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.
Continue on Page 2