Your Physical Layer Questions Answered

Why should I be concerned about my physical layer?

Many data centers are struggling with power and cooling issues, which can be caused by cable bulk and underutilized equipment. And the virtualized solutions selected to help typically focus on provisioning, managing and monitoring applications, servers, network equipment, and storage. Unfortunately, these solutions assume that the physical layer is designed with ample connectivity, bandwidth, and the necessary degree of fault tolerance and as data centers' fiber networks grow and change, that's not always the case.

I use patch panels, which are inexpensive and do a good job. Why should I implement a data center switch within my physical infrastructure?

Data centers today are moving towards having a real-time, agile infrastructure, which is making it necessary for the physical infrastructure layer to also move in that direction. While patch panels provide connectivity, making moves, adds, and changes in a patch panel environment can become a very manual and labor-intensive process, which increases the cost of patch panel ownership. Implementing a physical layer switch provides the ability to automate and secure that connectivity while also providing hands-off, remote management.

In addition, when using patch panels and automated patch panels there is an occurrence of blocked non-usable ports. To make up for lost ports additional patch panels are required, adding additional cost to your data center.

Ultimately, installing a data center switch within your physical infrastructure provides you with automated connections that are both instantaneous and guaranteed - an assurance you will never get with patch panels.

Can you explain non-blocking and why that's important?

By definition, non-blocking means that any I/O device can make a connection through a physical layer switch to any other available I/O device at any given moment in time—without regard to other connectivity already established in the environment. Having a non-blocked solution requires less equipment than having a blocked solution, which is typical when implementing patch panels and automated patch panels. This is especially important in data centers where floor space, power, and cooling are a premium.

Can you explain how implementing a physical layer switch will help with cable congestion?

With the Universal Connectivity System, your data center will be cabled once with all future moves, adds, and changes handled through control software. No increasing mess and confusion of cables that can otherwise result from these actions when using patch panels.

How can we help you?

Contact us today for an engineering application review or network consultation.