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“Oh no! The network is down again.”
“Can't figure out which cable has come unstuck”
“Umm, where does this patch cord go?”
Welcome to the world of an average system administrator who faces a spaghetti mesh of cables, cables and more cables, running back and forth in a wiring closet. Managing your constantly growing network the old fashioned way is indeed becoming increasingly costly, risky, and in fact impossible.
 The solution lies in intelligent cable management system (ICMS) or simply intelligent cabling. In an intelligent network environment, the system automatically detects items connected to the physical network, and correlates them with a log of connectivity changes and record of device locations. The ICMS is described as software-based systems where ports, patch panels and outlets are managed via a computer interface. This makes the life of a network administrator extremely simple and manageable.
“One of the major complaints of the IT manager is not being able to accurately identify the unused network capacity,” says KK Shetty, director Sales, Tyco Electronics. “Now this is easily resolved by intelligent cabling, as the person can view the logical virtual view of the entire network and an updated automated database to ascertain which way can the existing network be expanded.”
Intelligent cabling guarantees documentation accuracy, improves response time, serves as an online tool for troubleshooting, provide mobility, improve the performance and service levels and provide added security by identifying unauthorized changes and immediate notification of alarms.
| When to consider intelligent cabling for your business? |
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When there are more nodes to manage like centrally managing several branch offices
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When faced with the real-time security challenge of a large network
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When you want to simplify the task of documentation and upgrading the network
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When you need to accurately locate equipment and users and save considerable time
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When you wish to save cost in long-term network management
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In other words intelligent infrastructure management puts the structure back in structured cabling.
The Gray Matter
Intelligent cabling is based on sensors, which are rooted in the structured cabling system. The sensors monitor the status and associated connectivity on every infrastructure port. These sensors push the information into a centralized database, real time. This alignment to a comprehensive database and tools allows network managers to detect and troubleshoot problems. Any change taking place is recorded and the database collects and analyzes the information resulting in a suitable action.
The intelligence is attributed to the strong software built-in. The software is capable of isolating user problems and suggesting a possible solution while alerting the manager of an undesirable incident.
Traditionally, if a cable was unplugged from a patch panel, the administrator would have to refer to the logs or documentation prepared and follows the logical view of the network to identify the problem and fix it.
But ICMS contradicts and lets the manager identify the exact location of the cable in seconds and even instructs how to make the right connection. It generates alerts and traps caused by unauthorized events; these are forwarded to the appropriate individual or incident management system where input from the physical layer IMCS system can be used to quickly analyze the root cause of network problems.
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Intelligent vs Traditional
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Parameters
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Intelligent Cabling Management
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Traditional Networking Management
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Security Features
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System quickly identifies unauthorized changes and alerts the network manager.
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Cannot detect authorized and unauthorized changes. Does not generate any alerts.
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Work process flow
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After identifying a problem, the system can suggest possible changes to rectify the problem through e-mail or text alerts. The user can revise suggested changes.
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Third-party software needs to be procured to automate the process; however, it provides no interlink between the physical layer and other network layers.
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Documentation support
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Software automates documentation process and generates detailed reports for cable, port and asset utilization. develop disaster-recovery plans; and document physical-layer activity.
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Manual documentation has to be maintained. Reports cannot be generated for passive devices such as patch panels, patch cords and the utilization of the same in the network.
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Database maintenance
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Automatically updates the database of any changes made to the network.
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Manual spreadsheet databases need to be updated.
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Re-Synchronization
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When a network outage occurs, the system database automatically re-synchronizes upon the restoration of power, showing network asset connectivity changes.
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No automated re-synchronization takes place. All updates have to be documented manually.
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The intelligent structured cabling is able to track IP-based devices such that the network manager can access, control, and manage them from one central location. This is more critical considering the today's distributed computing environments and the acute need to troubleshoot them remotely.
There is a scarcity of network management staff and, therefore, remote access and management of devices is logical. “Remote management is the biggest attraction of intelligent cabling solutions,” says Dr Ispran Kandaswamy, VP and managing director, Asia Pacific, Systimax Solutions. “The manager can have the convenience to be located anywhere in the campus or off-site and still be able to view the entire data center without even going to the actual site,” he adds.
| Intelligent Patch Cord |
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While large cabling companies are rolling out high-end real-time cable management solutions, there are low-cost options also available. DAX Networks has launched low-cost intelligent patch cords called PatchSee, ideal for the small-mid sized enterprises.
PatchSee is a patented patch cord that allows you to find the other end of the patch cord in seconds without disconnecting either of the plugs. To achieve this you simply use the Patchlight tool to inject light into the back of one connector. The cable has tiny light tubes that carry the light to other end making the corresponding connector glow. Save time tracing patch cords and avoid accidental disconnections and downtime. The cost per lead is roughly twice that of good quality conventional cords. PatchSee Intelligent Patch Cords are available in the following range: Cat6 costing Rs 975-Rs 1,250, Cat5e patch cords in UTP and FTP costing Rs 650 to Rs 850.
