HP ProCurve Tech Brief: 10-Gigabit Ethernet Cabling

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ProCurve Networking Technical Brief

10-Gigabit Ethernet Cabling

Introduction

Born in the 1970s, Ethernet technology has continually

evolved in order to meet the never-ending requirement

for faster rates of data transmission. Through this

ongoing evolution, it has matured into the foremost

technology standard for local area networks (LANs) as

newer, higher-performing iterations—such as 10-

Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE)—become more

commonplace.

The demand for faster application speeds has also

spurred technological evolution on data-carrying

techniques. As such, copper and fiber transmission

standards have progressed, providing greater

bandwidth for transporting data over Ethernet

architectures with reduced cost and complexity.

This paper highlights various Ethernet standards and

data-carrying techniques, with particular emphasis on

the utilization of existing fiber and copper cabling

technologies for 10-GbE LAN use.

Why 10-Gigabit today?

Most LAN infrastructures employ a mixture of copper

and fiber premises wiring. Many companies have

legacy fiber connectivity for backbone links with

copper wiring in place for wiring closets. These legacy

backbones are generally sufficient as long as there are

no demands for greater network performance or

application bandwidth.

However, as companies grow their networks and

support new applications and traffic types, they are

increasingly migrating to gigabit links. With gigabit

connectivity widely available for gigabit-based PCs,

servers, data center storage, and high-end computing,

gigabit technology is emerging as the connection of

choice for many organizations.

So why is there a need for ten times gigabit

performance, or 10-GbE, today?

More for less

In the past, 10-GbE was neither necessary nor

affordable. As with most burgeoning technologies,

those dynamics are changing. Technological

advancements have resulted in higher performance at

lower costs. As such, gigabit and 10-GbE bandwidth

have become affordable for most companies.

Regardless of cost, there is also a distinct need. An

increasing number of applications require considerable

bandwidth to support the transfer and streaming of

large data, video, and audio files. As bandwidth-

intensive applications and latency-sensitive traffic

types become ubiquitous, so does the need to support

and transport them.

In addition, many companies are seeking to “future-

proof” their networks to help ensure that they can

support emerging technologies and preserve their

initial investments. In the past, fiber and wire cabling

systems were installed with a ten-year lifespan in

mind. However, with the rapid, ongoing evolution of

network technologies, companies must be concerned

with their current infrastructure’s ability to keep pace.

Costs associated with recabling a network can be

exorbitant and organizations should take precautions

to help ensure that their cabling systems can last well

into the future. 10-GbE provides the very best

assurance for being able to support forthcoming

technologies and delivers the utmost investment

protection.

Summary of content (8 pages)

PAGE 1
ProCurve Networking Technical Brief 10-Gigabit Ethernet Cabling Introduction Born in the 1970s, Ethernet technology has continually evolved in order to meet the never-ending requirement for faster rates of data transmission. Through this ongoing evolution, it has matured into the foremost technology standard for local area networks (LANs) as newer, higher-performing iterations—such as 10Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE)—become more commonplace.
PAGE 2
Data centers Metro area transmission For many institutions—especially those that utilize automated trading—uptime and response time is critical. Delays longer than a second can be exceedingly costly. With servers now being able to transmit neargigabit bandwidth and network downtime proving catastrophic, today’s enterprise data centers need extended bandwidth.
PAGE 3
Copper is the de facto standard for transmitting data between devices due to its low cost, easy installation, and flexibility. It also possesses distinct shortcomings. Copper is best when utilized in short lengths, typically 100 m or less. When employed over long distances, electromagnetic signal characteristics hinder performance. In addition, bundling copper cabling can cause interference, making it difficult to employ as a comprehensive backbone.
PAGE 4
IEEE 802.3 cabling cost and distance considerations Highest cost ER 40 km LR 10 km SR 300 m CX4 + OMC 300 m CX4 15 m Lowest cost Distance IEEE 802.3ak/10GBASE-CX4 Approved in February 2004, 10GBASE-CX4 is a low-cost 10-GbE solution intended for copper cabling with short-distance connectivity that makes it ideal for wiring closet and data center connectivity. The first 10GbE copper cabling standard, 10GBASE-CX4 provides immediate advantages with its affordability and wide availability.
PAGE 5
Utilizing CX4 optical media converters Extends 15 m to 300 m distance Lowest cost solution Simple to implement Fiber reliability Data center CX4 switch > 15 m to 300 m High-availability backbone High-density wiring closets Multimode fiber To extend the current distance limitation of 15 m for 10GBASE-CX4, ProCurve has introduced a 10-GbE optical media converter to extend the supported distance up to 300 m.
PAGE 6
• XFP—the newest pluggable transceiver on the market, XFP is the closest in size to the SFP pluggable transceiver now used for gigabit technology. Because it relies on a high-speed interface (10.3125 Gbps), high-priced serializer/deserializer (SERDES) are required inside the switch to support it. Over time, the cost of such SERDES will decline, but today they add an unacceptable cost to the base system.
PAGE 7
Appendix—cabling specifications Table 1. Ethernet LAN cabling standards IEEE standard Cabling standard Speed Cabling type 802.3 10BASE-5, 10BASE-2 10 Mb Coaxial cabling 802.3i 10BASE-T 10 Mb RJ-45 cat 3 802.3u 100BASE-TX 100 Mb RJ-45 cat 5 802.3u 100BASE-FX 100 Mb 62.5µ multimode fiber, 50µ multimode fiber 802.3z 1000BASE-CX 1000 Mb 2-pair, 150 ohm twinaxial cable/DB-9 802.3z 1000BASE-SX 1000 Mb 62.5µ multimode fiber, 50µ multimode fiber 802.3z 1000BASE-LX 1000 Mb 62.
PAGE 8
Table 6. 10GBASE-SR Fiber type Modal bandwidth at 850 nm (MHz*km) Minimum range (meters) 62.5/125 µm MMF 160 2–26 62.5/125 µm MMF 200 2–33 50/125 µm MMF 400 2–66 50/125 µm MMF 500 2–82 50/125 µm MMF (laser-optimized) 2000 2–300 Table 7. 10GBASE-LR Fiber type Nominal wavelength (nm) Minimum range (meters) 9/125 µm SMF 1310 2–10,000 Fiber type Nominal wavelength (nm) Minimum range (meters) 9/125 µm SMF 1550 2–30,000* Table 8.