Taming the data centre tangle

02 August 2010

Handling fibre and the new 10Gb/s augmented category 6 cabling in data centres is becoming significantly more difficult to deal with. With greater core diameters, which in turn cause larger bend radii, the enclosure is no longer a secondary consideration.

Both the Rittal TS 8 and TE7000 range of enclosures provide advanced cable management such as gland plate modules with brush strip for cable entry, grooved cable routing panels and also fibre-optic shunting rings where strain relief and bend radii are guaranteed.

Rittal's high-density patching solutions can be attached to mounting angles, to 19in mounting frames and on the side of the IT rack framework. Back-to-back mounting is also possible; here, the openings already integrated in the duct are used for routing cables between the levels.

A system of punched holes, integrated within the cable duct, allows the continuous assembly of more cable management elements and structuring aids. Patching density can be increased by up to 30 per cent to a maximum of 1,008 ports per rack which not only helps cut the total investment but also reduces the amount of floor space needed.

In addition, Rittal has introduced new cable-spools that handle excess lengths of cable as well as acting as radius reducers when redirecting cables. These help accommodate large volumes of cable within network distribution systems and thus reduce the amount of space dedicated to cabling routing in data centres.