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5 Best Practices for Data Center Cabling/Management

1. Fiber Cable Installation Preparations

These basic installation preparations can save you a lot of cleanup time and damage control.

A) Match Inventory to Bill of Materials
It’s important to match the bill of materials to the inventory of components you’ve received. This should be accurate down to the Velcro and scissors to remove twist ties. If you don’t account for the full bill, you can end up losing money at the end of the year.

B) Remove Products from Shipping Containers
Remove all products from shipping containers before you bring them into the data center. Any airborne fibers in the packaging can come loose and damage valuable hardware.

NOTE: Keep protective caps on cables until right before installation. Always inspect the surface of the fiber optic glass endpoint with a microscope before you plug it in. Repeat this process after if you have to clean the endpoint.

2. Create a Port Map

Port mapping for your data center will ensure that all hardware, cabinet placements, and port counts are accounted for. The idea here is to maximize efficiency by avoiding any awkward cable placement or hookups. This can prevent a lot of confusion when tracking down problems as well. Any future errors due to snags, slack, and awkward cable access can be minimized.

3. Follow the TIA-606-C Standards for Labeling and Coloring

It’s important to follow the TIA-606-C standards for coloring and labeling cables at your data center. This will help when pinpointing any issues or identifying specific cables if they need to be repaired or replaced.
A) Labeling Schemes
The TIA-606-C standards include labeling schemes for jumpers and patch cords as well. The standard naming scheme is:
  • Cabinet Number-Rack Unit-Port Location.
  • An alternative scheme used is to specify cables by scope.
  • Trunk cables with longer lengths can be labeled at both ends with length, origination and destination information.
Beyond this, you can create your own labeling scheme.
B) Color Schemes
There is a comprehensive color scheme for data center cables in the TIA-606-C standards:
  • White: First-Level Backbone
  • Gray: Second-Level Backbone
  • Purple: Common Equipment (264C)
  • Brown: Campus Backbone (465C)
  • Orange: Demarcation Point (150C)
  • Yellow: Miscellaneous (101C)
  • Green: Network Connection (353C)
  • Blue: Horizontal (291C)
You can also create your own color scheme for cables beyond this. However, you should be careful not to overlap with any existing colors. Also be consistent.

4. Minimize Service Loops

As a rule, you should minimize the number of service loops. They can create congestion for cable pathways.
A) Manage Service Loop Length Based on Application
If trunk lengths are cut using estimated lengths, short service loops are viable. With short loops, you can easily move enclosures or patch panels inside a cabinet.
B) Avoid Cat-6 Copper Service Loops
Server cabinets can become hard to manage due to copper trunk service loops. Also, since copper trunking is thicker than fiber optic trunking, it takes up more space.

5. Use Zip Ties and Velcro to Secure Cables

Use zip ties to secure cables to racks or cabinets at furcation points. For all other applications, you should only use Velcro.
These best practices can help you cable an entire data center for efficiency and optimal management.