Data Center Summit to address topics including fiber connectivity, network design, security

On December 14-15 Cabling Installation & Maintenance will host the Data Center Summit, a series of seven roundtable-style sessions that will cover multiple technical and business aspects of data center operation and management. Topics include:
Liquid Cooling for the Data Center
Trends Driving Data Center Innovation
High-Speed Optics for the Data Center
Navigating High-Speed Data Center Network Evolution
Data Center Security: A Convergence of Cybersecurity and Physical Hardening
Fiber and Connectivity Options for Data Center Networks
Data Center Sustainability Challenges and Solutions

Surprise! The metaverse could be great news for the enterprise edge

Social media demand can become enormous overnight, and the metaverse is a prime social-media phenomena, with a big potential problem. All those humans buzzing about in the virtual world of the metaverse would create some awkward moments unless all the avatars were controlled in real time with minimal delay. The problem is #latency.
Significant loss of synchrony with the real world is an ugly problem for metaversing, and we can expect Meta and others to work to correct it by controlling latency. If that happens, there’s hope for those #enterprise #edge and #IoT applications. Metaverse latency control is more than just edge computing, it’s also edge connectivity, meaning consumer broadband. Faster broadband offers lower latency, but there’s more to latency control than just speed. You need to minimize the handling, the number of hops or devices between the user who’s pushing an avatar around a metaverse, and the software that understands what that means to what the user “sees” and what others see as well. Think fiber and cable TV, and a fast path between the user and the nearest edge, which is likely to be in a nearby major metro area. And think “everywhere” because, while the metaverse may be nowhere in a strict reality sense, it’s everywhere that social-media humans are, which is everywhere.

McLaren Racing relies on edge computing at Formula 1 tracks

“Twenty-two times a year, we build a data center right down at the edge,” said Ed Green, head of commercial technology at McLaren Racing, a British motor racing team based in Surrey, England.
For McLaren, the edge is wherever in the world the company’s Formula 1 racing team is competing. An IT setup at each racing site links the entire team, including mechanics, engineers, crew members, and the drivers of McLaren’s two Formula 1 racecars.

5 things you need to know about multifiber push-on connector testing –

NTT-Advanced Technology Research cites that 80% of network problems are due to dirty connectors, and the No. 1 cause of network failure is contaminated connectors. For MPOs, inspection and cleaning become even more critical. Given that a single dirty or damaged connector can impact 24 fibers—or more—with MPO connectors, taking critical communications lines out of service for troubleshooting will cause service interruptions for numerous customers.
How can the performance of MPO links be ensured? It all starts with testing. There are the five essential things you need to do: connector inspection, proper cleaning, polarity-type validation, continuity confirmation, and choosing the right referencing method.

Hyperconnecting Here to There

As enterprise buildings and campuses grow more intelligent (think IoT, building automation and network convergence), facility and network managers are deploying massive numbers of new devices, sensors, controllers, and other devices. The challenge is adapting the data and power cabling infrastructure to keep it efficient, capable and flexible.

Tackling the weaknesses of smart buildings’ technology

The integration of IoT technology in smart buildings will bring benefits as well as more and newer risks. By 2020, 1.7B connected devices have already been deployed and used globally, and this number is expected to grow to over 3B by 2024. 97% of these IoT technologies and devices are vulnerable to medium and high-level potential cyber risks, and cyberattacks have already harmed several businesses, including critical infrastructure. To continue enjoying the benefits of smart buildings, we need to find ways to safeguard both the company’s IT systems as well as its mission critical infrastructure.

Sustainability initiatives seen driving data center physical infrastructure demand

A report from Dell’Oro Group states that data center physical infrastructure revenues are forecast to grow at an 8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2021 to 2026, to above $31 billion and that data center sustainability has risen to the top of decision-making criteria in the industry, opening the door for significant technology transitions during this forecast period.

Carrie Goetz authors book offering guidance on data center careers

Information and communications technology (ICT) expert Carrie Goetz has authored a book with the intention of guiding professionals into careers in technology and data centers. Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers is available for order in Kindle, paperback, and hardback versions. The book carries the tagline: Featuring Careers for Women, Trades, and Vets in Tech and Data Centers.
When announcing the book’s availability, Goetz said, “New to the industry, considering it, or want to know about the rest of it? This is for you—degree or no degree.” She added that the book is peer-reviewed and it “bridges the gap between IT and facilities. It takes a holistic approach to explaining mission-critical data centers, from site selection to the cloud and all things in between.