Cim 20100101 jan_2010

www.cablinginstall.com

January 2010Solutions for Premises and Campus Communication Systems Worldwide Solutions for Premises and Campus Communication Systems Worldwide

Check your cable’s pedigree

The value of fi ber raceway

Analyst predicts UTP’s dominance

Self-containeddata centers

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departments

CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE © 2010 (ISSN 1073-3108), is published 12 times a year, monthly, by PennWell Corporation, 1421 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112; telephone (918) 835-3161; fax (918) 831-9497; Web address www.pennwell.com. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK 74112 and other additional offi ces. Subscription rate in the USA: 1 yr. $88, 2 yr. $119, BG $161; Canada/Mexico: 1 yr. $98, 2 yr. $132, BG $178; International via air: 1 yr. $120, 2 yr. $160, BG $216; Digital: 1 yr. $60. If available, back issues can be purchased for $22 in the U.S. and $32 elsewhere. Editorial offi ces: 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062-5737; telephone (603) 891-0123. All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE (ISSN 1073-3108), provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA; (978) 750-8400. Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA; (978) 750-8400. For further information, check CCC Online at the following address: http://www.copyright.com/. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted. Bulk reprints can be ordered from The YGS Group ([email protected]). Corporate offi cers: Frank T. Lauinger, Chairman; Robert F. Biolchini, President and CEO; Mark Wilmoth, Chief Financial Officer.

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features

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www.cablinginstall.com Cabling Installation & Maintenance ■ January 2010 ■ 3

JANUARY 2010 VOL. 18, NO. 1

7 Examining shielded cabling for ultra-high-speed transmissionRecent lab testing and other research keep shielded systems in the

game for today and tomorrow. PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN

11 Optical fi ber raceway changes with the timesThe use of raceway provides users with fl exibility, supports changing

technology needs, and can save money. KEVIN JOLLY, RCDD

17 The importance of your cable’s pedigreeA paper trail of documentation confi rming performance can provide

peace of mind before a reel of cable is pulled. CAROL EVERETT

OLIVER, RCDD/ESS

23 Self-contained data centers the right fi t for someThe city of Coral Springs, Florida runs a self-contained data center

with its own A/C and fi re-suppression systems. RICK BARR, RCDD

28 Infrastructure suppliers team with IBM on modular data centerIntroduced in mid-2009, IBM’s Portable Modular Data Center

can house recognized brand-name layer-one systems. PATRICK

MCLAUGHLIN

30 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

■ Analysts: WiMAX market rebounding quickly

ABOUT THE COVER

Self-contained data centers

provide convenience

and energy-effi ciency

advantages, and can be

deployed with recognized

cabling brand name

products.

TO LEARN MORE, SEE

ARTICLES ON PAGES 23

AND 28.

4 EditorialCabling and LEED

33 New Products

36 PerspectiveCopper cabling to remain

structured cabling market leader





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4 ■ January 2010 ■ Cabling Installation & Maintenance www.cablinginstall.com

Cabling and LEED

In November the United States

Green Building Council (USGBC)

issued what it calls a pilot credit

as part of its Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design (LEED)

program. Organizations striving to

have their properties recognized as

“green buildings”

apply to the US-

GBC for credits;

those that accu-

mulate enough

credits attain

what is known as

LEED certifica-

tion and are rec-

ognized as green buildings. USGBC

issues pilot credits to test and refi ne

its crediting program.

Of great signifi cance to our indus-

try is that the pilot credit issued in

November specifi cally mentions cable

and wire-jacketing, and in particular

the chemicals within them, as con-

siderations for the LEED credit. Th e

credit is offi cially called “PBT Source

Reduction: Dioxins and Halogenated

Organic Compounds.” Th e term PBT

is an abbreviation for “persistent bio-

accumulative toxic” and in this case

refers to compounds used to make up

cable and wire jacketing.

While the offi cial wording in US-

GBC documentation states “build-

ing-installed electrical cable and wire

jacketing” (emphasis added), sever-

al indicators lead me to believe that

communications cable will be consid-

ered as part of this pilot credit. Chief

among those indicators is the specif-

ic mention in the credit description

of chemicals and materials that are

regularly found in communications

cables and not so much in electrical

cables. Namely, all chemicals contain-

ing chlorine and fl uorine—including

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fl uori-

nated ethylene propylene (FEP)—are

on the list.

Over the past couple years several

of our articles, including some of my

commentaries in this column, have

discussed the apparent lack of a tan-

gible connection between the design

and installation of cabling materi-

als, and the opportunity for a prop-

erty to earn LEED points as a result.

It looks to me like the connection is

fi nally here, although it may be diffi -

cult to attain.

When I fi rst put word of this cred-

it onto our blog the immediate re-

action from those who commented

was along the lines of “yabut.” As in,

“Yeah, but … it’s such a small part of

the building system it won’t make a

diff erence anyway.” Or, “Yeah, but

… my projects require plenum cable

and good luck fi nding one without

those chemicals.” Valid points, each

of them. But I’m taking the content

of this pilot credit from the USGBC

as an indication that the organization

is focused on the chemicals and ma-

terials that go into building products,

far more than it is on the design or in-

stallation workmanship practices by

which they are put in place.






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design

The long-running story for shielded twisted-

pair cabling systems, in the North American

marketplace at least, has been that of a medium

whose performance has never been questioned

but whose implementation has never quite

caught on for practical reasons. Perhaps the two most

signifi cant reasons are cost and an ease-of-use reputa-

tion that has been debated. Shielded twisted-pair cable

in any construction—F/UTP with a single foil over the

four twisted pairs, S/FTP with a braided shield over four

wire pairs that themselves are foil-shielded, or any other

shielded construction—is a more expensive product

than unshielded twisted-pair cable of the same category.

Th e cable type also can be more labor-intensive for in-

stallers to work with, and generally is not as fl exible as

unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable. Plus, historically,

networking protocols that shielded cabling supported

were also supported by UTP.

North America’s rejection of shielded cabling has not

been matched in all parts of the world, as evidenced by

the International Organization for Standardization’s

(ISO; www.iso.org) development of Class F/Category 7

specifi cations as well as Class FA/Category 7A specifi ca-

tions while the Telecommunications Industry Associa-

tion (TIA; www.tiaonline.org) has not progressed toward

a Category 7 specifi cation. ISO’s Class F/Category 7 spec-

ifi cations, fi nalized in 2002, defi ne system performance

to 600 MHz and its Class FA/Category 7A specifi cations

defi ne system performance to 1,000 MHz; both stan-

dards describe fully shielded cabling systems.

10GBase-T takes the stage

Th e notion that “anything shielded can do, unshielded

can also do” was called into question during the ear-

ly development stages of cabling systems meant to sup-

port 10GBase-T, the twisted-pair version of 10-Gigabit

Ethernet. Th e most diffi cult electrical performance char-

acteristic associated with 10GBase-T was and remains

alien crosstalk—noise from what have become known

as “disturber” cables making its way onto what have be-

come known as “victim” cables. As twisted-pair cable

manufacturers put in signifi cant research-and-devel-

opment eff orts to produce unshielded cables that could

handle alien crosstalk well enough to successfully carry

10GBase-T traffi c, many North American users began

considering using shielded cabling systems for the fi rst

time in a long time, or the fi rst time ever.

Although the marketplace is now populated with

many options of UTP cables that meet the fi nal Catego-

ry 6A performance specifi cations, considerations over

whether to use unshielded or shielded systems to sup-

port 10GBase-T remain.

Recently the AMP Netconnect division of Tyco Elec-

tronics (www.ampnetconnect.com), which has been a

long-time advocate of using shielded systems for 10GBase-

T transmission, publicized results of testing conducted at

an independent lab. Th ose tests compared Class EA (Cate-

gory 6A) systems of unshielded and shielded constructions

in terms of their performance when carrying live 10GBase-

T traffi c. According to Tyco, the testing included two UTP

systems, one F/UTP system, and two S/FTP systems.

It would surprise no one that an advocate of shielded

systems would produce test results showing that shield-

ed outperformed unshielded. And that’s exactly what the

results indicate.

Conducted by third-party test laboratory GHMT AG

(www.ghmt.de) located in Germany, the study compared

the fi ve diff erent cabling systems, which were from fi ve

diff erent manufacturers. Key fi ndings that Tyco men-

tioned in its announcement of the study included that

shielded systems off er high coupling attenuation and

therefore high levels of alien crosstalk and electromag-

netic compatibility performance. ➤

Examining shielded-cablingfor ultra-high-speed transmission

Recent lab testing and other

research keep shielded systems in

the game for today and tomorrow.

PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN is chief editor of Cabling Installation &

Maintenance.






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By carrying out the study and publicizing these and oth-

er results, Tyco appears to be making the point that on an

application for which there is a standardized UTP solution,

shielded cabling is a superior choice from a performance

standpoint. Tyco established the Web site utp-vs-stp.com,

at which it provides layers of detail on the study, some test

results, and conclusions that Tyco has drawn based on the

data.

Once the study results reached social media networks and

specifi cally cabling-industry groups within those networks,

the fur began fl ying and as of this writing it still is. Much of

the banter, not surprisingly, has been between representatives

of Tyco and representatives of other cabling-system manufac-

turers. Th e debate has centered around some now-familiar top-

ics related to 10GBase-T and shielded cabling, including alien

crosstalk and earthing/bonding of shielded systems. Some

of it has also focused on the study itself and the fact that just

two UTP systems were tested, and whether or not it is valid

to hold those two systems up as representative of all Catego-

ry 6A UTP cabling systems. Critics of the Tyco study are also

saying that this lone test has produced worthwhile data, but

signifi cantly more testing must be done for results to be con-

sidered repeatable.

40 and 100-Gbit

Meanwhile, some proponents of shielded cabling have begun

to turn their attention toward the next generation of Ethernet-

based transmission: 40- and 100-Gbit Ethernet.

Currently the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engi-

neers’ IEEE P802.3ba Task Force (www.ieee802.org/3/ba/) is

developing Ethernet protocols with operating speeds of 40 and

100 Gbits/sec, and the group expects to complete the project

and obtain fi nal approval in June 2010. On November 20, 2009,

the IEEE 802 Executive Committee approved forwarding the

draft of the standard for Sponsor Ballot, the fi nal of the two

balloting stages in the approval process.

Th e only copper-cabling type recognized in the 802.3ba proj-

ect is twinaxial, Infi niband-style cabling. No twisted-pair media,

shielded or unshielded, is accounted for in the draft standard.

Th e twinaxial cabling confi gurations allow only for short-reach

transmission. Th e 40- and 100-Gbit specifi cation calls for longer-

distance transmission over fi ber-optic cabling exclusively.

Last summer, a group of engineering professionals from the

cabling and networking industries convened with research-

ers at Penn State University in a two-day workshop entitled

“Greater than 10 Gbps Copper Ethernet Workshop” (cictr.ee.psu.

edu/WORKSHOP/). Th e workshop was sponsored by Nexans/





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Berk-Tek research center in Pennsylva-

nia, the Nexans Data Communications

Competence Center (DCCC). “Th e re-

search conducted by Penn State cov-

ers the theoretical feasibility of going

beyond 10G, up to 100G over copper

twisted-pair,” according to Dave Hess,

technical manager in research and de-

velopment at Nexans DCCC (www.nex-

ans.com) and a workshop presenter.

“Th e focus of the workshop was to in-

vestigate general technical feasibility,

cabling requirements, and market driv-

ers in support of Ethernet LAN speeds

greater than 10 Gbits/sec,” states Valer-

ie Maguire, global sales engineer with

Siemon (www.siemon.com), who also

presented at the workshop.

Th e general sense from workshop

participants was that the prospect of

transmitting 40- and 100-Gbit Ether-

net traffi c over twisted-pair cabling for

some distance is technically feasible

based on theory and modeling, but the

twisted-pair cabling would have to be

fully shielded.

One presentation addressed the stan-

dardization process within IEEE 802.3.

According to at least one workshop par-

ticipant, however, proponents with an

ambition to get shielded twisted-pair

cabling specifi ed into an IEEE 40- and

100-Gbit Ethernet standard may face

a tough challenge. Geoff Th ompson, a

consultant with deep roots in the IEEE

802.3 heritage, explains that such pro-

posals to IEEE must meet fi ve criteria

to be accepted. “Th ree of the fi ve are

traditionally the most diffi cult to meet

and are interconnected,” Th ompson

says. “Th ey are: broad market poten-

tial, technical feasibility, and econom-

ic feasibility.”

While those criteria may not appear

to be instant roadblocks for provid-

ers of shielded cabling systems, IEEE

802.3-based standards cover hardware-

system signaling, not cabling systems.

When viewed from a cabling perspec-

tive, the technical and particularly the

economic feasibility may be simple

when compared to the challenges fac-

ing manufacturers of semiconductors.

Th e technical and fi nancial investments

these companies would have to make

may be deal breakers for the prospect

of 40- and 100-Gbit Ethernet over twist-

ed-pair cabling, particularly consider-

ing the smaller size of the market at the

core of the network.

More market and technical research

will be conducted before a decision

is made concerning whether or not

shielded twisted-pair cabling will ev-

er support standardized transmission

speeds of 40- and 100-Gbit/sec. Today,

the medium remains a part of the dis-

cussion as 10GBase-T network switch-

es begin hitting the market.





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For nearly two decades, our LANmark™UTP cables have been leaders in the cabling industry. LANmark-10G2, LANmark-2000, LANmark-1000, and LANmark-350™ continue to be four of the highest performing UTP cables manufactured in the United States today.

Through the ETL LANmark Verification Program, Intertek now provides you with independentthird-party verification that LANmark Category 5e, 6, and 6a cables will perform to ourspecifications, not just to the standard. So you can be sure that you receive every dB ofperformance that you specify. Who else other than Berk-Tek will verify and guarantee that?

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installation

With constantly emerging tech-

nologies and ever-increasing bandwidth

demand, today’s optical fi ber network infra-

structures require the fl exibility to support

upgrades, modifi cations, and additions.

Th e concept of installing reusable optical fi ber raceway

systems throughout homes and buildings to support fu-

ture upgrades is not new, and it has been recommended

by industry experts time and again. Unfortunately, there

remains a misconception among many that a two-stage

installation is cost-prohibitive. As

a result, many opt to install other

solutions to protect fi ber, such as

interlocking armored cables.

When it comes to providing the

fl exibility to upgrade fi ber infra-

structure, not to mention comply-

ing with the National Electrical

Code requirements to remove

abandoned cable, nothing per-

forms quite like today’s optical

fi ber raceway systems, which ulti-

mately provide a lower total cost of

ownership than other options.

Reasonable price point

Th e two-stage process refers to

the installation of a standards-

compliant optical fi ber raceway

like innerduct, followed by the

installation of the cable through

the raceway. Th is type of installa-

tion has oft en been criticized for

its higher upfront labor and materials costs. However,

the materials costs for today’s raceway and standard op-

tical fi ber cable have decreased to the point where the to-

tal cost of a two-stage installation is now much closer to

that of other options. Interlocking armored cables can

cost several times that of standard riser-rated cable and

require additional material and labor for properly bond-

ing and grounding the armor, making the additional la-

bor of a two-stage installation a non-issue.

While the cost diff erence between a two-stage instal-

lation and other options for protecting fi ber is minimal,

the real savings happen aft er installation. Today’s enter-

prise customers are more concerned with lifecycle costs

than ever before. Th ere is tremendous shift in how infor-

mation technology (IT) managers think when making

deployment decisions. Instead of only justifying

This cross-sectional view of a commercial offi ce building shows the path that an optical fi ber

raceway takes through a facility. Having a raceway like this in place makes it easy for users to

add cables to, or remove them from, the network.

➤

Optical fiber raceway changes with the times

The use of raceway provides users with

flexibility, supports changing technology

needs, and can save money.

KEVIN JOLLY, RCDD is national sales manager for KwikPath products

from Ipex (www.ipexinc.com).






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Stewart Connector

PLUGS-CAT 3 to 7a

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Premise WiringCAT 6 • CAT 6a • CAT 7aModular Plugs & Jacks

•For Solid & Stranded Cable•Shielded and Unshielded

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Stewart Connector understands that specifying and sourcing quality modular connectors for premise and campuswide communications systems can be a tough job. Especially as technology, standards, and products continue to evolve. That is why we’ve engineered our plugs and jacks to ensure your networks’ superior performance... today and tomorrow.


upfront deployment costs, the focus is now

on ensuring a return on investment over

the network’s lifetime. Th is new way of

thinking is permeating all areas of con-

struction, made evident by the “green”

movement that has companies willing to

spend a little more upfront for reduced en-

ergy costs over a facility’s lifetime.

