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Re: DATACENTER: Patch Panels

Daniel Hagerty writes:
>  > Long shot here....I was in Abovenets DC space and noticed the patch panels,
>  > I THOUGHT they were from a company called "crone"...these are the patch
>  > panels on the top of all the customer racks and are brought back to that
>  > funky cross connect system they have which is made by the same company....
> 
>     "Krone" -- I think they're german.

They are.  You can find them at http://www.krone.com.  Very nice stuff.


>  > 2) Why are they using that cross connect system for the cables once they
>  > come back to their MDFs? Is this for Flexibility? Performance? Neatness? I
>  > imagine that most their handoff is Ethernet so they would use just straight
>  > patch cords...but I suppose this is easier to maintain if you have skilled
>  > people doing the punches...and easier to troublshoot...
> 
>     In large enough data centers, you need things that aren't
> ethernet.  If you can afford the costs in skilled people, etc. using a
> copper pair as the unit of management allows maximum flexibility.

Absolutely.  T1/E1, POTS, and others types of connection can all be
delivered efficiently this way.  Also, consider a cross-connect between
any two points (A & Z) on the floor.  Doing this with patch panels can
get ugly, in a hurry.  With a structured wiring system like we have,
maintenance of the cable plant is manageable for years to come.
Neatness is definitely an issue in a large datacenter.

Regarding troubleshooting, at least one advantage is that you can
visually verify things without unplugging anything.  I think the
neatness alone makes it easier to troubleshoot, but that may just be
a matter of personal preference...

As far as performance goes, I am not sure that there is necessarily
a difference.  I do know that with the Krone blocks and the Belden
Datatwist cable we're certified to 350-MHz (Cat VI?) to the rack.  You
can do the same thing with patch panels, but it means you've got to
either order an assload of premade cables (which are never quite the
right length) or your people have to work with that miserable fused
cable all the damn time -- trust me, I've worked my fingers bloody on
the stuff and it is NOT fun. :-)

Lastly (and I'm not kidding) if someone working here doesn't know how
to operate a Krone tool and a cable tester, I don't want him touching
*anything* in the MDF. :-)


--Jeff