www.networkingplus.co.uk JANUARY 2019

f i x e d & w i r e l e s s n e t w o r k s f o r e n t e r p r i s e u s e r s

Increased capacity Getting better Corridors of power New connections NetActuate launches Network solutions As the demand for Cabling accessories new services from helping the NHS to data rises, how is the to help stop you data centre in help patients industry meeting the getting your wires London Real World energy challenges? crossed News, p2 Networks, p8 Feature, pp10-13 Off-the-shelf, p14 Firms haemorrhaging $100k a year hoarding useless tech

A survey of 600 data centre experts answer when asked why they had not spanning Europe, North America and returned hardware once the lease was up, Asia Pacific found two-in-five global with 63 per cent of UK businesses claiming firms waste over $100,000 per year manual/time-consuming processes. In hoarding outmoded IT equipment, addition, 49 per cent highlighted security because of security and compliance risks. and/or privacy concerns – the highest The results of The High Cost of percentage points from all of the countries Cluttered Data Centres, conducted by that took part in the survey. Although each Blancco Technology Group in conjunction country voiced their own priorities and with Coleman Parks, further found that concerns, UK firms were most worried 74 per cent of UK companies said at least about GDPR (43 per cent). This was 26 per cent of all RMA drives located on followed by increasing automation across their premises were still on there because the data centre (41 per cent). they were unwilling to send them back to Fredrik Forslund, vice president the relevant manufacturers. Furthermore, enterprise and cloud erasure solutions at a quarter of those surveyed admitted Blancco, said the industry is witnessing a The reluctance of firms to dispose of old tech is costing an average of more than $100,000 per year. that over half of their RMA drives are raised level of awareness due to new laws gathering dust for the same reason. and regulations, such as GDPR. effect since it will improve data privacy and Forslund said it would be prudent for However, organisations gave a similar “For the most part this has had a positive protection in general,” he told Networking+. firms to deal with organisations that can “However, it also creates challenges for securely process and erase hardware operational teams to carry out necessary to minimize the negative effects of process updates, which in the meantime can relinquishing data. lead to increased stock piling of hardware.” continued on page 2 Microsoft names end of support date for Windows 10 Mobile Microsoft has published the date on which it Joe Belfiore said Windows Mobile will ‘end support’ for its troubled Windows would stop receiving updates other than 10 Mobile devices as 10th December 2019. security-related ones and bug fixes. The computer technology giant, which He Tweeted: “We’ll continue to support all but admitted defeat in the ultra- the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, competitive mobile phone market back etc. But building new features/hw in 2016, quietly updated its FAQ in mid- [hardware] aren’t the focus.” January and said December is when the Microsoft also ended its support for devices will cease to receive new security Windows Phone 8.1 in the summer of updates as well as other staple features. 2017, with many predicting Windows 10 In an ‘End of Support’ document, Mobile would face a similar fate. Microsoft has instead recommended Wes Azad, director of Innopsis, the customers still using the devices to switch industry association for companies supplying to iOS or Android. The page further network services to the public sector, said the notes that help ends on 11th June, and handsets will become useless in the business “security updates, non-security hotfixes, market place. “The operators, customers, free assisted support options, or online and handset vendors have all been tracking technical content updates…” will end on this for some time and the good news is that 10th December 2019. Some applications people have been planning for the switch will have access help for a further three being turned off for further support,” he said. months post the switch off date. Some reports claim Microsoft is Microsoft has long struggled in the creating a Surface foldable phone, which mobile market and in October 2016, could be made available by the end of this global vice president of operating systems year or in early 2020. n