Any increase in initial installation be-

comes inconsequential when consider-

ing that operation and retrofi t expenses

make up 75% of a building’s lifecycle

costs over a 40-year period, as compared

to just 11% for construction. Th erefore,

any technology that cuts down on oper-

ational and retrofi t expenses will have a

much higher impact on reducing total

cost of ownership.

Today’s companies are constantly up-

grading and adding optical fi ber to back-

bone and horizontal infrastructures in

riser and plenum spaces and data centers.

Additionally, the NEC requires the remov-

al of abandoned cables, which are defi ned

as any installed cable not terminated and

not identifi ed for future use.

When it’s time to switch outdated or

damaged optical fi ber for newer advanced

technologies, or add more fi ber to sup-

port increased demand, having an optical

fi ber raceway in place makes the job sig-

nifi cantly less expensive than it would be

without such a system. Outdated fi ber is

easily pulled out of the raceway and used

as a pull rope to pull in the new fi ber. Al-

ternatively, the interlocking armored fi ber

must be completely removed upon aban-

donment, a time-consuming process that

requires accessing the entire route of the

cable and potentially disrupting the sur-

rounding work environment.

Beyond removal of abandoned cable and

installation of new fi ber, optical fi ber race-

way and a two-stage installation can pro-

vide additional cost benefi ts. For example,

if lead times on cable are delayed, contrac-

tors can install the raceway and pull in fi -

ber at a later date, aft er walls and ceilings

are in place in a new-construction project.

Th is can help keep a project on schedule

and avoid delaying other trades. Further-






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more, other means of protecting fi ber infrastructure like inter-

locking armored fi ber or electrical metallic tubing (EMT) still

require the time and cost to properly bond and ground metal-

lic elements per TIA-607 standards.

Preparing for the future

One of the most signifi cant benefi ts to installing an optical fi ber

raceway is the ability to easily upgrade to meet future technol-

ogy needs. Technology is constantly changing. Already OM4

fi ber cables have been developed to support 40- and 100-Giga-

bit Ethernet, and technologies like Fibre Channel over Ethernet

may require cable upgrades. Other new technologies like serv-

er virtualization and Internet Protocol convergence are con-

stantly increasing the amount of data being transmitted and

stored, requiring either more or more-advanced optical fi ber

to be added to the network.

In situations in which there is uncertainty about how net-

work requirements will grow or change, the use of optical fi ber

raceway means that customers only have to pay for and install

the type of fi ber they need today, versus paying for dark fi ber

that may become damaged or obsolete. With raceway installed,

any type of fi ber is easily pulled when needed, based on actual

network requirements. And because fi ber is so easily removed

from the raceway, it can also be relocated and reused in other

areas to accommodate moves, adds, and changes.

Ease of use

Several advances in today’s optical fi ber raceway make it easi-

er to use than ever before. Available in riser, plenum, and resi-

dential ratings and in a variety of sizes, fi ber raceway can

The two-stage process of installing a standards-compliant optical fi ber

raceway followed by the installation of cable through the raceway, as

shown here, offers lower lifecycle costs than other alternatives.

➤





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©Server Technology, Inc. Sentry is a trademark of Server Technology, Inc.

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Server Technology Inc

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Validate Copper,Fiber,andWireless

Test all the connectivity in your LAN with

one economical tool—the innovative JDSU

ValidatorPRO™ or ValidatorPRO-NT™.These

industry-first, all-in-one Ethernet speed

certifiers with integrated optical power meters

let you ensure cable runs will support Gigabit

Ethernet over copper, test fiber cabling, and test

wireless with 802.11b/g/n features to accelerate

network turn-up and testing.

The ValidatorPRO-NT™ offers the added ability

to confirm network connectivity through port

discovery, ping, and layer 2 discovery protocols.

For networks that use Power over Ethernet, the

ValidatorPRO-NT can report voltage and current.

And, ValidatorPRO-NT allows you to test not only

wired but also wireless LANs with 802.11b/g/n

WLAN discovery.

Get your ValidatorPRO and the entire line of

JDSU network and enterprise test tools through

our worldwide distributor network. Find the

distributor near you at www.jdsu.com/know.

Know theNetwork

ValidatorPRO™ (NT1150) and

Validator PRO-NT™ (NT1155) Ethernet Speed Certifier

with Integrated Optical Power Meter

meet virtually any application.

Optical fi ber raceway is fl exible, mak-

ing it easy to install around corners. Ac-

cessories are available to further ease

installation, retrofi ts, and future up-

grades. Convenient snap-on couplers

facilitate joining lengths of raceway to-

gether while terminal adapters provide

seamless transition to junction boxes,

outlet boxes, and fi ber enclosures. Newer

solutions can make it easy to branch off

from existing raceway to support new

spaces in retrofi t and new construction

without removing existing cabling. Ac-

cessories such as

couplers can elim-

inate the need for

traditional metal

junction boxes

or ineffi cient hole-cutting to connect a

new branch. Other accessories available

today include fasteners and clamps for

securing raceway, as well as end plugs to

close raceway ends. Inserting end plugs

is ideal for keeping empty raceway clean

and ready for future use.

Over the past few years there has been

a dramatic evolution of communica-

tions systems, and this evolution does

not appear to be slowing down any time

soon. Th e most convenient and cost-ef-

fective way to upgrade cables, add cables,

and ensure easy removal of abandoned

cables is to use optical fi ber raceway

systems.

While some other options are put

forth as cost-eff ective alternatives to a

two-stage installation, aft er only one

change or upgrade it becomes appar-

ent that optical fi ber raceway ulti-

mately provides a lower total cost

of ownership. Minimal upfront

cost saving on labor is not a good

enough reason to give up fl exibility,

especially considering the inevitability

of change and the shift toward sustain-

able design that ultimately lowers life-

cycle costs. Optical fi ber raceway makes

good sense.

Many accessories like snap-on couplers facilitate joining lengths of raceway together, while termi-

nal adapters provide seamless transition to junction boxes, outlet boxes, and fi ber enclosures.

Shown here is the KwikPath Y-Coupler from Ipex, part of an optical fi ber

raceway system that allows users to branch off from existing raceway

to support new spaces in retrofi t and new-construction projects without

having to remove existing cabling.






__________________


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For industry-leading performance in 10GBASE-T network applications, choose eXtreme® CAT 6A

structured cabling solutions. Component-rated patch panels, connectors, and patch cords provide

superior channel margins. Patent-pending triple stage compensation and isolation gaps minimize

alien crosstalk (AXT) and support other critical TIA parameters. We even guarantee permanent link

performance for distances as short as 10 feet.

Best of all, certified installations include a limited lifetime warranty. So don’t wait.

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technology

When you specify commu-

nications cabling, do you take for

granted that it meets industry stan-

dards because it is labeled a “Cat-

egory 5e” or “Category 6”? Is the jacketing marked

with proper code and safety ratings? As bandwidth

and transmission speeds increase exponentially and

additional disparate devices are becoming attached to

the same network, the need to assure that your cabling

system can live up to your expectations be-

comes increasingly important.

Most of us accept that cables defi ned as

“Category 6” meet the appropriate TIA-568 re-

quirements for certain electrical parameters.

Unfortunately, substandard cables are making

their way into the marketplace. Some of these

cables might not pass Category 3 requirements

or support POTS transmission. Of even great-

er concern to many is that some of these cables

do not meet proper fi re-safety codes. Giving

rise to these cables’ appearance is that some

end users continue to purchase on price ver-

sus proven performance and quality.

If your installed cable plant does not meet es-

tablished performance standards, or does not

meet proper codes, the results can be extremely

costly. Th e best way to assure that the cable be-

ing specifi ed and installed meets such specifi -

cations is to look at the paper trail on the particular cable.

In other words, look at its “pedigree.” You can do this by

carefully examining the manufacturer’s data sheets and

testing results from credible independent testing labs.

For safety’s sake

Th e primary reasons to assure that communications ca-

bles meet their specifi ed ratings are for public safety and

to avoid any potential liability issues. Secondary is that

the installed cables meet minimum standards for both

physical and electrical performance, or the network could

fail and cause costly downtime. Replacing cable is very

low on any network manager’s list of desirable activities,

but if the cable is not deemed safe or does not meet perfor-

mance specifi cations, it could have costly repercussions.

