Submittal

More Meaningful Connections
8 WHITE PAPER – Introduction to the Micro Data Center (MDC)
Table 2. Cable Routing Solutions Beyond the Micro Data Center
Installation Consideration J-Hook Wyr-Grid
®
Wyr-Grid
®
Cable Protection
Environment
Mild Moderate Moderate to harsh
Cable Density
Light to medium Medium to heavy Light to heavy
Applicable in Constrained
Spaces
Yes No No
Installation Complexity
Simple Moderate Moderate to strong
Ease of Moves, Adds,
Changes
Simple Moderate Moderate
Cable Management
Proper cable management is essential for reliable connectivity and to speed troubleshooting, diagnostics, and
moves, adds, and changes. Three areas in the MDC require cable management: input to the MDC, within the
MDC, and output from the MDC.
Input to the MDC
Cables are routed to the MDC through a ladder rack, wire basket, or other secure overhead cable pathway.
Cable labeling and separation are key elements of successful cable management in this area of the MDC:
labeling provides a consistent method of identifying network connections, and cable separation mitigates the
effect of crosstalk between adjacent cables or cable bundles. Both copper and ber optic cables commonly are
deployed as MDC input cables connecting the main data center to the MDC. Copper is traditionally used as a
short reach solution in this type of application; however, ber optic cabling is gaining greater acceptance due to
its longer reach, higher bandwidth, and intrinsic ability to mitigate EMI noise concerns.
Within the MDC
Within an MDC, copper patch cords commonly are used to connect enterprise network equipment to the DMZ
and then again to the factory oor network. Copper is preferred due to the short length of connections within
the MDC and ease of installation. The simplest management approach uses D-rings and horizontal managers
above and below devices to route cables, ensuring that optimal bend radius is observed and preventing signal
degradation due to cable crosstalk. Strain relief bars and/or clips often are used to add additional protection to
cables and maintain communication robustness.
Output from the MDC
Deployment of the network from the MDC to the factory oor can be achieved using either copper or ber optic
cabling media, with reach typically being the deciding factor on which media to deploy. Other considerations
include the level of environmental protection needed to protect cables from harsh environmental factors (heat,
moisture, vibration, etc.). Table 2 is a list of recommended pathways to use when routing cables outbound from
an MDC, depending on several key site-specic variables for the industrial environments.