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Brocade Best Practices Guide: Cabling the Data Center

You haven't given much detail on what you're trying to accomplish. You seem to be doing framing, high voltage, and data runs for a data center. Here's some items that might be best suited for you:

1. Don't run power parallel with Ethernet. Additionally, when crossing power runs, do so at as close to a 90° angle as possible. If you don't follow this, the EMI will cause random packets to not reach their destination. A nice way to handle this is through the use of overhead cable pathways. Those will be very helpful in connecting to each rack's horizontal and vertical pathways. Also, it allows you to keep power down bottom and data up top (so they never connect).
   
   
2. I'm concerned that the high voltage is not running through some form of conduit. It's likely either you live in a place with very lax codes or an Electrician wasn't brought in.
   
   
3. It's great that the ends are labeled. Terminate the Ethernet cables at patch panels; not with RJ45 ends.
   
   
4. Are you using plenum cables or have otherwise reached the fire-safety codes?
   
   If you give more detail on where these runs start and end, as well as what the area is going to be used for, we can help with different suggestions.
   
   Edit: I also like /u/skifdank's suggestion of J-Hooks as a replacement for the cable pathways, if you insist on using the hot aisles, for some reason.

I had ~10 racks with almost the exact same setup (same racks, same servers, very similar cable layout and switch position).

My advice to you is to tie the cables off in such a way that they are not touching the rack rails. Those hooks you see on the left side of the photo on the rack rails? They move with the server and love to catch the ethernet cables. Similar situation happens on the side with the power cables, although not as bad due to different cable management attachment point on the other side.

You will say to yourself, but sir, I will always be sure to power the server off and then disconnect all cables before removing it from the rack! - likely very true statement. However, no one else will give 2 shits about it and will do the old "I'll just pull this server out a half inch so I can go around back and tell which one it is" trick, which then pulls your ethernet cables into the pinch-n-cut hook, and the power cables pull out. Then your life gets worse :)

I suggest getting some of the really thin Velcro cable wraps like these - http://amzn.com/B001E1Y5O6?tag=amz-link-20 - then apply them liberally to keep stuff tied back and out of the way. They are really thin and don't get in the way like the thicker expensive ones do so they work great for actually tying the cables directly to the sliding section of the rack rails.

The "Type" of cable fastener absolutely does make all of the difference depending upon the application.

In many applications cable or "zip" ties are not allowed due to toxic fumes given off when they are heated. Many users tend to over tighten cable ties thus damaging the cable jacket or conductor vs velcro.

In the case of aircraft or high vibration scenarios the type of cable fastener used is highly regulated.

In the end remember there are Redditors from around the globe here that are not only home users but also many that work with cable fasteners day to day in the work that they do. I have been known to post a link to this set of velcro from Amazon to those that complain about price.

If this were my setup I would cringe at the crimped coax cable. It's totally worth redoing, using a compression fitting instead. Those tools can be found at your local hardware store, online or just befriend a cable guy and hand him a few bucks to remake the end. It will take him a minute or less.

Thx OP for the post, IMO anything better than a nest of cables is better in the end. I highly prefer velcro.

Does anybody know what kind of scissors those are? They look like my fluke scissors but only one side has the cutting leverage handle thingy lol. Don't know the technical name. If anybody else wants to recommend what scissors they use. I've been using these since they are very sharp and awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-D-Snip-Cable-Scissors/dp/B000E5VAXM

Here's the composition of the rack:

• NavePoint 12U Network Rack
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1024: 24 port rackmount switch
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1016PE: 16 port rackmount power over ethernet switch (needed for the Wi-Fi access points)
  
• TP-Link TL-R600VPN: Rackmount router w/ dual-WAN and VPN
  
• Rackmount Power w/ surge protection
  
• Rack shelf: Used to hold modem and NAS
  
• Patch Panel: 24-port Cat6 patch panel (wires go in the pack via punchdown connection, and you run patch cables to the switches)
  
• 12" Patch cables: For connecting between the patch panel, swicthes, other on-rack devices
  
• Synology 416play NAS: Movies, music, pictures, etc. 32 TB in all.
  