Over the years a number of fi re safety standards for da-

ta communications cable have evolved in North America

and the European Union. Th e standards that dominate

data communications cable fi re testing are described

in the National Electrical Code (NEC) administered by

the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA; www.nfpa.

org); the Canadian Standards Association (CSA; www.

csa.ca) fi re test standards, and through European stan-

dards EN50266 Common Test Methods for Cables Under

Fire Conditions; and IEC 60332-3 Tests on Electri-

Performance testing carried out by manufacturers and independent test

laboratories can include the setup of cables in environments that mirror real

life, such as being laid in bundles inside cable trays. This photo was taken at

the Nexans Data Communications Competence Center.

➤

The importance ofyour cable’s pedigree

A paper trail of documentation confirming

performance can provide peace of

mind before a reel of cable is pulled.

CAROL EVERETT OLIVER, RCDD/ESS Specialist is marketing analyst

with Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company (www.berktek.com).





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cal and Optical Fibre Cables Under Fire Conditions.

Th e NEC contains articles that cover specifi c types of prem-

ises cabling installed in buildings, and cables must pass Un-

derwriters Laboratories/NFPA fl ame tests to comply with these

codes. When a cable passes these stringent tests, the legend

on the cable jacket and on the box should be marked with the

proper rating.

Recently the Communications Cable and Connectivity As-

sociation (CCCA; www.cccassoc.org), of which Berk-Tek is a

member, released results of eight Category 5e and Category 6

cable samples it tested aft er purchasing those cables through

distribution. None of the cables were made in North America,

but were being distributed on this continent.

Th e tests were a follow-up to similar tests the association con-

ducted in 2008, in which it found eight of nine cables failed to

meet fi re-safety requirements. In the more recent testing, the

CCCA found that four of the fi ve companies that failed in 2008,

failed again. According to CCCA executive director Frank Peri,

“Th e failing products were made with inferior materials and de-

signs to save on production costs and they predictably failed

the minimum fi re safety requirements. Our association is co-

operating with major independent telecommunications indus-

try testing agencies to establish a stronger approach to assure

compliance with safety standards.”

In addition to failing fi re-safety tests, three of the eight ca-

bles tested failed to comply with minimum electrical perfor-

mance requirements for Category 5e or Category 6, for which

these cables claimed independent test certifi cations.

Third-party testing

Th ird-party laboratories off er testing of products as well as mon-

itoring of manufacturing processes. Th ese services help assure

product reliability, safety, and consistent quality, consequently

off ering peace of mind and return on investment for the end us-

er and the contractor. Under these third-party programs, ran-

dom samples of products are selected independently by the lab

or submitted from the participants to be inspected and tested

for their conformity to the applicable test standard.

Th ird-party labs incorporate industry-specifi c test methods

to evaluate, inspect, verify, and document. Th ird-party labs

are recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Ad-

ministration (OSHA; www.osha.gov) as Nationally Recog-

nized Test Laboratories (NRTLs), and are further accredited

by one or more organizations such as the American National

Standards Institute (ANSI; www.ansi.org), the Federal Com-

munications Commission (FCC; www.fcc.gov), the National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; www.nist.gov),

and the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation

(A2LA; www.a2la.org) to be able to test to standards that pro-

vide for verifi cation and safety marks.

Verifi cation and safety marks are based on standards pub-

lished by organizations like Underwriters Laboratories (UL;

www.ul.com), the Telecommunications Industry Association

(TIA; www.tiaonline.org), the International Electrotechnical

Commission (IEC; www.iec.ch), and the International Orga-

nization for Standardization (ISO; www.iso.org). In addition

to product testing, third-party testing labs off er facility and

manufacturing inspections as well as ongoing follow-up test-

ing of randomly selected samples.

Product failures can result in product disqualifi cation un-

less corrections are made by the manufacturer and retesting is

performed. A verifi cation or certifi cation mark by an approved

third-party lab allows the manufacturer to label its products

as compliant and assures the customer that the products they

purchase meet the manufacturers’ specifi cations.

Verifi cation testing

One of the most valuable testing programs is verifi cation test-

ing. It can be requested from manufacturers, suppliers, or end

users. Initial qualifi cation of cable usually includes verifi ca-

tion through a network analyzer performed by a third-party

test lab that will authenticate that the cable meets or exceeds

the industry standards. “Th e fi rst step to any verifi cation test-

ing and product qualifi cation is to use the industry standards

called out in the TIA or ISO to level the playing fi eld and de-

fi ne the parameters or characteristics to be tested,” explains

Vicki Staff ord, account manager with independent test lab In-

tertek (www.intertek.com).

Network analyzers, the most sophisticated test instruments

used in our industry, off er extremely accurate results in a lab-

test environment. Both TIA and ISO standards recognize this

tester to produce exact results through mathematics and on-

going calibration. “For testing the cable and the entire channel,

there are procedures within the network analyzer that exclude

the eff ect of the interconnecting cables and connectors located

between the analyzer and the device under test, so that

For a cable to meet fl ame requirements such as those administered by

the National Fire Protection Association, it must be tested in setups,

such as the one shown here, in laboratory environments.

➤






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©20

09

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rnin

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corp

ora

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. All

rig

hts

res

erve

d. C

orn

ing

an

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are

reg

iste

red

tra

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arks

of

Co

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ora

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.

Corning® ClearCurve®

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multimode fiber. Its increasedbend resistance handles the rightangles, tight bends and small spacescommon in telecommunicationsclosets and data center racks. Fiberthat handles like copper. Fiber tothe hard to reach places. Finally,fiber that adapts to the real world.

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THE BEST in CABLE PROTECTIONBUSHINGSEMT

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• Less expensive alternative to costly fittings when used just for wire

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Flexible and non-metallic,The LOOP holds a 2" to 5" diameter bundle of CAT5 or fiber optic cable without sagging,bending or damaging the cable!

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CAM-LIGHT™ KITQUICK, SECURE INSTALLATION of a SECURITY CAMERA on a SUSPENDED CEILING

Cut hole in ceilingtile with a 4" holesaw.

1 Install box. Tightenmounting wingscrews.

2 Add drop wire toloop. Attach toframing member.

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5

Use Arlington’s CAM-LIGHT™ KIT to install ANY security camera on a suspended ceiling panel. For power or low voltage, it installs FAST with a 4" hole saw,saving time and money.

It’s a tested assembly that holds up to 50 lbs on a suspended or drywall ceiling. It fits ANY security camera hole pattern because you drill the holes in the mounting plate.Larger cameras mount directly to the box flange.

CAM-LIGHT KIT includes a drop wire for overhead support;mounting “wings” for attachment of box to the ceiling panel;1/2" and 3/4" knockouts in the box – and a mounting bracket and plate for the camera.

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• 27.0 cu. inch box in non-metallic, paintable white plastic or steel.Installs ANY security camera on a suspended ceiling!

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only the device under test is precisely and accurately measured,”

explains Antoine Pelletier, datacom engineer at Intertek. Th e

ETL Listed mark, provided by Intertek, is proof of product com-

pliance (electrical, gas, and other safety standards) to North

American and international performance standards.

Some companies provide their own specifi cations and set

higher limits than those stated by industry standards. “Th e

fl exibility at Intertek allows us to focus on our client’s unique

products and their relative testing needs,” Pelletier further ex-

plains. “As a global testing services pro-

vider we welcome opportunities to off er

proprietary testing.”

Berk-Tek used this capability from In-

tertek to have its Category 5e, 6, and 6A

cables tested to levels above those spelled

out in standards for performance charac-

teristics such as crosstalk. Intertek main-

tains a Directory of ETL Verifi ed and ETL

Listed Cabling Products, which is avail-

able at its Web site. Some cabling-prod-

uct manufacturers also include ETL test

reports for their products on their respec-

tive Web sites.

Reputable testing labs test to UL, ANSI,

CSA, ASTM, and NFPA standards. Au-

thorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) in the

50 United States and in Canada, as well

as retailers, accept the ETL Listed mark

as proof of product testing and verifi ca-

tion. However, in order to allow the use of

the “verifi ed” mark, qualifying companies

agree to ongoing testing on a quarterly ba-

sis so that the facility is monitored and

random samples continuously tested.

“Quarterly unannounced visits to the

manufacturing site include inspection

and comparison of the verifi ed product

against drawings, bill of materials, and

test reports to determine that the pro-

duced units are the same as the sam-

ple subjected to the qualifi cation tests,”

Staff ord explains. “In addition, an audit

on the quality control program includes

detailed review of the company’s inspec-

tion of produced material, manufacturing

quality control methods, equipment cali-

bration and maintenance, fi nal inspection

and testing, product handling, packag-

ing, and storing as well as a correspond-

ing and corrective action program and an

analysis of fi eld performance data.”

