The document discusses the physical layer infrastructure requirements for high performance data centers. It emphasizes that cabling systems should meet industry standards, support current and future technologies, provide long-term warranties, and achieve high availability. Specific recommendations include using at minimum Category 6A shielded copper cabling, only OM3/OM4 and OS1 fiber optic cabling, and obtaining lifetime application performance warranties from component manufacturers.

1. Physical Layer:
Fundamental Infrastructure for Top
Performance Services of a Data Center
Dimitris Filippou
Business Development Manager
IEEE & PMI Member, BICSI Country Chair,
ELOT Technical Committee TC93 Member
CENELEC TC209 & TC215 Delegate of National Technical Committee
CENELEC BTWG 132-3 Member
dfilipp@netplex.gr

2. Physical Layer & Cabling System
Application Layer Applications
Presentation Layer
Session Layer Data Transmission
Transport Layer
Network Layer Active Components
Data Link Layer
Passive Components
Physical Layer

3. Data Center Cabling Design
• Standards.
• Cabling “Shall”.
• Future-proof Cabling.
• Certification & Warranty.
• Availability.
• Drawings.

4. Standards
Standard Bodies
General Electrical Telecommunications
Depending on Products Depending on Applications
International ISO IEC ITU-T & IEEE
European CEN CENELEC ETSI
U.S.A. ANSI NEC TIA/EIA
U.S.A. standards are only for informative purposes in Europe.

5. Quality of System - International

6. Quality of System - Europe

7. Site Infrastructure Requirements
• Site Selection.
• External Network Access.
• Spaces and Pathways.

8. Cabling System “Shall”
• Copper Cabling shall be … minimum CLASS EA
• Copper Cabling shall be … SHIELDED.
• Fiber Optic Cabling shall be… only:
– OM3/OM4 Multimode Fibers.
– OS1 Singlemode Fibers.

9. Future-proof Cabling
• Support today’s technologies
(IEEE 802.3an 10Gbase-T, 10Gbps
Ethernet).
• Support future technologies
(IEEE 802.3ba 40Gbps &
100Gbps).

10. “Green” Cabling System
• Directive 2002/95/EC
Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS).
• Directive 2002/96/EC
Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipments (WEEE).
• Directive 1907/06/EC
Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction of
Chemicals (REACH).
• CENELEC, IEC Standards
Low Smoke Zero Halogen
(LSZH/LSOH)

11. The Reality of Measurements
• Measurements according to
standards:
– ISO/IEC 11801, A1 & A2
– CENELEC EN 50173-1, A1
– IEEE 802.3an
• Certified Tester with the
appropriate accuracy level.

12. Cabling System Warranty
Life-time Warranty in
Application Performance.
• Today : IEEE 802.3an
(10Gbps)
Warranty shall be … only
from the component
manufacturer!
Warranty shall be … signed
only by the QD and the PM!

13. Availability (A)
According to ITU-T recommendations:
accumulate d up  time
A 
mission time
accumulate d up  time
A
accumulate d up  time  accumulate d down  time
In case of System + System (S+S) :
A  99.999%

14. Project According to Standards
Agricultural Bank of Greece (ATEbank)
– IT Headquarters.
– Data Center.

15. Questions
Dimitris Filippou
Business Development Manager
IEEE & PMI Member, BICSI Country Chair,
ELOT Technical Committee TC93 Member
CENELEC TC209 & TC215 Delegate of National Technical Committee
CENELEC BTWG 132-3 Member
dfilipp@netplex.gr