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CONTENTS

IN FEBRUARY’S
ISSUE...

ROB’S BLOG
6
In with the new
9 NEWS
9
All that’s happening in the world of
network infrastructures

MAILBOX
15
The pick of the recent emails to Inside
Networks

19
19

QUESTION TIME
I
nside Networks has assembled a panel
of industry experts to examine the
implications of data centre density and
discuss if we are running out of room

24 COPPER CABLING
STANDARDS
A
lan Flatman of LAN Technologies
provides an expert overview of the
developments in global copper
cabling standards

24 28 COPPER CABLING
P
aul Cave of Mayflex investigates
some of the realities of power
over Ethernet and looks at how to
use it wisely

FEBRUARY 12 www.insidenetworks.co.uk PAGE 3

CONTENTS

40 33 COPPER CABLING
PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS
Copper cabling products and
systems profiled

36 QUICK CLICKS
Your one click guide to the latest industry
podcasts, electronic literature, apps and
webcasts

38 CHANNEL UPDATE
Moves, adds and changes in the channel

40 OUTSOURCING

44 Cloud computing has been grabbing the
headlines for the past few years, but is it
always the right solution for everything?
Chris Merrett of Melbourne Server Hosting
explains what all of the fuss is about

44 PROJECTS
Case studies from around the globe

48 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

50 The latest network infrastructure products,
systems and services

50 FINAL WORD
Simon Terry of Unite Technologies
contemplates best practice for
reducing and optimising data centre
energy consumption

48

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Inside Networks
PAGE 4 www.insidenetworks.co.uk FEBRUARY 12

ROB’S BLOG

A flying start
With the new year scope for expansion,
break already a distant or where data centre real estate is
memory, 2012 looks set to at a premium. However, with this
be a very busy year comes greater heat output and
for the network the need to cool equipment – two
infrastructure sector. issues which continue to dominate
For the majority of end the sector. CLICK HERE to read this
users making the right month’s IN Question Time where a
decisions regarding network and data centre panel of experts examine the implications
configuration will be at the forefront of of higher density infrastructures.
their agenda. Despite there being more Finally, one of the key benefits of
technology available than ever before, copper cabling is the ability to utilise
choosing the solution that best suits the power over Ethernet (PoE). Since PoE
need has never been more difficult. was first standardised in 2003 it has seen
This is particularly apparent when it comes considerable growth and has acted as one
to procuring cloud based services. Now of the key enablers of VoIP. However,
that the hype is starting to die down, it has there is a significant amount of
become apparent that the cloud is not a misunderstanding about how to use PoE.
‘one size fits all’ solution. Chris Merrett of Help is at hand though as Paul Cave of
Melbourne Server Hosting provides a useful Mayflex explains the dos and don’ts of this
guide to the various types of cloud based technology and you can CLICK HERE to
services on offer and outlines some key read his thoughts.
questions to ask before taking the plunge. As usual, if you’ve any comments or
CLICK HERE to read his article. opinions you’d like to share with IN’s ever
Another issue that is the subject of growing global readership, do get in touch.
considerable conjecture is the best way to
configure and maximise the potential of data Rob Shepherd
centre space. With the availability of higher Editor
density solutions, putting more in less space rob@insidenetworks.co.uk
is an attractive option for those with limited CLICK HERE to connect on

Inside Networks
Inside Shepherd 07708 972170
Editor Rob
Networks
rob@insidenetworks.co.uk
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be used, transmitted or produced in any
form without the written permission of the
Sub-Editor Chris Marland copyright owner. Applications for written
Inside Manager Izzy Graham 01603 610265
Advertising Networks permission should be addressed to
info@chalkhillmedia.com. The views and
izzy@insidenetworks.co.uk
comments expressed by contributors to this
Creative Director Vishnu Joory publication are not necessarily shared by the publisher.
Technology Consultant James Abrahams Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published
information.
Circulation Manager Debbie King
Accounts Billy Gallop © 2012 Chalk Hill Media, PO Box 3504, Norwich, NR7 7QL


NEWS

CommScope research highlights
need for network reliability and IIM
Research conducted by CommScope has 10-25 per cent in 2012. Investment
revealed what the enterprise IT industry to enhance network visibility, eliminate
is looking for from their networks in blind spots and reduce human error
2012. The findings were taken from is expected through the continued
a survey of 100 enterprise network integration of intelligence into
managers and systems integrators in networks at the infrastructure level.
London. Also, 38 per cent of enterprises are
Network reliability was high on either currently using or installing
everyone’s wish lists, with 18 per cent intelligent infrastructure solutions
of survey respondents saying it was the and a further 23 per cent are ensuring
most important objective in the short- they have a clear upgrade path.
term. Heading off issues around network ‘Our research shows that network
visibility (identified by 37 per cent of managers are focused on a strategy to
enterprises), errors by technicians (21 achieve cost efficiencies by investing
per cent) and power failures (17 per in solutions that are proven to optimise
cent) were seen as the most crucial performance and increase reliability,
reliability problems to deal with. as opposed to simply reducing
Despite the stormy economic expenditure or opting for lesser quality
outlook, the majority of businesses alternatives,’ said Koen ter Linde, vice
(55 per cent) expected investment president of enterprise sales for Europe,
in network infrastructure to grow by CommScope.

75 per cent of critical environments
are at risk of contamination
Unchecked contamination continues have the potential to be invalidated without
to be a major issue in the data centre regular cleaning, we estimate around 75
sector according to Mark Plant, CEO at 8 per cent of critical environments are at
Solutions, with only around serious risk of contamination,’
a quarter of data centre warned Plant.
managers implementing a He continued, ‘In comparison
regular cleaning regime of to the cost and inconvenience
their critical environments. of installing replacement
‘Despite increased power equipment and the potential
consumption, the risk of impact downtime can have on the
performance loss, the impact performance of a business, the
on cooling and airflow and costs of a preventative cleaning and
Mark Plant
the fact that OEM warranties decontamination regime is minimal.’


NEWS

Siemon launches interactive
data centre e-magazine
Underlining its commitment Siemon, said, ‘By combining
to high value information timely information and
and applied data centre educational resources in a
innovation, Siemon has variety of multimedia formats,
launched the first edition of including
its new interactive data centre articles and links to white
e-magazine. papers and videos, the
Entitled Data Centre e-magazine delivers
Solutions this resource-rich valuable content that
e-magazine provides in-depth can help data centre
coverage on an extensive professionals ensure the
range of topics, including specific needs of theirs project
copper and optical fibre cabling choices, are met. The information contained in
energy and thermal efficiency, data centre Siemon’s interactive e-magazine is based
density and cable management, physical upon continual disciplined research, voice
layer bandwidth and performance, of customer and practical experience.’
network security and sustainability best Siemon’s Data Centre Solutions
practices. e-magazine can either be viewed by
Bob Carlson, VP of global marketing at CLICKING HERE.