Net+ 1901 p1 (Cover) NEW AM.indd 1 28/01/2019 18:05 news register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more Hoarding old NFU survey: 16 per cent of farmers tech costing firms $100k have access to superfast broadband continued from page 1 The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has of 2 Mbps or less, although this has fallen connectivity as urban businesses so Steve Hone, chief executive officer of found that just 16 per cent of members now from 58 per cent in 2015. they can remain productive, competitive Data Centre Alliance agreed: “Just because have access to superfast broadband, albeit Furthermore, just 17 per cent of those and innovative,” he said. “The benefits you deem your kit to be “end of life” does an increase of 12 per cent since 2015. surveyed receive a reliable mobile signal that farmers receive from applying full not mean it has to go straight to landfill or However, despite clear improvements to in all outdoor locations – and 19 per cent connectivity are many; from optimising the crusher;” he said. “In fact, quite often, 4G services and increased access to superfast in all indoor locations. the use of inputs to decreasing farm costs what you no longer want may be exactly broadband, the results of the broadband Still the survey did produce more and improving productivity as a result. what another business has been looking for and mobile survey still underlined the positive news in that there was a Andrew Glover, chair of the Internet and therefore it still has an intrinsic value importance for improved coverage to help significant increase in farmers accessing Services Providers’ Association (ISPA) which can be realised.” farmers and their businesses. superfast download speeds of 24 Mbps or told Networking+ that in many rural One such company that upcycles The latest NFU findings also found more over the past four years. locations it is important to consider ageing technology is Techbuyer. Danny that 96 per cent had web access through Stuart Roberts, vice president of the alternative solutions to fixed broadband, McShane, head of IT asset disposition at a device. Of that figure, 89 per cent of NFU, said slow broadband speeds and including satellite and wireless the company, said returning hardware to respondents said broadband was an intermittent mobile coverage were barriers connections. the manufacturer for reuse is one option integral part of their day-to-day business. to improving farm productivity and “ISPA hopes that with the increasing but firms could be inclined to make In addition, it highlighted that a fostering faith in digital technology. support from the UK Government through money from old goods. considerable number of the 812 farmers “It’s vital that government ensures the FTIR, the industry will be able to build “A great alternative that comes with who took part (42 per cent) continue to rural businesses have access to the on this progress to reach the rural areas a cash return is to contact a secure experience the slowest download speeds same reliable broadband and mobile that need it most,” he said. n ITAD company who will carry out data erasure to military standard and ensure the materials in them do not go to landfill,” he said. “With a cash return NetActuate increases service capacity with on retired hardware plus the peace of mind of secure, environmentally friendly new data centre deployment in central London disposal, this is a great solution for data centres worldwide.” NetActuate has launched services from servers, bare metal, IP transit and its Nevertheless, the findings are a a new data centre location in London to Anycast platform. It describes the latter clear indicator of the extent to which offer increased capacity for infrastructure as a way to route network traffic that companies worldwide feel powerless and boost global network performance “dramatically increases” the speed and in their efforts to prevent reputational and reliability. The firm claims the new reliability of data, application and content damage. Therefore, they would prefer to location improves its ability to provide “high delivery to users. “With Anycast routing, spend large sums of money storing often performance, flexible and reliable services”. one IP address becomes reachable at obsolete technology to protect themselves NetActuate’s range of network multiple geographic locations,” states against misuse of data. n infrastructure services include virtual NetActuate on its website. Volta claims to offer “industry-leading” The firm’s new location is connected to power resilience in central London with a a global network which, says NetActuate, site that benefits from a total incoming feed provides clients with access to more than capacity of 9.6 MVA. 3,100 peers and over 30 additional “world class” data centres around the world. Volta Data Centres in central London. US-based NetActuate operates 32 It has multi-factor security with fully enterprise-class, carrier-neutral data centre redundant power and cooling. The facility locations around the world. In Europe, also has two separate 33kV supplies, plus these include Amsterdam, Bucharest, two independent grid substations for a Frankfurt and Paris, as well as two London total incoming feed capacity of 9.6 MVA. facilities that also include Telehouse. Customers in this location can also benefit The new UK location is operated by from low-latency connectivity to LINX. n IIC and OpenFog join forces The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) computing,” says IIC president Bill and OpenFog Consortium have agreed in Hoffman. “The Industrial Internet principle to combine. Consortium, now incorporating OpenFog, The combined memberships will continue will be the single largest organisation to drive the momentum of the industrial focused on IIoT, AI, fog and edge internet including the development and computing in the world. Between both of promotion of industry guidance and best our organisations we have a remarkable practices for fog and edge computing. global presence with members in more The organisations expect the details to be than 30 countries.” finalised in early 2019. OpenFog chairman and president Matt The move will bring OpenFog members Vasey, who is also director of AI and IoT into the IIC organisation at a time when business development at Microsoft, says: their complementary areas of technology “It has increasingly become apparent that are emerging in the mainstream. we share so much synergy with the efforts “This agreement will help accelerate of the IIC that it just made sense to bring the adoption of the IIoT, fog and edge the two consortia together. n

