When building or upgrading your commercial data centre, there are different factors that you must evaluate to ensure that maximum efficiency will be achieved. One of the critical considerations is the organisation of the pertinent room. In simple terms, the data centre will consists of numerous components such as servers, end devices, network switches and the data cabling. If these are not managed properly in the physical space, you will experience difficulties when troubleshooting and performing repairs and maintenance tasks. Moreover, disorganised data centres are more prone to overheating because the components do not allow optimal air circulation. Here are simple tips to help organise your cabling network.

Manage Cable Lengths

One of the main problems experienced in a data centre is tangled cables around the space. This issue will make the data conduits more vulnerable to damage and you will have difficulties when attempting to replace and repair a specific cable. You can prevent the tangling problems by ensuring that the length of the cables is not too long. Ideally, the conduit should connect two pertinent points and have slack but not enough to form a coil or kink on the floor or cable trays. On the other hand, you should remember that if the cable is too short, it might become accidentally disconnected.

Colour Coding and Labelling

Data cables are available in the market in diverse colours, and these can help you organise your data centre. In simple terms, you should choose specific colours for particular applications when installing the network components. The colour codes are essential in troubleshooting problems in your cabling because you will have fewer conduits to check, depending on the issues in the network. For example, you can blue cables for the LAN and grey for phone connections for easy identification in the centre. Additionally, you should consider using labels on the specific cables. For example, the blue cables used for the LAN will service the entire business, so you can label the main conduits according to the location and end-point device.

Choose Ideal Cable Trays

If your data centre must have suspended cables, you should ensure that there are good cable trays for support. The right cabling surface should be wide and mounted to strong anchors. Ideally, the mounting points can be attached to the ceiling or you can install a freestanding rack. The latter is more stable but will occupy more space. Therefore, the ceiling-mounted alternative is more suited for smaller rooms. Do not overload this design because the misuse will pose a falling hazard.

For more information on data cabling, talk to a professional.