Network cabling is a fundamental component of a corporate or enterprise network. Although it is often overlooked and sometimes even ignored, if it is not correctly designed and installed, it can be the source of many headaches for network administrators and users alike.
In this article, we explore some best practices for implementing cabling telecom closets and data centers to ensure smooth connectivity for years to come.
Structured cabling—a review
Cabling is meant to far outlive the active network devices it connects, with an expected longevity of 20 years or more. On a telecom and networking timescale, that’s an eternity! That’s why getting it right initially is of the utmost importance. It will save tons of money, and with such a long lifecycle, the ROI on a proper investment will be extremely high.
If you are generally unaware of the cabling infrastructure in the building in which you work, it is likely because it is functioning perfectly. A well-designed, correctly installed cabling infrastructure can be safely ignored. In this sense, cabling is the unsung hero that reliably and quietly interconnects all of the important components of your network.
But remember: Cabling infrastructure needs to be maintained, and this depends primarily on the network techs who perform moves, adds, and changes in the telecom closets, main distribution frames (MDFs), and data centers. Ensuring that these processes are maintained will keep your cabling systems tidy, organized, and simple to administrate for years to come.
In a previous article, we looked at structured cabling fundamentals. We examined network cabling between the network jack and the telecom closet, where cables terminate on a patch panel. We also explored how telecom closets are interconnected, typically via fiber optic cabling. Finally, we examined how these all fit together in the overall design of structured cabling within a building, further examining concepts such as equipment and cabling racks, horizontal and vertical cabling, and the main distribution frame (MDF).
Critical structured cabling locations
One of the most important components of structured cabling is the set of locations where cabling of every type is concentrated. These locations include the telecom closet, the MDF, and the data center.
When we say “data center,” we mean the on-premises facility that houses local network services. It’s essentially where an enterprise keeps its local servers (either physical or virtual), its edge network routers and firewalls, and the backbone network devices that serve the whole building. The data center is closely related to the MDF because it is often housed within the same physical room, but not necessarily.
The principles for wiring all of these “cabling nodes” are similar and should be carefully considered to ensure the worry-free and flawless operation of your passive cabling infrastructure.
Wiring telecom closets
A telecom closet can range from a small, metallic, wall-mounted rack that’s installed in the hallway, all the way up to a dedicated room with a couple of full-height racks. The size typically depends on the number of horizontal cabling runs that terminate at that telecom closet.
Telecom closets primarily terminate untwisted pair (UTP) copper cabling, which is used for horizontal cabling runs. The following best practices should be adhered to when terminating such cabling in telecom closets.
Cable management
Proper cable management is essential for maintaining an organized cabling setup. Having the appropriate cable management systems in place means that you can avoid having your telecom closet end up looking like a bowl of spaghetti!
By installing horizontal and vertical cable management systems and requiring your network team to use them whenever cabling changes are made, you can ensure that your cabling remains neat, tidy, and easily maintainable over time.
A best practice is to use different colors for different types of cable. For example, one color for fiber optics and another color for copper UTP cables.
The vertical cabling runs on the left pass through a series of rings, keeping the cabling neat and tidy. This allows you to remove old cables and install new cables easily without tangling or damaging them by tugging on them to get them loose.
Here are some additional best practices to keep in mind:
- Properly label cables: You can use purpose-designed labels to label the cables on each end so that the patch panel end and the switch end can be matched up when removing or installing.
- Use Velcro ties: Velcro ties are preferred over plastic zip ties because they can be fastened and unfastened multiple times. They also don’t have the potential to damage the cable through overtightening.
- Label patch panels: Make sure that the patch panels are labeled with the network jack numbers to which they correspond.
Datacenter and MDF best practices
All the principles discussed so far are applicable to data centers and MDFs. However, some additional best practices that should be considered for these centralized cable concentrating nodes. Since both the data center and the MDF have similar requirements, we’ll be referring only to the data center for simplicity, but keep in mind that unless explicitly stated otherwise, these principles are equally important for both.
Inter-rack cabling
The data center will have multiple full-sized racks that require cabling between them. This cabling will typically take one of two paths: either under the floor or in specialized conduits above the racks.
Properly designed data centers have antistatic raised floors, which are specially designed to minimize the accumulation of static electricity, allow for effective room ventilation, and provide a space to run inter-rack cabling.
In some cases, both under-floor and over-rack cabling can be employed, providing additional cable path options for data centers.
These cabling solutions are suitable for either fiber optic or UTP copper cables. However, the installation of each type of cable should be done carefully and appropriately because each one has different handling thresholds and methodologies.
Top-of-rack approach
Typically, within a data center, each rack will contain a series of servers providing network services. These servers require network connectivity. For this purpose, a “top-of-rack” or ToR switch is typically installed ― you guessed it ― on the top of the rack. The ToR switch serves as the primary point of access for all network connections within the rack, enabling traffic flow between servers and the broader data center network. The ToR switches, in turn, are connected to an aggregation switch, which interconnects all the racks to the core of the data center network. Deployed cabling should support this connectivity model.
Cabling should also account for the provisioning of multiple ToR switches per rack and uplinks to multiple aggregation switches, all for the purpose of device and network path redundancy.
Planning and designing practices
Planning is an important part of cable management in any facility. Spending the extra time to plan today will save you much more time in the long run. Here are some key plan/design best practices for cabling data centers:
- Plan for growth: Make sure to make room in your racks, patch panels, and conduits for new cabling.
- Maintain documentation: Keep updated cabling diagrams and network documentation for easy reference.
- Label and color code everything: Although we mentioned labeling already, color coding schemes are also useful. Patch cords come in a wide variety of colors, so you can choose certain colors for specific purposes.
- Adhere to industry standards: Many of the principles described above are contained within industry standards that regulate cable management, including TIA-942, ANSI/TIA-568, and BICSI.
Conclusion
Proper cabling is vital within telecom closets, MDFs, and data centers, directly impacting scalability, ease of maintenance, and efficiency in making changes. By following the industry's best practices, you can ensure a reliable and future-proof network infrastructure. Investing in high-quality cabling and disciplined management leads to a more efficient, organized, and resilient structured cabling network environment.
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