Connectivity Options For 10GbE Network

The IEEE standard for 10GbE (Gigabit Ethernet), IEEE Standard 802.3ae- 2002, was ratified 15 years ago. Since its inception, large enterprises started deploying 10GbE in their corporate backbones, data centers, and server rooms to support high-bandwidth, mission-critical applications. 10GbE can be used for local and metropolitan area networks. Most medium to large enterprises have 10GbE today or plan to install it in the near future throughout their LANs. Two typical enterprise LAN scenarios are the data center and the campus. To keep pace with the increased I/O demand, network access line rates have migrated 10Gb/s. And accordingly, there are several connectivity solutions to satisfy the network access needs, and each with its pros and cons, then which should I choose? May this post will help you.

SFP+ DAC is a low power consumption and low latency solution offering “pay-as-you-grow” flexibility suitable for 10 Gb/s connections between servers and switches. SFP+ Direct Attached Cables feature rugged twinaxial cables that connect directly into a low-profile small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) diecast connector housing. Becoming increasingly popular for short distance top-of-rack (ToR) and middle-of-row (MoR) Data Center deployments, and expected to account for over 40% of 10 gigabit equipment ports, SFP+ Direct Attached Cables also provide enhanced scalability and flexibility. But the installation may be a problem, and the degree of difficulty increases with DAC length. In addition to limited length, a DAC can be an expensive connectivity solution insomuch as it is does not take advantage of installed Cat 6a structured cabling.

Short wavelength (850nm) optical transceiver modules can be used for lengths up to 300m at 10Gb/s data rates. In comparison, multi-mode fiber cabling is considerably more expensive than Cat 6a UTP and the solution overall is not well suited for cost sensitive network edge applications. Field termination of fiber requires special skill sets and tools which significantly increase the complexity and cost of installation.

SFP+ 10GBASE-T copper transceiver is specifically designed for high-speed communication links that require 10 gigabit Ethernet over Cat 6a/7 cable with a link limit of 30 m. The power usage and heat generated for 10GBASE-T is 4-8 watts, but SFP+ 10GBASE-T copper transceiver consumes 2.5 watts. Obviously, the specification of SFP+ copper module has been optimized to save more than 0.5 W per port when compared to an embedded 10GBASE-T RJ45 port for link distances up to 30m. These power savings can add-up in ToR, mid-row and end-of-row switch connectivity. Implemented as an SFP+ form factor, the new 10GBASE-T transceiver module also delivers a pay-as-you-grow option.

The new 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver module delivers compatibility with Cat 6a UTP structured cabling, up to 30m link distance, at a minimum of 0.5W power saving per port embedded over 10GBASE-T RJ45 ports. It also offers a pay-as-you-grow model representing a flexible and optimized solution for 10Gb/s network access connectivity. Most importantly, it’s sufficient for all network access use cases. 

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Created on Nov 3rd 2017 03:22. Viewed 585 times.

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