Mechanical Splicing
Joining two fibers together by permanent or temporary MTP® Connector
mechanical means (vs. fusion splicing or connectors) to MTP is a registered trademark of USConec, Ltd. and
enable a continuous signal. The CamSplice™ Mechanical refers to an enhanced MPO-style connector containing
Splice is a good example. a linear array of 12F.

Media (Telecommunications) Multi-fiber Cable


Wire, cable, or conductors used for telecommunications. An optical fiber cable that contains two or more fibers.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Megahertz (MHz) Multimode Fiber


A unit of frequency that is equal to one million cycles An optical waveguide in which light travels in multiple
per second. modes. Typical core/cladding sizes (measured in
micrometers) are 62.5/125 and 50/125.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 75


Multiplex Optical Skew
Combining two or more signals that can be individually The difference in propagation time between multi-fibers
recovered into a single bit stream. of a parallel transmission system.

Multipoint Optical Waveguide


Refers to a communications line (network) that provides a See Fiber.
path from one location to many.
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
Multi-Stage Refers to a seven-layered model that serves as a guideline
An architecture in which I/O and cross-connect switches for creating and implementing network standards, devices
are used to increase fabric bandwidth, throughput and and Internet working schemes to allow communication
resilience. between multiple network devices.

Multi-Trunking OSE
Increasing available bandwidth by connecting more than Optical splice enclosure
one switched port to a single device.
Parallel Optic Transmission
Multiuser Telecommunications Outlet The simultaneous transmission of related signal elements
A telecommunications outlet used to serve more than over two or more separate fibers. Parallel optics relies on
one work area, typically used in open-systems furniture spatial division multiplexing, in which a signal is spatially
applications. divided among multiple fibers and simultaneously
transmitted across those fibers.
National Electrical Code® (NEC®)
Provides practical safeguarding of persons and property Patch Panel
from hazards arising from the use of electricity. This code A collection of connector panels located in a common
is updated by the NEC® every three years. housing.

NIC PBX
Network interface card Private branch exchange. A private telecommunications
switching system.
OFL
Over filled launch, typical of LED source systems. PCH
Pretium® Connector housing
On-the-Reel Test
Test of a new reel of cable prior to installation to verify Physical Mesh
length and condition of the fiber. Each switch is connected directly to each of the other
switches on the network.
Optical Fiber
See Fiber. Physical Ring
A cable layout in which each node is connected to two adja-
Optical Hardware cent nodes. There is not a central point of cable termination.
Housings designed to facilitate splicing and/or termination
of optical fiber cable. Physical Star
A cable layout in which all cables route back to a central
Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) location, directly or through other consolidation points.
An instrument that measures the transmission characteristics
of optical fiber by sending a series of short pulses of light Pigtail
down the fiber and providing a graphic representation of Optical fiber cable that has connectors installed on one
the backscattered light. end. See Cable Assembly.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 76


PIN Diode Preconnectorized Assembly

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


A semiconductor device used to convert optical signals A fiber optic cable that has been terminated by the
to electrical signals in a receiver. manufacturer. The terminations can be housed in a
protective pulling grip allowing inner duct installation.
Plenum The terminations can also be pre-installed in hardware.
An air-handling space such as that found above drop-ceiling
tiles or in raised floors; also, a fire code rating for indoor Prefusing
cable suitable for use in plenum spaces. A low-current electric arc used to clean the fiber end prior
to fusion splicing.
Plug & Play™ Universal Systems
Pretium EDGE™

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


A fiber optic preterminated cabling system designed for
the private networks environment. This innovative system A high-density preterminated optical cabling solution
reduces installation time and cost, for both end users and that simplifies installation and improves performance
contractors, by offering factory-terminated cables and in the data center environment.
polarity management. The modular design guarantees
compatibility, flexibility and system performance for all Pretium® Solutions
optical connection spans. A subset of Corning Cable Systems LANscape® Solutions,
the Pretium product solutions offers enhanced perform-
PMD ance or handling characteristics.
Physical media dependent
PSTN
Point-to-Point (P2P) Public switched telephone network
Refers to a communications line that provides a path from

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


one location to another (point A to point B). Pulse Width
The time duration of a laser pulse emitted by the OTDR;
Polarity ranges from a few nanoseconds to 20 microseconds,
Fiber positioning convention that maintains the transmit depending on model. Short pulses provide higher resolu-
and receive signals over the entire link. tion for short cables, whereas longer pulses provide power
needed to test long distance cables.
Polyethylene (PE)
A type of plastic material used for outside plant cable jackets. Quality of Service (QoS)
Describes a network’s ability to send time-dependent data.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
A common plastic used for insulating and jacketing many Rack
inside and indoor/outdoor cable products; typically used in Vertical support for equipment typically with 1.75-in of

