Monthly Archives: September 2018

Picking the Right Rack and Cabinet for Your Data Center

In the data center, the network rack and cabinet are used to house the router, switch, copper or fiber patch panel and other networking devices and accessories. They are meant to protect the hardware as well as make it easily accessible for modification, alteration as the business evolves and changes. This post will list tips that need to be kept in mind when picking your network rack and cabinet for your data center.

Why Use Network Rack and Cabinet in Data Center

The network rack and cabinet play a significant role in the data center. They organize networking devices, such as switches, into standardized assemblies. In this way, space and other resources can be effectively utilized. What’s more, to meet varied needs, the network rack and cabinet have multiple functions. They can improve rack cable management, device management, physical security, mobility, ease of installation and protection from harsh environmental conditions, etc. Therefore, the use of network racks and cabinets is very necessary.

Considerations When Picking the Right Rack and Cabinet

Picking the right network rack and cabinet, and configuring them as your needs can ensure that your equipment works reliably and efficiently. Besides, this frees your organization from costly downtime and other unnecessary expenses. Below are some considerations for picking the right network rack and cabinet.

  • Equipment

Before you choose a rack or cabinet, you need to clear what equipment you are going to house, such as switches, routers, and so on. Then you need to consider the weight and size of your equipment. If you are going to house large and heavy equipment, the amount of weight capacity of a rack or cabinet must be important.

  • Size and Housing Space

It is vital for your data center that your rack or cabinet has sufficient internal space to house your current devices and to accommodate your planned future expansion. Therefore, the size and the hosing space of a rack and cabinet such as height, width, and rated load must be taken into consideration.

  • Cooling System

In the data center, every piece of networking equipment has cooling requirements. Different racks or cabinets have different structures, so the airflow is different. Therefore, when picking your rack or cabinet, the cooling system is also a factor that needs to be considered.

  • Power Providing

There is no doubt that equipment in racks or cabinets also need plenty of power. There are multiple options to power the equipment in racks or cabinets. The power strips can be mounted horizontally and vertically. Therefore the power providing of the equipment in your rack or cabinet is another consideration you need to keep in mind.

Network Rack and Cabinet Recommendation

Here are some network rack and cabinet recommendations for reference.

  • 9U/12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

Suitable for enterprise data centers and computer rooms, the 9U wall mount cabinet is designed to house the 19-inch standard or non-standard network equipment, as well as network accessories. It is perfect for the areas with limited floor space, and it can provide the equipment with a secure and organized environment. It has convenient cable access openings, top cooling fan, vented glass front door, and lockable/removable side panels.

Rack and Cabinet: 9U12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

Figure 1: 9U/12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

  • 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

The open-frame rack provides easy access and plenty of open space for rack cable management. All these make it perfect for network wiring closets and distribution frame applications with high-density cabling. The open-frame rack is typically used for server room and data center rack applications that don’t require physical security and added airflow control.

Rack and Cabinet: 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

Figure 2: 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

Conclusion

It has been stressed many times that network rack and cabinet play an indispensable role in organizing equipment in the data center. The process of choosing the right rack or cabinet is often important. FS.COM can provide not only network rack and cabinet, but also server rack and cabinet as well as other rack accessories. If you have any need about this, you can contact us just by visiting www.fs.com.

Introduction to Fiber Patch Panel

People always say that the patch panel is the “unsung hero” in the data center. It’s pretty vivid. Because there is no doubt that the patch panel is an indispensable component of the simple and tidy cable management. Usually, it is used in two kinds of cabling system, fiber and copper cabling systems. Therefore, it can be divided into two main types: the fiber optic patch panel and Ethernet patch panel. In this post, I will introduce the former one. For more information about Ethernet patch panel, read How to Select the Suitable Copper Patch Panel?

What Is the Fiber Patch Panel?

The fiber patch panel is used to terminate fiber optic cables and make it accessible to individual fiber optic cable for cross connection. A basic fiber optic panel is typically made of metal. It contains the adapter panels, the connector couplers, and a splice tray. The fiber optic cables connect to the adapter panels through the couplers. The splice tray allows cables to be neatly arranged in the panel.

Fiber Patch Panel Types

Based on different standards, the fiber panel can be categorized into different types. Here, we will introduce its types according to the mounting type, loaded state, and port counts.

  • According to the mounting type, there are rack mount and the wall mount fiber patch panels. The former one usually holds the fiber optic cables horizontally and it looks like a drawer. Designed in 1U, 2U, 4U size, it can hold up to 288 or even more fibers. In addition, it can be mounted onto 19″and 23″standard relay racks. While the latter one is used in enclosed wall mounting. It can be mounted to any wall easily. FS.COM offers FHD wall mount fiber panels which have the designs of 2 door 2 adapters and 2 door 4 adapters as the option. It’s usually equipped with high density cassettes fixed on walls. For more details, you can refer to Introduction of FHD Wall Mount Patch Panel.

rack and wall mount fiber patch panel

Figure 1: Rack and Wall Mount Fiber Patch Panel

  • According to the loaded state, the fiber panel can be classified into the loaded and unloaded ones. The former means that it has been loaded with adapter panels or cassettes. The latter means that it is loaded with nothing. Users can install adapter panels or cassettes depending on their needs, customizing their own patch panels.
  • According to the port counts, the fiber panel can be categorized into many types ranging from 12, 24, 48 to 288 and even more. Actually, there is no limit to the count of the port on the panel. FS.COM can provide 12 port patch panel, 24 port patch patch, and 48 port patch panel.

Benefits of Using Fiber Patch Panel

The fiber panel provides a convenient way to manage fiber optic cables. There are three main benefits of using it.

  • Convenience

Using the fiber panel, users can easily replace the fiber optic cables and change the order of fiber optic cables according to their needs. Besides, they don’t need to look around for ports of the devices on the rack because the fiber patch panel groups all ports.

  • Reducing Cable Congestion

Using the fiber panel, users can reduce the cable clutter and confusion. The fiber optic cables will be easily organized and labeled. Users can manage their cables in any direction.

  • Reducing Wear of Devices

Using the fiber panel, users will complete all the connections on the panel. They won’t frequently plug or unplug the cables directly from the devices. Therefore, wear on the ports of expensive networking devices like switches will be reduced.

Conclusion

All in all, the fiber patch panel is such a useful device in the data center, especially in the high-density data center. After reading this post, I think you’ve had a general understanding of the fiber panel. FS.COM can provide varied cable management solutions. Welcome contact us if you have any needs about this, just by visiting www.fs.com.