Introduction
The escalating Internet data traffic has stimulated an unprecedented transformation in the telecommunication infrastructure. As a result, network designers are struggling with critical path design choices to address a fundamental reengineering of the telecommunication infrastructure. With multiple media and technologies to choose from, the network upgrade paths for the managers of enterprise networks and data centers are many and varied. Ethernet over twisted-pair copper continues as the preferred protocol and media for in-building horizontal network cabling applications operating at distances less than 100 meters (328 ft.). It provides the advantages of plug-and-play simplicity and cost-performance benefits over alternative networks and media types.
There are strong reasons for the broad acceptance and rapid growth of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) as the horizontal media of choice: low initial cost, the ability to deliver higher data rate LAN services, and the flexibility to use one medium for all services. As speeds increase, copper-based LANs will require more complex and expensive electronics. It is important to note, however, that fiber has a significant bandwidth distance advantage over UTP in centralized architectures as well as between buildings and in the backbone.
Ethernet has become the default network communications protocol and has evolved from first generation 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) speeds that were predominant in the early 1990s to the 10 Gigabits per second (10 Gbps) of today’s networks. As illustrated in the chart below, according to Dell’Oro, by the end of 2007, it is expected that one Gbps port shipments will exceed 100 Mbps port shipments.
over different twisted performance levels of twisted-pair copper cabling. End-users should carefully consider the available cabling technology options to ensure that the selected cabling system will meet both their current and future application requirements.
The Need for Speed
In today’s modern enterprise, organizations have shifted away from the centralized mainframe computing environments of the early 1990s to more distributed client-server architectures. Servers, now clustered in data centers, require both resilient and high-speed network connectivity. Vertical markets, especially the financial industry, have seen tremendous growth in network traffic over the last decade. As an example, the New York Stock Exchange processes roughly $5 trillion in transactions per day. This is more than the entire annual GDP of nearly all industrialized nations in the world. The Internet continues to evolve. With the advent of more video content providers and video hosting Web sites such as YouTube, the expectations of consumers are also changing. Consumers will no longer tolerate slow server response, slow download speeds, or low-resolution video. A series of performance tests conducted by the Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab demonstrates the download speed and response time of a Category 5e and Category 6 cabling system when sending a 450 MB file between two workstations.
Additionally, the enterprise network has started to expand into the area of the physical building infrastructure controls. More of these controls are becoming IP enabled and added to the network; a universal concept for a single building cabling approach will be required. This IP Connected EnterpriseSM will need a robust, utility grade cabling plant to be able to act as a single transport for both IP and analog signaling at the device level. As Web-enabled gateways become more pervasive, from the integration of building automation systems (BAS) to the now ubiquitous corporate network, a single cabling plant of fourpair copper and fiber optic design will interface directly to these BAS devices. The transition to running analog signals on twisted pair is a tried and true conversion and it works smoothly when the cabling has superior copper conductors. As most BAS signals are serial in nature, the strength lost is proportional to the length of the copper cabling.
Cabling Standards
End-users use the ANSI /TIA /EIA-568 and ISO /IEC 11801 series of standards that define Category 5e, Category 6 and Category 6A performance levels to establish the minimum transmission medium requirements necessary to support a wide array of data, voice, and video communications systems within their enterprise. Performance and test parameters within these standards ensure that the cabling systems that meet the specified requirements demonstrate sufficient “headroom” or margin to ensure operation of the communications equipment.