IT still not aligned to business
objectives say CIOs
Companies are still not fully aligning IT IT strategies and business objectives
strategies with business objectives, despite are well or exactly aligned, with 32
recognising the critical role IT has to play, per cent seeing alignment on new
according to new research from BT Engage implementations and projects. This
IT, the IT services division of BT Business. correlates with how the CIOs believed
35 per cent of CIOs questioned by their board feel about IT, with 56 per cent
independent research agency, Vanson claiming it is viewed as critical to the
Bourne, believed that their board thought success of the business.
that IT was critical to the success of their John Thornhill, CEO, BT Engage IT, said,
businesses, but only three per cent said that ‘It’s a shock to find that companies’ IT
their IT is fully aligned to their organisation’s strategies aren’t fully aligned to business
business objectives. Surprisingly, seven objectives in the majority of cases. That’s
per cent reported that IT and business something that needs to be remedied or
objectives are completely separate. else businesses won’t be able to take full
Financial services companies topped the advantage of the latest technologies and
list, with 52 per cent of CIOs believing their risk being left behind.’


NEWS

TIA 2012: Inside the Network
details announced
TIA 2012: Inside the Network, which will ICT, TIA 2012 offers opportunities for
be held between 5th-7th June 2012 in communications suppliers, integrators,
Dallas, USA, is a unique industry event that network operators and service providers
puts the focus on the people, products to gain an immersive experience into
and companies driving innovation and important changes driving our industry.’
optimisation of Industry
the network. leaders
For network Alcatel-
operators and Lucent, AT&T,
communications Cisco, Ericsson,
service GENBAND, ILS
providers, Technology,
even the very Infinera,
business model Juniper,
of the carrier is undergoing a significant McAffee, Sumitomo, and Walker and
transformation. Associates are all major sponsors of
Taly Walsh, vice President, networking the event.
and intelligence, commented, ‘Whether Registration opens in February 2012
your interest is converged networks, cloud – CLICK HERE to find out more, CLICK
optimisation, M2M, mobile backhaul, HERE for information on exhibiting or
multiscreen video, optical transport, sponsoring and to view the promotional
security, connected homes or green video CLICK HERE.

IT infrastructure
from smallest to largest.

ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION CLIMATE CONTROL

NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF
NG Bailey’s sales director, Gary Pickering, is set to walk barefoot across burning hot
coals to raise money for Winston’s Wish, the charity for bereaved children. To find out
more and to sponsor him CLICK HERE.

Acision has announced the launch of an international network of cloud based data
centres, enabling it to offer on-demand messaging services from within the Acision
Cloud Service Store

ICM and Phoenix IT Services has integrated under one name – Phoenix.

MobileIron has announced MobileIron University, the industry’s first training and
certification centre for mobile IT professionals. MobileIron University was created to
give customers a self-guided environment to get the technical training and develop the
practical business process skills to be the mobile IT leaders for their companies.

IBM has agreed to acquire Green Hat, a provider of software quality and testing services
for the cloud.

At Cisco Live 2012, which takes place in London between 30th January and 3rd
February, TE Connectivity (TE) will showcase its range of managed connectivity
solutions featuring new infrastructure configuration management (ICM) software.

Node4 has achieved the Advanced Unified Computing Technology Specialisation from
Cisco in the UK.

IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICES

www.rittal.co.uk

MAILBOX MAILBOX

Coming of age
Dear Rob

To say unified communications (UC) has customers and suppliers. Therefore, it’s
come of age would be a bold statement to important for communications providers to
make. Although it can often be a case of explain to their customers, exactly what UC
how you define UC, I still believe we are is, where it is today and what it could mean
some way off being able to say that. for their business.
As they say, ‘a march of a thousand miles By reviewing email and any internal
starts with one small step’. To that end, messaging or conferencing, it can lead to the
the march has definitely started with the introduction of more consolidated UC style
breakdown of boundaries between fixed, solutions. The key is to initiate deployment
mobile and desktop communications, and gradually, allowing them to see the benefits
the introduction of solutions such as themselves, rather than proposing a
VoIP that work across complete transformation to UC.
all those platforms, ultimately In my view it is the providers
providing a single voice which offer mobile, fixed,
solution. systems and cloud technology
The reality, however, is that in their portfolios that will be
we are still lacking established leading the charge to providing
mainstream UC services which, more efficient communications.
in my view, is partially due to This, in turn, will lead to
the lack of common standards improved customer and supplier
across different platforms and relationships, which will help
vendors. You still need the technical know- businesses to grow and outpace their
how to squeeze the value out of them and competition in today’s challenging market.
to get them configured to work for you.
However, it’s not a completely gloomy Andrew Goldwater
outlook. The advent of 4G/LTE mobile Daisy Group
networks along with a well crafted cross
platform customer experience will be the Editor’s comment
next big step in making UC a mass market Andrew makes a very important point,
reality. which can also be applied to most areas of
For businesses it is important to be clear the IT industry, and that is how to define
about the value and benefits of UC. In most certain terms. UC is a good example of a
cases, people don’t necessarily realise that term that is open to interpretation – so
the solution they are looking for is UC. They when talking to a service provider about it,
are simply looking for a more efficient way it is a very good idea to make sure that you
to communicate with their employees, are both referring to exactly the same thing.


MAILBOX
MAILBOX

All the right noises

Dear Rob

Telephone calls have been transformed by uses the Internet as its primary platform.
the widespread adoption of the IP protocol Voice is a business critical system
– the technology behind the Internet – but that not only embraces a full range of
the reputation of voice over IP (VoIP) has technologies but delivers a service that
been tarnished by so-called service affects every employee in an organisation.
providers that use the Internet to transmit Poorly installed and managed voice systems
phone calls. can cause outages. Worse, they can create
VoIP services that are offered over the security holes, which have a direct impact
public Internet can be both unreliable and on availability, in turn, affecting employees
insecure, which is unacceptable for business – who have no tolerance for telephone
use. However, organisations should not downtime – and their productivity. It’s
be put off adopting this technology but crucial that those looking to benefit from
should ask the right questions of potential voice and VoIP services make sure they ask
providers to make sure they understand providers the right questions and ask
what service they are buying and the for references.
service level guarantees that come with it.
Companies are right to be concerned Richard Quine
about the potential security risks of InTechnology
Internet telephony but there’s an important
distinction to be made. VoIP doesn’t mean Editor’s comment
voice over the Internet – it means voice In an unregulated industry, making sure
over Internet protocol. It’s a technology that the person you employ to undertake
that can be delivered insecurely over the this type of work is suitably qualified
Internet, or securely over a private cloud and experienced is a must. Ask for a
infrastructure. Businesses seeking VoIP credentials reference and make sure that
services should avoid any provider who you follow it up.