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


flame-retardant cables. space between mounting holes. Standard rack sizes are
19-in and 23-in wide.
Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)
A type of material used for cable jacketing, typically used Rack Space
in plenum-rated cables. A unit of measure of 1.75-in for equipment space in a rack.
Many housings are measured in rack space.
PoE
Technology that supplies power and communication to a Receiver
remote device over the same cable, thus eliminating the An electronic package that converts optical signals to
need for power cords. electrical signals.

Port Reference
The transmit/receive connection that is found within a node. The power level of the source as measured through a
test jumper that will be connected to a fiber for testing.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Measurements through the system fiber are compared to


this value and the difference is the system loss.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 77


Reflectance Router
The ratio of reflected power to incident power at a Provides connection over the OSI network layer (layer 3)
connector junction or other component or device, usually based on the IP address.
measured in decibels and typically stated as a negative
value, e.g., -30 dB. The terms return loss, back reflection Round-Trip Delay (RTD)
and reflectivity are also used synonymously to describe Twice the time required for a packet to travel across
device reflections, but are stated as positive values. a network.

Reflection Scattering
Light which is reflected whenever there is a difference The loss of signal power (light) from the fiber core
in media and the index of refraction, such as a connector caused by impurities or changes in the index of refraction
interface, where air (different index) is present, or the end of the fiber.
of a fiber, where glass meets air.
SCF
Repeater Splice closure family
A device used to regenerate an optical signal to allow an
increase in the system length. Sequence
One or more subsets of an exchange.
Resilience
A network's ability to preserve in the presence of failures. Serial Optic Transmission
Example: The mesh architecture offers multiple paths The sequential transmission of signal elements of a data
between switches, so if a switch fails, only the users on group. The characters are transmitted in a sequence over
that switch are out of operation; all other users are still a single fiber, rather than simultaneously over two or more
functional. fibers, as in parallel transmission.

Restricted Mode Launch (RML) Bandwidth Signature Trace


A test method for measuring the laser bandwidth of multi- An OTDR trace that is scaled so the entire fiber run is
mode fibers; detailed in TIA/EIA-455-204 (FOTP-204). visible on the graph; traces meant to document a fiber are
Method is used to simulate launch characteristics of 1 GbE typically set up and saved/printed in this fashion.
systems.
Simplex Connector
Return Loss Single connector terminating a single strand of fiber.
See Reflectance.
Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
RFI An optical waveguide (or fiber) in which the signal travels
Radio frequency interference in only one mode. The fiber has a small mode field
diameter, typically around 9 m.
RH
Relative humidity SNMP
Simple network management protocol
RIO
Ruggedized information outlet SONET
Synchronous optical network
Riser
Pathway for indoor cables that passes between floors, Source
normally a vertical shaft or space; also, a fire-code rating Stabilized light-emitting device (LED or Laser) used with
for indoor cable suitable for use in riser spaces. a meter to measure attenuation.

Route Diagram
A schematic diagram showing the physical location/layout
of the fiber run and the location of splices and termination
points.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 78


Space Division Multiplexing Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP)

INTRODUCTION TO DATA CENTERS


A method used to increase the data rate capacity between Hydrophilic polyacrylates (water absorbing plastics, baby
two points by transmitting data over multiple different diaper technology) that are used in state-of-the-art water-
channels simultaneously. A single input signal is broken blocked cables. These plastics are adhered to tapes or yarns
into many segments, each having very short duration. in a cable to replace 100-year-old grease waterblocking
Each segment is transmitted over a separate physical chan- technology.
nel to the receive end. At the receive end, the segments are
combined back in the correct order into a single data string. Telecommunications Room (TR)
An enclosed space for housing telecommunications
SPH equipment, cable terminations and cross-connects.

DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Single-panel housing The TR is the recognized cross-connect between the
backbone and horizontal cabling.
Splice Closure
A container used to house cable splice points and organize Termination
and protect splice trays; typically used in outside plant A method of preparing a fiber end for quick connection
environments. to another fiber or device; involves use of a fiber optic
connector.
Splice Trays
Splice trays are required in order to protect, store and Test Jumper
organize fibers and splices at splice points. A splice tray is A short, 2-3 m jumper used with meter/source for both
typically a thin, rectangular sheet metal or plastic tray base referencing as well as conveniently connecting to each
with a splice organizer, which has a removable sheet metal connector in a patch panel.
or plastic cover.

