Data centres are under pressure to have “x”bit networks between servers to provide their clients with lightning-fast data transfers to the back haul networks of 5G and the nbn.
Being super-fast and reliable is of paramount importance to all users.
There are a large number of emails that continuously come past my desk describing that 400Gb/s is here….
After careful checking, the key point is, that these systems require 32 fibres… 16 for send and 16 for receive.
Unfortunately, these are enhanced Multiple Multi-Mode (MM) fibre systems, limited by distance and confusion as there are currently five different types of MM fibre.
I have installed fibre at commercial locations but certainly not a high number like a 32-fibre count MM Fibre for providing further services or future proofing.
I suggest that these advertised systems are problematic due to installation, maintenance and reliability (32 electrical circuits).
You will only be able to tell if any one of the 32 links are not working correctly, by using a programme that looks at the throughput of each fibre.
This is a complex process, the only time you will want to look at these systems is when they have very reduced data rates or failure.
The reliability of Single Mode (SM) Fibre, is such, that equipment replacements work first time after following careful installation practices.
More importantly, they are readily available and are reliable where they either work or they don’t.
Single Mode Fibres and terminating devices (ONU’s) are upgradeable and only one fibre is needed.
It should have happened in 2020, but as the COVID-19 pandemic altered absolutely everyone’s calendars, according to analysts, the ‘boom’ of high-performance data centers will begin in 2021, a trend that could extend into 2022.
Based on those projections, data center operators will soon begin migrating their networks to 400 gigabit Ethernet. As of today, the fastest growing speed in the market is 100G, but a new wave is approaching and so hyperscale data centers (which implement a combination of hardware and scalable infrastructure to achieve considerable levels of performance and redundancy) are already installing 400G interfaces.
In 2019, if we are talking about transport network transmissions, saw the launch of 12.8T ASIC-based switches with a capacity of 32 ports of 400G, which could allow significant implementations of 400G within data centers of the immediate future.
Presumably, at least initially, the demand for 400G could be concentrated with giants like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Alibaba Cloud, IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Then, it makes sense that those responsible for the data centers that are being planned today, consider themselves as prepared for the future with connectivity available that supports these high speeds, without exposing themselves to a possible risk of assuming the cost of the opportunity, thus protecting their investments.
According to DCD Intelligence, in its latest 2021 Trends report on Latin America´s data center market, the majority of the facilities operating in the region (37%) are between 6 and 10 years old, followed by 27% of facilities between 1 and 5 years old, compared to 20% between 11 and 15 years old, and 14% over 15.
When asked about their projections, the majority of respondents (62%) say that modernizing their data center is among their plans for the next year, and 4% consider it ‘likely’. Only 34% do not consider this option.
Furukawa, the Japanese company of complete solutions for communication network infrastructure, points out that compatibility with the arrival of 400G can lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) by increasing the quality of investment (CAPEX) and reduce operating expenses (OPEX), since additions and changes are easier, faster, and therefore less expensive.
To meet this growing demand for speed and provide support in preparing the Data Centers for 400G, Furukawa once again sets itself apart in the market and launches its Furukawa 400G Ready Program, an innovative concept that encompasses a value offer made up of a set of products, solutions and services developed to support current and future 400G applications of a Data Center, with a focus on: consulting, security and technology, applied both to internal data center environments and to the interconnection between them.
It is a complete and broad concept, which involves everything from consulting and basic project, defining the most suitable network topology and architecture, to support for the operation. Additionally, the company offers a set of services such as pre-design, installation support, accompanied by inspections, training, optimized logistics and an extended 25-year warranty.
The Furukawa 400G Ready Program has already become a reality in Latin America with the success story of the data center of the gigantic particle accelerator called “Sirius” from CNPEM (Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais [National Center for Research in Energy and Materials]) in Brazil, with an installed network that can support huge data volume processing, where on average, a thousand photos are taken representing 80 Gb of information per second; the connections are 100 Gb/s with optical connectivity solutions, but the Data Center is already ready to make the leap towards 400 Gb/s.
by Iru Scolari December 2020