QUESTION TIME

Sizing it up
In most of the world’s major cities, data centre space
is at a premium and this has led to ever increasing
demand for higher density solutions. Inside Networks
has assembled a panel of industry experts to examine
the implications of this situation and discuss if we are
simply running out of room
The cost and availability of real estate in In the early days of the data centre
major cities has been a key driver in the industry space wasn’t an issue
move toward higher density data centres. – in fact, there was more than
From an economic point of view this enough to go around. That,
makes perfect sense – why not get as much however, is changing by the
out of the space you pay for as possible? minute and as space availability
However, there are two factors which diminishes, costs rise as a result
affect the ability to do this and they are of competition to secure what is
power and cooling. Higher density equals considered to be the best
more heat in the same space, resulting in real estate.
the need to implement more effective Although some of these
thermal management. issues are being tackled
This has led to a situation where more successfully, eventually there
elaborate and power hungry methods are will come a time when space will simply
being used, which in some cases take up as run out – and then what? To find out,
much space as the equipment they are there Inside Networks has assembled a group of
to cool down. Although free cooling and experts to discuss how much of a problem
locating data centres in countries with colder there is with data centre space availability
climates and/or away from major towns and and outline what they think will happen in
cities may be the answer, some end users the future.
are reluctant to do this and prefer to facilities If you have a question that you would
that are in close proximity to corporate like a panel of experts to answer in Inside
headquarters due to – often unfounded – Networks, CLICK HERE and we’ll do our best
concerns about latency over long distances. to feature it.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO
MAXIMISING THE DENSITY WITHIN EXISTING COLOCATION
DATA CENTRES AND ARE WE COMING TO A SITUATION
WHERE SPACE IS SIMPLY RUNNING OUT? IF SO, WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT?


QUESTION TIME

REDPOINT COMMUNICATIONS
DAVID FERDENZI – PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

One of the sites are often
main issues in constrained either by
maximising data density space, power, energy
is getting the power to and/or cost.
the IT equipment and A challenge in this
taking the heat out of it approach is that the
– to do both is expensive IT department and
and often inefficient. The management need to
answer comes down to obtain the signature
figuring out a way to put load of the existing/
in more power and take new data centre. The
out more heat and work numbers offer a baseline
with the same or smaller footprint in terms of
power footprint. The latter is much cheaper cost, energy, carbon calculations as well
to do as it reduces the power bill, opens up as the proposal of the footprint
new capacity and defers any capital costs. requirements. The resulting decision
Servers are getting more powerful and is of vital importance to
faster – rather than more efficient – and consumers, otherwise the only
this increases their power density and answer is to keep on expanding
therefore generates a lot more heat from in space elsewhere.
the same physical footprint. As a result,
consumers are at the point where
supporting equipment costs more, ‘Consumers are at the
and more space is needed in the data
centre to house this than the servers
point where supporting
themselves. In short, putting in more equipment costs more,
powerful servers isn’t the answer – and more space is
getting existing servers to do more
work is the key.
needed in the data centre
In recent years people have to house this than the
virtualised and adopted blade servers themselves. In
technology without really thinking
through the consequences. This has led
short, putting in more
to high-density racks being installed in powerful servers isn’t the
legacy data centres in islands of space answer – getting existing
to ensure they don’t create hot spots.
General opinion in the UK market
servers to do more work
is there is a lot of data centre space is the key.’
available but in London, for example,


QUESTION TIME

REDSTONE
STEVE BERTRAM – EUROPEAN DATA CENTRE MANAGER

The two air for cooling servers
fundamental – significantly reducing
challenges faced by running costs and carbon
existing data centres, when footprints.
maximising computing Even with these
density, are ones that are environmental solutions
shared by the rest of the we’re still left with the
world – that of power and increasing demand for
cooling. power to run these high-
High-density hardware density data centres.
works harder than its As the number of
standard peers, but as processors increases the
a result it generates far power required to run
more heat. There are them also does up. As
technology solutions that are able to draw yet, the industry has been unable to develop
that heat directly away from the servers a solution to this.
without mixing with the cold air being As Moore’s Law continues to govern the
delivered straight to them to keep them growth of processor power it’s unlikely
cool. Smart environmental solutions are that we will run out of space at least in
the short-term. In the
longer-term we will
‘We’re already seeing alternatives reach total saturation
to silicon for chips and it’s likely where everything that
can be miniaturised or
that the focus will turn to how we consolidated will be.
power these alternatives.’ What is happening now is
research and development
into new ways of handling
being developed that re-use heat taken data. We’re already seeing alternatives to
away from the servers to heat buildings in silicon for chips and it’s likely that the focus
the colder months. It’s possible that in the will turn to how we power these alternatives.
future we’ll see data centres located in the In the past data centres were built for a
basements of office buildings, hospitals and purpose and to a specification laid down
even residential properties that use the heat by the IT department. As a result of more
from servers to warm the water and keep flexible computing – such as virtualisation and
the buildings warm. the cloud – we’ll see data centres that are
In countries with cooler, more temperate designed on a modular basis –
climates, we’re already starting to see data data centres that are as flexible
centres designed and built to use ambient as the needs they have to meet.


QUESTION TIME

NEXT GENERATION DATA
NICK RAZEY - CEO

An ‘old’ data floor air conditioning
centre has M&E systems struggle as the
infrastructure sufficient rack density rises above
to support a maximum of 6kW and will need to be
2kW per rack. Upgrading bolstered by hot or cold
this infrastructure is very aisle containment, high
difficult, particularly with a performance floor grills
live environment, so 2kW and even floor grills with
per rack is likely to remain local fans. If this does not
the limit. suffice the
As such, implementing next step is in-row
more dense solutions will cooling using chilled
not improve data centre water or DX, which
utilisation, it will simply can support much
move the same IT load into higher loads but adds
a smaller footprint. As a result the industry
substantially to the budget.
is increasingly moving towards procuring
A more subtle problem is that of
data centres in kW of IT load rather than ft².
hotspots caused by the odd 12kW rack
Therefore, perhaps the question should be,
in a hall full of 3kW or 4kW racks. Solving
what happens when the power runs out?
this problem not only requires good room
However, assuming the M&E layout – correctly positioning the racks
within the data hall – but also demands
infrastructure is sufficient, there are three
issues to consider. The first is cooling the
good feedback from room temperature
higher-density environment. Most raised
sensors which should be capable of being
moved adjacent to the
relevant racks.
The final problem is thermal
‘Implementing more dense runaway. CRACS are, typically,
solutions will not improve data not backed up by UPS as it
centre utilisation, it will simply is assumed that the thermal
inertia of the data hall will
move the same IT load into a prevent temperatures rising
smaller footprint. As a result significantly in the time it
the industry is increasingly takes for generators to come
moving towards procuring data online. This may not be true
for 12kW racks,
centres in kW of IT load rather which will head
than ft2.’ rapidly towards
melt down.