EDITORIAL: Publishing director: The contents of the magazine may Editorial director: Rahiel Nasir Kathy Moynihan not be reproduced in part or whole, [email protected] [email protected] or stored in electronic form, without the prior written consent of the Editor: Robert Shepherd publishers. The views expressed in this [email protected] is published monthly by: magazine are not necessarily those Designer: Sean McNamara Kadium Ltd, Unit 2, 1 Annett Road, shared by the editor or the publishers. [email protected] Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 2JR Tel: +44 (0) 1932 886 537 Contributors: Alan McClenaghan, www.networkingplus.co.uk Gerry Moynihan Annual subscription: £80 (UK); £95 ADVERTISING & PRODUCTION: (Europe), £100 (USA and the RoW) Sales executive: Andy London airmail. Cost per single copy is £8.25. [email protected] Printed in England by Production: Suzanne Thomas The Magazine Printing Company [email protected] © 2018. All rights reserved.

networking january 2019 2

Net+ 1901 p2 (news) NEW AM.indd 2 28/01/2019 18:06 register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more news

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO... Average cyber attack costs $1.7m Annie Andrews, The average cost of a cyber attack has the number of organisations under attack. per cent reported that the goal of the attacks climbed to $1.1m (around £855,000), It says most have experienced some type of they suffered was service disruption, while head of technology according to Radware. For those attack within the course of a year, with only 35 per cent said the aim was data theft. at Microsoft organisations that calculate rather than seven per cent of respondents claiming not to Jeff Curley, head of online and digital recruitment estimate the cost of an attack, that number have experienced an attack at all. Twenty one for Radware UK, Ireland and the Nordics, partner, increases to $1.7m (around £1.3m). per cent reported daily attacks, representing says: “This year, we’ve seen a real shift Curo Talent For its 2018-2019 Global Application a rise from 13 per cent last year. in the impact an attack has on a company and Network Security Report, the cyber The firm adds that not only are attacks financially and it’s especially interesting security and application delivery solutions becoming more frequent, they are also more that more companies are taking the time Encouraging a specialist leveraged vendor-neutral survey effective: 78 per cent of those hit by a cyber to calculate the loss, not just estimate it. data from 790 IT executives spanning attack experienced service degradation or a That’s not surprising given how volatile DevOps culture several industries around the globe. It also complete outage, compared to 68 per cent economies are at the moment. utilised its own hands-on experience of last year. “Understanding the impact of downtime There’s no magic pill, quick fix or easy handling today’s leading threats as well as According to the study, the top impact on productivity as well as sales and consumer answer to creating a successful cultural third-party service provider commentary. of cyber attacks is operational/productivity trust is essential to justify spending money change – and transitioning to DevOps is Radware discovered that while the cost of loss (54 per cent) followed by negative on protecting the business in the future, and no exception. DevOps isn’t simply about attack mitigation continues to rise, so does customer experience (43 per cent). Forty-five staying competitive.” n deploying digital tools. For a successful strategy, organisations must encourage debate, enable visibility, and improve internal communications. A common challenge of DevOps is ensuring both teams – development and operations – respect each other’s thoughts and opinions. There have often been long baked-in divisions between these teams, both organisationally and culturally. Colleagues from both departments will come with past experiences and motivations which may be at odds with the mindset required to make DevOps a success. To get around this, organisations should make the decision-making process simple and without hierarchy. Teams should be able to have an open and respectful debate and, fundamentally, everyone will be working towards the same objective. Information sharing tools can therefore make the decision-making process easier, as actual production and build metrics will be visible to all. Data is not subjective. Ensuring visibility of live running statistics will therefore ensure that decisions are made based on actual performance information, rather than the personal opinions of workers in either team. This reassurance through visibility can improve team dynamics, as it reduces the feeling of risk and uncertainty. In fact, when researchers at Google studied more than 180 engineering teams, they found that the most important factor in predicting one that was high performing was psychological safety – feeling safe when taking considered risks within the team. In a relatively new area of collaboration, like DevOps, this sentiment could not be more critical. Cultural hesitations can also be made easier by publicising the success of projects that have been completed this way. Perhaps more importantly, organisations need to be clear about the benefits that DevOps is providing to specific teams. Some workers can be shortsighted and will have a natural bias to strategies that clearly complement their own efforts. Successful communication of the benefits of DevOps will differ between workers from development and operations, so organisations should consider this in their internal communications strategies. The goal of DevOps is to help deliver software quickly, robustly and efficiently. However, it is often misinterpreted as simply a need to deploy new technological tools to meet this goal. In practice, DevOps relies more on cultural acceptance than the integration of new tools. Of course, the organisational change can be supported by a collection of improved software development practices. But organisations cannot rely only on these tools. Ultimately, it starts with a change to people’s mindsets.

