The aesthetics of cabling!

For all the importance we give IT infrastructure-few organizations can do without one in today's times-its design is something that is completely overlooked. Strangely enough, the belief is that as long as functionality and efficiency is taken into account, the criss-cross of wires across the length and breadth, not to mention between the various hardware crowding a small space, is perfectly fine. What is aesthetics when compared to functionality?

The debate, around for a long time, has in recent years gained some traction. Ever since the perception of aesthetics in IT infrastructure design shifted from “pretty looking” to an infrastructure that is transparent and adaptive to change, both in the near and long term, there has been a perceptible shift in the position.

Cables, cables and more cables

Whichever way one looks at it-wireless or wired world--it all begins with cabling. There is not much that one can do to avoid the need for cables. It is thus that Structured Cabling is where one should start the build up for an IT infrastructure.

Structured cabling has become a standard for dealing with inter-linked electronic devices. Structured cabling, as opposed to the proprietary data networks of the past, is a way to provide vendor-independent interconnection of various network hubs, switches, routers and bridges.

Because a single type of cable is able to meet a variety of communications needs, the wide adoption of structured cabling has eased the cabling position. However, different cabling types have restrictions on their applications and specific capabilities, and the design teams should evaluate the choice carefully with the building use and longevity in mind.

The use of IT normally brings about a fair amount of change in an organization. But at the same time, the relationship between IT and building design is also elementary to most organizations. Communications networks and control systems for today's offices require extensive cabling. For that reason, wire and cable management must be treated as an important design element. With the explosion of growth in a variety of communications services, customers are demanding greater capacity and easier placement methods.

Selecting the most appropriate pathway or support system for all of the cabling runs is the best way to prevent excessive mechanical stress on cables and thereby eliminate any possibility of performance degradation. At the same time, knowledge of general construction practices and local and national codes is also required.

A building without proper vertical ducts, generous floor-to-ceiling heights or access floors is unheard of these days. Designers are finding ways to achieve simpler, cheaper and smaller architectural solutions to problems associated with accommodating IT. The use of IT in the project planning stage will enable more efficient information sharing, e.g. having .DXF files available for the floorplans thereby knowing where to route cables, drill holes place outlets and document this as another layer for the client. In the planning stage of the project, having a good 'IT Decision Support System' would further streamline the process.

Installing sufficient capacity to meet basic requirement for space, power and cooling services, plus planning sufficient capacity to meet the need for growth and change in the future is a common solution. This also means incurring additional costs for making these provisions against future requirements, yet it is worthwhile considering long term benefits.

A common mistake organizations make is calculating only the capital cost of a new building and the associated initial fit-out without considering the longer-term operational costs. This often negates long term savings. Investing in a flexible building infrastructure proves useful when reorganizing an office layout. In a traditional office layout, it typically takes two or three months to plan and implement a reorganization, incurring significant costs and much overtime.

However, with a flexible environment and infrastructure, an office re-organization may be planned and executed quickly and at minimum cost.

The telecommunications closet (TC) is a room, which contains cross-connects between backbone and horizontal cables, terminations of backbone and horizontal pathways and floor-serving telecom equipment.

Traditionally, riser cupboards were used to accommodate the patch frames for telephone wiring schemes. Small riser cupboards have gradually increased in size to accommodate data communication cables, patching frames and electronics. This increased pressure on space in riser cupboards requires them to be substantially increased in size or supplemented by separate cable patching rooms. The term "telecommunications closet" is used to describe these larger spaces.

The most basic limitation on the positioning of telecommunication closets is the need to keep the lengths of cables within the limits set by the structured cabling scheme and the associated IT applications that ultimately will be used. A maximum cable length of 90m, as specified in the cabling standards, should be used between the closet and the work area outlet.

To minimize horizontal cable length, the TC should be placed as close as possible to the center of the area served. The maximum horizontal cable length defining the area served by a TC is 90 m (295 ft).

The area that can be served is further reduced when the shape of the building is considered. Riser positions often lead to the location of a telecom closet near a corner of the space to be used. The use of asymmetric risers, where the space served is divided between a number of closets, thus allowing flexibility and redundancy, also must be considered. In practice, it can be difficult to serve an area of more than 1,000 sq.m. from a single closet. Serving an area of 500 sq.m. is a better guideline.

Certain minimum sizes are appropriate for telecommunications closets intended solely for voice. Other sizes should be used for closets that support both voice and data. For voice only, a riser cupboard large enough to contain telephone patch panels will be adequate. Therefore, the minimum size of these panels is the minimum size for the cupboard.

A wiring closet or cable patching room for voice and data should be large enough to contain voice frames and racks for patching and some electronics for the LAN. It should be large enough for an engineer to work within, allow front access and back access to the cabinets and have space for additional wall mounted frames. Wiring closet designs should be flexible enough to allow expansion during fit-out or subsequently to and form satellite equipment rooms or departmental computer rooms.

In a voice and data telecommunications closet, a raised floor or ceiling void is desirable to allow for cables to enter from the riser, connect to the frames and access the other equipment in the room. Sufficient space should be provided to connect cableways within the closet to those provided in the riser.

The most important parts of the fit-out of a telecommunications closet are those that hold cables and equipment. Riser cables usually enter at a low level and may exit at a high level. Cables for horizontal distribution may leave at any level, depending on the location of the horizontal distribution spaces. Cables generally are tied to various types of cable trays, while patching and other equipment may be secured to the wall or left to stand on the floor. The minimum radius of a cabling route should be sufficient for the least bendable cable in general use — typically large multicore cables.

Patching technology now is available with unique "reverse direction" patch cords, integrated cable and patch cord management, increased density, wall mounting hardware, and snap-together installation. The cordless appearance improves patch cord organization and management and reduces the piles of cabling that are common in more traditional patch panel systems.

This "reverse" patch panel technology incorporates a simple but effective change to the traditional 110-style design. The patch cord connector was rotated 180 degrees to face back along the line of the cord. So instead of the cord coming out at the user, the cord is now directed away from and routed into the integral horizontal troughs located under each row of connector blocks. The reverse patch cord design ensures that cords do not hide circuit labels or obstruct connector blocks, making it easy to identify the right connection. Cords are routed safely out of the way, so there are no dangling loops.

In addition, neat, well-organized installations are less likely to hide poor workmanship and make faults easier to trace. They encourage a careful, organized approach by anyone working on the system.

More labeling space also is provided directly on the plug itself, which allows for additional identification for extra-critical circuits.

These newer patch panels save space by packing 28 pairs into one row, compared to only 25 pairs in the traditional system. The system's design also allows for vertical build-out in either 4-row (112 pairs) or 12-row increments (336 pairs). This can avoid expensive extensions to communications closets and computer rooms as networks expand, and in new buildings, it saves valuable space for other purposes.

The ROI for IT investments is always in question, hence any installation cost saving is always welcome and can fund higher performance equipment. Since patch panels are the most complex passive components in a network, faster implementation in this area can cut costs significantly.

 *The next article in the series will throw light on cabling tips beyond the closet or secondary cabling distribution. Make sure you are in the loop...

This article is sponsored by SYSTIMAX Solutions.

The following SYSTIMAX Solutions case study provides a practical application of cabling solutions in one of Europe's oldest parliaments.

SYSTIMAX Structured Connectivity Solutions