QUESTION TIME

NODE4
PAUL BRYCE – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

With indeed become smaller
space at and you can introduce
a premium it makes additional hardware
feasible sense to into a tight space, but
transplant data centres the main issue when it
to areas other than comes to maximising
capital cities in order density in data centres
that we can more is cooling. By putting
effectively enlarge more in the same space
capacity. there’s a chance of
With low latency developing hot spots
networks and good and you risk putting
connectivity now a greater amount of
accessible regionally pressure on the cooling
this is an advised infrastructure in the
move to make when data centre as well.
it comes to creating In addition to this,
greater capacity. You don’t need to server farms face a power challenge.
compromise on resiliency either because From our experience, the general rule is
the best networks have a good level of that people will run out of power before
resiliency built in. they run out of space. There is technology
In terms of server density, with the arrival available to help maximise the density in
of blade chassis, you can have a greater terms of server infrastructure. Although
server density in a smaller space, which is they are more power efficient, the blade
developing further as we speak. Things can chassis uses more power than if that space
was filled with individual servers. So if you
have a rack full of full blade chassis, rather
than individual servers, you’ve suddenly
‘With low latency gone from using for example, 4kW of
networks and good power to using 8kW of power.
connectivity now The main thing we look at in managing
this situation is PUE and the target is to
accessible regionally, get a PUE of close to 1. We are always
this is a advised move monitoring that but the things that
to make when it comes contribute to that aren’t just the servers
that the customers have, it’s the cooling
to creating greater infrastructure, it’s the power
capacity.’ back up infrastructure and the
perspective levels of efficiency.


COPPER CABLING STANDARDS

Twist shout
and
Alan Flatman of LAN Technologies provides an expert overview
of the developments in global copper cabling standards

Developments in twisted pair cabling Figure 1
have lost pace since the introduction
of Category 6A and Category 7A. Does
this suggest that optical fibre will soon
take over or will copper continue to be the
dominant medium in structured cabling
systems? The following assessment of
copper cabling standards and future
applications may provide the answer to
this intriguing question.

DEFINING MOMENT
Recent enhancements to copper cabling
systems have been defined by ISO/IEC,
CENELEC and TIA. Class EA and Class FA
channels were introduced to ISO/IEC
11801 in 2008. The definition of links plus
Category 6A and Category 7A components
followed in 2010. It was decided to
process these as separate amendments
in order to expedite the channel
specifications for compliance testing
and applications developers. Agreement
of Category 6A, Category 7A and link respectively. This is in sharp contrast to
specifications was the result of two years existing cabling Classes which provide
of complex modelling, with a mention in significant incremental gains, as illustrated
dispatches for our erstwhile friend, Stuart in Figure 1. If you conclude from this
Reeves, who led this challenging task. that twisted pair cabling has reached a
In terms of internal crosstalk and limit in this regard, at least for practical
insertion loss, Class EA and Class FA offer constructions, you would be right. The
little benefit over Class E and Class F key advantages provided by Class EA



and Class FA cabling are electromagnetic • If coupling attenuation is 25dB better
performance and alien crosstalk isolation, than specified, then Class FA alien crosstalk
which are absolutely key in supporting new is considered to be ‘met by design’.
applications such as 10GBASE-T. Being met by design means that alien
Class EA and Class FA are specified to crosstalk does not need to be measured,
approximately double the frequency which is a significant saving in time and
used to define the previous Classes and, complexity. Screened cabling systems
while the attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio may be designed to exceed the above
is mostly negative in the extended region, thresholds by a comfortable margin.
internal crosstalk cancellation techniques
may be used to offset this. It should be SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
noted that information CENELEC has since introduced all of the
capacity of a cabling above specifications to EN50173-1 with
system is determined some very minor technical differences.
by the area bound TIA, on the other hand, has so far only
by insertion loss and introduced Category 6 Augmented cabling
noise, a relationship to EIA/TIA-568. This was approved in
that illustrates the 2008 and published as Addendum 10 to
untapped potential EIA/TIA-568-B.1. All specifications for
of the highest cabling channel, link and components have since
Class currently defined been integrated into the latest revision,
as Class FA . EIA/TIA-568-C.2. There are a number of
technical differences between Category 6
PERFORMANCE Augmented cabling and Class EA/Category
Coupling attenuation 6A defined by ISO/IEC and CENELEC. The
is now used to define most significant difference is channel
the electromagnetic NEXT, ISO/IEC and CENELEC requirements
performance of being more stringent, as illustrated in
screened cabling, and Figure 2.
unbalance attenuation As there are no formal alien crosstalk
is used to characterise specifications for cable Categories lower
unscreened systems. than Category 6A, care must be taken
Coupling attenuation when mixing different Categories in a
is the conversion from common pathway or bundle if high speed
differential signal within a pair to common applications are supported. TIA recently
mode noise radiated from the cable. issued guidelines in the form of TSB-190,
This parameter is used for the following which states that mixtures of Category
exclusion clause relating to alien crosstalk 6A and Category 6 unscreened cables are
compliance: acceptable on condition that Category 6
• If coupling attenuation is 10dB better cables are used to support speeds of less
than specified, then Class EA alien crosstalk than 10 Gigabit Ethernet. One of the key
is considered to be ‘met by design’. assumptions in the underlying analysis



‘As there are no formal alien crosstalk specifications
for cable Categories lower than Category 6A, care
must be taken when mixing different Categories
in a common pathway or bundle if high speed
applications are supported.’

is that the power spectral density of a The minimum performance zone cabling
10GBASE-T transmit signal is outside the specified by ISO/IEC and CENELEC
standards is Class EA
Figure 2 or OM3 terminated
with a duplex LC
connector for up
to two fibres and
MPO for greater
than two fibres. The
subsequent revision
– TIA-942-A – has
updated its media
recommendations
– as per ISO/
IEC 24764 – and
has introduced an
additional tier of
cabling.

spectrum of interest of a 1000BASE-T AIR AND CARE
receiver. Not everyone would agree with Cabling standards groups have also
this assumption. considered the need to develop design
Data centre cabling standards have specifications for other environments such
also been defined by ISO/IEC, CENELEC as hospitals and airports. The recently
and TIA. TIA-942 was published back approved TIA-1179 defines Healthcare
in 2005, its broad scope encompassing Facility Cabling with higher outlet densities
electrical power, resilience, cooling and and Category 5e minimum for horizontal
security as well as data cabling. CENELEC cabling. The general view elsewhere seems
EN 50173-5 was published in 2007 and to be that existing cabling design
ISO/IEC 24764 followed in 2010. ISO/ standards can be applied to airports and
IEC and CENELEC specifications focus on healthcare facilities.
data cabling and are technically equivalent. Perhaps the most significant investment



being made to cabling standards in the system latency and power consumption
last three years has been in planning and issues. Next time we must exploit cabling
installation. In many ways, the cabling performance more intelligently and, when
industry is well blessed with public we see the untapped potential of Class FA/
domain guidance in this area. There are Category 7A, the answer is obvious. ❏
specifications and guides from regional
and national standards organisations,
regulatory bodies and professional groups,
such as BICSI, covering many aspects of
planning, implementation and operation.
Unfortunately, this information is highly
fragmented and often different, due to
local codes and practices. ISO/IEC has
taken an initiative to develop a unified
approach to planning and installation with
a single standard. ISO/IEC 14763-2 has
close similarity to the CENELEC planning
and installation standard, EN 50174, and
has adopted its new segregation rules for
power and data cables. ISO/IEC 14763-2
will be available soon and is expected to
become the definitive industry handbook
for cabling planning and installation.

