Why We Use Pre-terminated Cabling System in Data Center

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Why We Use
Pre-terminated Cabling
System in Data Center?
As we all know, field termination has been widely used during the deployment of data center in the
past years. However, with the data center increasingly depending on high-density cabling,
traditional field termination methods will result in extended deployment time, higher installation
costs and increased downtime. To solve these issues, pre-terminated cabling system, which can
accelerate the installation process, reduce costs and errors, is introduced to the data center. There
are many reasons to consider pre-terminated cabling system in data center solution. The following
part will illustrate them one by one.
Benefits from Using Pre-terminated Cabling System
OTDR is a useful optoelectronic measurement instrument for identifying optical fiber transmission
features. An OTDR is applicable to measure optical fiber characteristics including fiber length,
attenuation relating to length, total loss, segment, and characterization of events along the fiber
including breaks, connections, splices and tight bends. An OTDR can also measure the overall fiber
optical return loss and the reflectance of a connector. In addition, OTDR has the advantages of
not-destructive, one-end connection and rapid measurement, which make it an indispensable tool
for manufacture, construction and maintenance of optic fiber.
• Time Saving
Pre-terminated solutions help to save time in a number of ways. Firstly, as the products are
terminated in a factory environment and delivered to site, minimal engineering or assembly work is
required on site. Many leading pre-terminated cabling solutions are provided in a cassette format,
allowing the installer to plug-and-play multiple connections with one cassette, which contributes
toward installation time saving when compared with the traditional method of individual
connections. Pre-terminated solution also saves testing time. The pre-terminated solutions can be
tested at the factory and the test reports including test results for attenuation, propagation delay,
near end and far end crosstalk or more, will be transported to the site with the cable assemblies.
Ultimately, only continuity testing is left to perform in the field, saving testing and rework time on
site.
• Labor Saving
Generally, when using conventional cabling system, groups of engineers should be employed to
FS.COM White Paper | Why We Use Pre-terminated Cabling System in Data Center?

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make connections, testing and troubleshooting during the deployment of cabling in data center. The
use of pre-terminated cabling system simplifies the entire manpower planning process. As all the
connections are pre-terminated, the need for labor to make terminations on site will be mitigated.
And fewer labor means more savings on the labor bill.
• Reducing Space and Material Wasting
Traditional cabling installations require loose components and tools to be brought to site. So much
space will be needed to store these components and engineers also need work area to make
termination. However, with pre-terminated cabling solutions, the wastage of space can be reduced,
since the pre-terminated links are “made to measure” and if they are delivered to site at
appropriate time, they can be used immediately without being stored. Additionally, some
manufacturers have developed recyclable reels for pre-terminated links in the effort to minimize the
material wastage.
Choices for Pre-terminated Cabling Assemblies
With all the advantages listed above, there is no doubt that pre-terminated cabling system is an
ideal solution for data center and other applications where speed of installation is important. The
following part will further introduce some commonly deployed pre-terminated cabling assemblies.
• Fiber Patch Cable
Divided by different connector type, core diameter and fiber cable structure, there are a wide range
of fiber patch cables, such as LC fiber cables, single-mode patch cables and duplex patch cables and
so on. Fiber patch cable helps to ensure a reliable temporary fiber optic interconnection, making it
become the most commonly used pre-terminated fiber cable in data center. The figure1 shows a LC
LC fiber cable.
Figure 1. LC LC Fiber Cable
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• MTP/MPO Pre-terminated Cables
Pre-terminated with high-quality and good-performance MTP/MPO connectors, this pre-terminated
cable can meet the demand for high speed and high density in the current and future network.
Generally, there are MTP/MPO trunk cable and MTP/MPO harness cable in this category. Both these
two pre-terminated cables can be used for 40G, or even 100G applications. The figure2 shows a
12-fiber female to female MTP single-mode trunk cable for 40G network.
Figure 2. 12-fiber Female to Female MTP Single-mode Trunk Cable
• Pre-terminated Copper Trunk Cable
Pre-terminated copper trunk cables provide a quick plug-and-play solution for links between
switches, servers, patch panels, and zone distribution areas in the data center. With the right
upfront planning and coordination, these trunks can offer major benefits over terminating
twisted-pair cable in the field. Copper trunks are typically comprised of bundles of 6, 12, or 24 and
factory terminated with jacks and plugs. There are various pre-terminated copper trunk cables
available in cat5e, cat6 and cat6a UTP and STP cable construction with different termination types,
such as jack to jack, jack to plug, plug to plug, etc. on the market. The figure3 below shows a jack to
jack cat5e UTP pre-terminated copper trunk cable.
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Figure 3. A Jack to Jack Cat5e UTP Pre-terminated Copper Trunk Cable
Summary
Pre-termination cabling system is not a fad, it is an increasingly popular way to deliver a project in a
more timely and cost-effective manner. Through the information discussed above, hope you can
understand why we use pre-terminated cabling system in data center and know some choices for
pre-terminated cable.
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Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or
implied, concerning any equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by FS.COM.
FS.COM reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no
responsibility for its use. This information document describes features that may not be currently available.
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FS.COM White Paper | Why We Use Pre-terminated Cabling System in Data Center?