Many fiber proponents would have you believe that optical networking in the data center is the most economical solution. They say this based on claims that 10GBASE-T and other multi-gigabit copper technologies consume too much power, and that the cables associated with these products are too big and bulky. While these are legitimate concerns, even if these things are taken into consideration, it doesn’t necessarily follow that fiber will provide a better cost per bit. You must consider all the factors – how much more do optical transceivers cost and how long will it take to make back this investment? What is the network topology that you use today and how can you improve on it in order to address some of the cooling concerns?
Cabling Cost Analysis: Copper Still Has its Place addresses these questions and provides a unique look at why copper remains strong in the data center, in spite of the growing I/O bottleneck.
The report covers when and why it can make sense to move to fiber optics in your data center. Going beyond analyst briefings and press releases, and into our actual visits to data centers, this study combines operational experience with economic analysis, providing data not found in vendor PowerPoints or over the press wire.
Companies mentioned: Blade Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Extreme Networks, Force10, Emerson/Liebert, Vitesse
Topics covered:
· Data Center Cabling Scenarios
· TIA-942 Data Center Structured Cabling Standard
· Top-of-Rack Switching
· End-of-Row Switching
· Structured Cabling EoR Switching Cost Analysis
· Recommendations for Further Study
For more information, or to purchase a copy of the report, send an e-mail to customerservice@discerninganalytics.com.