THE END IS NIGH?
So, is 10 Gigabit Ethernet the end of the
road for copper cabling? Not when the
cost differential with optical fibre is so
great, especially at higher speeds, and
not when there is a compelling case to ALAN FLATMAN
extend the BASE-T family to support Alan Flatman is an independent consultant
plug and play connectivity and automatic with over 30 years experience in the
speed matching for legacy equipment. It electronics and computer industries. He
is not well known that optical fibre and has advised on network technology and
twinax links such as 10GBASE-CX4 do strategy since 1980.
not support Ethernet auto-negotiation, Alan represents the UK in the
however this is a standard feature for development of international and
twisted pair BASE-T links. European cabling standards and provides
Interest in 40GBASE-T has been building the essential link with IEEE 802 as liaison
for the last three years and there is general officer. He is also a chartered engineer
agreement that we cannot repeat the and a Fellow of the Institution of
design approach adopted for 10GBASE-T, Engineering & Technology.
with extensive crosstalk cancellation,


COPPER CABLING

Power point p
It’s a welcome bonus of Ethernet and structured cabling,
but as the demands for power over Ethernet (PoE) grow,
is this once preferred solution about to run out of control?
Paul Cave of Mayflex investigates some of the realities of
PoE and explains how to use it wisely

The existence and use of copper devices, which had been asking for more
cabling has numerous plus points, power to exploit their full features. Some
including the development and use of CCTV manufacturers with pan, tilt and
power over Ethernet (PoE). However, we zoom (PTZ) products, were struggling
can’t look in depth at PoE at all without with standard PoE. The new standard
understanding the standards – the strict dramatically increased the limits, in effect
guidelines of how it should be used. doubling the power levels involved to
34.2W powering and 25.5W powered.
HISTORY LESSON
802.3af PoE or what we now
call standard PoE was published
in 2003. This document set out
the method of delivering power
to end powered devices (PD)
from power sourcing equipment
(PSE), such as PoE enabled
Ethernet switches or, in the case
of legacy installations, mid-span
power injectors. They were
designed to provide 15.4W,
however, given the distances
and potential losses over the cable and
connectors, the end powered devices TWICE AS NICE?
expected a total of 12.95W. Exactly what power you can get from PoE
In 2009 we saw 802.3at PoE+ has been debated and has caused much
published which answered the demands confusion, but the answers can be found
of some manufacturers of the end quite simply by looking at the standards.


POWER MANAGEMENT
COPPER CABLING

presentation The IEEE is already looking at the next level of PoE

PoE runs over two pairs, however, THE HEAT IS ON
although the load can be received over all Some people still believe it’s possible to
four pairs, it does not mean using all four increase the wattage of power used. As
pairs doubles the power. a standalone argument maybe it is, but it
At any one time only two of the pairs can does not come without consequences.
deliver the power, even if four pairs are When you run a current you are going
used, so the power can never be doubled in to produce heat. With the increase in the
this instance. level of power with PoE+ we are now
The following statement from the facing greater challenges concerning heat
802.3at standard should clarify this dissipation. This reality has lead to ISO/
point. Please remember that in standards IEC producing a Technical Report on the
parlance ‘shall’ is mandatory and ‘should’ is heat dissipation titled Telecommunications
recommended. Cabling Requirements for Remote Powering
‘PSE shall implement Alternative A, of Terminal Equipment TR29125.
Alternative B, or both. While a PSE may This document outlines the impact of
be capable of both Alternative A and putting power over structured cabling as
Alternative B, PSEs shall not operate both well as how to mitigate the effects, as well
Alternative A and Alternative B on the same as number of methods of mitigating this
link segment simultaneously.’ heat. These include powering all the cables

‘Exactly what power you can get from PoE has
been debated and has caused much confusion,
but the answers can be found by looking at
the standards.’


COPPER CABLING

in the bundle, as well as: believe that anyone would go to that level
• Using a higher Category cable – of effort each time they have to move and
minimum 24AWG Category 5e re-patch a device.
• Selecting a larger conductor size
decreases per unit length dc resistance WHAT’S TO COME?
• Choosing pathways and spaces with As people are starting to want more power
good air circulation for more devices, the expectations of PoE
• Selection of applications and devices are growing.
that use lower current Any increase in power has to go
somewhere. In the main it will be utilised
All the heat calculations are based on by the end device, but we have already
the standards, which are the only facts we established that a
have to go on.
There is one other reason why the
understanding of heat is so important
and that is that increased operating
temperatures may reduce
the length over which an
application can be supported.
EN 50173 series provides
information with regards to PoE will promote
converged IP ena
reference implementations at
temperatures above 20°C.

REDUCED LIFESPAN
TR29125 highlights a further
consideration, and this is the impact of the percentage
current on the connecting hardware. will be lost in
Each time an RJ-45 plug is mated and transmission and that loss
unmated there is an arcing effect between is reflected by an increase in
the two contact points. As you disengage heat within the cable.
the pins, there may be a point where the We have illustrated what standards
load could run over just one pin. This will compliant PoE and PoE+ equate to but
cause damage over time that will reduce there are a few vendors of PSE devices that
the overall life of the product. The number are claiming over 100W.
of matings allowed within the component This worries me. If, as in the example
standards is being reduced from 750 shown from TR29125, a bundle of
to just 200 for connectors under load 170 Category 5e cables will increase
conditions of 600mA. in temperature by 16.9°C, what is the
TR29125 does advise that the power impact if the power is trebled? Could we
should be disabled every time the see a doubling in temperature? If so there
connections are mated and unmated, will be an impact on the data carrying
however, in the real world it’s hard to capabilities. The simple calculation is