DEPLOYING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


Through Splice
Splicing A splice used to join similar cables. This can be done to
Joining of bare fiber ends to one another. See Fusion extend the length of a cable or distribute fiber circuits to
Splice and Mechanical Splicing. smaller count cables.

Star Toplogy TIA


A topology in which telecommunications cables are Telecommunications Industry Association
distributed from a central point.
Tight-Buffered Cable
Step Index Type of cable construction in which each glass fiber is
A fiber that has a constant index of refraction for the tightly buffered by a protective thermoplastic coating
cladding as well as the core. It is called step index because to a diameter of 900 µm, providing ease of handling and

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND ADMINISTRATION


the index of refraction profile resembles a step. connectorization.

Storage Area Network (SAN) Topology


A high-speed network that uses the Fibre Channel The physical or logical arrangement of a telecommunications
transmission protocol to interconnect different kinds system i.e. Star, Ring or Mesh.
of data storage devices with associated data servers on
behalf of a larger network of users. Trace
The OTDR’s graphical representation of a fiber which
STP displays relative power on the vertical and distance on
Shielded twisted-pair the horizontal scales.

Transition Splice
A splice, usually in the building entrance, to join
flame-rated and non-flame-rated cables together.
INFORMATION AND TOOLS

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 79


Transmission Control Protocol/Internet VoIP
Protocol (TCP/IP) Voice over Internet protocol
Four-layer communication protocol developed by the
U.S. Government. Waveguide Dispersion
Dispersion caused by light traveling in the cladding of the
Transmitter single-mode fiber.
An electronic device used to convert an electrical informa-
tion signal to a corresponding optical signal for transmission Wavelength
by fiber. Transmitters are typically light emitting diodes The distance between two successive points of an electro-
(LEDs), VCSELs or laser diodes. magnetic waveform, usually measured in nanometers (nm).

UDP WCH
User datagram protocol Wall-mountable connector housing

Ultraviolet Cure Connector WCH-SSH


A field-installable connector with a polymer epoxy that WCH slack storage housing (mounts behind the WCH)
hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.
WDM
UniCam® Connector Wavelength division multiplexing. The simultaneous
Corning Cable Systems’ field-installable connector that transmission of two or more wavelengths of light on
requires no epoxy and no polishing. a single fiber.

Uplink Port WIC


A port on a network hub or switch that is used to connect Wall-mountable interconnect center
to other hubs and switches rather than an end station.
WMO
UTP Workstation multimedia outlet
Unshielded twisted-pair
Work Area Telecommunications Outlet
Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) A connecting device located in a work area at which the
Vertical cavity surface emitting laser. Pronounced “vixel”, horizontal cabling terminates and provides connectivity
VCSEL is a type of laser diode that emits light from its for work area patch cords.
surface rather than its edge. A VCSEL’s circular beam is
easy to couple with a fiber and due to its surface-emission WSH
architecture, can be tested on the wafer. VCSELs are also Wall-mountable splice housing
noted for their excellent power efficiency and durability.
Zone Distribution Area (ZDA)
Visual Fault Locator (VFL) A space in a computer room where a zone outlet or a
A visible Class II red light laser, typically 630-670 nm, consolidation point is located.
which is used to check short cables such as pigtails and
jumpers for breaks by causing the break to glow red. Zero Dispersion Wavelength
Wavelength at which the chromatic dispersion of an
optical fiber is zero.

Glossary | LAN-1160-EN | Page 80


Corning Cable Systems LLC • PO Box 489 • Hickory, NC 28603-0489 USA
800-743-2675 • FAX: 828-325-5060 • International: +1-828-901-5000 • www.corning.com/cablesystems
Corning Cable Systems reserves the right to improve, enhance and modify the features and specifications of Corning Cable Systems products without prior notification. ALTOS, LANscape,
Pretium and UniCam are registered trademarks of Corning Cable Systems Brands, Inc. CamSplice, LID-SYSTEM, Plug & Play and Pretium EDGE are trademarks of Corning Cable
Systems Brands, Inc. ClearCurve and Corning are registered trademarks of Corning Incorporated. MTP is a registered trademark of USConec, Ltd. All other trademarks are the properties
of their respective owners. Corning Cable Systems is ISO 9001 certified. © 2010 Corning Cable Systems. All rights reserved. Published in the USA. LAN-1160-EN / November 2010

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