Pre-terminated Solutions: Ready. Steady. Go! | Corning

It’s no secret that bandwidth demand is skyrocketing as our world becomes ever more connected and data-intensive applications like artificial intelligence grow in maturity. In response, the data center industry has needed to adapt and grow. Today’s data centres must be capable of storing and managing massive amounts of information – while being reliable and flexible to support customer needs 24/7 – and be up and running as quickly as possible.

The types of data centre we see today ranges in scale from small edge and private enterprise data centres to multitenant and hyperscale or huge campuses. Data center interconnect applications have emerged as an important and fast-growing segment to support large scale deployments – which can often see as many as 10,000+ fibers connecting large data halls across a campus.

The traditional approach in the outside plant environment is to splice these fibers. With counts of 1728, 3456 – or even higher – it can take weeks to do the necessary preparation, connect these quantities of fiber and bring them inside the building. We’ve also seen a shift inside the data center to higher speed and higher density network infrastructures, moving from a three-tier architecture to leaf-spine networks supporting the increased east-west data traffic.

Compounding this challenge, across Europe, the industry is also experiencing a shortage of skilled workers. Even with a skilled labor force, lots of splicing can be challenging and it’s very easy to misalign a splice or to splice the wrong ribbon.

When it comes to large-scale data center projects, time is money – and operators know they can ill-afford to allow delays in network installation to stand in the way of meeting ever-increasing demands for bandwidth. How can operators solve this?

One of the most effective approaches is to explore pre-terminated solutions which cut out the need for field splicing entirely. Rigorous testing of the cabling can be done off-site, in a controlled environment and the complete package can then be shipped to the job site for installation into a myriad of pathways and spaces.

Both vertical and horizontal cable management can be addressed and simplified using pre-connected cable systems for trunks, cable assemblies and connector modules, often referred to as “plug-and-play” systems.

Because cables aren’t spliced onsite, time spent by installation engineers is reduced, bringing instant cost-savings; and a simpler and easier process means less chances of mistakes and less dependency on skilled labour.

When new build construction schedules overrun – as they commonly do – and other unpredictable elements such as adverse weather, or shortages in raw materials, dramatically shorten the project timelines, the rapid installation offered by pre-terminated cabling is invaluable. It could be the one critical component that ensures the overall project is completed on time.

When implemented correctly, in data centre interconnect applications we’ve seen installation times slashed by as much as 70% - this can see a six-week project cut down to as little as two.

The scalability of pre-terminated systems is also important in supporting cabling projects as they mature. As a data centre grows or develops, being able to take a blueprint and recreate a project multiple times allows for a cost-effective solution to increasing demands. 

When it comes to performance, the expectation may be that link is compromised but today’s pre-terminated solutions offer quality that meets or exceeds cabling standards on the network link insertion loss when compared to spliced solutions.

There is, however, a deeper requirement for a more detailed planning phase that pays close attention to the data center environment and floor plan – making adjustments on the fly will be less easy when the splicing has already taken place in the factory.

Another thing to consider is fibre polarity across the network, which is a topic that has provided headaches in many installation projects. This became more critical with the introduction of the Multifibre push-on Connector (MPO) in the 1990s, as different vendor systems use different polarity methods (Type-A, B or C), all defined within the ANSI/TIA-568-B.1 standard.

The challenge with existing infrastructures then is to make sure legacy installed products and new additions operate correctly with matching polarity. Plug-and-play solutions utilising universal polarity can bring relief for customers to always have the correct polarity in the network link.

One key issue that contractors can face with pre-terminated solutions is accurate measurement of cable length, with the connectorized trunk cables and harnesses mostly made to order. System polarity also needs to be taken into account, but this can easily be resolved with universal polarity components as discussed. Working with solution providers that offer additional support services to ensure accuracy and complete peace of mind is beneficial.

Pre-terminated cabling is also playing a key role in overcoming density challenges by supporting the advancement of high-fibre-count assemblies, both with small size duplex or multifibre connectors. Structured cabling systems can be bundled and pre-terminated at the factory, which can allow for more tightly packed fibres to be installed into trunks and help manage for future growth with superior fibre access, while providing high quality pre-polished and ready to install products.

Some manufacturers can even provide pre-terminated solutions that enable the disaggregation of high-speed parallel optic ports (40G to 800G) into lower speed ports servicing the end-devices, through harnesses or port breakout modules. This provides significant density advantages both in terms of the attached electronics, and therefore costs, as well as the housings in the wiring areas along with savings in power and cooling.

One final consideration is that, depending on location and for large orders, pre-terminated cabling can result in longer lead times initially for customers. Having a good handle on diversified and local manufacturing availability within target regions to shorten transportation time can be vital for bringing lead times down from weeks to days.

Advanced developments in pre-terminated cabling solutions are making everything faster and easier for data centre managers and their installers to reliably perform important cabling tasks. Considering the growth of data centres in numbers and size and the additional benefits – including cost savings and a reduction in wastage – pre-terminated systems are an increasingly attractive proposition for installers.  

Cindy Ryborz
Corning Optical Communications
Last update: November 2023