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CONN CTIONS 47

Smart CitiesNeed Smart NetworksPage 4

Data Security – Made in Switzerland: greenDatacenterPage 26

Cat. 6A and the New Cat. 6A EL: the Right Solution for Every TaskPage 12

40 Gbit/s in Data Centers – But How?Page 28

Editorial

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2 I CoNN CtioNS 10I2014–47

We are augmenting our field terminable FO connectors with the FO Field SC. Along with the LC version already avail-able, the FO Field SC is a genuine alter-native for high-quality links in public networks and in structured building cabling. And there is also a newcomer in our program for Data Centers: the SFP+ Direct Attach copper cable, an attractively priced high-speed connec-tion within cabinet systems.

We have included a number of articles on trends to provide you once again with background information on current connectivity topics. In an interview on FTTH expansion in rural areas, Jürgen Anders, a professor at the University of Furtwangen in Germany, talks about the advantages of fiber optics over other technologies for use in non-urban loca-tions. There is an increasing trend in cities toward smart networks. In our fo-cus article we provide facts and figures on this very current issue.

R&M has been successful with the strategic approach it is taking. This suc-cess is reflected in our business figures and in numerous pioneering customer projects, several of which we are por-traying in this issue. We are especially proud about our partnership with green-Datacenter, one of the largest data center providers in Switzerland. As a data center location with definite secu-rity advantages, Switzerland is attract-ing growing numbers of international customers that have sustainable data security as a top priority.

Sustainability has always been crucial for R&M as well. We have been cultivat-ing it since the company was founded 50 years ago. These efforts were obvi-ous again at mid-year when we were certified in accordance with ISO 14001.

We look forward to continuing our suc-cessful collaboration with you and hope you enjoy reading this issue.

Sincerely,

Andreas Rüsseler | CMOWe are pleased to be able to announce to you important new products from our three strategic business fields in this latest issue of our customer magazine CONNECTIONS.

In Office Cabling, R&M is developing a new module called Cat. 6A EL. What makes it so compelling is that it offers excellent value for the money, is ultra-quick to wire and very easy to handle. The expanded product portfolio gives users even more choices plus a com-plete lineup of 19" platforms to meet their individual needs.

Success Through SustainabilityDear Business Partners,

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CoNtENtS

Smart CitiesNeed Smart Networks 4

Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Winery, ItalySupported by R&M Solutions 8 CPAM, Haute-Vienne, FranceA New FTTO Network for a Major Health Insurance Company 10Alliander, NetherlandsFuture-proof Fiber for Smart Metering and Smart Grids 14Kempegowda Airport, BangaloreSwiss Quality End-to-End Solution 16Montreux Jazz FestivalFaster, More Digital, Higher Quality 18

Interview with Prof. Dr. AndersExpanding FTTH to Regional Areas: A Realistic Scenario? 2440 Gbit/s in Data Centers – But How? 28The Latest Standards for AIM Systems 32Glossary of Transmission TechnologyTo measure or not to measure? – With fibers, that is the wrong question 33Saving Energy with Short Links 37Optical Transmission:Opportunities and Limits 40Even Faster with G.fast 45

Acquisition of AFS India 46Value Added in Cooperation 46

Networked Thinking as an Opportunity 47

New Generation of thePatch Box Family 11Cat. 6A and the New Cat. 6A EL: the Right Solution for Every Task 12Twinax Cablesfor Data Centers 17FO Field –Now also as an SC 20

“Panorama”, OmanR&M Provides Cabling Infrastructure to Megaproject 22 greenDatacenter, ZurichData Security – Made in Switzerland 26Housing cooperative BGZ, ZurichMaximum Flexibility for a Digital Lifestyle 30Adolf Nöhmer GmbH & Co. KG, Schörfling, AustriaFiber to the Farm 34Civil Engineering Office of the Swiss Canton of GrisonsODF Networking Swiss National Highways 36Sparkassenakademie, StuttgartFlexible Academy for Financial Professionals 38Vodafone España, Spainis Building up its Network of Branch Offices with a Shielded Cabling Solution from R&M 42CMRI, SydneyA Global Leader in Medical Research Selects R&M’s Cabling Solutions 44Publication Details:

CONNECTIONS 47 | October 2014

Cover picture: A smart city needs ultra-reliable network connections.

Publisher: Reichle & De-Massari AG, Binzstrasse 32, CHE-8620 Wetzikon, Switzerland, www.rdm.comE-CONNECTIONS: www.connections.rdm.com

Editorial team: Erica Monti (Editor-in-Chief), Dr. Peter Cristea, Bernward Damm, René Eichenberger, Andreas Rüsseler

Layout: Tollkirsch AG, Winterthur, Anna Göhner

Printing: Druckzentrum Stallikon

Print run: 17 000 copies

CONNECTIONS is published twice a year and can be ordered from the publisher. Reproduction allowed with permission from the editorial office.

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Smart CitiesNeed Smart NetworksBillions of people live in booming cities. They want optimum living conditions.

One way to achieve this goal is through Smart Cities featuring the intelligent networking

of information and things. Sturdy cabling is needed to transmit the information

quickly and reliably.

Urbanization is progressing at a rapid pace. Since 2007, more people have lived in urban areas than in rural areas. By 2050 the urban population will ac-count for 70 percent of the total accord-ing to UN statistics and forecasts. The EU says two out of three people in Europe already live in cities. Experts are talking about the millennium of cit-ies.

Studies and model projects show that the trend toward urbanization urgently requires progressive solutions for en-vironmental protection and services, traffic and transportation. Discussions

thus far have revolved around the sus-tainable use of raw materials and ener-gy sources as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions. Worldwide, cities cause about 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet planning the future of cities entails more than energy reduction and cli-mate protection. Research institutions are also emphasizing this point, for in-stance the Fraunhofer FOKUS Center for Smart Cities in Berlin. In the future, cities will welcome every sensible tech-nology that contributes to optimum living conditions, efficient information

processing, cooperative communal life and better communication and educa-tion.

Many “City of the Future” concepts say that broadband Internet access will have to become just as much a resource as power, water and clean air. The vision is this: Smart City -- a learning city that is intelligent, sustainable and thorough-ly networked. That is why investments in Smart City projects are skyrocketing. Market researchers from IHS Tech nol-ogy predict that worldwide investments will grow from US$ 1 billion in 2013 to US$ 12 billion in 2025. In a market study,

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Navigant Research determined that the number of network nodes newly in-stalled for Smart City networks every year will more than triple – from 16.3 million in 2014 to 54.8 million in 2020.

Smart Energy SupplyThe options of a Smart City can be viv-idly illustrated by the issue of energy supply:

n Smart Metering: Using full-coverage ICT networking and symmetric, digital information transmission parallel to the power network, energy requirements could be recorded at the most remote places in real time. Consumption data could be collected automatically and analyzed with precision. Billing would be able to be done more fairly and more flexibly.

n Smart Management: Energy-hungry machines could be remote controlled to a waiting position over the data net-work to reduce peak loads on the power grid. Decentralized suppliers of power created regeneratively could be inte-grated in the local power grid. Cities would become more independent from major nuclear, gas and coal-operated power stations and from oil and natural gas.

n Smart Services: Customers could remotely monitor the energy consump-tion in their homes and control it more precisely over the Internet or by means

of mobile communications. They could communicate with public utilities auto-matically. Further services (building man-agement, energy consulting, weather forecasting, access monitoring, alerting, gas and water supply, etc.) could be inte-grated more easily, which would enable new, IP-supported business models.

If all that were implemented, the result would be a Smart Grid that would be stable even without nuclear power, a grid that would promote the reduction of energy consumption and generate added value. Refer also to the report on the Alliander Project in the Netherlands (page 14). Similar smart effects can be achieved in other fields of action.

Networks as the foundation The ICT infrastructure is a vital prereq-uisite for implementing these scenari-os. The Smart Cities Committee of the FTTH Council Europe stresses this: “A Smart City is based on a strong, reliable communication network. It is the foun-dation for applications and services.” The FTTH Council believes communi-ties should rely consistently on fiber optic cabling on their way to becoming Smart Cities. Fiber optic networks offer the most prospects for the future, the

“Most of all, we need fast broadband networks, which are the ultimate tool so systems can connect and information can flow freely.” Neelie Kroes, EU Commission

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greatest performance and nearly inex-haustible potential. They also form the backbone for future-capable wireless networks, which will also play a decisive role in a Smart City. There are further recommendations for city administra-tors, municipal utilities, urban planners and network operators in the second edi-tion of the FTTH Smart Guide released in February 2014 by the FTTH Council Europe (refer to www.ftthcouncil.eu).

Based on its own experience, R&M urges cities to keep several key prin-ciples and planning and evaluation crite-ria in mind anytime they discuss their communication and data networks or plan construction. They are outlined be-low. If cities follow this advice, they can avoid bad investments and lay suitable groundwork for becoming Smart Cities. In any case, experienced consultants and planners should be brought in.

Criteria for planning

n The transmission infrastructures should offer the greatest possible func-tionality. This is the first recommen-dation of R&M. The object is not just to connect computers. For example, cameras, sensors and measuring equip-ment inside and outside buildings also have to be seamlessly integrated and must be able to communicate with each other over the Internet. Adaptable, ap-plication-neutral cabling is the prerequi-site for this capability.

n There are still no standards for the networking of a Smart City. In the judg-ment of R&M, the obvious thing to do would be to consistently continue the trend toward Ethernet / IP-based com-munication and to apply this globally uniform industry standard wherever it is practicable. The advantage: favorable investment and running costs.

n Open access will be important for the fiber optic connection of apartments to create fair market conditions for pro-viders. In principle, every possible type of connection for machines, sensors and other users should have an open access design. Standardized, compati-ble and commercially available connec-tivity is a must for Smart Cities.

n Every individual wish for networking should be able to be integrated into a Smart City in a smooth and customized fashion. Easy scalability is also an issue in this context. Cabling must not be al-lowed to create obstacles. Today there may be several dozen subscribers to be supplied whereas in the future, the task may be to integrate thousands with fiber optics.

n The platforms and connections should be able to be installed and operated in-

tuitively so mistakes can be minimized in installation and especially in main-tenance. The cabling systems should have a logical, clearly-structured design. Quick mounting technology should sim-plify each movement.

n Security is another central criterion. Smart Cities should ask how well ca-bling systems can be protected against operating mistakes, errors, attacks and manipulations. Outdoor products should withstand critical environmental influ-ences and be able to be repaired quickly and without complication following an accident or violent storm.

n Good transmission quality is indis-pensable. A Smart City needs the most reliable network connections because the connectors, cables and distributors often transmit data vital to life. The ca-bling has to be capable of bridging large

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distances free of loss and of accommo-dating a large number of connections.

n The convergence of the networks is an essential aspect of a Smart City. Support must be given in particular to the convergence of fixed and mobile, that is the linking of different mobile communication networks and WLANs with cable-bound infrastructures. This convergence facilitates reachability and access to all types of information at any location.

n Flexibility will be a key issue. The networks must be able to be integrated into organically evolved settlement struc-tures. Network sections varying in age and structure must be able to be joined together.

n Aesthetic aspects also play a role. Connections and lines should be able to be integrated intelligently in the sur-roundings. In projects involving the net-

working of older buildings, people will want cabling systems that can be read-ily concealed or that require only mini-mal conversion work.

n Unprofitable and uncoordinated par-allel trends in network expansion can be avoided if the stakeholders in a city cooperate and remain aware of their goals. n

Shibu Vahid Head of Technical Operations, R&M Middle East, Turkey & [email protected]

tobias MünzerMarket Manager Public [email protected]

“A Smart City is based on a strong, reliable communication network which is the foundation for applications and services. A Smart City will increase efficiency, productivity, ecological awareness; it will reduce pollution and improve quality of life in a world of increasing urban complexity.”From “Smart City Guide” issued by the Smart Cities Committee of the FTTH Council Europe

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Invisible architectureAlthough the winery was specifically built for the purpose of wine production, the idea was also to offer a vast audi-ence of wine lovers the opportunity to directly experience the family’s produc-tion philosophy. Visitors can see how wine is created, from the vineyard to the bottle. Step by step, guests are in-troduced to all the phases of fermenta-tion and aging. Besides showing how wine is produced, permanent displays also present the history of the Antinori family, art, and the region’s food and wine traditions.