  Elsewhere in the house/other useful parts:
  
  
• Keystone Cat6 jacks: one per bedroom, 4 in my home office, 4 in the media room (not built yet), 3 in the family room
  
• 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hole keystone wall plates: Buy the number of holes you want and just pop in the keystone jacks
  
• Blank keystone inserts: For when you have too many holes in the keystone plates
  
• Ubiquiti AC Pro x 3: Wi-Fi access points, roughly center of the house on each floor (basement, first, second)
  
• Punchdown tool: For doing the punchdown connections on the patch panel and on each of the keystone Cat6 plugs in each room
  
• Extra rack screws and washers
  
• J-Hook: There are two hooks on each wall, holding service loops for the Cat6 and Coax, respectively.
  
  Useful things I learned:
  
  
• I was originally going to run the wires myself, but never could find the time. Also Cat6 is expensive when not purchased in wholesale quantities (< 10,000 ft). So we hired a local electrician to run the actual wires. It took two of them about 1.5 days to run everything. This was well worth the money, since the project would have taken many months to do in the evenings/on weekends with a toddler running around.
  
• I did all the wall terminations. Since they were punchdowns, it was easy and took one evening after work. The electricians would have charged me another half-day of labor.
  
• I did all the network rack work. This also took one evening after work.
  
• Do NOT buy electrical/networking equipment from a big box hardware store. Always go to a specialized retailer, like an electrician supply store. Their prices will be 1/20th that of the big box store, you won't have to have anything shipped, and their employees actually know what they are talking about. So if you're looking for something that you don't know the name of, you can usually describe it.
  
• Newer construction may have fire breaks/blocks/stops which prevent fire and gases from traveling up the inside of the walls. This makes fire move more slowly and give you more time to evacuate. However, it also means you might need to drill holes/patch walls in order to run wires vertically.
  
• Put in a service loop. If you ever need to re-terminate for any reason (like replacing a patch panel), it will give you extra cable to work with. Do the same thing inside your walls behind the wall plates, since you might have to do the same thing there as well.
  
• Buy networking gear that is rated for the same speed (i.e., gigabit). Your network will only be as fast as the slowest part of it.
  
• Watch out for network loops. This is really easy to do and will cause your router to crash or perform suboptimally. I spent >2 hours debugging on of these as a result of connecting my router to itself by way of both switches.

just bought a super nice Brady label maker: BMP21-Plus

Maker: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IELD1O4/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cable Labels: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XU7T4E/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Ive yet to open I had a bigger version at my previous job and it was awesome!

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: these.


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|




To help donate money to charity, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Probably better prices to be found elsewhere, but in a rush to find cable ties, I bought one of these a couple years ago (for personal cables, not bulk use), and I still have them around and use them regularly. I bought them as an Amazon Prime customer, so they were $7.10 and free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E1Y5O6/

I was going to say. Not expensive, either

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPDG1K

As long as they are flush-cutting kind of side cutters like this, and not the other that leaves a razor-sharp triangular end on the cable tie when you cut it.

Have deployed thousands of cable ties with cutters like this, they don't leave any sharp ends.

They're also much more compact - I've done plenty of work where the "cable tie gun" tool simply wouldn't fit - and are small enough to slip under most cable ties to remove them without endangering the cables too, truly the best multi-purpose tool.

Plug them all into a Pass through patch panel. Label it one for one with the labels on the cables. Should be pretty enough and functional. Then use patch cables and a nice 2u cable manager. Be nice of you to put some j-hooks on those shit studs about 2ft up and separated the cables from the power that its probably running on top of.

Heres a parts list.

Patch Panel

2u Cable Manager

J-Hooks

Patch Cables

Wall Rack Enclosure

OP (and others), try these, they're fantastic for cable management. I've always got a bunch kicking around at home and the office too, they're amazingly useful.

https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-ONE-WRAP-Management-Self-Gripping/dp/B001E1Y5O6/

For the love of God (and future sysadmins): http://www.amazon.com/Eastwood-Professional-Cable-Wire-Tie/dp/B006ISG5M0/

Thank you! And this is the rack pictured
Tripp Lite SRWO8U22 Wall Mount 2-Post Open Frame Rack Cabinet 8U/14U/22U Wallmount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041W55YE/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_IfkSub09Q16SV
Used it 4 or 5 times now in different configs. I enjoy them very much

Every time I tried one of these on cat wire the blade cut into the inner wire insulation. You're better off either using the blades built into the handle of most cat crimpers or getting a jacket cutter.