COPPER CABLING

that for every degree above 20°C the What is possible is one thing, but the
performance has to be de-rated by 0.2 consequences must be considered. The
per cent. Therefore, 20 degrees above standards are there to help us all.
the distance is reduced by at least four per
cent. CONCLUSION
Here is the second problem. How is that PoE is a welcome technology and will
heat increase going to be managed within promote the growth of converged IP
the environment? Will it need additional enabled systems. Designed and installed
cooling and ventilation within raised floor correctly it can be simple plug and play
spaces? but as power increases and the size of
The IEEE is already looking at the next installations increase the problems start to
level of PoE but it’s at very early stages. appear. My advice is use it, but make
However, there is a group of sure you understand it and don’t get
manufacturers that have carried away. ❏
come forward and
called themselves
the HDBase-T
Alliance. Its aim
and ambition is
to provide IPTV
e the growth of within the
abled systems
home by
providing
remote
powering to
LCD screens
throughout
the property
up to 100m. As
the international
standards bodies PAUL CAVE
haven’t provided Paul Cave is technical manager –
them with enough infrastructure at Mayflex. He joined
scope they have now Mayflex in 2008 and has been in the
released their own standard industry for 24 years. He holds the
for providing 100W up to 100m over Certified Data Centre Design Professional
Category 5e cable. (CDCDP) and BICSI Technician, RCDD and
My main concern with all of this is that Registered Telecomms Project Manager
the cable will be run behind walls, that qualifications. He is also a member of the
contain various cavity wall insulating Expert Panel for TCT/7/-/2 and TCT/7/-
products meaning any heat generated will /3 and a member of the BICSI European
continue increasing as it has no way Standards and Education Committee.
of dissipating.


COPPER CABLING PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS

Nexans
Nexans offers a complete range of copper They are available in standard fixed versions
LAN systems, from high performance or with an easy front access sliding tray.
screened Category 7A and Category 6A The new range of UniBoot patchcords
systems through to essential Category 5e with interchangeable coloured latch
and Category 6 UTP ranges for day to day protection for easy identification are
installations. specifically designed to minimise the boot
The new, thinner LANmark-6 10G DC50 footprint to facilitate high density patching.
cable is specifically designed for 10 Gigabit For more information CLICK HERE.
Ethernet networks in data centres, where www.nexans.co.uk/LANsystems
facilities are required to support a very high
density of cabling but often for relatively CLICK HERE
short distances. TO PLAY
LANmark EVO snap-in connectors allow
use of the same outlets and panels for all
categories – and even fibre too. Fast and
easy to install, their short length allows for
installation in shallow boxes and trunking.
LANmark panels have a timesaving clip-in
mechanism that removes the need for tie-
wraps and come with removable shutters.

3M
3M has launched its new end-to-end include cables, patch cords, faceplates, RJ-
structured copper cabling Volition range 45 Jacks, and 19 inch patch panels.
for Category 6A copper 10 Gigabit This latest cabling range from 3M draws
Ethernet. on more than 40 years’ experience in the
The options and types of cable networking and telecom industry and is
available give backed by support
installers and options including
consultants network design and
a ‘one stop project support, on-
shop’ for the site assistance, certified
entire cabling installer training and
system, with advice on systems
easy installation upgrades.
even in 3M provides a 25
confined year warranty on all
spaces. Aimed its structured cabling
at ‘to the desk’ and data centre systems and adheres to all the main
applications, the system has also industry standards.
been designed to minimise alien For further information CLICK HERE.
crosstalk. Elements in the Volition range www.3M.co.uk/Cat6a1


COPPER CABLING SYSTEMS

Excel
Excel is a world-class There is also an option for a
premium performing ‘shotgun’ twin cable on the
end-to-end F/FTP version.
infrastructure The cable is
solution designed, complemented with a range
manufactured, of screened straight or
supported angled jacks and compatible
and delivered panel frames. The Excel
– without Category 6-2 pt low profile
compromise. keystone (P/N 100-181)
The Excel at 28.3mm deep, is 10 per cent
Category 6A system shallower than its closest rival – making
provides a solution that is it perfect for confined spaces. It’s also
independently verified by leading test incredibly quick and easy to terminate.
house Delta and provides a 25 year CLICK HERE to visit the Excel
warranty when installed by an accredited Encyclopaedia and see typical
Excel Partner. performance charts for the F/FTP
The range includes a choice of F/FTP, LSOH cable and further details on the
U/FTP or U/UTP cable depending on Excel system.
the requirement and budget constraints. www.excel-networking.com

Brand-Rex
Brand-Rex offers a full suite of Category The innovative data centre offering
5e, 6 and 6A copper solutions for the also incorporates the groundbreaking
enterprise as well as a market leading suite space-saving Brand-Rex 10GPlus
of copper solutions designed specifically Zone Cable which represents the
for data centre applications. market’s smallest diameter Category 6A/
Focusing on Class EA cable.
cable management The high
in high-density performance
environments, the Augmented Category
innovative range 6 Zone Cable is fully
includes high certified by 3P Third
density patching Party Testing. Similar in
solutions, such as diameter to a Category
the High Density 5e cable, it is 30 per
Cabling cabinet and cent lighter and 50
the 24 port angled per cent smaller than
patch panel, which standard Category
naturally directs the patch cords to the 6A cables.
sides of the patching frame – negating the For further information CLICK HERE.
need for horizontal cable management. www.brand-rex.com/products



TE Connectivity
Today’s technology advances and business Class D (UTP and FTP), Category 6/Class
trends across the entire industry require E (UTP and F/FTP), Category 6A/ Class
more than a simple copper infrastructure. EA (UTP and FTP), Category 7/Class
Ever-growing challenges such as IP F and Class FA is available to meet any
convergence, real time access to data, application or bandwidth requirement.
wireless technologies All these solutions are
and environmental available as standard
concerns are passive systems and
creating a great many are available
amount of pressure incorporating TE’s latest
on today’s network Managed Connectivity
deployment and technology.
management TE Connectivity’s core
practices. principle in enterprise
TE Connectivity’s networks, of providing
solutions are engineered and produced building owners and data centre managers
from the ground up so that every aspect with unmatchable value and performance,
of modern technologies is embedded into continues to grow.
each single component. A wide range For further information CLICK HERE.
of solutions ranging from Category 5e/ www.te.com

Corning
As applications become more business Gigabit Ethernet
critical, large enterprises are becoming (10GBase-T)
more critical about their choice of over 100m with
copper cabling – turning away from enhanced performance
UTP technology to benefit from margin. The system provides
more reliable, more a universal generic cabling
robust and more solution for the use of Ethernet,
cost efficient VoIP, telephone, TV and can save
shielded (SFTP) up to 80 per cent of installation
copper solutions. time thanks to its factory
Corning Cable terminated, 100 per cent tested
Systems is the cable assemblies.
only major provider of What’s more, FutureCom
cabling that - as with fibre – develops, EA exceeds international standards
manufactures and assembles all its requirements –ISO/IEC 11801 AMD
copper data cable and connection 1:2008, Class EA, and ANSI/TIA/EIA-
technology itself, in Europe. 568-B.2-10 Augmented Category
Corning Cable Systems’ shielded 6 system.
copper FutureCom EA System is For further information CLICK HERE.
specially designed to support 10 www.corning.com


INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
QUICK CLICKS

Quick clicks Your one click guide to the latest industry podcasts,
events, electronic literature, apps and videos

he
onths since
Some 18 m t of
d presiden
was electe pe,
ouncil Euro
the FTTH C Brian
en talks to
Chris Hold s
t how thing
Dolby abou s
ed. How ha e CNet Training has
have chang rop
arket in Eu published a range of
the FTTH m what are the information about its
and
developed rward?
ges going fo Certified Data Centre
big challen the
E to watch Technician (CDCT)
CLICK HER course programme.
iew.
video interv CLICK HERE to find
out more.

