Users also benefit from better tie-off points. A growing trend
on the integration front is the implementation of a flat-cablemanagement
panel featuring tie-off points with a Thook design,
which looks like a mushroom head. These tiny slots serve integrators
better than traditional lance or port holes.
Tie wraps easily loop over the Thook, allowing cables to hang in
place. The tie wraps can be zipped down to secure the cables to the
cable management panel for a professional look after the cables are
dressed and neatly arranged. The point of this design is to enhance
the organization of multiple cable bundles for a cleaner installation.
Plastic molds, also known as bins and bobbins, are the recommended
method for diverting cables away from the equipment and
into the peripheral area of the cabinet. This maintains the bend
radii necessary to preserve the performance of high-speed, 10-Gbit
cables, ensuring cable bends are not overly sharp or abrupt.
Cabinets designed specifically for network cabling applications
typically include square holes to accommodate traditional
cable-management rings that assist with bend radii. This ensures
integrators have the right features to work with when managing
cable in varied situations. It also promotes easy assignment of
equipment locations from every cable coming out of the patch
panel without compromising cable performance.
CABINET SIZE AND AIRFLOW
The coupling of 10-Gbit cabling and its
associated bend radii means that the
size of a cabling-specific cabinet is a considerable attribute. Cabinets
dedicated to network cabling between routers, switches, and
patch panels require substantial width and depth, up to 1000 mm
each. While 600 mm and 800 mm are more common measurements
in smaller data centers and LAN closets to optimize space,
a wide selection of cabinet sizes allows integrators to best match
the cabinet size for each cabling application.
Server applications typically have less cabling in the cabinet.
Therefore, they require less width, the standard being 600 mm,
especially in raised floor environments where a series of sub-floor
grids is strategically spaced to avoid the obstruction of cables.
Servers continue to get deeper, denser, and hotter. A more open
frame design allows for increased airflow through the cabinet with
perforated doors serving as an entry point into an open area of
more than 60%. Better cable-management features allow cabling
to remain clear of the airflow path to improve cooling and equipment
performance.
For example, power cables can be shortened and dressed out of
the airflow path. Designers also can use full length, rotated vertical
power strips within the cabinet. Less cable means a cleaner installation,
less integration labor, better cooling, and, in turn, better
equipment performance.
A longer life span for the equipment is a consideration, but
uptime is more critical for most data networks. A cool system is
a working system. Server installations in data centers will reveal
and magnify any cabinet-related airflow deficiencies. Removing
airflow obstructions and streamlining the cable management can
also create large savings in energy associated with a more efficient
air-conditioning system.
POWERING IT ALL UP
Power is a substantial consideration for any data
center, particularly as servers evolve to accommodate
heavier media applications from video
distribution to storage. Numerous rack- and
vertical-mount power strips are currently available to support heavier power consumption
and protect data and other content
with various designs to match the
requirements of any sized data center.
Though there is no shortage of other
power-strip designs on the market to manage
power within the cabinet, one suggestion
is the PowerOptions power strip
for integration into any type of cabinet
(Fig. 3). The vertical-mount versions with
rotatable receptacles are ideal for users
who need to manage power consumption
and occasionally relocate strips within the
cabinet (Fig. 4).
THE BOTTOM LINE
The driving force behind the X design
and other emerging configurations is to
provide a new style of cabinet that saves
time for the integrator while also offering a
maintenance-friendly design for swapping
components, managing power and cabling
in and out of the cabinet, and supplying
consistent, reliable airflow. A well-maintained
system will certainly help minimize
any maintenance requirements long after
the integrator has left the building.