Conceptually, the project is based around innovative architecture, which enhances the landscape, its surroundings and the cultural and social values of the wine-producing region. The winery is totally in harmony with the landscape. A vine-yard covers the entire edifice, which matches the brownish red colors of the soil and has been constructed with

natural materials such as terracotta, wood, corten (an alloy of steel and cop-per) and glass. Profound ties to the earth are reflected in the focus on mini-mal environmental impact and maxi-mum energy savings.

Fiber to the vineyardBesides wine making and storage facili-ties, the winery also houses a museum area, restaurant, shop and offices. The company offices, previously located in the family palace in Piazza Antinori, in downtown Florence, were also moved to this rural location. All these facilities rely on ultra high-speed, reli able con-nectivity to function. Systems and tech-nologies used inside the innovative structure also follow the philosophy of full integration with the environment, high performance and high quality.

For this project R&M Italy worked in partnership with IBM Italy Global Tech-nology Services. R&M contributed to the design, implementation and testing

thE r&M SolutioN

n R&Mfreenet copper: about 1000 RJ45/S Cat. 6A ISO links

n 65 16-port patch panels RJ45/S Cat. 6A

n 60 km S/FTP Cat. 7 light cable, special TO configuration for lab and AP (FM45)

n Fiber optic campus and backbone

n 8 km indoor/outdoor 12/24 FO singlemode

n 25 patch panels LC duplex singlemode

n 800 FO pigtails

why r&M?

n Strong relationship with partners

n Technical consultant for the entire team

n Flexibility and quality

The Antinori family has been producing wine for over six centuries, ever since Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florence Winemakers’ Guild in 1385. Tradition, passion, and intuition have brought the Antinori family success in Italy and around the world. In their search for excellence and ways of perfecting the entire production process, the family decided to create new vaults for their Chianti Classico winery. The new facility is the confirmation of the long-standing relationship between the family and their place of origin.

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Sergio terraneo | R&M Italy [email protected]

Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Winery supported by R&M Solutions

of the cabling infrastructure, relying on R&Mfreenet copper and fiber optic so-lutions. The best solution available at the time was proposed, offering a last-ing performance. This resulted in a fully customized homogeneous solution with the highest level of quality. R&M has guaranteed that all ratified network services work as intended, including the transfer of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in accordance with IEEE 802.3an 10GBase-T and ISO/ IEC 11801.

Best partnerThe cooperation between both partners on cabling networks started in the early nineties and has been very successful, reliable and effective. Initially, R&M act-ed as a cabling supplier under a manu-facturing frame agreement, gradually becoming a Strategic Partner for Con-nectivity Solutions. Today, R&M Italy provides cabling infrastructure connec-tivity and services for data centers, of-fices, industry and telecommunication,

through a solution engagement agree-ment with IBM Italy. Services provided for IBM Italy include assessment, site survey, project design, delivery, installa-tion, project management, link certifi-cations, maintenance, assistance and training. Satisfaction levels are high for both parties, and R&M Italy is classified as one of the best partners in the IBM Supplier Evaluation Program.

IBM’s Francesco Bugelli says: “A special thanks to Reichle & De-Massari, whom I have known and enjoyed working with since 1994. Based on my own experi-ence, I know for certain they are the best partner I have come across in Italy, in terms of reliability, availability, exper-tise and quality!” n

Find out more on:www.antinorichianticlassico.it

The wineSThe following wines are produced at the Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico winery:

Pèppoli Chianti ClassicoVilla Antinori Chianti Classico RiservaVinsanto del Chianti Classico

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approval. The FTTO solution (Fiber Op-tics to the Office, copper to the worksta-tion) made it possible to reduce weight and minimized the efforts involved in cable tension. R&M was chosen over three other competitors as supplier for all cabling material. The high perfor-mance level of the products, the quality, the expertise of the employees, the S3A-certified fitter and its capability to carry out all work without interrupting normal office operations while still keep-ing to schedule were crucial for the over-all success of the project,” explained Eric Seulin, Director of SITAS. n

To provide even better services for its customers and increase the bandwidth for new voice and data applications, CPAM (caisse primaire d’assurance maladie) in the French département Haute-Vienne decided to update its net-work. The main target of the project was to find a solution for the growing volume of data and meet the high demands of security and flexibility.

“Our aim was to move away from a het-erogeneous system to a much more powerful (10 Gbit / s), homogeneous one. And we felt a single physical location would also make administration and maintenance a lot simpler,” explained David Mingo, Head of IT at the health insurance company.

“Initially, we toyed with the idea of a copper cabling project with 2000 out-lets spread across ten cabinets and two equipment rooms. But due to the build-ing structure, we ultimately decided on a fiber optic solution enabling a smaller cable duct diameter and a lower weight for the entire installation. We manage with just one server room and a single main distributor in the base-ment. The micro switches are a bit of a worry as they have already just about reached their limits with a performance of 1 Gbit / s. But apart from that, we are extremely satisfied. With the new FTTO cabling, we now have a VDI network with ten times the performance.”

The installation was started in October 2013 on site and completed in June 2014. Thirteen kilometers of FO cables and 400 micro switches were installed over 9000 m2 to supply the 1100 work-stations. Specialist reseller Azenn took care of the prefabrication of the outlets and delivery of the R&M material.

“SITAS was commissioned with the drafting of the specifications as well as project management through to project

A New FTTO Network for a Major Health Insurance Company

Cyril doll | R&M [email protected]

thE r&M SolutioN

n LC Duplex

n 134 12-wire FO cables

n 2200 RJ45 ports

SiTAS is a technical consultancy firm which always takes sustainability into consideration in its consulting and engineering services for both commercial and residential properties.

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patrick Schilter | Product Manager [email protected]

With their reduced installation depth of 220 to 225 millimeters, they even fit in outdoor distributors where space is at a premium, for example on factory premises. In closed operating state, the panel has all-round protection from rodent attacks. Despite the compact design, a 40 mm bending radius is en-sured throughout – a crucial prerequi-site for constantly low-attenuating sig-nal transmission.

The new patch box generation for cable termination: Drawers pull out steplessly, making installations and conversions easier. Depicted here is the UniRack 2 splice version with the easily detachable splice tray plate. n

* E-2000™, manufactured under license from Diamond SA, Losone.

UniRack 2 and FibereasyRack 2 – these are the names of the new patch box generation – are perfect for terminating 48 to 96 fibers in one 19" unit. Fibereasy-Rack 2 is the variant for breakout ca-bling, UniRack 2 for splice cabling. Both have the same holder with sliding rails and drawer design. Two proven plat-forms have been united to form one in-expensive solution.

A new feature: the drawer design of the loose tube tray. The tray can be pulled out and tipped at an angle of 10 ° with-out tools with a flick of the wrist. That makes initial installations and conver-sions more convenient. If splice cabling has been planned, the splice tray plate included in the UniRack 2 delivery can also be attached or detached in no time at all.

Among the strengths of this new ad-vance is that cables and pigtails are deposited separately from each other. This approach assures a quick, good overview. It reduces errors, conversion times and critical operational interrup-tions. By default, the pigtail fibers R&M supplies correspond to the color code

in the DIN VDE 0888 standard to pre-vent errors during installation. Further-more, port numbers and labels help al-locate the terminations error free. In the model with 24 LCD, E-2000™* and SC ports, the front plate can be equipped with the R&MinteliPhy network moni-toring system to be able to guarantee total control.

The patch box is compatible with all com-mon adapter solutions for E-2000™*, SC, LCD, ST, FC, MPO type adapters. R&M also makes front plates that are customized or that fit local designs, in plastic or sheet metal depending on the model.

The own weight of the splice versions is 25 percent less than predecessor models. Clever design features com-bine with carefully selected materials and well-tried manufacturing processes to reduce production costs.

UniRack 2 and FibereasyRack 2 are used for cable termination in local data net-works or in structured cabling, in net-work cabinets for data centers or in dis-tribution nodes for campus networks.

New Generation of the Patch Box FamilySplicing and patching at cable termination is becoming

easier thanks to the second generation of UniRack

and FibereasyRack.

The patch boxes for fiber-optic cabling are compelling

with their convenient drawer design, lightweight

construction and flexibility.

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Insulation displacement contacting (IDC) from R&M ensures the reliable termi-nation of the wires. The integrated clamping ring takes care of strain relief and with shielded twisted pair (STP) cabling also provides 360 º shield termi-nation. There is no need for specialized knowledge, specific tools or cable ties.

Which module for which case?Clear differentiation, particularly in the top performance class of copper ca-

bling, is essential according to R&M’s experience. This is the only way plan-ners, installers and users can ensure the optimal cost / benefit factor for their particular project.

This is exactly why R&M defined finely balanced evaluation criteria (see table) for the high-end twins Cat. 6A (on the market since 2010) and Cat. 6A EL (which has been available since sum-mer 2014). R&M is the only manufac-

The successful launch underscores the fact that R&M has fulfilled the desires of installers with this new product. Pro-ductivity is increased with the Cat. 6A EL module because it is so easy and fast to terminate. Hence the addition to its name: Easy Lock (EL). The RJ45 connec-tion can be installed without errors in just a few easy steps.

it has not long been on the market but is already extremely popular:

the new Cat. 6A eL module from R&M. its easy Lock technology facilitates

the establishment of high-end connections in a revolutionary way.

As a counterpart to the existing Cat. 6A module, it is designed to fulfill

the individual requirements of office cabling.

Cat. 6A and the New Cat. 6A EL: the Right Solution for Every Task

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Cat. 6A Cat. 6A EL (Easy Lock)

n Sophisticated, high-tech areas of use critical for business (e.g. data centers and HQ buildings)

n Largest possible system reserves (far above Class EA as specified by ISO / IEC 11801)

n Ensures future effectiveness for 10 GbE support even in tough conditions and for next-generation applications

n Special demands made of cabling (e.g. high-density (1U 48-port), short links, particular shielding)

n Special cabling structures and specifications possible

n Uniform transmission performance, regardless of the installer

n Up to 10GbE applications in office and industrial buildings

n Fast, easy, efficient installation in standard projects

n Secure and solid performance, guaranteed adherence to standards

n Shallow installation depthn Cabling structure in acc. with

reference implementation of the standards

n No special requirements of planning, qualification, installation

n Best productivity in installation

Matthias gerberMarket Manager Office [email protected]

turer to offer this demand-oriented selection possibility for Cat. 6A systems.

When engineers have to provide office or building cabling systems for higher demanding applications such as 10 Giga-bit Ethernet quickly, at an affordable price, with total reliability and little effort, they will opt for Cat. 6A EL. This guar antees adherence to the relevant standards and the specified perfor-mance values in every case.

There are, however, certain scenarios in which adhering to the standard values for Cat. 6A alone is not sufficient to al-ways ensure a 10GBase-T transmission. Wherever the largest possible per-formance reserves are required for 100 % secure data transmission with 10GBase-T or exceptional performance

for future special applications, the product of choice will be the Cat. 6A module – for example in data centers or in financial sectors.

In both cases, the Cat. 6A products from R&M fulfill the component specifica-tions defined in IEC 60603-7-41 or -51. They are suitable for establishing per-manent links and Class EA channels in accordance with the latest ISO / IEC 11801 or EN 50173-1. When installed, the Cat. 6A connection module demon-strates even better performance values than the standards require. R&M guar-antees that the Cat. 6A module, when properly installed, attains a NEXT re-serve of 4 dB in the permanent link and in the channel. n

This is how easy Lock workseL stands for “easy lock” and describes the innovation installers have been waiting for. This is how the wiring of the Cat. 6A eL works: insert wires, slide wire guide into socket, press wiring cover shut and close clamping ring. The connection is completed. The pre-cise, simple quick assembly system and in-sulation displacement contacting from R&M ensure reliable, standard-compliant termina-tion of the wires.

The integrated clamping ring takes care of strain relief. it fixes all typical types of cables in place without pinching them. Cable ties or specialized tools are things of the past. with shielded twisted pair cabling (STP) the clamping ring also provides 360 º shield ter mi-na tion because it wraps around the braided shield.

The module is available shielded (STP) in the die-cast version and unshielded (UTP) in the plastic version. The housing of the UTP module is made from a special plastic which reduces electromagnetic emissions (cross-talk) and thus controls the Alien neXT of the module. This means the module can be installed anywhere without any additional protective measures.

The Cat. 6A eL module is application-neutral. it terminates all installation cables with wire and flexible cables with strands in all common diameters according to the wiring configura-tion 568A or 568B. it is compatible with the tried-and-tested R&M cabling and security systems and tolerant of connectors made by other manufacturers. it can also be used in outlets or panels from other manufacturers thanks to various adapters.

when engineers have to provide cabling systems

for higher demanding applications such as 10 Gigabit ethernet

quickly, at an affordable price, with total reliability

and little effort, they will opt for Cat. 6A eL.

