The control of data communications for smaller entities and businesses continues to shift further away from external management to internal efforts. From hospitals and medical centers to schools and universities, from hotels and restaurants to banks and credit unions, and from law enforcement agencies to local municipalities, the movement toward in-house control of data flow is on the rise.
There are several reasons for this shift, most of which tie back to a more efficient operation. Data usage is higher than ever, with no reduction in sight. With data usage continuously on the rise, the expenses for external operation increase proportionately. The buildout and integration of an in-house data center becomes cost-efficient to many smaller and mid-sized businesses as data usage increases and external costs mount.
Security is also a concern. The establishment of an in-house data center may not guarantee protection, but the internal control aspect adds protective layers from theft, as well as system crashes and power failures. It may also prove more attractive to customers in the business world, knowing that their records remain under lock and key in the same facility with no outsourced control.
WORKING IN TIGHT QUARTERS
Large data centers such as those for big businesses, Internet service providers, and data storage companies tend to be large, technical-core spaces with potentially hundreds of cabinets arranged in multiple rows. Smaller businesses and entities rarely have a similar space to establish a data center and likely no need for such real estate. The challenge for these businesses, and the integrators in charge of building out the centers, is to work within a tight space without shortchanging the data distribution and storage requirements.
Typically, these small to mid-sized entities build and house their data systems in an empty office space or closet set up to accommodate racks and cabinets, as well as the associated power and electrical infrastructure. Some facilities, including K-12 schools, universities, and hospitals, may employ both.
In these situations there may be several local-area network (LAN) closets, or independent distribution frames, feeding data over Ethernet backbone wiring to the central room or main distribution frame. This accommodates shorter cable runs of usually less than 300 ft.
The limited real estate of the closet/backroom application presents the data integrator with both numerous and varied challenges, from the initial wiring through cabinet integration. Flexible cabinet sizes for width and depth assist with space challenges, particularly in a single LAN closet application requiring only one or two cabinets. Beyond size, a number of design attributes of the cabinet itself will simplify the integration process and address important factors such as power, cooling, and cabling that are instrumental to the health of the data operation.
ALTERNATIVE PATHS TO NETWORK NIRVANA
The standard rectangular cabinet with perforated sides isn’t always ideal when working within a limited space. Cable management can be especially tricky, particularly when wiring high-density server clusters. European data integrators are increasingly opting for alternative cabinet designs that ease cable management challenges in compact spaces.
Although data integrators are finding an increasing number of choices on the market that differ from the traditional cabinet design, perhaps the most popular alternative is the wishbone, or X design within the cabinet, a topology design engineers find optimal for server and cabling integration. The X Frame cabinet is one such new cabinet that incorporates this wishbone design (Fig. 1).
CONCERNING CABLE CONCERNS
The X design of the bottom and top of the frame structure resembles two wishbones that meet and connect at the middle. This is a radically different design approach than the traditional rectangular frame of a server or cabling cabinet that employs a square top and bottom welded for four corner posts. The design brings a greater sense of freedom to integrators to work within the cabinet without limitations in both network cabling and serverheavy installations.
Network cabling is the lifeblood of communications within and outside the data center. Integrators feeding cable to the cabinet need plenty of space to operate and efficiently manage the runs, bundles, and connections. The challenge with running cable through traditional cabinets is maneuvering the cables through port holes and around the top and bottom of the frame. A cablingspecific cabinet design can make the job easier for the integrator, especially in a tight space.
The X design simplifies cable runs through the cabinet, presenting a less complicated environment for managing cables for multiple routers, switches, and patch panels (Fig. 2). The design allows the integrator to secure the cabinet into a specific space and bring the cabling into the cabinet from a ladder rack above or through flooring beneath the base by simply pushing the cable into the cabinet.
This eliminates the need to fish cabling through access holes and over the frame of the cabinet. Integrators can also step into the X cabinet due to its very open frame design, which improves access to difficult to reach points while dressing and labeling cables.
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