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When Patchlight tool injects light into one end of a patch cord, the other end lights up
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Time for Intelligence
Here are some startling statstics:
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An estimated 70 per cent of network outages and downtime are related to cabling issues.
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An estimated 40 per cent of the data circuits in a network require a MAC or servicing annually, and an average MAC or service call takes about 90 minutes to complete.
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80 per cent of the time is spent identifying the problem and 20 per cent actually performing the repair.
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"Remote management is the biggest attraction of intelligent cabling solutions"
-Dr Ispran Kandaswamy
VP and managing director of Asia Pacific, Systimax Solutions
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"Although intelligent cabling systems are considered not so cheap, it goes a long way in showing good return on investments"
-Dileep Kumar, enterprise product manager, ADC Krone
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Imagine all this affecting a nerve center of a bank-the implications could be severe in terms of money and time lost. As a result, one can see sporadic mushrooming of intelligent cable deployments across the country. Rajesh Kumar, country manager, Siemon points out the trendsetters in the industry of early intelligent cabling adopters, “Cabling systems are increasingly getting intelligent due to the establishment of the BPOs, call centers, disaster recovery centers and data warehousing in India. Increasing need for complex networks that deploy state-of-the art technologies to meet the demands of these mission critical businesses aids the momentum of intelligent cabling.”
On the high cost factor, Dileep Kumar, enterprise product manager, ADC Krone believes it is of little significance. “Although intelligent cabling systems are considered not so cheap, it goes a long way in showing good return on investments. Intelligent cabling reduces the cost of network ownership by solving issues like unplanned downtime, inefficient manual moves, adds and changes, redundant ports, inaccurate records etc.”
There are some cheaper alternatives available as well that do not promise real-time cable management system, but help the system administrator in tackling the spaghetti mess nevertheless. One such option is PatchSee (See box), an intelligent patch cord that helps in identifying both ends of a patch cord without disconnecting. K Surender, country manager, Dax Networks says, “I hope this is adopted widely by the industry instead of traditional patch cords. I feel it's a must for all users especially for mission critical areas. The additional investment is just 2 per cent.”
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Kiosks for Intelligent Cabling Solutions (India specific)
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Vendor
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Product Name
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Feature
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No of installations
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Tyco
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AMPTRAC Intelligent Cable Management System
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Automatically generates a complete physical topology of the network at the data center, enabling troubleshooting the network remotely.
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200,000 ports in last fiscal with over 30 customers
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Systimax
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iPatch System
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An integrated real time infrastructure management solution comprised of intelligent copper and fiber patch panels, a Rack Manager Plus unit for managing and monitoring the panels in a rack or cabinet and System Manager software.
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NA
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ADC Krone
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TrueNet PLM (Physical Layer Management)
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TrueNet PLM drastically speeds and simplifies daily network provisioning, maintenance and security providing Network Managers with full visibility and control of the network and its assets.
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Over 10 installations
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Molex
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Premise Networks Real Time Patching System
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Comprises of intelligent patch panels, patch cords, integration strips, cable and physical layer management hardware and software. A key feature is that it can be retrofitted to legacy cabling systems in addition to new installations.
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Over 14,000 drops
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Panduit
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Panduit PANVIEW –Intelligent Cabling Systems
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Provides real-time information on the state of patch field connections.
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One installation
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Belden CDT
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RiT's PatchView IPLMS (Intelligent Physical Layer Management Solutions)
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It consists of a comprehensive, standards-based, end-to-end SCS with intelligent patch panels and software agents. It presents complete view of physical layer connectivity and its relation to the logical layers.
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Over 16,000 drops
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The cabling vendors are unanimous in asserting the increasing popularity of intelligent cabling. Indian IT sector have been early adopters of intelligent cabling. Milind Tamhane, VP, Manufacturing,D-Link India says, “There are bright signs of intelligent cabling gaining ground in India as this solution is sought after by few specific customer categories that are independent of geographic boundaries. We expect the presence of such companies to increase in India.”
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"There are very bright signs of intelligent cabling gaining ground in India"
-Milind Tamhane
VP, Manufacturing, D-Link India
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Tyco claims to be the market leader in intelligent cabling installations, with over 200,000 ports installed so far. “Most of our clients are from banks, telecom and ITeS verticals for both end-to-end and data centers,” informs Shetty. Leading customers include GE, HSBC, Philips, iGate, Hutch, Orange, AOL, Verizon and CTS. “Many of the customers have gone for selective intelligent cabling along with regular cabling options. Handful of companies have opted for end-to-end intelligent cabling to address security management, ease of documentation, and to improve efficiency of LAN installation.”
Among the rising trends, intelligent cabling is a sure winner, one that guarantees a robust and reliable infrastructure. Although expensive compared to a traditional cabling solution by over 70 per cent, the customers feel it's a small price to pay in exchange for an ensured peace of mind for a long time.
Malovika Rao
malovikar@cybermedia.co.in
Source: Voice&Data
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