Many business owners understand the importance of data centers. These facilities must follow the highest standards to keep data secure. Check out these important data center cabling standards that you should know to set up a reliable facility.
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2
The ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 standard is perhaps one of the most widely recognized data center cabling standards. This standard lays down the specifications for installing, designing, and testing structured cabling systems.
It covers everything from trucking and backbone connectivity to patch cabling and outlet terminations. This standard applies to twisted pair cabling, such as Cat 6a network cables, and the minimum requirements for their function, performance, and compatibility with other devices.
ANS/TIA-942-A
This cabling standard primarily focuses on data center design, maintenance, and operation. It describes the requirements for cabling within a data center and provides guidelines for creating a structured cabling system. It also includes recommendations for pathways, cabling management, and grounding and bonding.
Your data center team needs to understand this standard since it sets the requirements for how to organize your facility and prioritizes the avoidance of redundancy.
ISO/IEC 11801
ISO/IEC 11801 is a global benchmark for cabling system design, installation, and maintenance. It defines the cabling system’s architecture, including cabling topology and performance requirements. It also outlines the details for copper and fiber optic cable types, connector types, and physical installation requirements.
Only certain materials are acceptable for manufacturing data center cables, and ISO/IEC 11801 specifies the materials. They are ideal for creating high-performance cables. Understanding which cables and materials the standard permits guarantees great performance in your data center.
ANSI/BICSI 002-2014
ANSI/BICSI 002-2014 is an extensive data center design and implementation standard. It takes a comprehensive approach toward addressing every part of the data center, including architectural, electrical, mechanical, and telecommunication aspects.
The standard sets criteria for site location, layout, thermal management, and energy efficiency, among other things. Within the realm of cabling, it provides detailed guidance for designing a scalable, flexible, and secure network so that the data center can adapt to new technologies.
A well-designed data center cabling system is crucial for modern facilities. By knowing these data center cabling standards, business owners and managers can make their cabling infrastructure efficient for high-speed data transfer. These standards should form the basis of an organization’s data center cabling strategy, and adhering to these standards ensures a state-of-the-art data center infrastructure.
