When discussing automating the fiber cross-connect process, most of the focus is on the initial connection. After all, that’s where the money is made. But this focus can neglect the importance of automating the disconnect part of the process as well. As can be seen from photos of in-service patch panels, managing the connections over time is critical to keep the patch panel from becoming a spaghetti-like mess of jumbled in-service and stranded cables.
As mentioned above, it is operationally easy to ignore the disconnect function since there is no revenue tied to it. In fact, since revenue is lost following a disconnection, it seems to make sense to put in the least amount of operational expense to deal with it. The simplest way is to just update the billing software to remove the charge to the customer, mark the port as unused in the inventory database but not send a technician to disconnect the fiber. This can lead to inventory errors since there is no check to match the software update with the actual physical state of the system, and the errors will surely grow over time.
The next better process would be to send a technician to remove the fiber from the port as part of the disconnection request but to leave the now unused fiber in place. This does make it easier for the next technician to use the port on the next customer’s request but creates the problem of stranded cable and overflowing fiber trays which just gets worse and worse over time. Leaving stranded cables also leads to the need to run new fibers through conduits, with the expense and complexity associated with that. This challenge of dealing with stranded cables was listed as one of the biggest problems with interconnections in a recent conversation with the CTO of one of the largest multi-tenant data center operators.
To avoid the problem of stranded cables, the best process is to not only disconnect the fiber but also to remove the fiber strands between ports. This can be very challenging due to new interconnects that have been made over time, leading to new fibers being placed in the same cable trays and on top of the now unused fiber. Since there is risk in disturbing an active connection by pulling out the unused fiber cable, this step is very rarely performed. In fact, there are even robotic cross connect systems on the market that while they can automate the initial connection don’t solve the problem of the disconnection. But at least this system calls itself a semi-automated solution, admitting it only solves part of the problem.
But there is an automated system available today that solves the full problem with the scale and proven reliability needed for network deployment. By using a patented fiber routing algorithm, the Telescent Network Topology Manager (NTM) manages an internal array of fibers to allow remote connection, disconnection and reconfiguration of over 1,000 duplex ports in the system. Since the NTM manages the connections using an internal array of fibers in the NTM, all external connections are static and never need to be changed while providing any-to-any connectivity from over 1,000 duplex ports in the system (any Tx to any Rx). No matter the prior connections that have been made between the customers connected to the Telescent NTM, the NTM can disconnect and reconfigure to any available port in the system, providing the same performance today and ten years from now. The system can be scaled in a pay-as-you-grow manner within one system by adding fiber modules as well as in a leaf-spine network to grow to many thousands of cross-connects. And with NEBS Level 3 certification, the Telescent NTM offers the proven reliability needed for network deployment.
While the Telescent NTM uniquely solves the problem of managing the disconnection part of the process, it also provides machine accurate inventory of cross connects. Many multi-tenant datacenters run quarterly audits only to find that there the inventory is never 100% accurate, often with fibers left connected for no reason. With the Telescent system, the inventory will always be accurate matching the connection in the network and an audit can be provided any time a customer requests one.
Automation is widely viewed as a way to manage the never-ending growth of the network. The Telescent Network Topology Manager brings automation for the fiber layer by managing the initial connection, disconnection and reconfigurations of the network while providing machine accurate inventory. Contact Telescent today to discuss implementing the NTM in your data center today.