The data center in your business is where the lifeblood comes from, without data the business and just about everything else will grind to a halt. Just like everything else, the data center can have a problem. There are many reasons for a failure and unless the data center cables are well organized, the cables themselves are often at fault. With a little foresight and planning you can make sure that the data center in your business runs efficiently and reliably.
Here are a few tips that may help you get the most out of the data center cables and cabling, by employing these tips you will have a better functioning data center and if there is a fault, troubleshooting will be more faster and better.
Measure:
There is a wonderful old saying that makes a lot of sense; measure twice and cut once. Cut the cables carefully, it saves waste and money. A couple of feet of unnecessary cable a hundred times over can add up to a lot of wasted cable.
Labels:
Label all the cables as you work your way through the process. All data center cables should be labeled on both ends regardless of how short or how long they are.
Terminations:
Buy high quality terminations and take the time to terminate the cable correctly. Poorly terminated cables can lose their continuity with just a simple wiggle if the connection is poor.
Test first:
Once you have made up a cable, test it before you install it in the rack. If the test does not pass 100 percent, reject it and make another cable. Use a high quality cable tester.
Keep patch cables short:
If your serves are located close together in a rack, don’t make the connections three feet long when one foot will do. Overly long patch cables look terrible and are inefficient as it only invites kinks and tangles.
Color code:
Although colored cables are great, don’t use them randomly. Use a certain color cable for a specific application, determine the colors for the situation and stick with the scheme.
Separate cables:
Do not run Cat 5 or Cat 5e cables close to power cables. The power cables can cause unnecessary interference in the system. Keep power cables and data cables separate at all costs.
Take a little bit of extra time and care and you will be glad you did in long run.
