Optical Trends in the Data Center
Doug Coleman
Corning Cable Systems
Manager, Technology & Standards
Optical connectivity with OM3/OM4 laser-optimized 50/125µm multimode fiber has
been the primary media choice for data center applications in response to optimized
pathway and space utilization; ease of installation and testing; bandwidth migration;
green initiatives; power and cooling benefits and for supporting high electronic and patch
panel densities. Two-fiber serial transmission has been the de facto transmission method
used for Ethernet and Fibre Channel for speeds up to 16G.
Parallel optics with OM3/OM4 is now emerging as the transmission method to support
future data rates such as 40G to 100G and beyond for short distances up to 100-300 m.
Parallel optics requires high-density cabling and hardware connectivity solutions. Optical
cabling and hardware designs that use bend-optimized OM3/OM4 laser-optimized 50/125
µm multimode fiber provide the required robustness to ensure transmission reliability
while offering maximum pathway and space efficiencies. Optical connectivity solutions
being installed today need to support existing duplex fiber serial transmission as well as
provide an easy migration to parallel optics.
This presentation will review data center optical trends, benefits of 10G optical
connectivity versus copper, emerging Ethernet, Fibre Channel and FCoE standards
activities, and discuss the advantages of cabling and hardware solutions that utilize bendoptimized OM3/OM4 fiber.