Data centers today need to be more and more flexible amid the boom in cloud applications and the dynamic demand for further services. At the same time, there is rapid creation and extension of large systems, the need for incredible density, and an increase in performance of IT infrastructures on company premises all over the world.
“Data center operators are increasingly opting for state-of-the-art fiber optic systems to avoid bandwidth bottlenecks," says R&M CEO Michel Riva in a recent industry report.
One consequence of the most recent developments is that data centers have to manage their infrastructures in a more differentiated way.
Dr. Thomas Wellinger, Market Manager Data Center, R&M: "Hyperscale data centers accommodate hundreds of thousands of fiber optic connections in highly sensitive operating environments. With Ultra High Density platforms, such as Netscale from R&M, they can increase the number of fiber optic connections per rack in comparison with solutions used to date by up to two thirds. These quantities can no longer be managed in a traditional way. They have to be monitored fully automatically in real time to be able to guarantee availability and operational reliability. Total operational reliability is more important than ever before for data centers in view of the dynamic demand for digital services."
This is reflected in the current discussion on an extended availability category "Tier 5".
Cabling specialist R&M offers the infrastructure management system R&MinteliPhy as a solution.
"Double-digit growth rates show that we are perfectly meeting the needs of particularly security-conscious data centers with this solution,” said Riva.
Basically, R&MinteliPhy consists of three components: RFID sensor strips for monitoring all connections in the rack, the appliance for concentrating and transmitting signals as well as the server with all the necessary administration, monitoring and planning functions.
R&MinteliPhy can also be used for infrastructure analyses, asset management, the 3D visualization of networks and the development of risk scenarios. If operations ever have to be carried out directly on the cabling, R&MinteliPhy guides the technician through the patching job.
"R&MinteliPhy is quite rightly seen as the pioneering and smart AIM system which supports the ambitions and obligations of data centers in terms of one-hundred-percent operational reliability," concludes Michel Riva.
An innovation in the R&MinteliPhy range is the RFID sensor strip for the Netscale platform. The RFID sensors feature a self-test function. Their electronics can issue a warning when problems are likely to occur.
With the modular Ultra High Density platform Netscale, R&M is also setting a new standard for the density of fiber optic ports in data centers. With up to 120 ports per height unit in the 19’’ rack, this distribution system achieves the highest density of all familiar products. Netscale promotes the use of efficient architectural concepts and facilitates the operation of decentral edge data centers. Market trends and current demands confirm that fiber optic technology continues to permeate the data center market.
The investment boom in the data center market is continuing worldwide. R&M is also expecting double-digit growth in this market segment in 2017. This increase has recently been fueled by the entry into the US market. At the same time, the dynamic Asian market is maturing.
The data center boom is now also reaching countries in Eastern Europe. Just recently, R&M equipped the new Data Center 2 of the Polish cloud computing provider Beyond.pl in Poznań, with a usable area of 12 000 square meters.