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Future-proof Fiber for Alliander’s Smart Metering and Smart Grids

“Previously, energy was generated in a power station and transported to local end users,” says Jochem Turk, Lead Tele-com Engineer within Secondary Engi-neering at Alliander, responsible for the preparation of the technical specifica-tions for the active and passive aspects of the network. Until a few years ago networks only operated “unidirection-ally”. However, energy networks are be-coming increasingly dynamic as a result of the addition of vehicle charging sta-tions and energy generators such as wind turbines, solar panels and geother-mal sources. Not all of these are con-trolled by utilities and the energy yield is highly variable. To manage measure-ments and distribution, continuous real-time information is essential. This infor-mation is collected and analyzed using “Smart Metering” and “Smart Grids”. Alliander opted for a full end2end fiber connection.

Highest possible uptimeThe backbone is being leased from sev-eral dark fiber providers. Alliander built the last mile to the substations with fiber. The fiber network consists of a total of three core rings and 25 aggre-gation rings. This way, when other pro-viders roll out similar networks, these can easily be connected. The main net-

work requirement was availability, or the highest possible uptime. The design had to ensure this. For example, in some cases the devices have been equipped with double power supplies.

Rene Eriks, who managed the project on behalf of installer Schuuring, states: “For Alliander the advantage is being

The energy company Alliander began using “Smart Metering” and “Smart Grids” to manage its increasingly dynamic energy network. Alliander consists of the companies Liander, Endinet and Liandon and transports electricity and gas to 3.3 million clients in the Netherlands. The “SA Liander” program will automate 300 distribution stations, facilitated by a new fiber network. This network was rolled out by R&M in cooperation with TenneT, VolkerWessels Telecom, Schuuring en Stam & Co en BAM.

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Johan Bil | R&M Western Europe [email protected]

able to manage and maintain its own infrastructure, without having to de-pend on other parties. Alliander can now easily organize the network and even scale up, it will always fit its current needs. We see Smart Grids as here to stay in the utility sector. The entire sector embraces this concept.”

Customer requirements are high and the design also differs from solutions in other sectors. For Schuuring, the reliability and quality of equipment and materials are a top priority. Everything has to be absolutely trouble-free and long lasting. Schuuring doesn’t just accept specifications dictated by the manufacturer, it checks all equipment in every step of the process.

In this project, every location is equipped with redundant connections. When a cable is damaged, a second cable takes over. The installer had no previous ex-perience of R&M equipment but found the products to be of high quality and worth recommending to colleagues, since the R&M product range is wide and the products are scalable and easy to use.

Low insertion lossAll parties involved worked together closely, from the civil engineering to roll-ing out the fiber at various locations. Insertion loss had to be kept as low as possible in this network, something which was achieved by using connec-tors with a very high polishing degree.

R&M also helped in defining the net-work and its components and provided maximum support in planning, logistics and installation.

Jochem Turk concludes: “We had been using materials from R&M for some time, but European procurement rules required us to allow other parties to take part in the tender. However, R&M came out on top. The company’s ser-vice level as well as its speed of action have surprised us in a positive way. We deliberately chose a premium segment supplier because we wanted outstanding service and a wide range of solutions to choose from. Alliander is one of the first energy suppliers to roll out a fiber optic network on this scale and other parties are watching closely. For everyone in the sector, it is now clear that this is the way ahead.” n

thE r&M SolutioN

n RFTTU (Fiber to the Utility) / FTTx

n 360 x Unirack 48v E2000 /APC Grade A

n 10 x Venusbox FXL 24v E2000 /APC Grade A

why r&M?

n Quality

n Professional implementation of customer needs and wishes

n Good consulting and a close relationship with contractors

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On December 14, 2013, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new terminal 1A, Bangalore International Airport was officially renamed Kempegowda Inter-national Airport. The airport serves the Indian city of Bangalore and covers a total area of 4750 acres. It was awarded “India's best airport” for the year 2011 by the survey conducted by Skytrax.

The airport at Bangalore is relatively new and is constantly expanding; it has been modernized and made capable of handling international air traffic in a relatively short period of time. As Banga-lore is a popular destination in India, BIAL had to fulfill top security require-ments and meet expectations of guests from all over the world.

The main challenge for BIAL was to make sure the infrastructure was future-proof so that it could be adapted and extended to correspond to any later growth of the airport. As an airport the main concern is down time, which has to be avoided to ensure efficient and smooth functioning.

R&M offered an end-to-end solution based on cabling systems requirements

for Kempegowda International Airport and was selected for the project. To en-sure a future-proof solution for BIAL, R&M came up with the most profes-sional approach and a system that could be totally relied upon. The structured cabling solution for the International Airport includes singlemode 6, 12 and 48 fiber optic cables and copper shield-ed cables with a specified capacity of 10 GbE.

The current refurbishment project has copper infrastructure based on the Cat. 6A shielded ISO solution from R&M and shielded panels of 24 ports to be used in the project.

R&M’s installation of modern network technology at Kempegowda Interna-tional Airport has been able to manage

the huge data transmission efficiently as well as keep a future-proof network available. Kempegowda International Airport has earned recognition across the country and internationally for being the most modern as well as one of the biggest airports in India.

BIAL emphasizes the pleasant and suc-cessful collaboration with R&M, appre-ciating in particular the Swiss quality, professionalism and experience. BIAL is continuing to use R&M’s structured ca-bling solutions for current expansion plans. n

Swiss Quality End-to-End Solutionfor Kempegowda Airport

BIAL is a public limited company formed to build, own and operate Kempegowda International Airport. BIAL has been given rights by the Indian government to develop, design, finance, operate and manage the airport for 30 years from the date of commencement of commercial flight operations. It has an option to extend the right for an additional 30 years.

rajesh rajan | R&M [email protected]

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ity, moisture resistance and electro-magnetic interference immunity. A fur-ther advantage of the solution is its low power consumption.

Individual EEPROM signatures identify the cables. They contain information on the length and a serial number. The sig-nature can be used for planning, cabling and/or recabling, as well as documenta-tion. This means savings in both time and costs.

Due to the design, the format and elec-trical connections have unlimited com-patibility with the specifications of the SFP-Multi-Source Agreement. SFP+ DAC cables from R&M are compatible with all devices which have MSA-com-patible ports compliant with SFF-8431, SFF-8432, SFF-8472 and SFF-8083. n

Network architecture is going to have to change significantly on the road to cloud-capable data centers. Networks are going to have to become flatter and server uplinks shorter. The new product range of SFP+ Direct Attach copper cables (DAC) by R&M, also known as Twinax cables, meets these require-ments.

The cables support transmission rates of 10 Gbit/s per channel. They are suit-able for point-to-point Top of Rack net-work architectures and enable increased infrastructure density in the cabinets. They are hot-pluggable, in other words

can be plugged in and out in running switch and / or server operation with both cost and time savings.

SFP+ stands for Small Form Factor pluggable plus Transceiver. In terms of scope, the range beats those of the network device manufacturers and in-cludes eight cable lengths from 0.5 to seven meters. Because in many cases short delivery times are crucial, R&M always has a large number of DACs in stock in its main warehouse. The SFP+ connectors comply with R&M’s strict quality standards in terms of operating conditions such as temperature stabil-

Twinax Cables for Data CentersNew in the R&M range for data centers: SFP+ Direct Attach copper cables. They enable affordable high-speed connections both within racks and between neighboring ones.

Manufacturer Type Model

Arista Switch AllCisco Switch Catalyst *Cisco Switch Nexus

Cisco Switch Nexus Series 5000 / 2000 **

Dell Switch AllDell Server AllDell Adapter boards AllEmulex Server AllEmulex Adapter boards AllExtreme Networks Switch AllFlextronics Switch AllIBM (Blade Networks) Switch AllIBM (Blade Networks) Server AllIBM (Blade Networks) Adapter boards AllIntel Server AllIntel Adapter boards AllJuniper Switch AllMellanox Switch Most QLogic Server AllQLogic Adapter boards Most

All compatible.* compatible – from Version 12.2(25)SE (requires activation via CLI)** compatible – from Version 4.1(3)N2.1

Christian Schär | Product [email protected]

The new SFP+ Direct Attach cables from R&M enable increased infrastructure density in network cabinets.

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Montreux: Faster, More Digital, Higher Quality

Montreux was already an internation-ally known resort and conference city back in the 19 th century. The city on the shores of Lake Geneva gained an inter-national reputation with the Rose d’Or Festival. The Montreux Jazz Festival was established in 1967 and attracts 200 000 visitors a year. Today Montreux has a top convention center and is home to countless cultural festivals.

The networking of Auditorium Stravinski The premier concert hall of the festival, the Auditorium Stravinski in the Mon-treux Music & Convention Center, is being gradually updated with the latest technical advances. A fiber-optic net-work infrastructure is one such advance

that has been installed in the multipur-pose hall since 2011. R&M supplied es-sential components for the local data network on behalf of the city of Mon-treux. Technical coordinator Jean-Paul Chabert explained why the city settled on R&M: “The cabling has to meet the very highest quality requirements.” Only high-end products would do for current and future broadcasting appli-cations. Chabert said there were big quality differences in fiber optic technol-ogy in particular and they directly affect network performance and the quality of digital music broadcasting. Failure safe-ty was a further criterion for the deci-sion. As Jean-Paul Chabert said: “When a concert is underway, the equipment simply has to operate.”

The management of the Montreux Mu-sic & Convention Center had very limit-ed time to devote to cabling moderni-zation because it constantly has events to organize. It was therefore vital that the installation be as fast as possible and that the center have a reliable part-ner able to adjust to the requested deadlines. R&M complied with both requirements thanks to quick mounting technology, flexible logistics and cus-tomer-oriented project management.

Communication and Data Center in Montreux The trend to digitalization, the archiving project and ambitious multimedia ob-jectives required the city to make yet another major investment: the installa-tion of its own Communication and Data Center, aka CDC. Similar to the in-frastructure of the convention center, the CDC had to satisfy the toughest requirements. That is why the city of Montreux turned once again to R&M to supply the passive infrastructure.

The CDC went into operation in De-cember 2013. It is right on the shores of Lake Geneva. The CDC uses fiber-optic links based on 10 Gbit/s and WDM (wavelength division multiplex-ing) that attain transmission speeds of up to 50 Gbit/s. They can be employed

A one, a two… a one, two, three… The moment international jazz stars start their

sessions in Montreux, every note, every image is recorded. Today, every second

of the legendary concerts is broadcast throughout the world in real time

and is digitally archived. R&M helped the jazz city build up a network for the task.

5000 hours of jazz concerts now part of UneSCO world heritageSince the Montreux Jazz Festival was founded in 1967, over 5000 hours of concerts by over 4000 bands and artists have been digitalized live and stored on video and audio tapes in the storage system of ePFL (Swiss Federal institute of Technology in Lausanne).

Old recordings may well be able to be called up in future without any trouble thanks in large part to the CDC in Montreux.

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to network the CDC longer-term with other regional technology centers such as the fa cilities of EPFL in Lausanne, of CERN in Geneva and of the Ad Valem satellite station in Le Bouveret.

Cédric Rolli from CR Network plans custom network cabinets for every big event. He takes a top-of-rack approach to designing the network architecture featuring 52 distribution nodes. Pierre-Yves Nussbaum, Head of IT and Audio-visual Technology at the Montreux Mu-sic & Convention Center, considers it important to have a clear-cut, well-con-ceived network design. The availability rate of the CDC corresponds with the requirements of the TIER III standard. Fiber-optic technology and shielded copper cabling from R&M ensure ex-cellent signal quality in data transmis-sion. Cooling is done in a low-energy way, with water from the Lake Geneva pump station.

The Communication and Data Center (CDC) of the Convention Center in Mon-treux is used by the Montreux Comedy Festival (MJF) and a number of other partners. It performs myriad functions, which are placed in different parts of the central computer room. In this way the CDC supports the city data net-works and the security and building installations at the Convention Center. It networks telecommunication, Internet and IT providers with each other. The CDC supplies internal and external TV, radio and Internet broadcasting and offers a backup option for the data from

all events. It also provides direct con-nections to the key hotels on site and other partners. External customers can make use of the CDC as well.