3 january 2019 networking

Net+ 1901 p3 (news) NEW AM.indd 3 29/01/2019 12:33 news register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more Infracapital to buy Redundant fibre used for TNP to advise stake in SSE public sector Infracapital, the infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G Prudential, has rail terminal surveillance reached an agreement to buy a 50 per cent in Scotland stake in SSE Enterprise Telecoms (SSE) for A video surveillance system based on an up to £380m. The sum comprises £215m AMG Systems-supplied Ethernet switch The networked Public sector network specialist TNP (The to be paid on completion of the transaction network is helping to protect the UK’s surveillance system Networking People) has been awarded a which is expected by the end of June 2019, first new inland rail freight hub for over features 32 Bosch place on a new network advice Dynamic and up to £165m to be paid in instalments, a decade. cameras mounted on Purchasing System (DPS) established subject to future performance. The The iPort project near Doncaster offers 18 Altron towers. by the Scottish government. The system transaction will create a shared ownership six million square feet of space across 337 aims to give organisations, including local structure designed to accelerate SSE’s acres. The site is already home to large authorities, health trusts, universities and plans for growth in the fibre sector. The distribution facilities for companies such colleges, and easier access to a full range company currently runs a 12,000km as Amazon and Lidl, and occupancy is set of technical network advice. nationwide fibre network. SSE will retain to expand in the coming years. The DPS is said to build on the success the SSE Group as a key funder and anchor The newly developed iPort Rail terminal of the Network Enablement Services customer whilst gaining from Infracapital’s is located on its own 30-acre site within Framework originally created by the claimed experience of driving rapid growth the campus. Tenants can directly approach explains: “From the gatehouse, there’s Scottish government in 2014 to maximise and its access to additional capital. n the rail terminal using their own specialist a fibre optic cable which goes around efficiency and collaboration by embedding vehicles on the facility’s private roads. every camera tower and loops back to the sustainable procurement for public sector Buckingham Group Contracting was gatehouse. It’s a redundant ring, so if they network services. New ownership for responsible for the work on iPort Rail, and get a fault or deliberate cut, everything The new electronic process is designed it worked with CCTV specialist Daemon will carry on working. to further streamline procurement of IDEAL Networks Fire and Security to implement the video Tattersall adds that industrial PoE switches advice for organisations seeking to surveillance system for the perimeter. have been deployed in the towers so they can develop, enhance and secure their network CBPE Capital has acquired a majority The system features 32 Bosch cameras withstand the low temperatures that can occur infrastructure. TNP commercial director ownership position in testing specialist IDEAL mounted on 18 Altron towers. The cameras during cold winters in the relatively open site. Chris Wade says: “Existing public sector Networks. CBPE is acquiring the business are monitored and recorded using Bosch’s It’s claimed the 20 managed switches used network configurations often don’t provide from its former parent, IDEAL Industries, and video management system and analytics are able to operate in temperatures ranging the flexible and resilient infrastructure will be investing alongside the incumbent and are networked using equipment and from -40ºC to 75ºC. they need, so we can provide expert advice management team led by CEO Paul Walsh. expertise from AMG Systems. Daemon’s video surveillance project and guidance to ensure that improvements Terms of the transaction have not been Daemon and AMG designed a failsafe took around 10 weeks in total, including are cost effective and fit for purpose.” disclosed. According to Walsh, IDEAL’s fibre optic ring system together, as Chris implementation and commissioning. It was Wade claims TNP has extensive business will continue as normal across the Tattersall, technical director at Daemon, handed over on time and installed on target. n experience within the public sector across world with no interruption of supply through the UK and is familiar with Scotland’s it distribution partners. He adds: “What will specific requirements having worked on change is our ability to respond even faster to a number of projects including creating market needs through innovation. We will see Gateshead NHS Trust streamlines networks in the Highlands and Islands (see the company brand evolve over the coming News, May 2014 issue). years, but not straight away.” n Contracts will be awarded via call-offs patient care with Yellowfin BI issued through the DPS by Scottish public sector organisations inviting tenders for in- Corel acquires Parallels Gateshead Health NHS Foundation consumed by hundreds of people beyond scope services. These may include: advice Trust has deployed Yellowfin’s business just those with a licence. in relation to network security, integration Corel Corporation, the Canada headquartered intelligence and analytics technology to Thompson says Yellowfin has removed or upgrades; IoT integration; audit and company famed for WinZip and CorelDRAW help cut data processing delays and meet a “huge” amount of administrative work analysis of network services; infrastructure graphics software, has acquired Parallels. clinical targets. for the analytics team. He estimates that project management; and migration of Financial details of the transaction have As an NHS trust, Gateshead must work it has saved the team around six to eight existing services implementation. not been disclosed. Corel says it plans towards nationally mandated performance and days of data processing per month, and It can also encompass added value “significant” investment into the Parallels KPI metrics. David Thompson, Information improved the visibility across the business elements such as network monitoring, business and that its sees “exceptional” and Development Manager, says: “Our team into KPIs and performance metrics. health checks and security services, along opportunities for growth by leveraging the would spend a significant amount of time The adoption of Yellowfin has also helped with network support for staff moves. n strengths of both companies’ customer preparing this information and supporting the chief clinical information officer to bases, partner networks and globally known root-cause analysis when needed. track and manage clinical metrics such as Commercial director brands. The firm adds that the combined It was considered that the trust’s existing ‘Patient Flow’. The firm this ensures patients Chris Wade says companies deliver applications and services tools, such as Cognos and QlikView, were are being seen as quickly as possible, and TNP’s public sector across multiple platforms, including Windows, not being used to their full potential. that ancillary services like nutrition or experience shows macOS, iOS, Android, Chromebooks, Linux, As a result, the organisation decided to physiotherapy are being delivered effectively that better network Raspberry Pi, and the cloud. Corel now move to Yellowfin BI. Beyond the data so that patients can be discharged as quickly performance is often offers the complete Parallels product line and analytics team, the vendor’s business and as safely as possible. n achieved by using which includes Desktop for Mac, Toolbox for intelligence software is accessed by more Connecting the NHS – Real World Networks, the client’s existing Windows and Mac, Access, among others. n than 100 staff members, and its content is p8 infrastructure.

