6 Considerations When Planning Data Center Network Upgrades

As applications like AI, 5G, and IoT continue to grow, so will the need for processing power and bandwidth in the data centers that support their associated applications. It’s no surprise that data centers are rapidly migrating from architectures based on 10 Gb data rates per fiber optic link, to ones based on 40 Gb and 100 Gb.

Many data center operators are under pressure to ensure that their network hardware and fiber cable infrastructure strategy not only supports today’s requirements, but also provides a cost-effective upgrade path to accommodate the inevitable future growth. The key to minimizing total long-term cost is to consider both the fiber cable infrastructure and optical transceivers together. With wise planning, especially prior to upgrading to 40 Gb or 100 Gb, data center operators can avoid costly maintenance and changes in fiber cable infrastructure for years to come.