In a video interview posted on the Internet homepage of the municipal- ity of Montreux (www.commune-de- montreux.ch), Mayor Laurent Wehrli made the following comments: “The new communication center enables services with which we can set our-selves apart from the competition. With this new technology and infrastructure, we can now position Montreux as a top international venue for this sector, just as Claude Nobs did with his jazz festival decades ago. That helps us at-tract new clients to Montreux time and again for congresses and for cultural and art events.” n

walter Kurzen | R&M [email protected]

how Jean-Paul Chabert discovered R&M qualityJean-Paul Chabert is responsible for the coordination of technology in buildings as represen-tative of the Office for Real estate, Buildings and Sports. he imposes tough requirements on infrastructure. Of course, the network components also have to be reliable and deliver the best possible performance to ensure trouble-free transmission. Chabert therefore always scrutinizes products involving stage and event equipment somewhat more closely.

That is how he came about screwing apart a connector from neutrik, an audio equipment manu-facturer, one day. he wanted to see the reasons for the good, low-noise signal transmission. inside he discovered a Cat. 6 module from R&M. The quality craftsmanship delighted Chabert straight-away: “A top product. i was immediately convinced by the iDC technology from R&M. it is ideal for our needs in the concert business because it is vibration proof. Afterward, i examined all the R&M products and i can verify that the copper and fiber optic products are of first-rate quality.”

Jean-Paul Chabert Cédric Rolli Pierre-Yves Nussbaum

“it is the most significant legacy of music history.”Jazz producer and musician Quincy Jones talking about the Montreux Sounds Digital Project and the archive of festival founder Claude Nobs.

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FO Field – Now also as an SCOne year ago, R&M presented installers with the field-terminable FO Field connector

which represented amazing progress. This year the range is growing with the

FO Field SC. in addition, there is now a complete tool set available for even simpler

and safer assembly.

The FO Field SC from R&M has been on the market since summer 2014 and is the latest extension to the range of field-terminable FO connectors. Just like the FO Field LC, which experienced a suc-cessful launch before it, the FO Field SC revolutionizes installation from planning through execution to maintenance. It makes users more flexible and inde-pendent because the field-terminable solution does away with the need for splicing and the use of pre-terminated cables. The connectors can be hooked up in a few easy steps.

The flexibility in terms of the types of cable also simplifies ordering and logis-tics. For both types of connector – FO Field SC and FO Field LC – R&M ena-bles the combination withn the fiber types singlemode and

multimode as 125 / 250 μm fibers,n full or compact wires with

600 to 900 μm cladding,n cable jackets of 1.4 to 3 mm

diameter.

Both PC and APC can be used for the contact surface. The FO Field SC has a 2.5 mm ferrule, push-pull coupling mechanism and crimp-free strain relief. Its insertion loss is less than 0.5 dB and the return loss over 60 dB for APC (IL ≤ 0.5 dB each-to-each, RL > 60 dB plugged, > 55 dB unplugged). The FO Field connectors from R&M comply with the standards* IEC 61754-4 (SC) or -20 (LC) and TIA / EIA 604-3 or -10 and attain the first-class performance cate-gory C / 1 or C / 2 respectively.

Easy handling makes the FO Field SC suitable for many tasks in structured campus, office and building cabling sys-tems as well as for installations in hos-pitals, hotels, stadia and data centers.

The advantages of field assemblyIn many FO installations, it is a great relief when connectors can be assem-

bled on the construction site. The field-terminable connectors available on the market to date do, however, have some disadvantages. Their mechanical and optical characteristics – particularly re-turn loss – cannot compete with the values of pre-terminated and factory-tested connectors of a pigtail or patch cord.

Virtually all familiar solutions use a 0 ° cleave to make the fiber junctions in the connector. Even with the help of modern index-matching gels, the return loss (RL) in this procedure cannot ex-ceed 45 – 50 dB, regardless of whether the connector has a physical contact (PC) or angled physical contact (APC). It is not physically possible; the worst RL in the link is the total RL.

Possible uses of field-terminable single-mode connectors available to date are limited. These products are usually used as the last connector in the outlet or for

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daniel Eigenmann | Product [email protected]

repair purposes. They are not suitable for use in top-quality links in broadband service or in structured cabling systems requiring as loss-free a transition of light as possible.

Professional, quality-conscious operators of FO networks are looking for precise, consistent APC connectors (APC = An-gled Physical Contact) for the entire transmission path right to the customer. In this solution the fiber endface has to be angled by 8 °. This reduces reflec-tions and improves the transition of light. It also achieves better attenuation values. APC solutions are very common because they are future-proof and sup-port high transmission performance. The field-terminable FO connectors from R&M certainly meet the high demands of network operators.

Field-terminable connectors are the ideal solution for many FO projects. They are easy and fast to use, even in large numbers, without the need for elaborate preliminary planning. The ca-bles can simply be drawn into the race-ways and cut to the right length. This practice of cutting the cables to length after laying them saves you unpleasant surprises such as cables that are too short or cables that are overly long. The connectors can be hooked up in just a few easy steps. The FO Field con-nectors can be rewired making it simple to carry out any changes and conduct repairs on site.

The alternative is fusion splicing. The devices necessary for this are relatively

expensive and can only be operated by experts. Making FO connections for apartments and offices is thus time-consuming and requires a large number of qualified personnel that are often not available. The training session for FO Field takes just a few hours and makes it possible to have a large num-ber of staff qualified to extend net-works in just a few days. And you have a further ace up your sleeve: FO Field – the genuine alternative to splicing. n

The FO Field case

installers do not require any additional training and hardly any tools for terminating the FO Field connectors from R&M. Scissors, wire strippers, red light source and a cleaver are quite sufficient.

The assembly tool set comes in a dust-free hard-top case. it also contains the newly developed 8 ° cleaver. The drawer is removable so the case can accommodate any cleavers you may already have. There are also drawers for connectors, cleaning materials and instruction guides.

it takes just one to two minutes to assemble an FO Field. The fiber is stripped at the required point, the coating is pushed down to the guide pin and the fiber is broken by applying light pressure at the appropriate point. in the next step, the fiber is jammed with a snap fastener, the wire by removing a bracket. Then the outer housing is assembled.

The correct contacting can be checked using the red light source (pass/fail check). if the light in the semi-transparent control window of the connector housing goes out, the connection works.

Depending on the desired performance, you can use tried and tested 0 ° cleavers for terminating (up to RL 45 dB for PC and RL 50 dB for APC). if installers want to attain RL Grade 1 (> 60 dB plugged, > 55 dB unplugged), they use the new, easy-to-use 8 ° cleaver from R&M.

* Field-terminable FO connectors are not explicitly subject to standards. For classification, reference is made to corresponding standards available to date. Future standards will assume that field-terminable connectors comply with performance level Grade C/2 and Grade C/1. The new development from R&M already offers this performance today.

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R&M has been contracted to deliver a high-performance, end-to-end cabling infrastructure solution for the Panorama commercial and residential project in Oman.

The Panorama project involves the con-struction of a commercial and residen-tial complex consisting of seven towers, each comprising two basement levels, a ground floor and seven additional floors. Two towers are for five-star hotels, each offering 140 rooms, four towers for ser-viced apartments and one tower for office premises. This complex will also include a shopping mall, three cinema halls, food courts, a library, a health club and lifestyle stores. Panorama will be situated in the Al Khuwair commercial district of Muscat, five minutes away from Ruwi, the central business district of the country. Allied Real Estate LLC,

R&M Provides Cabling Infrastructure to “Panorama” Megaproject in Oman

R&M Cat. 6 UTP end-to-end cabling solution to deliver voice, data and video transmission

across the whole complex.

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Samuel godfreyR&M Middle East, Turkey & [email protected]

nical staff that will be employed within the various towers.

Oman is a very important market for R&M and we are building up a strong portfolio of very good reference proj-ects, the latest being Panorama. n

an established Omani real estate com-pany owned by H. E. Sheikh Salim bin Ali al Siyabi, a prominent business lead-er in Oman, is behind the project.

The Cat. 6 cabling solution comprises 4500 points enabling up to 1 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and supporting applications with a bandwidth of up to 450 MHz. Installation of the products

was carried out by the cabling vendor’s partner, Al Jassar Telecom (AJT), a com-pany that has been providing high-qual-ity ICT products and services to the industrial and construction sectors in the Sultanate of Oman for nearly two decades.

Sunil Nair, Business Head at Al Jassar Telecom, says: “As an ELV system inte-grator our responsibility was to design, supply, install, test, commission and maintain the whole ELV system for the Panorama project. The challenge was to provide world-class products at a competitive price. Despite the fact that there were a number of cabling vendors shortlisted for the project, R&M was chosen because of various competitive advantages such as the presence and support of the local team, the com-pany’s reputation for Swiss quality products, 25-year system warranty, ex-cellent design consultancy and last but not least highly competitive pricing. We are confident that the installed products will not only meet but also ex-ceed the expectations of Panorama.”

AJT has signed a five-year annual main-tenance contract (AMC) with the proj-ect developers and a dedicated team of trained engineers will ensure that the infrastructure operates at the highest levels of efficiency and performance. Once the implementation is complete, AJT will also provide training to the tech-

R&M Cat. 6 copper cabling technology installed in Panorama project in Oman

“The challenge was to provide world-class products

at a competitive price. Despite the fact that there were

a number of cabling vendors shortlisted for the project,

R&M was chosen because of various competitive advantages.”

Sunil Nair, Business Head, Al Jassar Telecom

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Expanding FTTH to Regional Areas:A Realistic Scenario?Fiber-optic technology has long since been connecting continents, but it is having

a harder time getting into rural areas, houses and living rooms. how is FTTh developing?

where are the opportunities, risks, obstacles – particularly for sites outside large cities?

we talked to Prof. Jürgen Anders, an expert in this field.

Prof. Anders, fiber-optic networks are now being expanded throughout Europe, even in rural areas. The speed at which network operators are doing this, however, varies considerably. Why should that be?Jürgen Anders: On the one hand it is a question of what strategy national net-work operators have chosen to pursue. On the other, there are a number of countries where expansion is the re-sponsibility of the municipalities: Public authorities themselves become active. In eastern countries, where there are also high rates of penetration, you will

find that it is often committed new net-work operators who are driving this ex-pansion forward.

Is the commitment from small municipalities and towns worth it?Financially speaking, expanding fiber op-tics to the building is still very difficult to put into figures. The amounts of money being invested are relatively high, the amortization periods are comparatively long. That makes it difficult for private industry. Municipalities simply have more ways of financing such projects and do not depend on fast amortization.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Anders teaches at the faculty of Digital Media at Furtwangen University (hFU), Germany. he specializes in the planning of broadband networks and has established the Broadband College at hFU. he is a member of the FTTh Council, the clearinghouse “new Media in Rural Areas”, the FKTG (German TV and Cinema Technology Society) as well as the broad-band network “broadnet+”.

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It is also a question of their capacity to compete as a location. Municipalities have to give that due consideration nowadays. We can indeed see that property prices and population develop-ment depend on broadband supply. Par-ticularly when it comes to the attraction for the younger generation, commitment is certainly worth it.

What risks are there in expanding in rural areas?There are risks in terms of the cost of expansion which is often underestimat-ed and expectations of synergies which do not come to fruition. We have ob-served that taking the time to engage in appropriate planning and carrying out a detailed needs assessment always pay off. A further critical success factor is providing information at an early date and involving residents and companies to ensure correspondingly high connec-tion rates once FTTH expansion has been completed.

Let’s focus for a moment on technol ogy: Where is development taking us as regards FTTH and FTTx?We can currently see two directions: FTTC and FTTB. Commercial zones are often equipped with FTTB fast to suit market requirements. In residential areas it is usually sufficient to start out with FTTC. But we certainly recommend that, from the outset, clients take the subsequent installation of Fiber to the Home into consideration.

As far as fiber-optic infrastructure itself is concerned: Various technologies, such as P2P or P2MP, are in use. It is less a

question of capacity than one of the ar-chitecture and the services to be pro-vided. In private households, in which distribution plays a large role, P2MP architecture is an attractive alternative. The P2P variant is worth considering in the commercial sector for individual cor-porate connections.

Transmission technology in PONs is changing all the time. What do you recommend municipalities do to keep subsequent investments under control?On the one hand, industry is required to enable backward compatibility. I would always recommend an open architec-ture. A passive optical network can be set up in such a way that it can be trans-formed into a P2P network at a later date without roads having to be dug up. The correct positioning of the passive splitters is crucial in this respect.

What expectations do you have of manufacturers such as R&M?Together with municipalities, we are, at times, developing strategies that stretch over ten years. This results in certain demands. An extremely important de-mand is component and system availa-bility for years to come. The reliability and durability of the components are also very important. We strongly urge that better quality components are used.

