I have been pulled into a mess at our company. The cabling is not a mess, as it doesn't exist yet. It's the power struggles and the budgets causing the problems.

We are building a new data center for our wide array of servers and backups. Large UPS's, generator, the whole works. They are planning for 40 APC cabinets, but the first phase is for 10.

My dilemma is they (data operations guys) have already designed and planned out the cabling. The plan is to run 48 cat 6 cables from Patch Panels located the "Core" switches to Patch Panels in the bottom of the cabinets. 24 will be "A" cables and 24 will be "B" cables, each located with the corresponding Core switch in different locations. The runs are about 15 ft for the shortest (not including the rise and svc. loop) to about 50 ft for the longest. Once you do the math is it a total of 1,960 cat 6 cables, or probably 80 to 90 thousand feet of cable going into the floor from racks to cabinets.

I have suggested scraping the copper and going fiber, but nearly all the equipment has already been purchased, and of course, it is all RJ-45.

So without redesign suggestions, because I don't think those will fly, what's new and exciting in the cabling world for high density installations? Bundled or single jacketed cables? Smaller RU, higher-density patch panels?

I have a contractor who will purchase and install what we tell them to, but they are just a little short in the design department and don't have the relationship with the cabling companies that they used to.

I appreciate any suggestions.

gambitfw

Well, there's a lot that goes into datacenter design - not just cabling, I'm a little surprized the main contractor didn't already have an optimal design to propose.
But for cabling, I would google "copper trunks" or "preterminated copper assemblies". Also, all major vendors offer 1U 48port CAT6 panels.

My dilemma is they (data operations guys) have already designed and planned out the cabling.

It always amazes me how much these guys THINK they know and and how stupid corporate management is to believe them.

-Hal

Have you selected a vendor yet? There is a good chance you could have a rep come out and give you some advice on your situation. One of my former students is now in charge of a large network, and he is going through the process right now of moving into a new building with a new data center. During the design phase there were decisions made for him that he didn't agree with. He had a lunch meeting with the contractors, his boss, and vendor rep. (I tagged along to offer moral support) He voiced his concerns, I backed him up, and the Panduit rep. offered some alternative solutions. In the end we had a solution that everyone was happy with. The powers-that-be wouldn't listen to him and his concerns, but a vendor rep with full glossy pictures of data center products...that did the trick. Just make sure you meet with the rep ahead of time and you agree with their suggestions before you have the meeting.

Hbiss...me, too.

sph...Thanks. That's getting me better results than "bundles" and "high-density".

I haven't been in the contracting game for about 10 years, and outside of onesie- twosie-runs, haven't really cared what the cabling world was up to. And now, having gone through the Siemon, Leviton, and Tyco sites, I realized I still don't miss it .