For most organizations, the cost of energy consumed by their data centers is one of their largest business expenses. Reducing that expense is not just about improving server efficiency or increasing reliance on virtualization. Ensuring your physicallayer infrastructure maximizes your cooling system’s efficiency can contribute significantly to reducing data center energy consumption. The articles in this guide describe how to build and manage a more efficient data center cabling infrastructure using aisle containment, passive cooling and EPA-established best practices.

Using a building's central air-conditioning system to cool an office data center can be costly. Installing a precision-cooling system or mini-split can also be expensive, and in leased spaces, is usuallly prohibited. This paper examines the benefits of using portable spot air conditioners as a less-expensive, permanent solution.

When putting together a system of CAT6A connectivity and cable, ensure that applications such as 10GBase-T are well supported, with channel margin to spare. A component-rated panel, jack, cord or cable is only as good as the channel performance the combination is able to achieve.

The best way to assure your installation will perform at the 10GbE level is with a systems approach. This means that you should assure that all of the materials used, such as cable, connectors, distribution enclosures, adapter plates, and optical patch cords all adhere to the same standards and performance parameters. However, the responsibility to assure that the link will support the 10GbE for fiber rests initially with the designer, and finally with the installer.

The introduction of a relatively new class of commercial portable air conditioners, also called portable spot coolers, provides IT managers with a convenient way of solving their backup air-conditioning problems. In addition to being quick and easy to install, portable spot coolers are self-contained units that have little or no infrastructure impact. Also, whenever necessary, portable units can be moved to a different location in the server room and their airflow redirected. This is particularly helpful if new hot spots develop when equipment is added or racks are reconfigured.

High-speed applications in today's enterprise networks might lead one to believe that single-mode fiber enjoys an increasing advantage over multimode fiber in premises applications. However, higher speeds do not automatically mean single-mode fiber is the right choice. Although single-mode fiber has advantages for longer distances (> 1 kilometer at 1 Gb/s), multimode fiber easily supports most distances required for premises and enterprise networks. In fact, multimode fiber can support 10 Gb/s transmission to 550 meters, and 40 and 100 GB/s to at least 100 meters, for long backbone and even short campus runs. Furthermore, the optoelectronics used with multimode fiber are less expensive than those required for a single-mode system. And multimode fiber is easier to install and terminate in the field - important considerations in enterprise environments with frequent moves, adds, and changes.