Prof. Anders, thank you very much for talking to us. n

tobias MünzerMarket Manager Public Networks [email protected]

To read the entire interview as a full text version or watch the video, go to:www.connections.rdm.com

FTTB Fiber to the BuildingFTTC Fiber to the CurbFTTh Fiber to the homePOn Passive Optical networkP2P Point to Point networkP2MP Point to Multipoint network

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Data Security – Made in SwitzerlandOne of the world’s most secure data center complexes is located to the west of Zurich:

the greenDatacenter. As the operator of the facility, green.ch makes no compromises.

Only absolutely reliable technology is used, technology that is better than state of the art

and ahead of its time. R&M cabling falls into this category.

When the second wing of the green-Datacenter goes into operation in the autumn of 2014, the vital role green.ch plays in data center business will be-come even more important. Matthias Koller, Team Leader for Data Center Deployment: “We will then be the Tier IV supplier in Switzerland.” The many discrete lessees of data center space – security-minded international corpora-tions and sensitive co-location custom-ers – are ever-mindful of high availability and appreciate the unique security measures taken here. “We offer maximum security, availabili-ty and quality. The facility must operate reliably without interruption. That is our top priority,” CEO Franz Grüter empha-sized. “Our suppliers have to practice and implement these values as well.”

In R&M, green.ch has found a supplier of copper and fiber optic infrastructure that shares its own philosophy.

“In all its activities, the green.ch Group relies on three proven values: Swiss quality, reliability and continuity. We appreciate the fact that R&M does its product development and production in Switzerland,” Franz Grüter added. He then talked about the parallels between the two companies: “R&M is a recog-nized brand. It stands for reliable value. It is a traditional Swiss business with

an excellent reputation.” He noted that R&M products lived up to the compa-ny’s reputation and had met all quality specifications at all times.

Matthias Koller from green.ch and the installation partner Jost Elektro AG both confirm the compatibility: “green.ch and R&M are a good fit. Innovation is a major topic at both companies.” Four traits that are specially appreciated are no-compromise quality and a high level of competence, responsiveness to cus-tomers and good cooperation. This last strength manifests itself especially in the reliable delivery performance of R&M and the individual service. “I like working together with R&M. I can rest assured of excellent service tailored to the cus-

Franz Grüter, CEO green.ch,and Ronald van der Meer,Managing Director R&M Switzerland

“R&M is a recognized brand.it stands for reliable value.

it is a traditional Swiss businesswith an excellent reputation.”

Franz Grüter, CEO green.ch

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tomer plus customized products. Those are added benefits for planners and in-stallers.”

“A tidy solution!”Along with the soft skills, the technical advantages are also compelling. Mat-thias Koller: “The R&M solution saves considerable space in inter-rack cabling.” He described R&M cabling as a “tidy solution,” which is also visually attrac-tive and appreciated by the lessees. With R&M systems, a facility can be modularly expanded quickly and with-out complication. The same holds true for meeting specific customer requests.

green.ch relied partially on copper and fiber optic solutions from R&M even in its first wing, completed in 2011. The basic equipment in the second wing, under construction since 2013, consists solely of R&M systems. The LAN topol-ogy follows the classic tree structure. In the computer room, top-of-rack archi-tecture is employed.

R&M cabling is also offered for individu-ally expanding the leased spaces and caged racks. Intelligent patch systems from Jost Elektro AG are likewise available. The specified equipment is MPO and Cat. 6A connection systems, E-2000™ * and LC connector systems, fiber-optic cables for multimode cate-gory OM4 and singlemode category OS2 as well as copper cable for 1200 MHz bandwidth.

Pascal Fähndrich, Team Leader for Data Center Facility Management at green.ch, describes the current trend in data cen-ter business as follows: “An increasing

number of customers purchase com-pletely configured housing packages, quarter and half racks directly from us instead of equipping their leased space themselves. The desire for security is their motivation. Switzerland is attract-ing growing numbers of international customers as a data center location because of the security advantages it offers. In this situation, it is good to be able to rely on such an established Swiss partner as R&M.” n

* E-2000™, manufactured under license from Diamond SA, Losone.

greenDatacenter: innovative, ecological, secure

“no compromises!” That was the motto in planning the greenDatacenter Zurich-west. Since 2010, green.ch AG has been building the most modern data center in Switzerland in a two-stage project. with its greenfield site, the center is sufficiently removed from sources of danger yet also boasts good traffic connec-tions to the Greater Zurich Area.

The facility is a carrier-neutral data center used solely for this purpose. it features 10 000 square meters of usable space and a redun-dant 20 Megawatt power supply. A third wing is planned. A total of ChF 120 million are to be invested. The greenDatacenter offers co-loca-tion and housing services or the rental of data center space including emergency worksta-tions for business customers.

each of the first two units alone meets Tier iii availability requirements. Together they satisfy Tier iV requirements owing to the complete redundancy in design. This trait is unique on the Swiss market in this segment. Failures in system components or paths that lead to the failure of overall operations (single points of failure) are virtually ruled out. The availability rate is 99.991 percent. The annual average downtime is not allowed to exceed 30 seconds. in point of fact, the green-Datacenter has not had a single second of downtime since it was put into operation.

The greenDatacenter is also exemplary and innovative from an ecological perspective. it is the world’s first data center to be fitted throughout with direct-current equipment. Thanks to this approach, it achieves a favorable power usage effectiveness (PUe 1.4). The air-conditioning uses waste heat and therefore operates especially efficiently. The Swiss Federal Office of energy awarded the greenDatacenter the Prix watt d’Or.

Many renowned customers use the new Swiss benchmark in the data center industry for different purposes: hP for european-wide cloud services, ABB as a global model plant for direct-current operations, Axpo as a primary corporate data center, Saxo Bank as a data center for data mirror-ing – and many more.

Together, green.ch AG and Green Datacenter AG form the green.ch Group. They originated in 1995 from the iT department of the SVB, the Swiss farmers' federation, then a pioneer in disseminating internet access to private customers. Today, green.ch with its staff of about 100 employees is the largest hosted exchange provider, the second largest web hoster and the fifth largest internet provider in Switzerland.

daniel gyger | R&M [email protected]

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40 Gbit/s in Data Centers – But How?40 gigabits per second. That is the new benchmark

for data centers. if you want to ensure top performance

in the cloud era, you are going to have to make sure

your networks can cope with this transmission speed.

There are five possible different technologies.

An overview.

When you are planning 40-gigabit proj-ects in data centers and thinking about whether investing is worth it, there are a number of criteria to be taken into con-sideration. First of all you should think about the application area: If you are planning for the Core and Aggregation Layer, you are looking at links of at least fifteen meters. In larger facilities, dis-tances of 100 meters and more may have to be covered.

In the future, 40 gigabits will also be used in the Access Layer which mostly involves shorter distances of up to 30 meters. Here consumers are looking for suitable solutions for Top-of-Rack (TOR) or End-of-Row (EOR) architectures.

The suitable technology and reach have to be selected to correspond to the par-ticular application area. But whichever way you look at it, there is no one solu-tion that can cover all requirements at a low price at the same time.

Technical planning criteriaThere are other technical criteria that play a role in planning: Attenuation, la-tency, energy consumption, heat genera-tion, connector shape, cable diameters and port density should be compared. The current stage of standardization and thus the effectiveness for the future of the selected solution are important.

Ultimately, the degree of modularity, scalability, reliability of the investment, ease of use and value for money should

be looked into in depth. Various manu-facturers set great store by proprietary components. Planners and operators should weigh up whether a solution is compatible, interoperable and indepen-dent in use.

The more complex networks in data centers become, the more and more crucial it will be to use systems for monitoring and Automatic Infrastruc-ture Management (AIM). Are the distri-bution and cabling systems selected ready for that?

Five 40GBASE-x technologiesEssentially, there are currently five dif-ferent 40GBASE-x technologies available. They all have their advantages and dis-advantages. The table lists fundamental distinguishing features.

If you consider 40GBASE-CR4 with Twinax cabling, availability and tech-nology maturity will play a role. In the long- distance sector, your eyes will nat-urally be drawn to the comparatively cost- efficient multimode solution, 40 - GBASE-SR4. At this point, we would

The more complex networks in data centers become,

the more and more crucial it will be to use systems

for monitoring and Automatic infrastructure Management (AiM).

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dr. peter Cristea | Head of Technology & Pre-Development [email protected]

like to mention the outstanding range of the R&M solution for 40-GBASE-SR4. R&M specifies 330 meters using OM3 cabling and 600 meters using OM4 cabling each with four MTP ® connectors.

40GBASE-T is still in the standardiza-tion phase. Which means that we can currently only guess at energy con-sumption and the resulting port density and latency.

But basically there is a wide range of technology available. The solutions have

different strengths, weaknesses and levels of maturity. Each technology has a right to exist. The right technology mix should be analyzed and determined for each specific case. n

Technology 40GBASE-SR4 40GBASE-SR-BD 40GBASE-LR4 40GBASE-T 40GBASE-CR4

Area of use Core, Aggregation

Core, Aggregation

Core, Aggregation Access Access

Reach 150 m,R&M: to 600 m 150 m 2 km 30 m Passive 7 m,

Active 15 m

Cables Multimode fibers

Multimode fibers

Singlemodefibers Twisted Pair Twinax

Connectivity / shape QSFP+, MPO QSFP+,

LC duplex QSFP+, LC, SCRJ45 and / or ARJ45 (Cat. 8.1 or rather 8.2)

QSFP+

Energy consumption 1.5 W 3.5 W 3.5 W 5 W ? 1.5 W

Latency 300 ns + channel 1 µs 300 ns +

channel 2 µs ? 300 ns

Port density 48 48 48 48 ? 48

Standardization Yes Yes Yes Not yet Yes(vendor lock in)

40 Gbit/s solutions for data center applications

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Maximum Flexibility for a Digital Lifestylenearly one fourth of all apartments in the Zurich

Metropolitan Area belong to housing cooperatives.

The cooperatives enable their members to live

in modern, affordable housing.

Current example: the Wrighthouse belonging to the housing cooperative BGZ. It offers a lot of comfort and convenience at a good price – also with respect to communication.

Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Inexpensive apart-ments are hard to come by. City voters therefore decided in 2013 to increase the number of affordable apartments by 30 %. A number of pertinent projects have been started since then. Bauge-nossenschaft Glatttal Zürich (referred to below as BGZ) is one of the largest housing cooperatives and investors in the region with about 2000 apartments. Its latest project is called the Wright-house.

The cooperative system is a proven model for the construction of reason-ably priced housing and is widespread in Switzerland. It is based on the soli-darity of a large number of members, who jointly finance and run a project. Thanks to their broad base, the coop-eratives can bring to market a diverse portfolio and a wide variety of apart-ment sizes. They have properties for all situations in life.

Flexibility is vital for the cooperatives be-cause their members’ life cycles, space requirements and individual needs change constantly. To be able to supple-ment their range of housing and keep resources on hand as needed, the coop-eratives occasionally erect or purchase new buildings and apartments. This was

the reason BGZ invested in the Wright-house, a modern residential and com-mercial project.

Kurt Williner, Head of Construction and Maintenance at BGZ: “The Wrighthouse supplemented our portfolio on the north side of Zurich perfectly with its 81 apart-

ments and variety of commercial spac-es. The apartments have an ultra-mod-ern design and clearly meet the needs of highly mobile young working cou-ples.” The building complex is part of a total system containing all the neces-sary facilities: shopping mall, gym, busi-ness hotel and much more.

thE r&M SolutioN

n 1 OMDF cabinet with 2 combination modules for 144 consumer units

n 6 building entry points

n 122 pre-terminated FO outlets

n 122 home wiring installation kits with Cat. 5e/u

n 370 multimedia outlets

n 8 km installation cabling Cat.5e/u

BGZ is a housing cooperative that facilitates modern, reasonably priced housing on the north side of Zurich. The apartments meet all the requirements for a digital lifestyle.

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Maximum Flexibility for a Digital Lifestyle

Beat Stucki | R&M [email protected]

nearly one fourth of all apartments in the Zurich

Metropolitan Area belong to housing cooperatives.

The cooperatives enable their members to live

in modern, affordable housing.

Current example: the Wrighthouse belonging to the housing cooperative BGZ. It offers a lot of comfort and convenience at a good price – also with respect to communication.

