Power Cord Cabling & Types of Data Centers (Part 1)

While the latest CAT 8 copper ethernet cable streams data at blistering speeds, and the near speed-of-light fiber optic cables become more resistant to extreme temperatures while increasing their fragile bend radius, the cornerstone of any data center is its wall outlets providing mains power, and the power cords that plug into those outlets to power hardware.

Cords such as the Interpower^® NEMA 5-15 (5-20, 6-15, and 6-20) power cord plug into the mains power while the IEC connector end plugs into a server or the inlet on a power distribution unit (PDU) or an accessory power strip (APS). IEC Jumper cords can then be plugged into the PDU or APS to provide power to equipment that needs to be integrated in one unit—or adjacent units or racks—to simplify architecture. Integration could include a pod of servers, or routers, modems, and other vital equipment such as uninterrupted power supplies, external backups, monitors, and printers. This may include testing and research equipment.

Even if your data center or office has an array of wall outlets and longer cords to reach them, those longer cords will cause more EMI (more conductor length, more interference), and you may wind up with a cat’s cradle of wires to trip over. Any power cord longer than 50 feet becomes derated, and could potentially become a fire hazard as electrons push harder through the impedance to get to where they’re going.

Before Custom Length Cords	After Custom Length Cords

Data Centers

There are multiple types of data centers that range from renting rack space for servers and Internet connectivity to delivering and managing maintenance and software applications—and everything in between. There are hybrids within hybrids, and only a fraction of what these centers do is listed here. What you will find in many of these centers are miles of power cords.

Edge Data Centers

While there are several definitions of an edge data center, the term often refers to an organization’s data processing on the “edge” of its infrastructure or premises, such as an IT department within a corporate headquarters as opposed to a large data facility. It should be noted that edge centers may use a variety of options at other data centers, such as renting out rack space or cloud computing via storage or managed services.

Edge data centers are usually small facilities operating within the immediate geographic regions of their end users. They often reside in their own buildings that house multiple operations alongside their IT departments, similar to smaller Enterprise data centers choosing to operate their IT operations on-site. These data centers allow content, maintenance, and service delivery with minimal latency due to their size and proximity to their end users. Edge data centers are easier to build and network than larger centers. And while latency is a prime factor in Edge centers, hardware and software customizations are also important, providing a more efficient experience for its end users.

Managed Data Centers

This data center is a third-party provider. Managed data centers include dedicated tech support. It manages, monitors, and deploys data. The service is provided wholly or in part, depending on the client’s preference. If managed entirely, this center would manage all data behind its own firewall, or most of it. If partially, its clients would manage the back-end data, especially data that is proprietary or classified. This type of center implements upgrades to operating systems and other system-level programs. As a third-party provider, this center can be cloud-based or a colocation facility. This type of center restores backups in case of disruptions to service. It primarily serves midsize to large businesses.

In the next Connections, look for “Power Cord Cabling & Types of Data Centers (Part II),” where we cover more cabling options as well as Colocation, Cloud, and Enterprise data centers.