Modular Patch Panel Solution for Network Upgrade

The increasing demand for faster access to larger volumes of data, emerging high-speed network standards and rapidly advancing technology make it essential to integrate equipment with different network speeds into your network infrastructure. Modular patch panel solutions allow you to seamlessly and conveniently integrate equipment with 10G, 40G and 100/120G speeds to meet your connectivity needs future-proof your networks.

Tendency in Data Centers

When you plan to integrate 10G and 40G equipment in your data center, you’re supposed to make sure that the existing network of 10G servers and other devices can be connected to your higher-speed switches like 40G switches. And connectivity with future network standards should be taken into consideration as well. Although multiple-speed applications coexist in the same data center is not a fresh topic, the parallel optics cabling used for data transmission speeds of 40G and beyond does present a series of connectivity challenges.

What Is Modular Patch Panel Solution

Modular patch panels are comprised of rack-mountable enclosures to house a range of modular and removable fiber cassettes. By supporting various fiber network cabling standards, the cassettes are easy to mix, add and change according to your changeable connectivity needs. Modular patch panels is an ideal way to create a standard-based, flexible, and reliable network platform in data centers.

The key to modular patch panels solution is modular fiber cassettes, which are available in multiple variations. The cassettes allow you to interconnect different fiber speeds simply by plugging standard duplex LC cables into one side of the cassette and one or more standard MPO/MTP cables into the other side.

Benefits of Modular Patch Panel Solution

• Integrating various cabling standards—modular patch panel solutions allow you to connect diverse network cabling standards seamlessly, including 10/10G, 10/40G, 40/40G, 10/100/120G and 40/100/120G, as well as future standards.
• Utilizing standard patch cords—Since connections use standard patch cords that are readily available, you can make changes and repairs without the delays and added expense associated with custom cabling.
• Offering flexibility and scalability—as you integrate new cabling standards to support higher network speeds, you can simply swap existing cassettes with new cassettes that support the new standards. Your network can grow and change conveniently, without the costly, labor-intensive process of replacing channels end-to-end.
• Reducing cable congestion—reduced cable slack means less clutter, less confusion and an easily organized, better-labeled cabling infrastructure. You can also manage cables in any direction, be it horizontal or vertical, front or back.
• Space-saving—you can save valuable rack space to lower data center costs by managing various port densities and speeds in a single high-density patch panel. A single patch panel can manage as many as (168) 10G ports.
• Right-size investments—with a modular solution, you can buy and load only the cassettes you need now, while leaving room for future expansion.

Conclusion

Although modular patch panel solution provides a feasible and optimized way to migrate and upgrade your networks, ensuring users to integrate equipment with different network speeds seamlessly and conveniently. It also faces the challenge when selecting a modular patch panel solution that best fits your demand. So users should choose the right one to satisfy connectivity needs for now and future-proof network for tomorrow which would ensure a maximum return on investment.

How to Choose the Right Fiber Patch Panel?

Fiber patch panel, also known as fiber enclosure, is deployed for better cable management and cable protection in data centers. Fiber patch panel terminates the fiber optic cable and provides access to the cables’ individual fibers for cross connection, which makes it easier for technicians to do the cabling work. Since there are various types of fiber patch panels in the market, choosing the right one for your network is not as easy as you think.

Loaded vs. Unloaded

Before choosing fiber patch panels, you should keep in mind that fiber optic enclosures have loaded and unloaded version. Loaded patch panel is pre-installed with adapter panels or cassettes while unloaded patch panel is empty with nothing inside. Typically, LC and MTP connectors are widely used in loaded patch panels. But these connectors in loaded panels are often permanently mounted, so if a port gets damaged it’s dead forever. Unloaded patch panel, on the contrary, is more flexible that can let you swap out defective ports at will. But extra assemblies are demanded to be purchased and installed by yourself.