Flexible infrastructure Kurt Williner: “This project is aimed at a target group with a digital lifestyle.” That is why BGZ wanted to install mod-ern, future-capable infrastructures from the outset. The apartments were to be appealing and sustainable in every re-spect and offer added value. Kurt Willi-ner: “The communication infrastructure is supposed to be state of the art and be flexibly usable. For instance, modern individuals want to be highly flexible in terms of their providers!”

The project partners decided on a com-bined communication approach based on cabling solutions from R&M. It con-sists of Fiber to the Building (FTTB), Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and multi-media home cabling. R&M recommend-ed the flexible fiber-coax concept to connect the apartments. It enables ge-neric Gigabit Ethernet transmission.

The building was connected using the FiberSpot concept of Swisscom. The external fiber optic cabling was run up to an appropriately equipped SCS FAN rack, which is housed in an optical main distribution frame (OMDF) from R&M. The active components for the access area are also located here. The cabling for all the apartments converges at the OMDF. The Swiss 4-fiber model is ap-plied throughout the building. It ensures open access for phone, Internet, TV and cable providers.

The optical fibers were run from the building entry point (BEP) into the multi-media distribution boxes for the apart-

ments and from there to the fiber optic outlets. In addition, all apartments were connected to a coaxial cable for CATV. Copper cabling in a star arrangement supplies the individual rooms and the multimedia outlets. They are fitted with RJ45 and coax connections. The same communication infrastructure was in-stalled in the 41 condominiums in the Wrighthouse, which are being offered on the market independently of BGZ.

Free choice of providers With this approach, BGZ makes avail-able a generic passive infrastructure in a star arrangement. All communication and online services, phone, cable or digital TV, radio and Internet can be used over a single set of integrated cabling. This solution is capable of meeting fu-ture needs and also offers occupants the added value that comes from flexi-bility. All transmission media are already in each apartment so the occupants can easily switch providers if they wish. In addition, they can combine multiple services for the purpose of conver-gence and even set up their own mini local data networks for their computers or game consoles.

Meyer & Partner AG from Stäfa, the electrical engineering firm subcontract-ed by the general contractor Implenia to do the planning, recommended the R&M solutions. Once again, Meyer was convinced of the quality of R&M prod-ucts. From the perspective of planners, R&M offers the leading total solutions for projects such as the Wrighthouse. R&M also provided comprehensive ser-

vices during the entire project, which was seen as another plus. Melcom AG from Wallisellen was contracted to do the installation work. n

www.wrighthouse.chwww.bg-glattal.ch

Affordable living in ZurichBGZ is a housing cooperative that enables renters and cooperative members to live inexpen-sively in the direct vicinity of Zurich. Today it has nearly 2000 apartments on the north side of the city. its portfolio includes apartments of all sizes and with all manner of features plus single-family townhouses. handicapped and low-income individuals can find an apartment at BGZ.

The buildings of BGZ are close together. it is therefore worthwhile for the cooperative to take care of services for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the properties itself. it employs nine janitors, inter alia, who are experts on the building installations and receive continuing training regularly. R&M gave the janitors specific training so they can take care of the communication infrastructure themselves.

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The Latest Standards for AIM SystemsAutomated Infrastructure Management (AIM) systems are increasingly used in data centers to monitor connections and take care of a whole range of other tasks. There will soon be a standard for AIM: the ISO / IEC 18598.

This information will be useful for man-aging IT processes and systems, but also for other areas such as intelligent building automation. The point of AIM systems is that they make their knowl-edge of the data of a network available to other management tools using standardized data models and inter-faces.

R&M plays an active role in this stan-dardization. Expert findings in the stan-dardization procedure are used con-stantly for the further development of R&M inteliPhy. Users of R&MinteliPhy can be sure that they are using a future-proof and standard-compliant system.

Supplementary standardsPlanners and network operators can also refer to the CENELEC EN 50600-2-6 standard. This standard defines pro-cedures for managing and operating data centers. The main focus is on the operative processes for optimizing reli-ability, availability, security and energy efficiency in data centers.

Total control of cabling using AIM sys-tems such as R&MinteliPhy makes the daily work of network administrators a much easier task. AIM systems map the entire infrastructure in a consistent database which is always up to date and provide auxiliary tools and planning aids for network administration.

The trend toward using AIM is being given a boost with the forthcoming ISO /IEC 18598 standard which defines de-mands made of AIM systems and also provides advice on how to use them. The aim is to support efficient, inexpen-sive and secure network operations.

AIM systems are primarily used to man-age cable infrastructure as well as the active devices of an IT infrastructure. Then there is the documentation and monitoring of physical connections.

reinhard Burkert | Product Manager [email protected]

Another significant standard is the ISO /IEC 14763-2. It contains information on the basic functions of AIM systems in a new addendum. For details, ISO / IEC 14763-2 refers to ISO / IEC 18598.

The forthcoming standardization will unite the interfaces. It can thus be ex-pected that the use of AIM systems will soon be made much simpler and thus increase considerably. n

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Glossary of Transmission TechnologyTo measure or not to measure? – With fibers, that is the wrong question

it is not enough for a link just to work. if high performance is what you are after,

all elements of an FO connection have to work together perfectly – also in

terms of guaranteed performance in the future. So measuring is in fact mandatory.

Different FO installations – offices, data centers, long-distance traffic – require different measurement technology. The following three methods have estab-lished themselves on the market:

n LSPMLight Source / Power Meter is a combi-nation to determine the attenuation of an optical link. The source transmits a light pulse with a precisely defined power level – and at the other end, the remaining power is measured. The method is more precise than an OTDR measurement, but does not reveal any information on the individual elements of a connection.

n OTDROptical Time Domain Reflectometers send a short light pulse and record the reflections over time. The known ve-locity of dispersion in the fiber means that the reflections or loss can be de-termined spatially. The characteristics and length of the relevant fibers should, however, be known to be able to select the suitable pulse width. Because that is what determines the range and dead zones.

n PMDPolarization Mode Dispersion is in-creasingly becoming a test criterion for service providers. PMD, the varying velocity of dispersion of light in differ-ent polarization directions, becomes in-creasingly important the longer the dis-tance and the shorter the pulse width, i.e. the higher the bit rate. The PMD tolerance levels sink in proportion to the bit rate. This is why reliable and re-producible PMD measurements are indispensable for future applications with higher bit rates. There are different PMD measuring methods. Basically, a PMD test device always consists of a source, which can vary the polarization of the test signal, and a detector, which can measure the change in polarization.

Make sure you have measuring condi-tions conforming to standards. ISO 14763-3 pertains to optical fibers in cus-tomer premises cabling. It permits only 0.3 dB attenuation for MM (0.5 dB for SM) connector/socket combinations – a value that can only be attained with patch cords and sockets that conform to standards.

You cannot simply rely on any mini-mum performance. Measurement is the name of the game. Test cables with reference connectors are required. And always remember: Clean the optical connectors before measuring and be-fore any change. This is especially im-portant as 95 % of all errors reported by IT personnel can be attributed to contaminated connectors. n

dave de VylderTechnical Service [email protected]

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the network in the communities on the north shore of Lake Attersee. The driv-ing force behind this development is Expert Nöhmer, a local company that dates back to 1958. Although it was originally founded as a bicycle shop, it has developed over time into an innova-tive Internet service provider.

Milking using the InternetThanks to Expert Nöhmer, there has been a cable TV network in the North Attersee region since 1978, at the time with three channels, a sensation back then, and now with over 300. In 2007, the family company started investing big time in Fiber to the Home. “In our case, you could call it Fiber to the Farm,” explains Junior Director Gerhard Nöhmer with a grin. “Because we laid up to 1.5 kilometers of fiber optic cables to reach outlying farms. This means the farmers can now operate milking ma-chines that are controlled using the In-ternet.”

High demandsThe extensive network expansion also saw a rise in the need for high packing density and installation that was as simple and as time-saving as possible. Expert Nöhmer started looking for a provider that could perfectly meet these criteria. And found just what was needed at the FTTH Conference 2012 in Munich: R&M was exactly the effi-cient kind of partner the company was

Life is unhurried in Schörfling am Atter-see. The famous landmark, and em-blem, of this small Austrian community, Kammer Castle, majestically overlooks the lake – and has done for more than 800 years now. Sail boats gently rock on the waves in the small marina. Things seem to go at their own pace here.

Fiber optics pioneerBut the idyllic life in the Salzkammergut region has another side to it which is

not as obvious but certainly just as formative for both the town of Schörf-ling itself and the region as a whole: Schörfling is one of the most modern communities in Upper Austria when it comes to fiber optic networks. While other towns were still thinking about extending their broadband networks, the first houses and farms were already excited about their FO connections here. And that was back in 2007. Today there are already 4000 subscribers to

Fiber to the FarmTogether with R&M, a local network operator in the

Austrian Salzkammergut region is making sure that around

4000 subscribers have access to fiber optics and that

milking machines can be controlled online.

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herbert tisch | R&M [email protected]

“Farmers can now control milking machines using the internet.”

Gerhard Nöhmer, Junior Director, Adolf Nöhmer GmbH & Co. KG

looking for. From its headquarters in Wetzikon, R&M supplied the Austrian company with a customized Optical Distribution Frame (ODF), splice mod-ules and street cabinets.

Outstanding prospectsToday, Expert Nöhmer is satisfied with its end-to-end system from the main distributor to home connections, en-abling simple installation, high packing density and flexible subscriber manage-ment. Other advantages include effi-cient protection against external influ-ences as well as the fact that it is no problem to combine coax and fiber

optics in the main distribution cabinet. In this way, Schörfling and the sur-rounding communities are perfectly equipped to offer their residents and visitors even more than the wonderful charm of the Salzkammergut area in the future: namely, the fastest fiber op-tic network in the region. n

Schörfling is one of the most modern communities in Upper Austria when it comes to fiber optic networks.

while other towns were still thinking about extending their broadband networks, the first houses and farms were already

excited about their FO connections here.

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the Grisons Civil Engineering Office were delivered with the housing painted red. Further projects are being planned. Sandro Mura summarized the project in a nutshell: “R&M provides quick, con-scientious and competent service. They always cater to customers’ wishes. This collaboration is valuable. R&M Sales is organized very efficiently and profes-sionally. We greatly appreciate that.” n

The Civil Engineering Office of the Swiss Canton of Grisons is a role model in modern transportation. It takes care of an efficient road system 1591 kilome-ters long. That task includes maintain-ing national highways on behalf of the federal government. The roads are pri-marily in the mountains. A crucial link is the connection between the Rhine Valley and the Canton of Ticino through the 6 km long San Bernardino Tunnel – a 131 kilometer long section of national highway A13. Some 14 to 16 million vehicles drive on the A13 every year in the north and around the cantonal capital of Chur. This heavy traffic re-quires constant, reliable monitoring and communication by the administrative offices of the Grisons Civil Engineering Office.

The Civil Engineering Office began lay-ing fiber optic networks along key roads 20 years ago. It was a pioneering achievement at the time. Now the ca-bling along the A13 and on other sec-tions is being replaced by ASTRA (Federal Roads Office) to ensure future-capable transmission of information and data over 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The network links all tunnels and locations. Its tasks include, among others, monitoring tunnels and sending video images and traffic data as well as con-trolling oper ational equipment. Other

authorities use the fiber optic cables for their own communication.

The quality and security of the network infrastructure were key factors in plan-ning and evaluation. That is why the re-liable partner R&M was selected. The optical distributor frame (ODF) was of particular interest to Andrea W. Jetzer from the planning firm Fibertech and to Sandro Mura, the chief of telecom and IT at the Grisons Civil Engineering Office.

The ODF enables a “revolutionary ap-proach” in the words of the project participants. The compact design of the distributor frame fits well into the planned facility locations. Conventional 19" systems would have taken up too much space. The modular, user-friendly patch and splice units of the single cir-cuit management systems (SCM) were also just what the customer had en-visioned, as were the possibilities for individual management. Positive re c-ommendations from users, practition-ers and installers strengthened the re-solve of the customer to choose the ODF from R&M. And that is how R&M ODF cabinets came to be employed for the first time in a highway construc-tion project. Customer-specific require-ments were satisfied quickly and with-out complication. The ODF cabinets of

ODF Networking SwissNational HighwaysMillions of vehicles roll over Swiss national highway A13 in eastern Switzerland year in and year out. It is one of the most important roads traversing the Alps. Now it has been made even safer. A new fiber optic network improves communication and monitoring along the transit route with assistance from an optical distributor frame (ODF) from R&M.

peter Meier | R&M [email protected]

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dr. Jan Kupec | R&D [email protected]. Jan Kupec | R&D [email protected]

Saving Energy with Short LinksEnergy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) extends the Ethernet standard and aims to lower energy requirements. The standard was adopted in 2010 and, since the introduction of 10GBASE-T, cabling too plays its part in saving energy.

nection and potentially can lead to trans-mission faults.