networking january 2019 4

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Net+ 1901 p5 (ads).indd 1 29/01/2019 13:07 news register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more UK’s first cloud-based police control room system G4S has awarded Motorola Solutions a dispatch, mapping and call logging. and effective service to the people of 10-year contract to deliver the UK’s first The company adds that as the first cloud- Lincolnshire,” says Marc Jones, police and cloud-based, integrated CommandCentral based system of its kind used by a UK crime commissioner for Lincolnshire Police. Control Room Solution (CRS). police force, CRS will also “significantly “The new command and control system is one Lincolnshire Police will use the platform simplify” management for Lincolnshire important step in that journey and will allow to benefit from a continuous workflow Police’s IT team. For example, the ‘as-a- the chief to get assistance to those in need experience. It’s claimed the solution will service’ scalability and flexibility benefits of quicker than ever before – and armed with the enable control room operators to handle cloud mean it is no longer necessary to pre- right information to handle the situation.” calls faster, make more informed decisions, determine how many fixed positions or how As well as deploying Motorola’s CRS, The cloud-based solution aims to simplify allocate resources more efficiently as much data capacity is required, says Motorola. Lincolnshire Police is also a current user of the management and reduce costs while increasing well as coordinate seamlessly with other Furthermore, it says there is no need for a company’s Pronto suite of mobile workforce operational efficiency for Lincolnshire Police. support organisations. dedicated backup in the case of a site failure. applications that digitise all frontline Motorola says its CRS provides a unified This helps Lincolnshire Police reduce costs operational workflows. This is integrated with The solution also sets Lincolnshire up and “highly scalable” platform that integrates and increase operational flexibility. the control room platform, which means that to use the enhanced data capabilities of multiple control room functions, including “Our drive to provide cutting-edge officers using Pronto can now also gain direct the Emergency Services Network (ESN), integrated communications control system, technology to the force is about making access to command and control, and the Police although this has now been delayed (see contact management, computer-aided sure we provide the most efficient National Computer from the field. News, Oct 2018 issue). n Cost of cloud maintenance higher than expected for most businesses