Th rough the eff orts of watchdog groups and third-party test-

ing, end users can be assured the cable products they specify

and install are certifi ed to perform as advertised as well as pro-

vide assurance of safety and quality. Th ere are reputable man-

ufacturers whose cables adhere to codes and standards; those

products are available in a competitive marketplace.

Th e diffi culty is knowing how to tell them apart. Do not rely

solely on the cable legend. Always ask for proper documenta-

tion and the “paper trail,” or the results can be very costly.





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www.cablinginstall.com data center


For many a data center manager,

the facility is a collection of cables

and equipment, without much means

to the madness. It works, yes, but is a

noisy environment and very likely is

not as effi cient as it could be. Oft en

the prospect of moving a data center

to a new location, unhooking every-

thing then hooking it back up again,

fi lls data center managers with dread.

Even worse is having to leave every-

thing behind and start over again be-

cause the landlord deemed the data

center a “leasehold improvement.”

Th e concept of a self-contained data

center, developed by Roger Gooch in

2007, has solved these issues for enter-

prise end users in many locations. Th e

self-contained data center goes beyond

the norm of a typical data center solu-

tion and takes into consideration soci-

ety’s mantra of “going green.”

Gooch’s creation, called Data Center

in a Row (DCR), is available through

AFL Telecommunications. Th e City of Coral Springs,

FL is one user of the system. Todd Bayley, network ad-

ministrator for the city, needed a new data center solu-

tion and was looking for cost savings as well as energy

effi ciencies.

“Th e city required the installation of two computer

racking systems in the public safety facility,” Bayley

said. “We awarded AFL Network Services the contract to

install DCR.”

Th e project’s requirements were unique in that the space

was not a traditional computer room environment. With

no uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power, no fi re sup-

pression, and insuffi cient electrical capacity on the fl oor,

Bayley sought a solution that took those issues into con-

sideration. AFL installed the system in less than a month.

Aside from building permits and inspections, the comput-

er room was complete in less than four months.

“Th e DCR system allowed the city to save over

$100,000 in costs by its unique and innovative design,”

claimed Bayley. Specifi cally, he says savings included

the following.

• A self-contained air-conditioning system, eliminating

special room requirements

• A self-contained fi re-suppression system, which negat-

ed the need for a larger system that would cover many

more square feet

• A design that signifi cantly reduced construction and

permitting costs that otherwise would have been

incurred ➤

Self-contained data centersthe right fit for some

The city of Coral Springs, Florida runs

a self-contained data center with its

own A/C and fire-suppression systems.

RICK BARR, RCDD is director of systems engineering with AFL Network

Services (www.afl tele.com).

A self-contained data center, such as the Data Center in a Row shown here, can be

set up in a facility with signifi cantly reduced construction and permitting costs that

would accompany a traditional data center layout.





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Th e DCR system off ered the lowest installed cost,

was more energy effi cient than a standard setup, and

was quieter, thereby eliminating the need to sound-

proof the room. Th e sprinkler system required no

upgrade because the DCR system is sealed; back-

up cooling via built-in ventilating fans kept costs

down because only the racks, not the entire room,

were cooled. Most importantly, the unit required

no special room construction so it could be placed

in a multitude of city locations.

Spreading the word

Satisfi ed with the results of the installation in Coral

Springs, Bayley approached the City of Miami with

the objective to share a disaster-recovery site in or-

der to keep costs within budget for both cities. One

concern about sharing a site was the need for two completely

independent systems confi ned within one room, which DCR

provided.

Each system has its own 2N UPS system, power distribution,

air conditioning, fi re detection/suppression, and monitoring.

In essence, if something happened to one system it would oper-

ate independently and not aff ect the other system. Even though

Miami is a remote site, the power distribution units (PDUs) are

monitored and controlled via the Internet and can be turned

on or off . Th e network monitoring system allows the user to

monitor the support systems 24/7 over the Internet.

“DCR is a system that has surpassed our expectations,” Bay-

ley concludes.

System elements

Within the self-contained data center system, base modules

serve as the air distribution system and are equipped with ad-

justable dampers, regulating the amount of airfl ow to each cabi-

net depending on the heat load of that cabinet. Th e top modules

serve as the air return plenum, keeping the airfl ow constant

and consistent. Th e system is also equipped with backup ex-

haust fans that engage should the cooling system fail.

Building power is supplied to one or two panels, for redun-

dancy, in the main cabinet unit. Power whips are then extend-

ed to equipment cabinets for connectivity to individual UPSs

and/or PDUs. Standalone UPSs are also an option, in which

case building power will also feed the standalone UPS and pow-

er whips would be installed from the UPS to the PDU. Redun-

dant PDUs are generally provided for each equipment cabinet

for powering of dual-powered servers and equipment.

Air conditioning units are available in diff erent sizes, from

20KW to 53KW, and are available as air-, water-, or glycol-

cooled. Like the air conditioning units, the UPS and fi re sup-

pression systems are sized for the number of cabinets installed.

Th e PDUs are available in monitored-only or monitored-and-

controlled versions for remote IP-based monitoring. Th e en-

vironmental monitoring system is also available for remote

IP-based monitoring.

In many cases a backup generator can be installed, providing

additional redundancy. Typically the generator, off ered in nat-

ural gas or diesel, is sized to the current total load (plus 20%)

of equipment that is necessary to remain in active status, and

can also be sized for future load requirements. Natural gas is

generally provided by the local service provider, giving a con-

tinuous supply as needed. Diesel tanks are sized and installed

according to the uptime requirements of the network and an-

cillary components. Diesel tanks can be installed above or be-

low grade.

Benefi ts of closed architecture

Th is self-contained data center solution incorporates a closed

architecture for cooling applications, rather than an open or

semi-open architecture.

An open architecture system is used in any room using

computer room air conditioning (CRAC) systems in a raised-

fl oor, overhead-free-blow, ducted, or in-row cooling for air

distribution.

Semi-open architecture systems are designed to separate the

hot air from the cold air using hot aisle or cold aisle contain-

ment. In either system, the entire room needs to be cooled and

the humidity controlled. In this type of architecture, a fi re-

suppression system must provide a suppressing agent sized to

fl ood the entire room.

Closed-architecture systems, such as Data Center in a

Row, contain and recirculate the airfl ow as the entire unit is

completely sealed. Th e closed architecture also allows

Within this setup are self-contained air-conditioning and fi re-suppres-

sion systems that have proven to be cost-effective for users of closed-

architecture data centers.

➤












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humidity levels to be readily controlled.

A closed-architecture system off ers several advantages. It is

energy effi cient, because cooling and humidity control are on-

ly required for the equipment within the cabinets. In open and

semi-open systems, temperature and humidity control are re-

quired for the entire room, resulting in greater power consump-

tion. With closed systems, airfl ow to each cabinet is adjustable

to meet load conditions of that cabinet. Applications such as

in-row cooling, ducted air distribution, and open raised fl oor

air distribution systems depend heavily on server fans to en-

sure cooling at the chip level, and may or may not provide suf-

fi cient airfl ow. Closed systems have backup ventilation; open

and semi-open systems may or may not.

Another advantage is economical fi re suppression. A closed-

architecture system can be installed anywhere in an open area

and still provide fi re suppression because the system is sealed.

In open and semi-open systems, fi re suppression is expensive

because the entire room must be covered. With open systems,

the front perforated cabinet doors leave the racks vulnerable to

water infi ltration from the sprinkler system. Most closed sys-

tems have sealed front glass doors and sealed solid back doors,

so the sprinkler system cannot penetrate the cabinets. Per

NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems,

if a room has a sprinkler system in which hot aisle contain-

ment systems greater than four feet deep exist, new sprinklers

must be added or existing sprinklers must be extended into

those hot aisle containment areas.

Closed system architectures allow for system expansion and

can be provided at a more predictable cost. Investment is based

on existing/immediate need. Th e DCR system provides the ca-

pability to add cabinets to existing row(s) as well as the addi-

tion of row(s) for future requirements.

Noise reduction is another benefi t. In open and semi-open

systems, the noise levels that servers and equipment create must

be addressed when considering room construction. Closed sys-

tems are quieter. Under most applications, the DCR noise level

is measured at 70 decibels at 3 feet, and 67 dB at 5 feet.