I have this one

works awesome

http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Reusable-Self-Gripping-Inches-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6

Those cable ties always look a ton better than zip ties and are a million limes easier to remove. Even though you say its permanent, nothing is ever PERMANENT.

Ditch the electrical tape and get some velcro straps. Super cheap on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Reusable-Self-Gripping-Inches-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6/

VELCRO Brand One Wrap Thin Ties, Black, 8 x 1/2-Inch, 100 Count (91140) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_L-7QAb6DGV2AA

Very satisfying $10.

I was looking at this TP-Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BU0EKW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GRswzbGTHG9TG

But only 5 year warranty.

This Netgear has lifetime warranty:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002CWPW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TSswzbEF9ZDNZ


Is the TP-Link still the better choice? If so, why?

I'm also getting fiber (1Gig).

4” bar but those look like 6”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CHHZHR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_i3SSCbRX0YPD0

One of these will save your fingers:

https://www.amazon.com/BNC-Connector-Removal-Tool-inches/dp/B003X1BMBY

There were a lot of tooling expenses that went into this that drove up the cost, but its actually cheaper than many of its less capable competitors.

https://www.houzz.com/product/24822670-corral-cord-organizer-zen-contemporary-home-office-accessories

https://www.bluelounge.com/products/cablebin

https://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Under-Power-Management-Station/dp/B004SGJBU2

The cost will be $59 after the first 1000 backers, and will have a retail price of $79.99 after the Kickstarter is over.

Hi I have a similar network enclosure box - how do you mount the cable box/switches/router?

I tried using screws through the holes but they weren’t secure enough to mount things and one even went thru the single layer of drywall I have on the other side.

I googled some Leviton push-pin locks for their brand of enclosures, and people using L brackets

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-47615-NYL-Push-Lock-Structured-Centers/dp/B0018DOBG2/ref=pd_aw_lpo_60_bs_lp_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T07MQVFHHKY4KCJ98NWP

Velcro ties, then organized however you like without worrying about tangles.

http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Reusable-Self-Gripping-Inches-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6/

It's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-SRWO8U22-Cabinet-Wallmount/dp/B0041W55YE/ref=pd_cp_e_1?tag=flvbnwiojn-20

I got almost everything from Amazon. The patch cables came from Monoprice because they're like $0.60 each.

Velcro cable ties are millions of times better. I bought a pack for home, and use them with my home theater and computer wiring. I use these (or something very similar).

The modem and router are held in by one of these:

Leviton 47612-UBK Universal Shelf

These have a standoff/negative space behind them so thats where all the power wires for everything are coiled up. Once you have one of these, you can get some 3/4"x1/16" aluminum bar from Lowes/HD and cut it to length and transfer the spacing for the pushpin holes to it from one of the Leviton shelfs. Drill those out and put some of these in there:

Leviton Push-Lock Pins

I painted mine with white appliance enamel. You can put those wherever you need them and use some velcro cable wraps around both sides of them to secure the devices to the enclosure.

It looks like Leviton actually makes a version of these now:

Leviton Universal Bracket

...but for $23/pr you can do better/stronger if you go the thin aluminum bar route and make about 6/8 of them for about $10, including the Leviton push lock pins.

That's the thing though... Velcro is hardly more expensive... Especially considering the advantages it offers.

I use one of these. With some of these. You can get the labels in different sizes. They look/work really well.

I think it looks great but I you should look into this.

Most people use color coding to signify different purposes and types of connections. We have a large chart that we follow at my office of colors to functions. I can look at a yellow cable in our setup and know 99% of the time... it goes to a patch panel, just like I can look at an orange cable and know it goes between two different racks.

For behind computer maybe use some split Techflex sheathing. You can neaten up a lot of it by just hiding it inside the sheathing and since it is split you can have it drop a cable out as needed along the length of it. I've used it in my home theater install as well as behind and around my desk. http://www.amazon.com/Techflex-Split-Sleeving-ft-Black/dp/B0008IV3XC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318341592&sr=8-3

I like it. My homelab rack looks similar.