Melbourne Server Hosti
ng has
completed a relocation aft
er
investing over £150,00
0 in a
head office with a differ
ence.
It is now in residence at
Lovell House at Manchest Siemon’s has produced a new video
er
Technopark where it will that was taken at its recent ConvergeIT:
occupy
over 6,000ft² of office Driving Green and Intelligent Buildings
space of
– more than double the event, which focused on the benefits
size of
its previous facilities at Tur convergence.
ing
House. CLICK HERE to see it.
CLICK HERE to see a vid
eo of
the new HQ.

FOR A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO In

QUICK CLICKS

TIA 2012: Inside the Network will
take place
between 5th-7th June at the Gaylord
Hotel
in Dallas, Texas. Focused on innovati
on and
thought leadership, TIA 2012 is the
annual
gathering of the community of tech
nology
suppliers that form the foundation of
HellermannTyton has extended its the
global communications experience.
range of fibre products and you can CLICK HERE to find out more.
find out more by CLICKING HERE.

Nexans has produced
a new video to
demonstrate the benefits
of its new Secure Lock
locking patch cords and
accessories, created
for applications where The Fibreoptic Indus
securit y is paramount. try Association
(FIA ) has published an
CLICK HERE to see it. infrastructure
advisor y note titled Th
e Impact of Copper
Cad Aluminium (and Ste
el) Conduc tors
Within Balanced Pair Ca
bles (Intended For
Use Within Implementa
tions of Generic
Cabling.
CLICK HERE to downloa
d a copy.

nside Networks CLICK HERE


CHANNEL UPDATE

Siemon promotes
Middle East and N
Siemon has promoted Iyer
Sivakumar, (Siva), to sales manager
for the extended region of Middle
East and North Africa. In this newly
created role he will be supported
by business development manager,
Prem Rodrigues, and Narender
Minitran Vasandari, technical manager.
becomes Miniflex Since joining Siemon he has
expanded the company’s channel
authorised in the Middle East, recruited a
distributor number of partner companies to
join Siemon’s Certified Installer
Iyer Sivakuma
Minitran has become an authorised programme – as well as working
distributor of M2fx’s Miniflex, the first
fibre optic cable designed specifically
to address key issues found in the Panduit looks at the futu
modern network. Miniflex does this by
being ultra-compact, ultra-tough and Panduit Europe
ultra-light. showcased
It saves valuable space in cableway presentations on
and containment, reduces risk of the future of data
downtime being causes by damage, centre design and
and minimises risk and cost by reducing management given
loads applied during installation at its first Europe,
and speeding up the process. The Middle East and
lightweight construction is designed to Africa (EMEA)
eliminate kinking, making for a cable Global Systems
that offers great network performance Integrators Congress
and is a dream to install. (GSIC). GSIC drew
Graham Dupree, m2fx’s director of together more than
sales EMEA, said, ‘We are delighted 200 data centre
to be represented by Minitran who professionals from across EMEA to discuss the
we know will support our customers most disruptive trends in IT infrastructure and
and products extremely well. Minitran systems design.
have a superb reputation that they Alongside Panduit, GSIC saw presentations
have earned by serving clients well for from EMC, IBM and Cisco as well as sessions
many years and we are pleased to be by the likes of Anixter and Stulz. Delegates at
associated with them.’ the event received a vision for the future of
the data centre with speakers discussing the


CHANNEL UPDATE

s Sivakumar to CHANNEL UPDATE IN BRIEF
North Africa role Molex has announced the appointment
with value added resellers of Frank van Kessel as its business
(VARs). He has also worked hard development manager for Benelux and
to increase consultant and end Germany. Over the last 20 years, he has
user relationships in the IT and gained a wealth of industry experience
networking markets. through a variety of roles, enabling him
Steven Foster, Siemon’s to develop expert knowledge from
managing director EMEA, said, ‘Siva every angle.
came to us with a great pedigree
and has made a massive impact to Digicel and Masergy have announced
our Middle East business – we’re a partnership to provide enterprise
now looking forward to him using customers with a global network
his perfect mix of skill and market platform with diverse connections and a
understanding to continue this range of access methods.
ar
throughout the region.’
iTrinegy has announced a partnership with
ure of data centre design NETCOR. This agreement enables NETCOR
to resell iTrinegy’s network emulators.

nature of virtual CMS has been presented with a Gold
transformation Award from Cannon Technologies for
and how achieving sales of over £1m of its 19
implementations inch cabinets.
of virtualisation
and cloud Node4 has partnered with Zeacom to
computing offer a new hosted calling platform that
are affecting will boost the productivity of contact
data centre centres, reduce costs and enhance
management, as customer service.
well as how IP-
based physical The Kenton Group recently received
security and accreditation from SAFEcontractor.
high-speed data
transport will be developing across data centre Ciena Corporation has announced
environments. that Vaioni, the UK’s largest Ethernet
Steve Luczkiw, vice president for channels aggregator, is deploying a range of
and strategic alliances at Panduit, commented, Ciena’s Carrier Ethernet solutions as
‘This is the first time we have held this part of its enhanced Ethernet service
congress in Europe and we exceeded our offerings to enterprises, carriers and
expectations around attendees and partners cloud providers across the country.
coming to the event.’


OUTSOURCING

Head in
the clouds
Cloud computing has been grabbing the
headlines for the past few years, but is it
always the right solution for everything? Chris
Merrett of Melbourne Server Hosting explains
what all of the fuss is about

Cloud computing is the delivery Cloud servers
of computing as a service rather can be deployed
than a product. It’s where shared instantly and
resources, software and information are there’s no waiting
provided to computers and other devices for hardware or set
as a utility over a network – usually the up. In addition, with certain
Internet. Put simply, the cloud means cloud hosting providers, you
accessing and storing information on the can have access to a web control
Internet, rather than on your computer or panel that offers the option to
a physical server. scale up whenever you need or want
to. In this respect, businesses don’t need
STRATEGY to develop a rigid strategy that can’t be
With potential cost savings, there’s departed from. Cloud hosting gives you
undoubtedly a real business case for total freedom over what you install on
moving to the cloud, but there’s no your server. This means that you have no
one-size-fits-all solution and, in some constraints over software and can tailor
situations, it may not be right at all. So, your own cloud servers to suit your needs
what do companies need to consider − you don’t need a particular operating
before making the shift into the cloud? system either.
Cloud computing has the distinct
advantage of device and location freedom, FACILITY MANAGER
which enables users to access and manage There’s often the facility to include
their services via a web browser regardless redundancy and high availability features,
of where they are. This gives the users which means if the hardware running your
more power over their services than service was to fail your service would
ever before. reappear on a different piece of hardware


