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Data Center Structured Cabling: The Blueprint for Uptime

2 min read

There are three non-negotiable standards of success for data centers: speed, resilience and reliability. The physical foundation that makes all of that possible? The cabling layer. Which is why it’s so important to institute a meticulously designed and standardized cabling system.

Brady provides the products and expertise to keep your data center running smoothly. Download our brochure to learn more.

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What is structured cabling?

A structured cabling system provides a logical and unified framework for your facility’s entire network. Far beyond just bundling wires, it’s a comprehensive system of standardized cabling and associated hardware. This organized approach ensures higher performance, fault tolerance, scalability and long-term profitability.

A complete structured cabling system can be broken down into six functional subsystems:

Employee creating cable flags for a data center using a Brady A5500 printer.

  1. Entrance Facility

    The entrance facility is the point where your private network and the external service provider’s network meet. Because it acts as the gateway for all incoming data, entrance facilities require strong protection from physical damage, environmental factors and electrical surges in order to maintain service.

  2. Equipment Room

    The equipment room serves as the centralized hub of your structured cabling system. It houses the core hardware and equipment where all the facility’s cabling subsystems converge. Given its importance, it requires strict controls over cooling, ventilation and power consistency to keep equipment safe.

  3. Telecommunications Rooms

    Telecommunications rooms act as intermediate connection points. Their primary function is to connect the facility's high-capacity cabling down to the more individualized horizontal cabling. This setup effectively bridges the core system with individual nodes and work areas in order to efficiently distribute data flow.

  4. Backbone Cabling

    Backbone cabling is the high-capacity pathway that connects your entrance facilities, equipment rooms and telecommunication rooms. It’s engineered to handle a large and continuous volume of data traffic. Planning ahead is key, so don’t build only for your current data needs — there should be significant excess capacity to support future expansions and upgrades.

  5. Horizontal Cabling

    Horizontal cabling connects the telecommunication rooms to individual work areas, and is typically routed through conduits, wireways or ceiling spaces. While it handles less traffic than the backbone, it still requires adequate bandwidth and proper routing to prevent congestion.

  6. Work Area Components

    The work area components are all the final connection points where individual servers, workstations and computers connect to the horizontal cabling. Clear identification at this stage is important for end-user support and troubleshooting.

The TIA-568 standard

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) TIA-568 standard provides guidance for designing and implementing structured cabling systems. Adopting this standard is necessary because it defines clear benchmarks for performance, ensures the infrastructure can evolve with technology and guarantees that equipment from different vendors and subsystems can communicate effectively.

How Brady can help

While proper installation defines the structure, proper labeling is vital to long-term data center performance. Without standardized identification, the benefits of structured cabling are lost.

Brady offers scalable labeling solutions engineered to evolve with your constantly changing industry. We provide durable identification products for every single part of your structured cabling system, from the entrance facility to the work area, guaranteeing permanent readability and compliance. 

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