What are the key trends that are impacting data centers so deeply? Growth. By 2021 global internet traffic will increase up to three times. The role of hyperscale data centers pushing speed and innovation.New network architectures are required to support virtualization and unimagined transmission speeds.; and FOG Computing, which extends the cloud to the edge.
Wi-Fi 6 WAPs will need more power and thermally stable shielded cabling systems. Learn about other considerations as you prepare for the new wave of wi-fi.
L-com has launched a series of active optical cables (AOCs), designed to address high-speed data centers and enterprise networking applications. The new AOCs are hot swappable, pluggable cable assemblies that support high-speed Ethernet, InfiniBand and Fibre Channel connectivity (10Gbps-100Gbps). Although they use the same electrical interface as Direct-Attach Cables (DACs), AOCs utilize fiber-optic cable instead of copper wiring, so they are able to support distances up to 100 meters. Furthermore, DACs are limited by crosstalk since they utilize copper cabling and generally cannot support distances over 10 meters.
The green data center market is forecast to grow from $43.24 billion USD in 2018 to $147.88 billion in 2024. Sustainability has become as central to data centers as, well, data. Uptime may be king, but the energy cost of that uptime is a factor the crown cannot afford to ignore.
The Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee is perpetually developing and refining standards documents to guide the specification, design, installation and administration of cabling and related communications systems. TR-42’s most recent meeting took place June 9-13. Based on subcommittee-meeting minutes and other reports, here is a rundown of some of the current and recent activity from TR-42.
Data centers, whether they are multi-story hyperscale facilities in excess of 10 MW or small facilities designed to reduce latency at the edge of the network, require a means to reject the heat generated by the servers. The methods for achieving this are changing along with the industry as the demand for efficiency and sustainability continues to increase. Cooling methods may vary depending on facility size and location, but one thing remains constant: reliable thermal management is a mission critical requirement.
Establishing a group for Women in BICSI was a dream I nurtured for many years. This dream finally gained traction in 2014 when a core group of women met to establish a format to encourage women in the industry to gather together to share their experiences. Since then we’ve had annual meetings and networking sessions, established a LinkedIn page, developed a page on the BICSI website and sponsored a female candidate to the BICSI Cabling Skills Challenge for the past five years.
Many Internet of Things (IoT) devices like multisensor cameras, digital lighting, HVAC systems and badge scanners now run off Power over Ethernet (PoE). While this makes those devices easier to install, it’s turning the network into a power distribution center. When PoE devices do not work as intended, the cabling contractor is often blamed for it, even though there are many possible causes for this problem. It’s important for cabling contractors to test for PoE load while installing cables to avoid this blame game among themselves, the network team, and the IoT device installers.
The Finnish capital of Helsinki is currently in the process of proving that digitalization can minimize the waste of time and resources as well as improve productivity and growth. An early adopter of smart city technology and modeling, it launched the Helsinki 3D+ project to create a three-dimensional representation of the city using reality capture technology provided by the software company Bentley Systems for geocoordination, evaluation of options, modeling, and visualization.
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