To avoid these problems, the standard specifies a minimum link length of 15 meters for permanent links. In many en-vironments, this link length is realized by laying superfluous cables as loops. If, however, users combine a very good module with an excellent cable, head-room is created enabling permanent links to be considerably shortened to

Cabling saves energy by avoiding over-lengths. This is where dynamic power scaling comes into its own. It minimizes the transmitting power into the cable so that the signal strength is just sufficient to transport the transmitted information safely to the recipient. The insertion loss of a cable is in proportion to its length. This means that greater signal strength reductions are possible with shorter links.

Working with short linksIt is not always possible, however, to use short links in all environments. The reason: The permanent link model only takes the connector systems at the close end of the link and the relevant cable into consideration. If the users shorten the distance between the two ends of a permanent link, the loss of the cable is increasingly reduced. This in-creases the influence of the connecting technology at the other end of the con-

create short links. Together with the EEE protocol, this represents energy savings of 17 % for this link.

The HPNC solution from R&MThe top-quality Cat. 6A ISO modules and the cables from R&M’s High Per-formance Network Connectivity (HPNC) solution support the approach de-scribed. With them it is possible to in-stall 10GBASE-T links from two meters in length. A best-case scenario conse-quently has 13 meters less cable. The links still meet all demands of ISO / IEC 11801 Amendment 2, particularly the critical parameters NEXT and RL. n

Greater signal strength reductions are possible

with short links.

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Flexible Academy for Financial Professionals

Stuttgart is the second largest financial center in Germany. The most renowned organizations are investing in the new downtown area north of the main train station known as Europaviertel. The 53 savings banks in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg also concen-trate their central institutions at this location. As market leaders in south-western Germany, they have assets to-taling € 175.5 billion.

The key big project of Sparkassen ver-band, the association of these savings banks, involves an investment of € 85 million to erect a training academy for the savings banks (Sparkassen akade-mie), referred to below as “the Acade-my”. It offers the 50 000 employees a variety of basic and continuing training courses. Its opening in March 2014 launched a new era of learning for the financial experts. Even Peter Schneider, president of Sparkassenverband Ba den-Württemberg, was impressed: “The Academy offers ultra-modern technolo-gy, ultra-modern possibilities.” For him, superbly trained personnel is a key fac-tor of success for the savings banks. Marcus Arnold, Head of IT at the Acad-emy: “In planning, we took into account future forms of teaching, learning and presentation.”

Flexible use of space The 40 halls, training rooms and rooms for small-group activities are all com-pletely networked and fitted with high-end media equipment. Video walls with 13.5-square-meter screens, 103" plas-ma and 80" LCD monitors can be con-trolled from computers and intuitively operated. Internet, document cameras and video cameras can be activated in a matter of clicks to produce interac-tivity and disseminate knowledge. The real showpiece is the 23-square-meter LED video wall in the largest conference hall, which has seating for 600. Digital video cross rails enable any desired transmissions between the rooms and the floors.

Partitions can be shifted in most rooms of the Academy to divide or enlarge them. That means the various spaces can be adapted in no time to the spatial

and technical needs of the widest range of events. This approach is based on a concept developed by the Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart.

Hundreds of floor tanks and 130 WLAN access points offer the lecturers and visitors direct access to the 10 Gigabit network no matter how rooms and seating happen to be arranged at a giv-en moment. This extraordinary flexibili-ty and functionality was among the key requirements during planning.

“You need absolute top-quality cabling for that,” was the conclusion of Marco Thieme, project manager at the engi-neering firm IB Schwarz, when planning began in the fall of 2010.

Functional diversity Given the flexible use of space and frequent changes of media equipment,

A university that reconfigures its lecture halls for almost every lecture. That is how the Sparkassenakademie in Stuttgart does it. Regardless of how the walls happen to be arranged at a given time, the instructors and seminar participants always have access to robust, reliable network connections for computers and for presentation and media equipment.

“You need absolute top-quality cabling for that.”

Marco Thieme, graduate engineer and project manager from the engineering office IB Schwarz

iNStallatioN

n 160 km Cat. 7 cable

n About 3 400 Cat. 6A ports

n About 70 x 48-port 1U HD patch fields

n About 450 module holders (with 6 outlet connections each) for floor tanks

n About 3 200 Cat. 6A patch cords

n 130 WLAN access points

n IPTV system for the hotel

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the planners expected the patch cords to be plugged in and out more frequent-ly than average. They wanted the floor tanks and distributors to withstand this extra strain for decades.

Under no circumstances could the sta-bility of signal transmission be allowed to be impaired. The vital factor for the Academy is to be able to ensure a highly professional range of lectures and educational events at all times.

In addition, it wanted the cabling equip-ment to be as concentrated as possible. The academy demanded functional di-versity for the network infrastructure and for the rooms. It wanted the LAN to network not only the training rooms, media equipment, WLAN antennas and offices, but also the hotel wing housed in the same building, the restaurants and a daycare center. The 148 apart-

ments in the Academy hotel offer IPTV (Internet protocol television), inter alia. Cat. 6A for training To meet the tough quality requirements, the Academy opted for the current cop-per range from R&M. A decision was also made to integrate the R&M secu-rity system with color coded plug con-nections. This system allows users to distinguish the network services clearly and always select the correct plug con-nection.

The innovative R&M Cat. 6A connection modules, Cat. 6A patch cord, high- density patch panels and Cat. 7 cables form the basic framework for struc-tured cabling. About 160 km of cable had to be laid and about 3400 ports had to be wired. More than 70 patch panels were placed in the distributors. For the floor tanks, R&M prepared

450 module holders each fitted with six outlet connections.

After two years of construction and the on-schedule opening, Marco Thieme summed up the experience as follows: “R&M provided us with excellent sup-port in this project. The contact part-ners were always reachable. Everything we needed was delivered promptly.” n

Michael Münzmay | R&M [email protected]

A new Place to LearnA new place to learn and gather has been created in the heart of Stuttgart: Sparkassenakademie, the training institution for the savings banks of Baden-wuerttemberg. it was erected according to the plans of the Stuttgart architectural firm wma wöhr mieslinger assoziierte. it is the most modern educational facility in the German savings bank sector and makes learning both inviting and enjoyable. The eight-floor building has much to offer: n A convention center with a hall for up to 600 people, four conference rooms with seating for 200 each. n The Academy with 18 seminar rooms, 15 rooms for small-group work and two iT training rooms.n An office story for the 65-member administrative staff, two restaurants, a bistro, 148 hotel apart-ments, a daycare center and an underground garage.

every day, the Academy courses and conferences are attended by about 1000 financial advisors, bank sales staff, personnel, marketing and iT experts as well as junior and senior management. in other words, every year these courses are attended by about 26 000 employees from savings banks in southwest Germany and their associated companies. Many remain there for several weeks and can stay in the comfortable hotel rooms for the duration.

Peter Schneider, president of Sparkassenverband Baden-württemberg, the association of savings banks in southwest Germany: "with our basic and continuing training, we lay the ground-work for satisfying our public mandate."

Source: wma architekten – wöhr mieslinger assoziierte, Stuttgartwww.wma-net.de

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Optical Transmission:Opportunities and Limitswith 12 700 participants and more than 800 specialist presentations, the most

recent Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conference in San Francisco provided valuable

insight into all the latest technologies, current market situations and future trends.

This report details a few important aspects.

Buzzwords such as Space Division Mul-tiplexing (SDM), 40 / 100 G Optics, Soft-ware-Defined Networking (SDN), Silicon Photonic Integration, Raman Amplifiers and the like kept reoccurring in the vari-ous OFC programs. But what are the experts really talking about? How do all the individual pieces of the puzzle go together to create an overall systematic picture? In this article, we want to provide an overview of the most impor-tant points of discussion: the current development of FO transmission and its limits, new technologies and the op-portunities they will offer in the future.

Figure 1 on the left: Development of the capacity of optical transmission systems thanks to breakthrough technologies.Figure 2 on the right: Spectral efficiency (in bits per second per Hz). The dashed line represents the theoretical limit according to the Shannon theorem. The two solid lines show the practical limits of today's transmission systems depending on input power density (in mW per GHz).

Overview: the Shannon lawIn practice, every optical transmission system is limited by the noise of the amplifiers and the non-linearity of the fibers – a physically given limit. Never-theless, there have been a number of breakthrough technologies over the last three decades in the core network of optical transmission.

First of all, the introduction of single-mode fibers in the 1980s. A decade later coherent detection and optical ampli fication came to improve the sig-nal-to-noise ratio. A further leap in terms

of capacity was the introduction of WDM technologies in the long-haul network at the start of the new millen-nium. Recent developments in de-ploying sophisticated modulation tech-niques are leading to the improvement of spectral efficiency in optical fiber transmission.

Figure 1 impressively shows the evo-lution of optical transmission system capacity and reflects the continuous improvement in performance. How-ever, the spectral efficiency of a trans-mission system has limits to its ex-

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dr. ying hao | R&D Engineer, Member of IEC TC86 Fiber [email protected]

Figure 3: The top view of optical fiber communication.

tendibility. According to Shannon, there is a theoretical maximum that depends on the available bandwidth and the sig-nal-to-noise ratio of a communications channel. The spectral efficiency is also specified as channel capacity (in bit / s) per bandwidth unit (in Hz) (Figure 2).

Apart from a highest possible capacity, experts take two further aspects into consideration. One of them is the aim to simplify the management of optical networks. The other aspect concerns costs, and by that we mean the invest-ment and operating costs of the entire system. So overall, the focus is on three points: greater transmission capacity, lower overall costs and simpler network management (Figure 3).

The technology opportunitiesA few exciting developments mean we can look forward to a brilliant future of optical communication. The aim is to fully exploit the spectral efficiency of the transmission systems up to their physical limits. Hot topics were dis-cussed at OFC.

n Multicore Fiber is one of the signifi-cant FO innovations which will increase transmission capacity at least seven-fold. It will speed up the introduction of SDM technologies. With appropri-ate solutions for the connecting tech-nology, coupling multicore fibers with a group of singlemode fibers could be a possibility. This could be realized using a free space lens array or using 3D waveguides to form the fan-in-fan-out coupling devices.

n Thanks to silicon photonics, costs and energy consumption of optical de-vices can be reduced. The optical trans-mission into and between silicon chips (silicon photonics) could solve the problem of large “data movement” and thus clear the way to supercomputing. A number of challenges have to be over-come before this technology is ready to go to market. Experts advocate an integral approach taking network archi-tecture and software into consideration.

n Digital Signal Processing (DSP) in-creases the capacity, tolerance and flexibility of transmission systems. In long-haul transmission, digital signal processing enables the multiple-input / multiple-output process (MIMO) and is thus a prerequisite for SDM. But even in short-distance applications, DSP is be-coming increasingly important for mod-ulation, the more data rates increase – not least because of cloud computing.

Early detection and analysis of techno-logical trends are the key to success. This is an essential prerequisite in order to provide our customers with future-proof solutions. n

Sources:– A.Willner, Optical Communication

Systems, OFC 2014– T. Li & H. Kogelnik, Optical Communication

Laboratory, 2010– P. Mitra & J. Stark, Nonlinear limits to

the information capacity of optical fibre communications, nature, vol. 411, 2001

– K. Bergman, Silicon Photonics for Exascale Systems, OFC 2014

On behalf of R&M, Dr. Ying hao was invited to give a talk on the topic of “Optical interconnects in Data Centers” at the POeM conference (international Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings) on 18 – 21 June in wuhan, China.

For more information, follow this link:http://poem.wnlo.cn/Program_Highlights/Industry_Forum

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SuCCESS


to satisfy these tough performance de-mands at all times.

“We needed the best shielded cabling solution on the market for this project. Knowing the reliability and guarantee R&M can offer us, we did the obvious thing and offered a clear-cut, efficient solution from the Swiss manufacturer,”

Vodafone España has started convert-ing its distribution channels and will open up a large number of exclusive, personalized stores. The project com-menced at the beginning of 2014 and will be completed by 2017.

In June 2014 the network of these new stores numbered 100. When the con-version is finished in March 2017, the network will cover all regions of Spain and is expected to have more than 750 branches.

