Data Center/SAN

The fiber and copper structured cabling system is an essential element of your Data Center and SAN infrastructure. It needs to be designed correctly, ordered easily, delivered on time, and installed without a hitch. Upon startup, it needs to operate flawlessly and with virtually 100% uptime. Data center & SAN structured cabling systems from Berk-Tek and Ortronics deliver on all counts. If, in the unlikely event issues arise, we are here to support you immediately, fully and every time.

In order to meet the varying requirements of different data center installations, the NetClear Solution for Data Centers and SANs includes three different approaches for installation of the fiber optic cabling subsystem. The optimal selection for a particular installation is based on a variety of factors, unique to each data center and SAN application. With a NetClear Data Center/SAN solution from Berk-Tek and Ortronics, the choice is yours!

NetClear cassette based solutions featuring Momentum® cassettes and ribbon backbone cables are ideally designed for use in data center, storage area and local area network environments. Integrating high performance optical cassettes with advanced ribbon backbone cable, the system is simple to design, quick to install, highly reliable and error proof due to factory terminated and tested connectors. The ribbon backbone cable is a multi-fiber cable terminated with 12-fiber MTP[1] (mechanical transfer pull) connectors and designed to interface with optical cassettes that distribute optical signals to common LC and SC interfaces.

NetClear cassette based solutions are also available with reduced diameter plenum-rated Adventum® ribbonized high fiber count backbone cables that are capable of operating in both indoor and outdoor environments.

Based on advanced MTP[1] 12-fiber connector technology and state-of-the-art polishing processes, the Momentum system’s interoperable components eliminate the occurrence of optical performance flaws, provide network design flexibility, and result in significant time and cost savings during installation and maintenance. Momentum cables and cassettes are optimized for use with all Ortronics 615 series fiber cabinets and the FiberMo® rack system - providing a complete and streamlined fiber cabling solution.

The ability to connect 12 fibers simultaneously supports rapid installations and maintenance. The multi-fiber connectors used in NetClear solutions offer performance superior to the component specifications in TIA standards to ensure excellent optical transmission. Quality is critically important in the data center environment and Ortronics ensures performance via state-of-the-art multi-fiber interferometry and 100% inspection for insertion loss and return loss where applicable. Additionally, in NetClear solutions for data centers and SANs increased power budgets can be realized with the utilization of advanced GIGAlite, GIGAlite-10 and GIGAlite-10XB laser optimized multimode fibers.

Clearly, the ease of installation of a cassette-based solution can yield significant advantages when time is of the essence for building or expanding a data center or simply handling the moves, adds and changes that are a routine event in every data center and SAN.

NetClear Pre-terminated solutions incorporate factory-terminated single or two fiber connectors such as the simplex and duplex LC. Pre-terminated trunk cable assemblies are available in standard fiber counts up to 144.

This option can result in considerable cost and time savings. Pre-terminated cables extend from the rear of an adapter panel in one rack to the mating end of another adapter panel in another rack.

As in the cassette-based solution, the connectors are factory installed enabling the use of advanced techniques such as laser interferometry and state-of-the-art insertion and return loss to guarantee optical performance and ensure optimal end-face geometry for superior data transmission.

Depending on the environment in which they are to be installed, NetClear customers have the option of standard distribution cable designs armored for rugged installations or reduced diameter dry plenum designs such as Adventum. Smaller overall cable diameters and cross-sectional areas lead to increased air flows typical in today’s data centers & SANs where heat dissipation is a top concern. In addition, carrying multiple fibers in a single sheath can simplify cable routing and dressing both within and between racks and fiber enclosures.

Even the packaging of these cables can make a difference during installation. Triple-flange reels allow easy access to both ends of the cable should you want to perform any confirmation testing prior to installation.

NetClear also offers field terminated solutions for data center designers and operators preferring to install connectors on-site with their own crews. With this option, a wide range of popular connector types including the LC and SC are available. In addition, time and labor saving termination options including no-polish and anaerobic adhesive connectors are available.

No polish connectors are installed easily and quickly and reduce on-site labor costs. These termination techniques also require less training and fewer consumables than conventional epoxy-based connectors.

Anaerobic adhesive connectors cure in the absence of oxygen or heat, eliminating the need for curing ovens. They provide a highly reliable termination that is stable over the long term. This option may be preferred in data center installations where a pool of skilled fiber optics installation technicians with appropriate field-termination and test equipment is available.

1. MTP is registered trademark of U.S. Conec., Ltd.