Patch Panel Rack Size

Fiber patch panel is usually measured by rack unit. A rack unit is used to describe the height of electronic equipment designed to mount in a 19-inch wide rack or a 23-inch wide rack. The height of rack-mounted equipment is frequently described as a number with U or RU. 1U refers to one rack unit, 2U refers to two rack units and so on. 2RU and 4RU are often used for high-density installations. So according to your application, the related rack size should also be adjusted.

Port Density

Port density is also an important part to be considered when purchasing fiber patch panels. As for normal patch panel, 1RU is able to carry 48 ports. If high-density patch panel is required, 1RU can support 96 ports. Moreover, 144 ports in 1RU is also available with ultra density patch panels. Since high-density has been frequently applied to the data centers, patch panels with higher port density becomes the future trend.

Migration to High-Density Patch Panels

With the wide deployment of 40G and 100G high speed networks. MPO/MTP breakout patch panel may be an ideal solution for this high-density installation. Deploying high-density patch panels has many advantages. It simplifies the cabling deployment by running a short fiber patch cable from your SAN or network switch up to the fiber patch panel. Much space can also be saved in data centers by mounting more cables into a smaller space. Installation is easier since no tools are required to install cassettes in the patch panels, and push-pull tabs are used to ease the difficulty of cable connections in the patch panels.

Conclusion

To organized and protect cables to ensure a stable network, fiber patch panel is definitely the perfect solution. When choosing fiber patch panels, you’re supposed to consider from the aspects of loaded or unloaded types, rack size, port density, etc. Besides, the high-density patch panel is a cost-effective solution that overcomes the cabling congestion in high bandwidth networking.

Identify Various LC Fiber Patch Cables in the Market

Fiber optic patch cables namely fiber jumpers are fiber optic cables terminated with fiber optic connectors on both ends. They are designed to interconnect or cross connect fiber networks within structured cabling systems. Various types of fiber jumpers are available in the market, such as LC patch cables, SC patch cables, etc. Among them, the LC fiber patch cables are the most commonly used ones. This article will tell you how to identify various types of LC fiber patch cables in the market.

Standard LC Fiber Patch Cables

LC fiber patch cables are terminated with LC connector(s) on one or both end(s), which feature the RJ-45 latch style with low insertion loss and low back reflection. The LC patch cable can be classified into single-mode (yellow) or multimode (orange or aqua), simplex or duplex by the fiber types, and according to the fiber connectors on both ends, they can be divided into LC-LC, LC-SC, LC-ST, etc. Moreover, the polishing types of the connector are available in UPC (blue) and APC (green).

LC Uniboot Fiber Patch Cables

LC uniboot fiber patch cables offer a more compact design when compared to standard LC duplex zipcord assemblies. The uniboot patch cords contain two LC connectors encased in a common housing with one boot, terminated on a single, round, two-fiber cable. So they allow duplex transmission within a single cable and maximum connectivity performance can be delivered in a minimal footprint. LC uniboot fiber patch cables condense the cable management to half the space used by regular zipcord patch cables. They can offer the best solution for high-density applications. FS.COM provides a series of LC uniboot fiber patch cables which can significantly reduce cable management spaces and improve fiber cable management effectiveness and flexibility at the same time.

LC Push-Pull TAB Fiber Patch Cables

LC push-pull tab fiber patch cable has the same components and internal structure as the standard LC fiber patch cords, except a tab attached to the connector used for pushing or pulling the whole connector. The push-pull tab looks simple but it is linked to the latch of the LC connector. When the tab is pulled, the latch will be unlocked easily and the LC connector can be pulled out from the patch panel without difficulty. It has been proved that the density of LC push-pull tab fiber patch cords can increase more than 50%.

Keyed LC Fiber Patch Cables

Secure keyed LC fiber patch cables are designed to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent changes in highly sensitive applications such as data centers and secure IT networks where multiple physical layer classifications may exist. They are utilized in mission critical circuits where networks are segregated by color for identification and protected from accidental moves, adds, or changes. The LC connectors, which have specific color codes and functional keyed features to identify and manage restricted network connections, are the essences of the keyed LC fiber patch cables. Generally, there are twelve physically discreet, color-coded keying options each carrying a different color to facilitate network administration. Each LC keyed connector will mate only with the same-color LC keyed adapter, or the keying will prevent them from carrying the signal.

