As data volumes rapidly increase globally, specialists need to take an urgent look at IT and network infrastructure, with a particular focus on vital equipment like servers, racks and fibre cabling.
Legrand data centre specialists anticipate that by 2025, the world will produce over 180 zettabytes of data, a significant increase from 79 in 2021. This means that critical infrastructure operators need a new generation of tools that can help them simplify and streamline their operations and this involves investment in the latest flexible data storage, computing and networking systems.
The Legrand team believes that advanced fibre cabling solutions, which have been developed to simplify deployment, lower costs, improve performance and enable greater densities, will efficiently meet future capacity demands.
Conventional cassette-based forms of cable management at data centres pose varying challenges, including polarity, optical loss, rapid deployment and high costs. Legrand maintains that the phasing out of cassette-based cabling solutions is the key to improved optical performance, increased scalability and reduced costs.
The company’s Infinium acclAIM fibre cabling connectivity solution is the first system of its kind that replaces pre-terminated cassette-based cabling solutions with direct connections, eliminating costly components and reducing time-consuming processes.
Legrand’s Infinium acclAIM cabling solution removes the antiquated, inefficient and untidy way of connecting or mating cables within a data centre and other critical environments, by providing a fibre cabling connection that is simpler, smaller, more intuitive, better performing and easier to use.
This advanced system is now being used by some of the world’s most innovative and progressive data centre organisations. By introducing direct fibre cable connections, companies are reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of mission-critical spaces, while improving efficiencies and performance.
Important benefits of this system include the lowest optical loss and a significantly simplified installation and configuration process. The product design requires end-users to order only three parts, which means unlimited scalability for critical infrastructure operators.
The simple yet robust design encompasses Infinium acclAIM connectors that mate directly to an array of 2-fiber duplex MDC patch cords through a conversion adapter panel. This system passively adapts the acclAIM octal fibre connector to four MDC 2-fiber duplex connectors.
Legrand’s solution has been designed to minimise loss, eliminate the need for splicing and maximise optical headroom to overcome barriers to performance. The simplicity of design, combined with application-defined on-site polarity adjustment, fewer components and near-lossless performance, enables this system to provide a multi-generational lifecycle with a single installation of a sustainable building asset for decades.
Other important features include a simplified interface with an Ultra-High Density Plus design – offering 33% more than capacity than High Density units – with up to 192 fibres per rack unit. This flexible system has been designed for simplified connectivity – there are no gender considerations, just direct connections. Polarity is application-defined and can be adapted to nearly any link configuration – pre-planned, on-site, or on the fly – whereas cassettes must be pre-planned or pre-ordered to be able to change polarity.
With the increased density of each connector and a smaller footprint, there is more room for technicians to work on each panel. Users also benefit from fast installation times, limitless scalability and enhanced design aesthetics. Testing is now completed with a single link after mating, unlike having to test both sides of a conventional cassette, which is time consuming.
Legrand believes that by addressing challenges associated with the smallest components of data and other critical infrastructure, companies will significantly improve efficiency, productivity, performance, scalability and profitability. Infinium acclAIM redefines connectivity at data centres by replacing pre-terminated cassette-based solutions with direct connections reducing components, processes and costs.
