We tend to think of digital communication as a new idea but in 1844 a man called Samuel Morse sent a message 37 miles from Washington DC to Baltimore, using his new invention The Telegraph. This may seem a far cry from today's computer networks but the principles remain the same. Morse code is type of binary system which uses dots and dashes in different sequences to represent letters and numbers, modern data networks use 1's and 0's to achieve the same result. The big difference is that while the telegraph operators of the mid 19th century could perhaps transmit four or five dots and dashes per second, computers now communicate at speeds of up to 1 giga bit, to put it another way, 1,000,000,000 separate 1's and 0's every second.
To the end users it's simple they don't want to wait. All of that e-mail, all of those graphic- intensive, multimedia files should fly through the network fast enough that each user feels as if he or she owns the LAN. To the administrator, this need for speed equates to providing faster and faster data rates. Over the last 10 years the data rates implemented on the horizontal cabling system have grown from 10mbps (megabits or millions of bits per second) to 100mbps, with 1000mbps (or 1 gigabit per second) looming just over the horizon. When we talk about the cabling system performance required to support these ever-increasing data rates, we talk in terms of bandwidth. Cabling system bandwidth is defined and measured across a particular, application-independent frequency range. For current UTP systems, this range is on the order of 1 to 100 MHz (megahertz or millions of cycles per second) for Cat 5/Class D systems or 1 to 250 MHz for Cat 6/Class E systems.
Nowadays, network communications are a vital part of the day-to-day operations within an organisation. The communication's infrastructure is even more critical today as organisations continue to invest in the latest advancements in computers, high-speed networks, and cabling systems. As the complexity and speed of the networking infrastructure increase, so does the importance of reducing down time due to LAN failures and moves, adds, and changes (MACs) of network users. To minimise LAN down time and streamline the MAC process, an effective management system that documents the cable plant has become a critical addition to the physical layer infrastructure.
To provide this infrastructure management system, AMP NETCONNECT, along with software partner iTRACS, has formed a real-time intelligent structured cabling management solution called AMPTRAC. This system uses network equipment and AMP NETCONNECT patch panels that contain or have been retrofitted with sensor pads above each RJ45 port, standard patch cord with an external 9th conductor, analysers, which are active hardware components connected to the sensor pads via I/O cables, and the iTRACS software. In basic terms, the system monitors the patch cord connection between two patch panels or between a patch panel and network switch for each cable drop in the network by real-time monitoring of the continuity of the ninth conductor pin to the sensor pads. This joint intelligent structured cabling solution enables enterprise customers to minimise network downtime, reduce staff workload, and reduce MAC time by automating the management of the physical layer. The system will also provide security as well as complete up-to-date documentation for troubleshooting and disaster recovery preparedness.
© The Peninsula 2007
