3 Ways to Optimize Your Fiber Installation in Limited Space
Amid the AI revolution and the continued rise of cloud computing, data centers are filling up with more servers, GPUs, switches, and storage than ever. At the same time, they are migrating to 400 and 800 Gigabit speeds to support high-performance computing (HPC). This has resulted in densely packed equipment, leading to higher rack power densities that necessitate advanced cooling solutions. It has also led to a huge increase in the amount of fiber. In fact, studies suggest that AI requires about four times more fiber cabling than traditional general-purpose data center applications. Managing this high-density complex infrastructure is becoming increasingly difficult.
To keep up, hyperscalers are building massive new data centers, some reaching well over a million square feet. Meanwhile, existing data centers face significant space limitations. Even if they can handle the increased power demands, they need to make the most of their existing physical space to fit in more network equipment, more cooling, and more fiber. While solutions like virtualization, higher-density switches and servers, taller racks, and advanced cooling can help pack more equipment into existing square footage, data centers can also optimize their fiber installation to help save space.
#1: Port Breakout Technology
Port breakout technology is an effective way to save space in the data center. It works by using a single high-speed switch port to support multiple lower-speed switches or servers, reducing the amount of switch ports, space, and cables. Using breakout technology, a single 100, 200, or 400 Gig switch port with an 8-fiber MTP/MPO interface can break out to four 25, 50, or 100 Gig connections. A single 800 Gig switch port with a 16-fiber MTP/MPO interface can break out to eight 100 Gig or two 400 Gig connections.
Port breakouts utilize breakout fiber cable assemblies (sometimes called fanout cables) that feature a high-speed MTP/MPO connectors on one end and multiple duplex or smaller-count MTP/MPO connectors on the other end.
Imagine you have 500 servers, each needing a 100 Gig connection. Without breakouts, you would need 500 separate 100 Gig switch ports, which equates to about 8 switches and 16 rack units of space. You would also have to route and manage 500 individual fiber assemblies. With breakouts, you could support all 500 servers with a single 64-port 800 Gig switch, occupying just 2 rack units of space. You would need to route and manage just 63 fiber breakout cable assemblies to make the connections.
Breakout cable assemblies can be used in a couple of different ways:
- Direct Connections: You can connect breakout cables directly to equipment at both ends, which works well for short distances within a rack or between adjacent racks, such as for GPU interconnects in an AI cluster. For longer runs, direct connections can be more difficult to manage and lead to cable congestion.
- Structured Cabling: Ideal for longer runs between equipment, breakout cables can connect to equipment from MTP/MPO adapter panels. Although this approach requires a little more rack space for the panels, it provides a neat, organized solution that is easier to manage.
#2: Very Small Form Factor Connectors
Traditional fiber connectors like duplex LC and multi-fiber MTP/MPOs take up a significant amount of space. Newer very small form factor (VSFF) connectors are a game changer. These VSFF connectors, including duplex SN and MDC connectors and multi-fiber SN-MT and MMC connectors, offer three times the density of their traditional counterparts.
For example, a single 1U patch panel using 16-fiber MMC connectors can support up to 216 ports, while the same panel with traditional 16-fiber MTP/MPO connectors only support 80 ports. (Check out our previous blog on MTP/MPO vs. MMC connectors for more information.) This incredible increase in density makes VSFF terminated cables ideal for high-density switches and servers. Despite their small size, VSFF connectors feature a push/pull tab that makes them easy to insert and remove, even when many connectors are packed tightly together.
When VSFF connectors are paired with breakout cables, they can save even more space. For 4X100 Gig breakout applications, a breakout cable with an MTP/MPO on one end and four duplex VSFF connectors on the other is ideal for high-density server environments. Breakout cables with an MMC-16 on one end and two 8-fiber MTP/MPO connectors on the other end are ideal for 2X400 Gig breakout applications. This configuration single high-density switch with 72 ports to support 144 ports of 400 gig, which is an excellent solution for GPU connections in an AI cluster.
#3: Innovative Patching Solutions
While port breakouts and VSFF connectors are ideal for optimizing space in point-to-point fiber links, most data centers prefer the flexibility and management of using structured cabling for switch-to-switch links and switch-to-server links, especially for longer distances in middle- or end-of-row topologies. This setup uses patch panels at cross-connects or interconnects to make equipment connections, which takes up some rack space but also allows for easy reconfigurations and deployments using fiber patch cords.
To maximize space in a structured cabling environment, look for patch panels that utilize a reduced-footprint square cassettes design instead of traditional wide, flat cassettes. For instance, our award-winning HD8² High Density Fiber System uses this design to support 96 LC duplex connectors (192 fibers) in just 1U of rack space. This is a 33% increase in capacity compared to typical patch panels using traditional wide flat cassettes that only support 72 LC duplex connectors (144 fibers).
The most significant gains in space are achieved when all three technologies work together: port breakouts, VSFF connectors, and a high-density patch panel with a square cassette design. Our HD8² High Density Fiber System does just that!
The inherent nature of the HD8²square cassette design can support 16 VSFF duplex MDC or multi-fiber MMC connectors. That means the HD8² system can handle and astonishing 192 duplex ports (384 fibers), a 192 8-fiber or 16-fiber MMC ports (1,536 fibers) or 192 16-fiber MMC ports (3,072 fibers) in a single 1U panel. These configurations are perfect for breaking out high-speed switch ports to support multiple 100 Gig or 400 Gig connections, offering significant space savings in the highest density patching environments.
Ready to optimize your high-density fiber installations? The good news is that Cables Plus offers a full range of breakout cables, VSFF connectivity, and ultra-high-density HD8² patch panel solutions. Our team can also work with you to create custom built solutions tailored to your unique high-density fiber environments. Contact us today for all your high-density fiber needs.
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