Engineered for Uptime Strategies for Designing Reliable Data

Engineered for Uptime Strategies for Designing Reliable Data Centers and Networks

Agenda • Engineering your Data Center for Uptime • Leveraging 10 Gig in the Data Center • Design Considerations • TIA, ISO, IEEE Standards • Pathways & Spaces 2

Data Center Design Engineering your Data Center for Uptime

Outline • Data Center Applications • Data Center Infrastructure Design and Standards • Network Engineer Concerns • Data Center Standards • Summary 4

Data Center Defined • A Data Center is dedicated area within a building for connecting servers to the internal and external network • Key Functions/Applications – Storage of important data (websites, transactions, video, voice, logs, records) – 24 x 7 x 365 immediate access to information from anywhere – Reliability and Redundancy 5

Trends impacting the Data Center • IP Convergence (More devices in LAN requiring Ethernet connections) • Blade Servers (higher density servers) • 10 Gigabit Speeds (copper and fiber) • Storage Area Networks (Massive Hard Drive Arrays for the long term storage of information) • Key Point: All of the above are very positive trends for high end Structured Cabling – Why? 6

IP Convergence Drives More Cable into LAN and Data Center HVAC Lighting Security WAP Vo. IP Bursty More Networked Devices drive additional Equipment in Data Center Baseline IP 7

Blade Servers increase the density of cabling in the data center • Blade Servers (IBM shown below): – Increase density of cabling as there are physically more servers per cabinet – Increase heat generated in cabinet (Airflow becomes more important) 8

10 Gigabit Speeds require upgraded cabling • No one will debate the fact that Data Centers will be the first to deploy 10 Gigabit – They are already doing it over fiber – Active equipment vendors recommending all new copper cabling be Augmented Category 6 to support 10 GBase-T • 10 Gig over Fiber – Laser optimized MM • 10 Gig over Copper – Augmented Category 6 9

Why Design for 10 Gigabit? • Philosophy of “Building for Bandwidth” – Cabling expected life: 10 -15 Years (12. 5 yr Avg. ) – Active Equipment expected life: 3 -5 Years (4 yr Avg. ) » Force 10 Targeting extended up to 10 year life – Conclusion: Cabling needs to be design to last at least 3 generations of active equipment • Recent release of 10 GBase-T (IEEE 802. 3 an) in June of 2006 – Equipment manufacturers working on early prototype solutions, expect the early commercial availability of NIC’s and Switches in 2007 10

Why Design for 10 Gigabit? • Interesting Statistics – IEEE Higher Speed Study Group is looking at 100 Gbps Ethernet over fiber in the 2010 timeframe 11

Storage Area Networks (SANs) require a high density of fiber • SANs generally connect a high capacity hard disk arrays to the data center via Fiber Channel (not Ethernet, yet) • Number of connections demand high density fiber cable management solutions 12

Network Engineer Concerns within the Data Center • Scalable – Density of equipment, cabinets, frames – Fast and Accurate Moves, Adds, and Changes • Thermal – Problematic in most data centers (designed before Blade Servers) – Poor Air Flow a Problem in many Data Centers • Reliability/Uptime – Cannot afford any downtime, even during expansion • How can structured cabling positively impact each area of concern? 13

Scalability • Managed Density – Proper design and cable management enhance the ability to track and maintain circuits. • Fast and Accurate MAC work – Products should be designed to be easy to install and manage. – The four fundamentals of Fiber Management Address these issues 14

Foundation of Fiber Connectivity • Four Key Elements of Fiber Cable Management – Bend radius protection – Cable and connector access – Intuitive cable routing paths – Physical protection 15

Thermal • Proper Cable Management promotes good air flow – Overhead Fiber cabling through fiber raceway eliminates “Air Dams” below the raised floor – Cable Management organizes cables so they don’t restrict airflow to switches and servers 16

Inadequate Cable Management • High Density Chassis Switches with very poor cable management • 2: 1 ratio Patch Panel to Horizontal Manager 17

Overhead Fiber Raceway Example • Fiber. Guide – The key to optimizing air flow in the Data Center – Provides bend radius protection, physical protection, and segregation of fiber optic jumpers – Excels at all the key attributes of a good Fiber Raceway solution: » Flexibility » Speed of installation » Speed of deployment » Durability » Fiber protection 18

Reliability of Data Center Equipment is Directly Tied to Proper Cooling Proper Data Center Design deployment of Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle Cooling – Good Airflow/Proper Cooling = Optimal Performance of Servers and Switches 19

