There’s a new standard coming for datacenter fiber backbones. IEEE 802.3 is moving short-reach fiber optic backbones within the data center beyond 10 GB toward 40GB & 100 GB.
You might think, “glass is glass,” and that light goes in one end and comes out the other. But, not all glass is created equal. OM1 or 62.5 micron fiber was the traditional or legacy standard for a multimodal fiber. Then came the OM2 or 50 micron fiber which has a smaller core but actually allows for a greater throughput over greater distances. OM3 and OM4 are 50 micron on a “turbo charger”, a laser optimized turbo charger.
To achieve 40GB support, data would operate on eight pairs of multimode OM3 or OM4 fiber optic strands.
Likewise, to achieve 100GB support, data would operate on ten pairs of multimode OM3 or OM4 fiber optic strands.
This means eight and ten lanes of 10GB support in each OM3 & OM4 direction respectively.
OM3 and OM4 are laser optimized fiber optic strands that are capable of high bandwidth at 850nm. OM3 is rated for up to 100 meters (328’) and OM4 is rated for up to 150 meters (492’), compared to the old 62.5 micron legacy fiber at 33 meters (108’). The new standard would bring the single mode
This is not a suggestion to gut your old fiber and install all new. These are just some considerations to think about. Especially when designing a datacenter, for future proofing. It is recommended to consider, at the very least, laser optimized 50 micron. Besides, the legacy fiber you might find at a higher price than a 50 micron solution. And, don’t be afraid to put in extra strands, even if right now 10GB sounds like plenty.
(Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)