Finally, service and maintenance of a closed system are much

more bearable for service personnel compared to other archi-

tectures. With a closed system, service can be accomplished

from the front or back of the cabinet without losing airfl ow

through the racks and without exposing personnel to elevat-

ed heat conditions. Semi-open hot aisle containment systems

enclose the rear of the cabinet aisle, which in turn creates an

area where personnel work in environments with ambient tem-

peratures of 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.





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infrastructure



In early December a number of

cabling and other physical-layer

technology providers announced

partnerships with IBM (www.ibm.

com) through which they will sup-

ply products and systems for the company’s

Portable Modular Data Center (PMDC).

Many of the announcements coincided with

the PMDC being displayed at the 28th an-

nual Gartner Data Center Conference (www.

gartner.com).

Th e PMDC was introduced in June 2009

along with two other modular data center

designs from IBM—the Enterprise Modular

Data Center (EMDC) and the High Densi-

ty Zone (HDZ). According to IBM, the PM-

DC provides a fully functional data center in

a pod-like form with a complete physical in-

frastructure including power and cooling sys-

tems as well as remote monitoring. Th e PMDC

also has all the elements of the secure operat-

ing environments found in traditional raised-

fl oor data centers, IBM says, including protection from

fi re, smoke, humidity, condensation, and temperature

changes. Th e PMDC can be shipped and deployed into

any environment and can support multiple technology

vendors as well as multiple systems in an industry-stan-

dard rack environment.

IBM describes the EMDC as an enterprise-class data

center “shrink wrapped” and standardized from 5,000

square feet up to 20,000 square feet. Th e approach enables

users to bring new data centers online three to six months

sooner than a custom-designed version, IBM says.

Eye on energy

Th e HDZ is a modular system that provides incremen-

tal cooling and power capability in existing data cen-

ters that are out of capacity. According to IBM, the HDZ

can be swapped into an existing data center without dis-

rupting current operations and can provide up to 35 per-

cent cost savings compared to retrofi tting an existing

data center.

“We’ve engaged with thousands of businesses, govern-

ments, and educational institutions around the world to

help them address critical energy challenges in their da-

ta centers,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president and

group executive of IBM’s Global Technology Services

at the time of the systems’ introduction. “We’re unveil-

ing the most advanced green technologies and services

to help clients become much more effi cient in how they

consume and pay for energy, not only in their data cen-

ters, but across all of their operations.”

Th e introduction of these three data center systems was

the second phase of what IBM dubbed Project Big Green,

which it launched in 2007. At the time IBM committed

$1 billion to deliver technologies it said would help

IBM’s Portable Modular Data Center is a fully functioning data center “pod”

that can be shipped and installed into any environment.

➤

Infrastructure suppliers teamwith IBM on modular data center

Introduced in mid-2009, IBM’s Portable

Modular Data Center can house recognized

brand-name layer-one systems.

PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN is chief editor of Cabling Installation &

Maintenance.





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users dramatically increase levels of energy effi ciency in data

centers. Th is second phase of Project Big Green follows that

objective by making data centers more fl exible in matching

information technology needs to capital and operating costs,

IBM says.

Infrastructure suppliers

Anixter (www.anixter.com), Eaton Corporation (www.eaton.

com), Emerson Network Power (www.emerson.com), Panduit

(www.panduit.com), and Siemon (www.siemon.com) all an-

nounced partnerships involving IBM’s PMDC in December.

In making its announcement, Anixter emphasized that as

the need for data centers expands around the world, the call

for temporary and mobile solutions such as the PMDC is in-

creasing. “We have seen a growing need for this type of solu-

tion,” commented Andy Jimenez, Anixter’s vice president of

technology for enterprise cabling solutions. “By equipping the

PMDC with the cabling infrastructure solutions, end users re-

ceive a self-contained data center solution that can quickly de-

liver functionality and capacity when and where it is needed.”

Users of the PMDC may fi nd Eaton’s and/or Emerson Net-

work Power’s power-distribution, power-quality, and cooling

products within the system. Eaton stated its 550 kVA uninter-

ruptible power supply (UPS) has already been used in PMDC

containers installed at an IBM data center in Europe.

“Power usage represents a signifi cant cost when operating

a facility,” said Jerry Whitaker, president, electrical sector –

Americas for Eaton. “Th e ability to plan, build, and maintain

a highly energy effi cient data center is essential to meet busi-

ness objectives. Eaton has a long history of working with IT

managers and CIOs to achieve cost savings and execute sus-

tainable strategies.”

Emerson Network Power’s Liebert and Knurr brand prod-

ucts can be integrated into the PMDC, the manufacturer says.

“Emerson Network Power is excited about this opportunity to

further extend our relationship with IBM and provide effi cient

and fl exible options for customers to meet business demand

and IT growth while continuing to deliver high availability,”

commented Fred Stack, vice president of marketing for Lie-

bert brand cooling products. “Off erings such as IBM’s por-

table modular data center will help data center designers and

managers scale an infrastructure quickly, reduce capital ex-

penses, and improve effi ciency while upholding high availabil-

ity and performance.”

According to Panduit, the company’s line of high speed da-

ta transport solutions supports the network infrastructure

over the data center life cycle, and its QuickNet preterminat-

ed 10-Gbit-capable solutions are a good fi t for the unique in-

frastructure requirements of containerized solutions like the

PMDC. Panduit emphasizes that its off erings are preterminat-

ed and high-density, providing up to 96 fi ber and 48 copper

connections in one rack space.

“Panduit’s Unifi ed Physical Infrastructure approach maps the

physical infrastructure to the logical network, enabling cus-

tomers to conserve valuable data center real estate while man-

aging extreme heat loads and optimizing power and cooling

effi ciencies,” stated Jack Tison, Panduit’s vice president of tech-

nology. “Working on the IBM PMDC initiative allows us to

apply our high-speed data transport, integrated cabinet sys-

tems, soft ware, and harsh-environment expertise to optimize

the IBM platform and promote scalable, sustainable data cen-

ter design practices for these critical applications.”

Category 6A and 7A twisted-pair copper cabling systems

as well as plug-and-play fi ber-optic cabling systems and the

MapIT G2 Infrastructure Management System from Siemon

are also now available as part of the PMDC. Siemon announced

that according to its supplier agreement with IBM, PMDCs can

be delivered with Siemon cabling already installed, including

those systems mentioned above. Additionally, the preinstalled

infrastructure systems may include the IBM-branded FTS I-

Line. Launched as part of IBM’s Fiber Transport System (FTS),

the IBM FTS I-Line is a specialized off ering of high-perfor-

mance plug-and-play preterminated fi ber cabling developed

under Siemon’s quality guidelines.

Steve Sams, IBM’s vice president of global site and facilities

services, served as the company’s spokesman when these sup-

plier agreements were announced and off ered comments on

many of the agreements. “IBM’s PMDC is part of our strategy

to deliver a cost-eff ective and fl exible family of modular data

center solutions to businesses facing signifi cant capital and op-

erational costs,” Sams said, then stated separately, “Having a

reliable, standards-based infrastructure developed for the con-

tainer is essential in delivering a high-value modular compo-

nent to our customers.”

Within the PMDC reside cabling products and systems like these.

Recently several cabling suppliers announced partnerships with IBM to

provide products for the PMDC.





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Compiled by Patrick McLaughlin


Analysts: WiMAX market rebounding quicklyTwo market research and analyst fi rms agree that the global

market for worldwide interoperability for microwave access

(WiMAX) technology is rebounding rapidly. In early Decem-

ber fi gures from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com), focus-

ing on mobile WiMAX, indicated by the end of that month

(and the 2009 calendar year), global subscribership to mobile

WiMAX would approach 2 million.

“Over the last several years mobile WiMAX has moved

through standardization, productization, and interoperabil-

ity testing and certifi cation,” the company explained. “Larg-

er-scale network deployments are fi nally becoming a reality.

Clearwire in the United States has already declared 173,000 sub-

scribers; Yota in Russia has been growing at a decent rate, reach-

ing 100,000 subscribers in August and 200,000 in October; and

PacketOne in Malaysia has reached 130,000 subscribers.”

Also in December, Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com)

released a third-quarter 2009 market share and forecast report

on WiMAX equipment, devices, and subscribers, including

fi xed and mobile.

Among the highlights of Infonetics’ quarterly report are the

following.