Reliability of Data Center Equipment is Directly Tied to Proper Cooling But what happens if poor cable management blocks airflow? 20

Reliability of Data Center Equipment is Directly Tied to Proper Cooling Cables blocking air inlets and exits will raise the temperature of switches and servers lowering their reliability! 21

Cabling the Data Center • Copper or Fiber? Both! • Fiber Optic Cabling – Backbone cabling – Horizontal cabling over 100 meters – SAN – Recommended Types: Laser Optimized Multimode, Singlemode, or Hybrid • Copper Cabling – Horizontal Cabling of 100 meters or less – Recommended Types: Category 6, Augmented Category 6 22

Choosing the Correct Cabling Type • Category 6 – TIA-942 standard recommends Cat 6 as the minimum standard for Data Center installations – Limited support for 10 GBase-T (37 meters unmitigated per TSB-155) • Augmented Category 6 – Not a ratified standard yet, although draft standards are available and IEEE 802. 3 an is ratified – Full support for 10 GBase-T to 100 meters in standard operation and 30 meters for Short-Reach mode • Laser Optimized Multimode Fiber – Recognized by TIA and IEEE 802. 3 ae – Full support 10 Gigabit Ethernet over fiber for 300 meters or more depending on grade of fiber 23

Greatest Myths regarding 10 GBase-T Cabling • Myth: You can only run 10 GBase-T on Augmented Cat 6 • Reality: 10 GBase-T will run on Cat 6 for limited distances • Myth: Alien Crosstalk is the only concern in 10 GBase-T transmission • Reality: All electrical parameters are a concern, especially attenuation and return loss 24

Greatest Myths regarding 10 GBase-T Cabling • Myth: You have to use shielded cable to run 10 GBase-T • Reality: Unshielded designs can easily run 10 GBase-T and overcome all electrical issues associated with running 10 Gig 25

TIA-942 Data Center Standard TIA-942 - Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers • Site selection and sizing • Cabling infrastructure administration • Architectural and structural considerations • Security and fire protection • Electrical, grounding and mechanical systems • Application distance limitations • Access-provider coordination and demarcation 26

TIA-942 Data Center Model Backbone Cabling Horizontal Cabling 27

Interconnection vs. Cross-Connect in the LAN 28

Migration of Data Center Cabling Design Generation 1: Direct Connection – Difficult to Scale – Done incorrectly impacts thermal performance Switch Server 29

Migration of Data Center Cabling Design Generation 2: Interconnect – Prevalent architecture in LAN, scales adequately in smaller Data Centers – For larger, Tier III and IV Data Centers design limits scalability Switch Server 30

Migration of Data Center Cabling Design Generation 3: Cross-Connect – The optimum solution for enhanced cable management and reliability – Allows for scalability (addition of equipment) by only changing patch cords Switch Server 31

When it’s done right the first time! • Ideally a Data Center should not only be designed and installed in a tidy user friendly manner • But also be maintained to the same level of installed manageability! 32

Centralized Fiber Management in the Data Center 33

Fiber Termination Options Field Term, Splice or MPO/MTP • Field Termination – Allows polishing of fiber in the field • Splicing – Fusion splicing of factory terminated fiber pigtails • MPO Solutions – Allow fast termination with factory polishing 34

Data Center Design Observations • Data Centers are fundamentally different from typical LANs in that they require… – Different Architecture – Different Level of Reliability – Different Standards – Different Cable Management Requirements – Different Structured Cabling Solution 35

The Data Center Design Dilemma: Density vs. Manageability and Reliability Fundamentally, you cannot use the same structured cabling products originally designed for low density LANs and expect them to perform to the level required in a Data Center 36

The Data Center Design Dilemma: Density vs. Manageability and Reliability Direct Connect Cross Connect 37

The Solution: Cabling Systems Designed Specifically for Data Centers • Solves both the Density and the Management issues • Manages Ethernet cables (copper or fiber) • Manages cables from both Switches and patch panels • Designed to meet the Four Fundamentals of Fiber Cable Management 38

ADC True. Net Data Center Solutions Summary • Data Centers are fundamentally different than LANs • Structured Cabling can positively or negatively effect Data Center reliability • Proper design, adherence to standards, and the right product solutions will result in an optimal Data Center design • Learn more at http: //www. adc. com/truenet 39

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