Space Savings: UHFC Passive Data Center in a Single Rack
As data center facilities (DC) expand and change to meet increasing processing and storage demands, time, budget, and physical space needs can become tighter and tighter and harder to accommodate. DC facilities managers and techs must find ways to use available floor space (green or brown) to its fullest potential.
To save space in DCs, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (SEL) has developed several innovations, including the 3RU Rack-Mounted Splice Enclosure. This enclosure, a 2023 Cabling Installation & Maintenance Innovators Awards Gold Level Honoree, supports an entire ultra-high-fiber-count (UHFC) passive data center in a single rack – up to 5,184 fibers when using LC panels. Each Splice Enclosure provides a 144-spliced ribbon (1,728 fibers) capacity within a 3RU space. It is this innovative use of space that facilitates the placement of an entire UHFC passive data center within a single rack.
To save space in DCs, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (SEL) has developed several innovations, including the 3RU Rack-Mounted Splice Enclosure. This enclosure, a 2023 Cabling Installation & Maintenance Innovators Awards Gold Level Honoree, supports an entire ultra-high-fiber-count (UHFC) passive data center in a single rack – up to 5,184 fibers when using LC panels. Each Splice Enclosure provides a 144-spliced ribbon (1,728 fibers) capacity within a 3RU space. It is this innovative use of space that facilitates the placement of an entire UHFC passive data center within a single rack.
Bill of Materials for 5,184-F Data Center (in 54U Rack)
3RU 1728 Splice
3RU 1728 Splice
3RU 1728 Splice
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
6RU 864 LC Pre-Term Patch Panels
The above example shows the configuration needed to achieve a 5,184-F UHFC passive data center within a single rack using 3RU Rack-Mounted Splice Enclosure (Fig. 1) coupled with 6RU 864 Pre-terminated LC Patch Panels (Fig. 2). The space savings achieved when using this configuration help free up floor space within the data center as a whole and within cages dedicated to customers, allowing for flexibility and scalability to meet demands today and into the future. Additionally, the ability to physically locate all passive components together and ensure the ability to route entering and exiting cables from both overhead and in-floor pathways helps limit contact with network equipment.
Consolidating an ultra-high-fiber-count (UHFC) passive data center within a single rack will maximize floor space (white space) while maintaining or improving DC physical security and network flexibility. SEL’s Rack-Mounted Splice Enclosure features innovations and benefits that address these challenges while providing a secure, clean, and cost-efficient distribution point. The enclosure also facilitates a smooth transition between cable formats and fiber counts, protects fiber terminations (bare fibers), and manages excess cable slack.