EfficiencyTechnical Department Vodafone: “We are making great efforts to develop ex-clusive stores as a distribution channel. We want to offer our customers an in-comparable experience. To reach this goal, we need advanced technical infra-structure.”

PartnershipIn this project the telecommunication provider depended from the outset on support from Aryse Infraestructuras. Aryse plans, builds, maintains and runs communication networks for network operators of all sizes in Spain.

Aryse Infraestructuras, a certified R&M partner, opted for the products of R&M due to the list of requirements sub-mitted by Vodafone. It was the only way

Vodafone España is Building up its Network of Branch Offices with a Shielded Cabling Solution from R&M

The telecommunication provider is investing in the modernization of its sales locations

throughout Spain using a cabling solution from R&M that guarantees maximum

performance at each branch.

“we are making great efforts to develop exclusive stores as a distribution channel.

we want to offer our customers an incomparable experience.

To reach this goal, we need advanced technical

infrastructure.” Technical Department Vodafone

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raúl Villarroel del pino | R&M [email protected]

explained Jesús Rodríguez, Managing Director of Aryse.

The Vodafone stores occupy first place in terms of technology right now. Every individual point of sale has an unbeat-ably efficient network at its disposal.

In the process of modernizing the Voda-fone stores, R&M installed category 7A shielded cables with class 6A connec-tivity. This was undoubtedly the best solution given the requirements set for the speed and security of data transmis-sion.

The long-standing partnership between R&M and Aryse Infraestructuras helped to ensure the all-round success of the project. Both the involved partners offered the best possible service. This

is further proof that their joint experi-ence from earlier projects assures the best results time and again. There is no doubt about that. n

thE r&M SolutioN

n Cat. 7A cable – shielded

n R&M security system

n R&M patch guard

why r&M?

n Top product efficiency

n Security

n Connectivity with shielded cables

n Reliable partnership between Aryse and R&M

SuCCESS

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thereby simplifying installation and main-tenance. CMRI also wanted to have its logo imprinted on the cable manage-ment system, a request that R&M ful-filled thanks to years of experience in customizing products to suit customer requirements.

David Child from CRS was directly in-volved with the project and offered his full support for the network cabling. CRS also supplied other equipment and solutions for the data center at CMRI.

CMRI’s expansion will help speed up advances in the prevention and cure of childhood diseases in Australia and worldwide, offering real hope to children and families everywhere. n

CMRI’s vision is to make further contri-butions to medical science in the years to come. Endorsed by the NSW gov-ernment, CMRI’s redevelopment of its building infrastructure will further boost the scale of its research efforts and programs. Among the five stages of re-development that have been planned and approved, the first stage has just been completed. R&M had the oppor-tunity to work with CMRI and our part-ner Computer Room Solutions (CRS) to deliver cabling solutions for the network infrastructure.

As CMRI is a pre-eminent hub for im-portant research and development, data is continuously being generated in the form of medical research insights, labo-

ratory findings and information from other facilities. There was a clear man-date to build a network that could scale and remain future-proof, considering that more brand-new buildings would be interconnected upon the final com-pletion of all five stages of redevelop-ment.

R&M’s Cat. 6 UTP solution was pro-posed for the office cabling of the first building that houses 200 researchers. The reliability of the Cat. 6 solution en-sures continuous transmission of data and maximum uptime for the communi-cation network at CMRI. For backbone connectivity, a fiber-optic solution based on OM3 12-core multimode cables as well as OM3 fiber-optic patch panels was also supplied.

R&M also supplied a 1U and 2U cable management system that would help organize the cables more efficiently

CMRI, a Global Leader in Medical Research,Selects R&M’s Cabling Solutions in Sydney

Emmanuel Beydon | R&M [email protected]

Founded in 1958, the Children’s Medical Research Institute in Sydney is an internationally respected institution for the significant advances it has made. Over the past 55 years, CMRI has carried out a wide spectrum of research in fields such as congenital defects including heart disease, blood disorders and cystic fibrosis research. CMRI also pioneered microsurgery techniques that help repair tiny blood vessels and organs in infants and children and has also made several advances in gene therapy and cancer research.

“we really liked R&M’s approach as a friendly brand that helped us

build our iT network cabling with the right solution.

They also went the extra mile to customize the product as per our

specifications with our logo which creates a meaningful

environment within the building.” Andrew Davies, ICT Manager at CMRI

trENdS

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dr. Jan Kupec | R&D [email protected]

Even Faster with G.fastA range of field tests and reports at specialist telecommunication congresses have whet people’s appetites for G.fast over the past few months. This ultra-fast, hybrid transmission technology brings even more bandwidth to the final few meters.

ternet access at a speed of 500 Mbit / s. And speeds of over 1 Gbit / s have been achieved in lab tests.

Migration can take place successively. G.fast can co-exist with VDSL in the same cable because a gap can be used for VDSL transmission in the lower fre-quency range.

The distribution point (DP) requires a power supply. One solution is to get the energy from the customer. This is called reverse powering compliant with ETSI TR 102 629. In reverse powering, the distribution point does not require its own connection to the public power supply or copper cabling to the central office. In special cases, such as in Switzerland, old copper cables to the central office are still in place and can provide the power supply. In such cases, remote power feeding can be em-ployed. R&M developed its own solu-tion (CONNECTIONS No. 46, page 23) for this very purpose.

The broadband evolution is taking a ma-jor step forward with G.fast, an innova-tion from the labs of notable telecom suppliers. The ITU-T (International Tele-communication Union, Telecommuni-cation Standardisation Sector) intends to launch the standard before the end of 2014.

The acronym “fast” stands for “fast ac-cess to subscriber terminals”. The trans-mission technology is based on vec-toring. The technology of active noise suppression was also further developed for G.fast.

Solution for the last 100 metersG.fast also uses existing copper pairs – but only over the last 100 to 200 meters. For G.fast, the fiber optic network has to be pushed forward to a distributor at the curbside (Fiber to the Distribution Point, FTTdp, or Fiber To The Street, FTTS).

G.fast is to be operated with a high trans-mission frequency of 212 MHz. This bandwidth enables providers to offer In-

The international market launch of G.fast systems is likely to take place in the near future. With the cabling system R&Mfox, network operators can now start preparing their passive infrastruc-ture in advance. R&M’s carrier solu-tions support current hybrid concepts such as FTTdp as well as migration to future FO infrastructures (FTTH). n

G.fast may well become an interim solution until full-coverage FO cabling to the home is possible. After VDSL, G.fast is the next evolutionary step on the road to broadband service.

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Acquisition of AFS Indiafield of Public Networks. AFS is a highly regarded manufacturer of FO products and solutions for the Public Networks sector and for years now has been one of R&M’s certified E-2000™* assem-bling partners. The company was found-ed in 2002 and has its production facility in Bangalore.

R&M is well established on the Indian market. The acquisition of AFS under-scores the company’s endeavors to bring premium products and solutions to mar-ket. Customer requirements can now be

In March 2014, R&M took over all business operations of Advanced Fiber Systems (AFS) India enabling an entry into the Public Networks market in the country.

As one of the leading suppliers of struc-tured cabling systems on the Indian sub-continent, R&M has realized successful solutions in the Office Cabling and Data Center sectors with well-known cus-tomers over the past ten years. The ac-quisition of AFS enables the company to actively address the very promising

satisfied even further with tailor-made complete solutions. Today, R&M has a workforce of more than fifty in India. n

* E-2000™ manufactured under license from Diamond SA, Losone.

Value Added in CooperationAmong other things, the test system MultiFiber™ Pro has now been includ-ed in the range. MultiFiber™ Pro is the only FO test system with which MPO fiber bundles can be tested without fan-out cables having to be used. This makes it easier to test MTP ®* modules from R&M in the field.

The cooperation with Finisar opens up entirely new dimensions for data cen-ters. The technology alliance makes QSFP+ transceivers from Finisar a cornerstone of the R&M systems for High Performance Network Connectiv-ity (HPNC). The result is cost-effective multimode cabling to cover large dis-tances.

For 40 Gigabit Ethernet, R&M is now specifying links up to 600 meters long on the basis of OM4 cables. The parallel-

Fluke Networks and Finisar Corpo-ration are the first partners in a new Technology Alliance Program of R&M. The company’s cabling solutions gain additional value added with these co-operations. Data centers in particular reap the rewards.

The fundamental goal of the Technology Alliance Program is to be able to provide the market with financially attractive ca-bling solutions and underscore the qual-ity level of R&M products. To this effect, the cooperation with Fluke Networks supports the R&M warranty program.

Seven of Fluke’s test devices were ap-proved to check and certify FO and cop-per installations in the course of R&M warranty applications. The use of in-spection equipment in accordance with R&M’s recommendation leads to an in-crease in process speed from planning through to the commissioning of a ca-bling system. Processes become more homogeneous, reliable and less expen-sive.

optical interface technology consists of four MTP ®* connectors from R&M and the QSFP+ transceiver from Finisar. Sim-ilarly links up to 330 meters are speci-fied with OM3 cables. The solution en-sures a more efficient changeover for data center operators from today’s 10G networks to future powerful 40G fabrics. In comparison to the use of singlemode cabling on the 600-meter link, this rep-resents savings on typical investment costs of around 60 %. Reliability, trans-mission quality and the future effective-ness of the cabling nevertheless fulfill the highest demands. n

* MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec.

Link to the R&M Technology Alliance Program:www.rdm.com/en/co/about-us/technology-alliance-program.aspx

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thE owNErS’ pagE

Martin reichle | Co-owner, Vice Chairman of the Board of [email protected]

This view of the world was put forward by French philosopher and mathema-tician René Descartes (1596 to 1650) who developed a theory of knowledge which claims that things can only be accepted as true if their plausibility can be verified through individual analysis and logical reflection. Our academics are specialists in very narrow, clearly defined fields, but often have a tenden-cy to forget networked connections and mutual dependencies. You cannot understand the message of a film if you only see a small excerpt.

A holistic approach to thinking and actingIn science and within companies, Des-cartes’ mechanistic thinking is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The ad-vantages of a networked and holistic approach are increasingly being recog-nized and used, thus opening up a world of opportunities.

In large companies, declared special-ists often work in departments that are actually competing with other divisions of the company. Management teams sometimes try to solve such problems with complex processes, using over-modulated IT tools to do so. In many cases, this leads to complicated, slow processes. This generally increasing complexity is forcing companies to adopt a holistic, cross-divisional approach com-bined with process automation using IT tools. Ideally managers encourage cross-divisional working to be able to adapt flexibly to ever faster changing conditions and customer requirements. In business and academia, examining topics using an interdisciplinary ap-proach leads to important new findings.

Developing “biodiversity” in teamsInnovations often arise at the interfaces of different specialist areas or technolo-gies. You need heterogeneous teams to be able to take advantage of these

opportunities (diversity: expertise, mind-set, age, gender). The team members must have the openness needed to accept different views and allow new things to be born. Always with the aim of finding the best solution for custom-ers and companies.

Alongside a high level of expertise and

methodological competency,networked thinking is becoming

increasingly necessary in business and academia!

It is like in agriculture: Monocultures are a thing of the past. The future belongs to plant cultures with a high biodiversity. They complement each other and give each other strength, making them more resistant to climate change and undesir-able pests.

ConclusionAlongside a high level of expertise and methodological competency, networked thinking is becoming increasingly nec-

essary in business and academia! Suc-cessful teams think and act on a cross-divisional basis. There is no room for egoists and lone wolves. This results in a sustainable, customer-oriented in-novation culture which can give rise to surprising, new solutions that have come into being thanks to passion, enthusiasm and a high level of team spirit. n

Networked Thinking as an OpportunityUnfortunately, our training systems do not focus sufficiently on the development of networked thinking. All too often, learners are presented with an antiquated view of the world that tells them that the world can only be understood if it is examined down to the very last detail.

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Reichle & De-Massari AGBinzstrasse 32CHE-8620 Wetzikon/SwitzerlandPhone +41 (0)44 933 81 11Fax +41 (0)44 930 49 41

www.rdm.com

COnneCTiOnS: also available as an e-magazine!

To perfectly fulfill the information requirements of our readers, CONNECTIONS has been available as an e-magazine for some years now. It contains more detailed information and links on the topics featured in the printed magazine, also in the form of video material and as photo spreads – in German and in English.

www.connections.rdm.com/de/connectionswww.connections.rdm.com/en/connections

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Connections 47 e

Documents

data centers

smart metering

smart grids

new cat

sustainable data security

data center location

fo field sc

business figures