• Th e worldwide WiMAX equipment and device market

topped $290 million in the quarter, which was up 11 per-

cent sequentially.

• Based on a huge uptick in 802.16e device revenue, Motor-

ola more than doubled its worldwide equipment and de-

vice revenue market share for WiMAX over the second

and third quarters.

• Th e Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, as well as Asia-

Pacifi c are the hotbeds of WiMAX activity, although licens-

ing delays are hampering progress in India.

• Th e researcher forecasts the equipment and device mar-

ket will hit $4.97 billion by 2013, driven by developing

countries.

• Total number of WiMAX subscribers, fi xed and mobile, was

expected to reach 3.9 million worldwide by year-end 2009.

Richard Webb, directing analyst for WiMAX at Infonetics,

stated, “Th e WiMAX equipment and device market is on the

upswing, posting its second quarterly double-digit percent-

age increase in a row in the third quarter, driven by revenue

growth in all regions. We expect steady growth in the market

over the next four quarters as the WiMAX ecosystem contin-

ues to take shape and more devices hit the market, driving

adoption through the recession.”

ABI’s practice director Philip Solis explains there can be sig-

nifi cant diff erences among providers in diff erent geographic

regions. “Mobile WiMAX service providers around the world

fi nd themselves in very diff erent situations,” he said. Some are

mainly focused on fi xed services for homes and businesses,

while others are jumping feet fi rst into mobile WiMAX, of-

fering a variety of external modems, laptops, netbooks, and

even handsets tied into HD multimedia services, as with Yota

in Russia. Some have little fi xed or mobile broadband compe-

tition, while others are competing directly against fi xed and

mobile broadband services.

“Some, such as Japan’s UQ Communications, are behind their

buildout schedules and subscriber expectations, while others

such as Clearwire are increasing the pace of their deployments

because of more-than-adequate funding. Still others such as

Yota in Russia are exceeding all expectations. Some are remain-

ing local, while others such as Clearwire and Yota are building

networks in more than one country.”

Earlier research from Infonetics spelled out some of the driv-

ers for WiMAX adoption. Th e report “WiMAX Equipment and

Subscribers in Key Markets” was issued in summer 2009. At

that time Webb explained, “India, because of its scale, and the

U.S., because of Clearwire’s profi le, are the two most promi-

nent markets for WiMAX, and both are absolutely critical to

its fortunes.”

Th at study concluded that Russia is the proverbial perfect

storm for WiMAX with a challenging geography, dispersed

population, pent-up demand for broadband and voice servic-

es, and a population able to pay for those services. It also point-

ed to Brazil as “potentially one of the world’s most dynamic

WiMAX markets, with a very mobile-oriented populace.” Ac-

cording to the study, WiMAX has the opportunity to become

the primary broadband network in Brazil.

Also, many Central and Eastern European countries had

WiMAX deployments underway and more than 20 operators

off ered Voice over Internet Protocol-over-WiMAX service,

which Infonetics pointed to as a major driver of adoption.

ABI concludes its analysis with a look at a potential threat to

WiMAX. “Th e LTE ecosystem will eventually be vastly larger

than the mobile WiMAX ecosystem, but just as LTE deploy-

ments start picking up in 2011 and 2012, some 802.16e service

providers will begin upgrading their networks to 802.16m.”






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Compiled by Patrick McLaughlin New Products

Second-generation 10GBase-T switchExtreme Networks recently began ship-

ping what it dubs as a greener, more en-

ergy-effi cient version of its Summit X650

10GBase-T switch, a top-of-rack Ether-

net switch designed for data center, cloud

computing, and hosted environments.

According to Extreme, the Summit X650-

24t consumes 200W less power during

operation than the company’s fi rst-gen-

eration 10GBase-T switch. Th e switch is

complemented with Intel’s lower-pow-

er 10GBase-T adapter that provides

state-of-the-art interfaces to high-per-

formance servers, Extreme adds. “Pow-

er savings is critical to the data center

where space, heat, and bandwidth have

to be optimized,” said Harpeet Chadha,

senior director of product management

for Extreme. “Delivery of the latest gen-

eration Summit X650 off ers excellent en-

ergy effi ciency and provides customers

with cost-eff ective 10-GbE options for

standard RJ-45 copper interfaces.”

EXTREME NETWORKS

www.extremenetworks.com

Handheld tester for cable, PoE, network analysisPsiber Data Systems recently launched

the LanExpert, which the company de-

scribes as a handheld network analyzer

featuring protocol analysis, packet cap-

ture, traffi c generation, cable testing, and

IPv4/IPv6 support. Th e LanExpert uses

a color touch screen interface to access a

suite of test and analysis functions. Th e

tester’s inline mode allows users to non-

intrusively monitor 10/100/1000Base-T

network traffi c to identify protocols, port

usage, VoIP statistics, and network uti-

lization. Psiber says the LanExpert can

capture and store up to 10,000 packets

with user-defi ned fi lters for detailed anal-

ysis in the fi eld or downloaded over the

network or to a USB fl ash drive. Using

either RJ-45 port, tests including ping,

link, trace route, DHCP, and discovery

are used to identify network problems.

Th e tester can generate up to 100 per-

cent traffi c loading with control of pack-

et rate and size to demonstrate network

performance at various traffi c levels. Al-

so, a stress test that generates traffi c and

measures performance metrics, in accor-

dance with RFC 2544, is also provided.

Stress tests can be conducted using two

independent ports on a single unit, or

used with a second unit located remotely

on a network. Power over Ethernet tests

include voltage and inline current mea-

surement to determine the actual power

used by a powered device. Th e LanExpert

also tests cables for shorts, opens, split

pairs, reversed pairs, and cable length. It

can generate tone for cable tracing. Th e

tester lists for US$1,895.

PSIBER DATA SYSTEMS

www.psiber.com

Cordless slitter for utility-innerduct entryTh e Cordless Power Duct Slitter from Gen-

eral Machine Products (GMP) allows fi eld

technicians a less time-consuming and la-

bor-intensive way to cut utility-grade in-

nerduct, its manufacturer says. Th e tool

features a battery-powered blade that of-

fers a mechanized method for trimming

and slitting innerduct utility conduit, as

an alternative to the brute-force method

typically required when cutting innerduct

by hand. Th e slitter features a blade diam-

eter of 3-3/8 inches (85 mm) and is adjust-

able to cut innerduct of 1 to 2 inches (25.4

to 50.8 mm) in diameter. GMP says the

slitter’s compact design is easily maneu-

verable and fi ts comfortably in a worker’s

hand. Th e tool is 12-3/8 inches (313 mm)

in length and weighs 6 pounds (2.72 kg).

Th e Cordless Power Duct Slitter is con-

structed with a multi-directional cutting

guide to assist with cutting innerduct lon-

gitudinally and also around its circumfer-

ence. It also features a blade guard and a

safety stop built into the switch. Th e tool

comes with a rechargeable 9.6-volt battery

and a battery charger. Th e charger weighs

1.19 pounds (0.54 kg) and charges to full

capacity in one hour.

GENERAL MACHINE PRODUCTS

www.gmptools.com

Zero-U patching systemsTh e end-of-row Zero-U patching and ca-

ble-management options for Siemon’s

VersaPOD Data Center Cabinet Solution

mount between the VersaPOD cabinet’s

corner posts and side panels, allowing

four standard 1U patch panels or fi ber

enclosures to be mounted vertically. Pre-

viously available as a copper and fi ber

patching solution that leveraged the ver-

tical space between two bayed VersaPOD

cabinets, this new product set brings the

same high-density, zero-U capabilities to

end-of-row and standalone cabinets. Th e

panels may be mounted on both ends

and in the front and rear of the cabinet,

providing an additional 16U of mount-

ing space to a standalone cabinet with-

out consuming horizontal mounting

space. Th e manufacturer points out that

combining the solution’s 24U or zero-U

vertical patching space between bayed

cabinets, with the new end-of-row capa-

bilities, frees up 40 horizontal mounting

spaces for every two cabinets. Ultimate-

ly, Siemon says, fewer cabinets are need-

ed, saving cabinet cost and fl oor space.

Additionally, the cable management and

patching are located in dedicated zero-

U spaces that eliminate cable obstruc-

tions in equipment-mounting areas for

improved cold-aisle, hot-aisle airfl ow

and thermal management. Zero-U ver-

tical patching areas can also be used to

mount power distribution units to ser-

vice the equipment mounted in the adja-

cent 45U of horizontal mounting space.

