If IT is the spine of your company, then a data center is an integral aspect that you must take great care in planning for. In a data center, several things take place. This includes the backing up of crucial data, the networking between different systems, and also the management of various utilities such as printers. Altogether, a data center is fundamental to the upkeep of the modern business. This means that it must be optimized accordingly. One such thing to look out for is the data center cabling infrastructure. Regarding data center cabling infrastructure, there are several things you should bear in mind. Here they are.
Cable spaghetti must be avoided
Not only is this a potential health and safety breach but allowing all your cables to jumble up into one big mess can cause employees stress further down the line. We recommend that you put a protocol in place for organizing and displaying wires to avoid any potential confusion. Plus, not doing so can actually damage your wires due to excessive heat.
Be mindful of the materials you use
When you start planning your data center cabling infrastructure, you should ensure that you abide by the Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee rules. This includes the cables that you use. The recommended types are either copper or fiber optic, with AC/DC power. It's recommended that you invest in some high-quality cables from the get-go, as this ensures a fast signal, fewer downtime sessions and therefore fewer issues long-term.
Future expansions should be kept in mind
When planning your company's data center cabling infrastructure, remember to leave room for future expansions that your business may wish to undertake. Ask your network designer to bear this in mind when designing the layout of the data center, and this will make any future data center cable installation easier. This is especially relevant in the context of today's businesses, as many find themselves expanding at an exponential rate without the resources or space to cope.
Remember to have a blueprint ready
When the data center cable infrastructure is being built, you should have a full blueprint at hand to give to the network designer. This is so they can install the data center cabling safely, with knowledge of where vents, pathways and raised floor cabling designs can go in order to ensure that the wires don't overheat or get damaged.
If you need help with your data center structured cabling, then don't hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team here at BCS! For all your construction and business consultation needs, we have you covered. Our knowledgeable BCS employees will be more than happy to assist you with planning your data center cable infrastructure.