Simplifying the Future of Fiber in the Data Center
Overview: View this webinar to get more information on how fiber is being used in modern data centers, and how the necessary architecture is being constructed to power their ever-increasing bandwidth needs.
Tony Rossi, Field Applications Engineer with CommScope will discuss the factors that are driving data center architecture, and why we’re so certain of what the future holds for data centers both big and small. Finally, he will discuss new CommScope technology that will assist you in upscaling to the necessary architecture to power your data centers.
This technical webinar details the advances that are being made in switch capacity and will be helpful for the IT and operations managers of any size data center who want to have clear insight into upcoming trends, how fiber can benefit them, and how a strong fiber backbone can be installed both efficiently and cost-effectively.
Also learn why we’re predicting a mind-bending advance to 1.6 Tb data center connectivity in the not-too-distant future!
Table of Contents
- What is driving data center architecture?
- How can we be certain of the what the future holds?
- How can we help you build this infrastructure?
What is Driving Data Center Architecture?
Fiber in the data center is expanding rapidly in scale. We’re currently exploring 200, 400 and 800 Gb connectivity, and even looking at 1.6 Tb activity for the future.
A key part of this rapid expanse in scale and maximum connectivity in the data center is the optimization of the switch RADIX (capacity) which is enabled by:
- ASIC Connections
- Electrical Lanes Rates
- Switch Port Density
ASIC technology has evolved significantly in the last 5-7 years. The newest chipsets will power future applications and higher-speed networks, while supporting the need for network densification, offering both power and cost savings for your network infrastructure.
The higher switch RADIX with migration from 3.2 to 12.8 Tbps offers benefits including:
- Reduction in links—resulting in cooler running networks with less switch-to-switch links required.
- Reduction in power—as the power per solution is lower, and there is lower power needed per Gb of bandwidth.
- Reduction in cost—with a switch list price savings in excess of $40k and additional cable/fiber savings.
How can we be certain of what the future holds?
How can we make such accurate predictions for the future of fiber in the data center? It’s all based in the technological advances already in existence. When we look at our technology and its current capacity, we’re also able to predict what advances the next few years will bring with a high degree of certainty.
For example, “octal” optics, a base-8 type of connectivity, will become the norm as networks shift to 8 and 16 Gb fiber applications. These will be backwards-compatible and allow for 2, 8 and 16-fiber applications without wasting fibers.
The newer chips have a very small form factor, which allows for a much greater density in connectivity. These small form factors, along with SERDES speeds and the transition to spine-leaf based switch arrangements are what will allow for data to be transmitted at these higher speeds, meaning that the architecture of the chips themselves helps us predict what can be accomplished with them.
“If you've been working in data centers you’ve probably seen how we're shifting to this spine leaf architecture, where essentially everything is connected to everything else, as opposed to having 2-3 tiers of core and aggregation switches that have to go up.” – Tony Rossi, CommScope
How can we help you build the necessary infrastructure?
CommScope offers a new end-to-end high-speed platform called Propel, which provides modular high-density fiber panels, modules, adapters and fiber assemblies.
“The modules are great because they take up as little real estate as possible, but still have a lot of functional flexibility and adaptability.” Toni Rossi, CommScope
With 16- and 8-fiber options aligned with switch and server network architectures, QR-coded components for optical performance verification and global availability, Propel provides data centers the ability to efficiently scale their network to meet the growing demands of their customers. The system is fully scalable to allow customers to grow at a pace that makes sense for them, and backwards compatible to support both existing and legacy fiber applications.
Interested in getting more information on this cutting-edge technology? View the full webinar for details on specific CommScope products like Propel that can increase your data center’s speeds while reducing energy usage and operating costs.