I just cringe when it comes to zip ties. Buy a couple packs of these for home and work use, imho

https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Reusable-Fastening-Organizing/dp/B001E1Y5O6

​

​

velcro ties. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Black-2-Inch-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ref=pd_lpo_229_bs_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AW2FABYWJ6TYBNEDMMZ7

There's a tool that looks like a long screwdriver but it basically wraps around the head of the BNC connector. You push and twist it and it pops right out.

https://www.amazon.com/BNC-Connector-Removal-Tool-inches/dp/B003X1BMBY

You and I have a significantly different view on cheap. These will cut zip ties like nobody's business for much much cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPDG1K/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_pfAxDbBV1Y9EN

https://www.amazon.com/Panduit-CBOT24K-Cable-Organizing-Tool/dp/B00429P1OU

This is what us mere mortals use

Get yourself a pair of these.

That coax bend... I grabbed some of these for TVs and outlets behind couches etc. Right angle makes it so much nicer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7KD4T0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

here
https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Black-2-Inch-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6

i can take some pictures when i get home, but for most of it i just used
http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Reusable-Self-Gripping-Inches-90924/dp/B000F5K82A/ref=pd_sim_op_6

they were $5 at home depot.

I prefer one of these
https://www.amazon.com/Eastwood-Professional-Cable-Wire-Tie/dp/B006ISG5M0/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=cable+tie+gun&qid=1566425106&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7KD4T0/

THIS

Get some of these.

Brady label printer

This is what I use for everything

How does this comb compare to the Panduit one? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429P1OU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ended up getting this instead

Panduit Cable Organizer

I think they are these star tech ones.

Currently these are the tools I use... Mostly Klein. I've been using these for a few years now with minimal issues...

Crimper

Punch Down

Side Cutters

Scissors

Stripper

Lan Tracer / Tester

Klein Tools 21008 Free-Fall Snip Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015SBIL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0f5EAb4V2C71Z

I bought these

velcro cable ties

> Also velcro is quite expensive

It's really not.

I've used velcro thin ties. They are thinner and lighter and cheaper than the thick ones. I think they come in rolls too but the price isn't as good.

For basics, you'll need a cat5/6 UTP stripper

http://www.amazon.com/Ideal-45-165-UTP-Cable-Stripper/dp/B000IBPRCM/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1377532523&sr=8-18&keywords=cat+5+UTP+stripper

A decent Punchdown tool, theres a few different brands, i use a Fluke personally.

A good set of snips is worth its weight in gold, not only for cutting cable, but for cutting larger wires, tie wraps, and fingers

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-44300000-D-Snip-Scissors/dp/B000E5VAXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377532588&sr=8-1&keywords=fluke+scissors

You'll need a cable tester, you can find a basic cheap one that tests for open and swapped pairs. Unless you need documented certifications, thats all you need.

And then a small flathead, medium phillips screwdriver, and a small hook for pulling out those pesky swapped wire pairs from jacks.

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Cable-Lacing-Bar-Horizontal/dp/B071CHHZHR

​

We use these, We have a bunch of the 2 inch and 4 inch cable manegement offset bars, along with the no offset. Not cheap, but worth it for our builds.

I've been cut by many zipties.

CHP-170 Micro Cutter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPDG1K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_T20TBb4J30J3A

To leave them flush. Everyone who comes after will thankyou

I finally figured out a way to deal with those pesky power supplies without having to spend a crazy amount of money on a purpose-built box. (https://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Under-Power-Management-Station/dp/B004SGJBU2)

Using an old desktop I yanked out the motherboard and mounted a UPS as well as all the power supplies for my external devices.

I'm not sure what we're asking here.

You've got a "structured media panel" in the wall. I'm not sure what brand, but not Leviton, which is what I mostly install.

The holes in the back are for mounting stuff inside the box. A lot of times I'll just use zip ties, but a lot of components and blocks are designed to fit that spacing. Take a look at a coax block:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51G5eoEk8nL.jpg

Or here's a network switch that can mount into those holes:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71uZRsRV5VL._SL1500_.jpg

See the black prongs on the back? They snap into those holes in your panel.

In fact, you can buy just the plugs if you want and hang anything on them:

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-47615-NYL-Push-Lock-Structured-Centers/dp/B0018DOBG2/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ISG5M0/

It’s a zip tie gun. You set it to how tight you want it and it cuts off the excess flush.

If dressing cables is too hard, he is a way to cheat. That would not fly at all at my job.

https://www.amazon.com/Panduit-CBOT24K-Cable-Organizing-Tool/dp/B00429P1OU/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=cable+comb&qid=1550625555&s=gateway&sr=8-7