As data volumes rapidly increase globally, specialists need to urgently examine IT and network infrastructure, with a particular focus on vital equipment like servers, racks, and fibre cabling.
Legrand data centre specialists anticipate that the world will soon produce over 180 zettabytes of data, a significant increase from 79 zettabytes in 2021. This means that critical infrastructure operators need a new generation of tools to simplify and streamline their operations; this involves investing 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 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 each connector's increased density and 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, versus 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.