Conclusion

Each type of LC fiber patch cable mentioned above has its unique features and functionality. The fact that LC fiber patch cables are more popular is mainly because the LC connectors can be field-installed on any cable construction and provide high performance, reliability and ruggedness. In FS.COM, all these LC fiber patch cables are available with competitive prices. Many other types of high-density fiber patch cables are also available, such as MTP/MPO trunk cable or harness cable. For more details, please visit www.fs.com.

High-density Fiber Patch Panel Solutions in Data Centers

Nowadays, space is often at a premium in data centers and SAN environments, making density more critical than ever. High-density fiber optic solutions offer the users performance and reliability. Using a comprehensive solution of high-density fiber enclosures or patch panels with either adapter panels or pre-terminated cassettes provides a complete fiber cross-connect patching solution for applications where maximum density is demanded.

Basis of High-density Fiber Patch Panels

The fiber patch panel, or fiber enclosure, is built and designed for efficient cable organization, management and protection within the racks. High-density fiber patch panel consists of a panel enclosure and modular HD cassettes, which can connect a 40G/100G fiber network feed (using MTP cable) and segment it into standard LC connections in order to interface with 10G devices. The cassettes are housed in a space-saving, rack-mountable, panel enclosure that can hold different amounts of cassettes, depending on the installation requirements.

What Can High-density Fiber Patch Panel Achieve?

The high-density patch panel can provide fast and easy deployment of high-density interconnects and cross-connect in data centers. The following are some advantages of using high-density fiber patch panels.

Simplify Cabling Deployment: With the fiber patch panel in place, there is no need to run long jumpers across the room, under the floor or in overhead conveyance. You only need to run a short fiber patch cable instead from your SAN or network switch up to the fiber patch panel/enclosure.

Space-saving: High-density fiber patch panel is one of the best space savers in the data center. It helps to increase port density by allowing you to fit more cables into a smaller space. Most importantly, it allows you to save space and stay organized.

Increase Port Density: Besides better space optimization, high-density patch panel can achieve double the port density in 1U of rack space. This allows for density increases and technology changes without a complete tear-out and replacement of existing infrastructure.

Ease of Installation: As described above, cassette is a part of the patch panel. When installing the cassette, no tools are required in the panel enclosure. And using push-pull tabs, connections can easily be locked or unlocked in the panel. Each cassette features factory terminated connectors that reduce the time and labor required of field connector terminations.

Flexibility and Adjustability: Fiber patch panels can connect different generations of equipment, such as 10G, 40G, 100G in a simple panel-cassette system. And network reconfigurations are highly adjustable due to the modular cassette system.

Cost-effective Solution for 40G/100G Network: Employing a high-density fiber patch panel is the most effective solution for overcoming cabling congestion associated with 40G/100G network connections as the modular plug-and-play cassettes can be changed when higher bandwidth becomes needed. It can manage, allocate and control the connections of network equipment of varying bandwidths. Cable management is simplified because the fiber patch panel can be changed or expanded by installing a new cassette instead of running new cables. By simply patching the 40G MTP cables at the back and the standard LC patch cable to devices in the front of the cassette, the IT staff don’t need to pull a new fan-out cable each time they need a new connection. Modular cassettes allow to expand whenever you need to accommodate the necessary bandwidth and connectors.

Summary

High-density fiber patch panel offers the highest level of scalability and highest density in the market. They enable a seamless distribution for bandwidth from 100G to 40G to 10G. FS.COM provides high-density fiber patch panels with various configurations. Any one of them would be an excellent option for your network. More details, visit www.fs.com or contact us over sales@fs.com for the detailed information.

Source: http://www.fiberopticshare.com/