Th e VersaPOD system’s end-of-row op-

tions also include new thermal-man-

agement blanking panels, which seal

the air gap between the cabinet corner

posts and side panels, thereby enhanc-






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ing the systems’ hot-aisle/cold-aisle iso-

lation capabilities.

SIEMON

www.siemon.com

Handheld tester for carrier-grade EthernetTh e ETS-1000 Ethernet Analyzer from

EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering al-

lows turnup and installation of carrier-

grade Ethernet services over metropolitan

networks. Th e tester’s feature set deliv-

ers specifi c functionality and ease-of-

use required by fi eld

technicians to meet

increasingly demand-

ing Ethernet network

testing and compli-

ance measurements.

Its manufacturer fur-

ther states the ETS-

1000 is a compact and

feature-rich 10-Mbit-

to-1-Gbit Ethernet test

unit, supporting two

independent test ports. Technicians can

transmit up to layer-4 traffi c, with fully

confi gurable virtual local area networks,

multiprotocol label switching, and quality-

of-service parameters. Th e tester supports

all necessary Ethernet/IP fi eld testing ca-

pabilities including RFC 2544, bit-error

rate, packet jitter, and multistream gener-

ation and analysis. Also introduced at the

same time is the ETS-1000L, a dedicated

handheld Ethernet loopback device that

EXFO says supports simple user confi g-

uration for full wire-speed testing, from

layers 1 through 4.

EXFO ELECTRO-OPTICAL ENGINEERING

www.exfo.com

H.264 IP camerasOptelecom-NKF recently announced the

release of the H.264 Siqura HD6x PTZ IP

camera series. Th e high-speed dome cam-

era line comprises three pan/tilt/zoom

(PTZ) IP cameras: the indoor HD60 as

well as the outdoor HD62 and HD66

WDR. All of the HD6x cameras support

open streaming architecture (OSA) for

integration with video management sys-

tems. Th e quad-streaming HD6x camer-

as support H.264 streaming in addition

to MPEG-4 and MJPEG dual streaming.

Th is fl exibility in compression standards

makes it easy for HD6x series cameras to

off er the best-quality video while stream-

lining network performance, Optelecom

says. Th e HD6x cameras can move to pre-

defi ned preset positions at speeds up to

400-degrees per second. With the HD6x

cameras, PTZ coordinate positions can be

queried or set through the OSA applica-

tion programming interface. Th e camer-

as off er 26x or 35x autofocus zoom lenses

with 12x digital zoom. Th e HD6x series al-

so comes with a Web-based user interface,

allowing users to confi gure them or view

video streams from a PC or handheld de-

vices. Standard features include day/night

and backlight compensation that can be

applied manually or automatically when

lighting conditions require. All HD66

WDR cameras have a built-in image sta-

bilizer to prevent vibrations from disrupt-

ing a camera view or footage.

OPTELECOM-NKF

www.optelecom-nkf.com

10-Gig switch for storage, HPCFujitsu Frontech North America Inc. re-

cently introduced its XG2600 10-Gbit

Ethernet switch, the newest addition to

the company’s family of XG Layer 2 Eth-

ernet networking switching platforms.

Th e 26-port XG2600 uses SFP+ optical

modules and is designed for use with

SFP+ twinax copper cables. According

to the company, the XG2600 may reduce

overall networking costs while ensuring

ultra low latency and signifi cantly re-

duced power consumption. Th e company

claims the switch can reduce power us-

age more than 30 percent to less than fi ve

watts per port. Fujitsu says its XG family

of high-speed layer 2 switching solutions

is designed to off er superior throughput,

ultra low latency, fl exible interfaces and

extremely low failure rates in a compact

form factor.

FUJITSU FRONTECH NORTH AMERICA

www.fujitsufrontechna.com

bulletin boards

CLASSIFIED

1-800-622-2537

www.fi bercables.com






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s


The index of Advertisers is published as a service.

The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Anixter Inc 5

Arlington Industries

Langford Group 20

Bel Stewart Connector 12

Belden C3

Berk-Tek 10

BTR Netcom 27

Byte Brothers 21

Chatsworth Products 1

Corning Cable Systems C2

Corning Inc 19

Datacomm for Business 35

Diamond Ground Products Inc 35

Fiber Instrument Sales 34

Fibercables.com 34

General Cable Company C4

Greenlee Textron 9

JDS Uniphase Corporation 15

Leviton Network Solutions 16, 32

Live Wire and Cable 34

Middle Atlantic Products Inc 26

Oberon Inc 35

OFS Optics 8

Optical Cable Corp 2

Server Technology 14

Siemon Company 6

Superior Essex 25

Times Microwave Systems 22

Transition Networks 31

Trilithic Inc 13

COMPANY PAGE

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Recently it has been a popu-

lar notion that fi ber cabling

would overtake copper ca-

bling or at least make an inroad in-

to the structured cabling systems

market. At one point in time, fi ber-

to-the-desk was looked upon as the

Holy Grail for fi ber cabling. Even we

had a preconceived idea that fi ber

cabling would make an inroad for

displacing copper cabling systems.

In the early days of the struc-

tured cabling systems market, sup-

port of 1-Mbit/sec transmission was

required. Early unshielded twisted-

pair (UTP) copper cabling satisfi ed

this requirement. As speed increased

to 10 then 100 Mbits/sec, then to 1

Gbit/sec, UTP copper cabling kept

pace with newer designs.

Currently at 10 Gbits/sec, the

push is on to have UTP copper ca-

bling support this throughput over

100 meters. Many cable manufactur-

ers claim to have Category 6A UTP

cables that satisfy the TIA require-

ments for supporting 10-Gbit/sec

transmission over 100 meters. Be-

yond this looms 40 and 100 Gbits/

sec, in which the TIA standards are

expected to evolve with fi ber ca-

bling as the primary media for high-

er speeds.

It appears as if UTP copper ca-

bling has fi nally succumbed to fi ber

cabling. It is very easy to draw the

conclusion that fi ber cabling will be

thrust into the forefront at these ul-

tra-high speeds. We concur with this

and, in addition, still have our reser-

vations about UTP copper cabling’s

support of 10-Gbit/sec transmission

over extended distances—as tweak-

ing of compensation electronics and

increased complexities in testing

may forfeit its position to fi ber ca-

bling, especially for futureproofi ng

the cabling installation.

Th e fi ber-versus-copper battle for

structured cabling systems is on.

In our recent analysis of this bat-

tle we have come to the conclusion

that copper cabling will continue to

dominate in the structured cabling

systems market. We undertook an

extensive analysis, examining and

forecasting the use of fi ber and cop-

per cabling in the major structured

cabling systems applications, such

as local area networks, data centers,

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP),

and others.

Our underlying fi nding was that

copper cabling, which accounted for

76.8 percent of the total market in

2009, would account for 79.1 percent

of the total market in 2014. Whereas

fi ber cabling will continue to make

inroads into the data center cabling

market, copper cabling will also be

used extensively in future VoIP sys-

tems. Other factors contribute to our

overall analysis, but these are two of

the primary drivers for the future

structured cabling systems market.

Th e diff erence lies in the limited

distances found in data centers re-

quiring fi ber cable lengths, while

the VoIP systems will require long

distance, separate, horizontal ca-

bling between telecommunications

rooms and the VoIP telephones to

maintain voice quality. Th e VoIP

cabling application is reminiscent

of copper cable’s growth in the early

LAN market, when copper cabling

was strung between the telecommu-

nications rooms and each desktop

computer.

Our analysis indicates that fi ber

cabling will increasingly be used in

data center applications and remain

the backbone mainstay for the en-

terprise’s core network. At the same

time, copper cabling will continue

to be the dominant cabling used in

LAN cabling applications.

More importantly, in the future,

VoIP implementation will rely on

an abundance of copper cabling.

Th e imbalance of the limited dis-

tance requirements in data center fi -

ber applications is more than off set

by the longer distance requirements

for VoIP copper cabling, resulting in

copper’s continued dominance of

the market.

Editor’s Note: Th is article sum-

marizes research fi ndings in FTM

Consulting’s study “Fiber vs. Cop-

per: Battle for the Cabling Systems

Market.”

Copper cabling to remain structured cabling market leader

Frank Murawski is president of FTM

Consulting Inc. (www.ftmconsultinginc.com).

We have reservations about UTP’s support

of 10-Gbit/sec over extended distances.






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