OUTSOURCING

Many data centres are filled
with physical hardware that is
woefully under-utilised

without you having to hardware, the more
manually intervene. performance can be
When using physical impacted. On busier,
servers instead of a more important services,
cloud solution, this we understand that this has the
is something potential to cause problems and
that you can’t many companies will not want to
achieve without risk this happening.
having extra What’s most important is that you
hardware on choose a cloud hosting provider that
standby − which offers a decent product which suits you.
you’d undoubtedly pay In this respect, it doesn’t differ from any
a premium for. other product or service you’d buy for
Also, if you need additional resources, the business.
upgrades to your service can typically be
fulfilled with the minimum of hassle and IMPLEMENTATION
downtime. Extra resources are simply When it comes to implementing cloud
applied to your service and from that technology, we’d always advise that you
point on. look to work with a company that can
One of the negative connotations meet your support requirements. We’d
attached to switching to cloud based typically offer migration assistance at cost
services is contention. When using cloud- price to a company wishing to move their
based services, CPU allocation and disk services to one of our cloud platforms. On
I/O – input/output, the number of reads/ the whole, this transition is seamless and
writes a disk device can perform – are relatively painless.
contended, which means that the more There are also other ways that you can
people working on a physical piece of leverage the benefits of the cloud to make


OUTSOURCING

Cloud serv
deployed i
and there’s
for hardwa
effort
‘At the end of the day, it’s your to
information so you need to put in ensure
your chosen
the effort to ensure your chosen supplier is looking
supplier is looking after it. After after it. After all,
it’s your business
all, it’s your business that’ll suffer if that’ll suffer if
you’re missing critical data.’ you’re missing
critical data. Ask
for references,
and make sure
your services ‘cloud aware’. This can mean you follow them up. You should be sure
many things, but in short, the more aware that your supplier is taking steps to
that your applications and services are that back up your data and that those back
they’re running in a cloud environment, ups are encrypted if the information is
the more you can leverage features such sensitive. There have been a number
are high availability (HA), load balancing of well publicised incidents where large
and failover. In a lot of cases though, this cloud providers have lost customer
isn’t a required. data. Separate, encrypted back ups would
avoid any disruption to customer service in
SECURITY these incidents.
Alongside the hype, we’re also seeing Logical security of data can be
high profile security breaches which can effectively provided by the virtualisation
discourage businesses from adopting technology as well as the clear network
the cloud. segregation between customers. Look
As a business, you need to take all steps for internationally recognised
necessary to keep your data secure − standards – such as
wherever it’s stored and whoever stores ISO 27001 and
it. Companies should be wary of hosting BS 25999
companies that pretend to have their own – which
data centre, when, in fact, they’re simply
taking space in someone else’s. This
is a widespread practice and
means that you’re placing
your data – probably
your most valuable asset
– in the hands of an
anonymous third party.
At the end of the day,
it’s your information so
you need to put in the


OUTSOURCING

vers can be
instantly
s no waiting
are or set up
relate to the information INTO PERSPECTIVE
security processes and From a hardware perspective, this helps
procedures a data centre uses. to ensure that every physical machine
The business continuity plans in place is being used to its full potential. In turn,
will demonstrate the level of competence it also changes the way that a system
a provider can offer. administrator works with the software you
have. When coding a new web application,
GREEN developers would often concentrate on
Energy efficiency is increasingly just getting things working and less on
important for future technologies optimising their code so that it works as
because of the increased usage of IT, efficiently as possible. This has started to
combined with the pressure of increasing shift in more recent times, with developers
energy costs for businesses. In principle, putting real effort into reducing the
cloud computing can be inherently energy footprint of their applications, allowing
efficient. them to work in smaller, virtualised
Many data centres are filled with environments, rather than using a huge
physical hardware that is woefully under- physical machine. ❏
utilised. Before virtualisation became the
talk of the town, companies would buy or
lease physical hardware, and deploy their
services to those machines. Now, you have
the ability to spin up a new virtual server,
deploy your app to a cloud guest that had
exactly the resources it requires, and save
the rest for future projects. These resource
allocations could then be redefined and
tweaked at any point, depending on how
busy a site may be.

Cloud hosting gives
you total freedom
over what you
install on your
server

CHRIS MERRETT
Chris Merrett has been working in IT
for 10 years, starting in a repair shop in
Bolton. He has 14 years’ experience with
Linux, starting with Slackware 3.1 in 1997.


PROJECTS

Proximity installs new telephony
infrastructure for Northbrook College
Proximity Communications has designed of the system to around 650 extensions
and installed a new telephony infrastructure throughout the college campus and beyond,
for Northbrook College, which has two to all remote college locations. It also sees
campuses in Worthing and a campus at an upgrade to Avaya Aura Session Manager,
Shoreham airport, employs approximately along with Modular Messaging and Avaya
900 staff and has one-X Mobile
13,000 full and part- services.
time students. The new system
The first phase simplifies and
of the project saw standardises
the implementation telephony services
of a new Avaya across the
Communication organisation and
Manager core system will be the catalyst
for 220 users, all for enabling unified
with IP telephones, communications,
at the main Worthing Campus. The second with the migration to IP based telephony and
phase of the project has seen the expansion additional enterprise wide access.

Eaton delivers secure power for Sentrum
Energy efficient UPSs from Eaton’s The Eaton UPS systems were
Power Quality division have been selected by Sentrum after its engineers
selected by Sentrum as the secure completed an in-depth evaluation of
power source for critical applications in the options available in the market,
its principal UK data centres. whilst looking specifically for a solution
A total of 137 Eaton UPS systems are that ensured high performance levels,
currently installed within a compact construction, versatility
Sentrum’s portfolio of and value for money.
data centres and some The majority of the
idea of the scale of Eaton UPS systems in use at
these installations can Sentrum’s data centres are
be gained by noting from the Powerware 9395
that, between them, range that has been designed
they use 25,000 specifically to support
batteries with a total applications that demand the
weight in excess of highest levels of protection
830 tonnes. against power failure.


PROJECTS

Honda takes UK website into
the public cloud
Honda (UK) has signed a two-year deal with capacity. Moving to a public cloud with
ICM to move its website into a public cloud ICM means that it can benefit from a virtual
environment. infrastructure that
Previously is quickly scalable
hosted by to meet peaks in
another demand.
provider via To support brand
a private continuity, it is vital
cloud, the that customers can
new platform access the Honda
will save the website 24/7. The
manufacturer UK website will
running costs, therefore be hosted
whilst ensuring 24/7 website availability. on a virtual shared platform across two
The private cloud meant that Honda was of ICM’s data centres, so that if one
paying a substantial sum for a dedicated connection fails an immediate failover
resource that was never being used to ensures constant availability.

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