More than six in 10 organisations believe that the actual costs of maintaining cloud technologies are higher than they expected, according to research by SoftwareONE. In an independently conducted survey, the software and cloud portfolio management polled 250 IT and business decision-makers from a variety of UK organisations with at least 500 employees. Respondents were taken from a wide variety of different organisations including IT, tech and telecoms, retail, distribution and transport, finance, public sector, among others. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said that the price of keeping resources in the cloud was greater than anticipated. SoftwareONE says this suggests that despite the benefits cloud brings, businesses can run into difficulties if they do not have the technology, licensing agreements and ongoing monitoring procedures in place to effectively manage and optimise cloud-based software and applications within their wider IT estate. The study also found that 36 per cent of businesses feel that XaaS offerings have increased in complexity over the past two years, with an additional 33 per cent believing that the level of complexity has remained unchanged in this time. When viewed alongside the unexpected management costs associated with the cloud, SoftwareONE reckons it becomes clear that cloud deployments are “fraught” with challenges if businesses do not have the means to administer the various elements of their implementations effectively. Zak Virdi, the company’s UK MD, says: “It’s clear that the rapid growth in cloud services and options – while providing an exceptional level of choice to businesses – is also leading to organisations struggling to fully maximise cloud investments while keeping expenditure as low as possible.” To illustrate this point further, 44 per cent of those surveyed said budget restraints often push their organisation towards choosing sec- ond or third choice technology options, rath- er than the one they felt was ideal for them. Moreover, 38 per cent said that the manage- ment of licences and subscriptions for both cloud deployments and on-premise software pose a “significant degree of complexity”. n

networking january 2019 6

Net+ 1901 p6-7 (news) AM RS.indd 6 29/01/2019 13:11 register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more news

THE IoT CONNECTION News & developments from the world of the Internet of Things. This month, we look at mobility.

Ordnance Survey The high-speed race to Tom Major, director of sales engineering and Mobileye to achieving successful at GTT, explains the importance of cloud deliver roadside autonomous driving networking and ‘Big infrastructure data Manufacturers and suppliers in the Data’ in the race to cross automotive industry are in a high-speed the finish line first. Ordnance Survey and Mobileye have competitive race to progress their teamed-up to deliver high precision road capabilities in autonomous driving. high-performance computing. In order to network location data to enable a fully Processing and storing huge amounts make autonomous vehicles work for the connected digital Britain. of data to safely support the necessary masses, this data has to be transported The mapping agency says its “world- By enabling a stronger view into overground programmes needed to run autonomous quickly and efficiently for processing. leading” geospatial and technology expertise and underground assets, the partners vehicles is a hurdle for the industry as a Currently, development processes for will be paired with Mobileye’s automotive say companies can more efficiently plan whole. At the centre of this challenge is the autonomous driving are taking place in data camera-based mapping capabilities to offer a and manage maintenance needs, service critical role of the network and requirement centres located worldwide. It has become new, accurate location information service to upgrades or other necessary work. for secure, reliable, low latency connectivity. clear that companies driving innovation in customers from many markets, including the Tagging is one of the best ways to prepare this space need data network infrastructure energy and infrastructure sector. Survey MasterMap. This will then help autonomous vehicles for potential situations capabilities that are reliable and fast enough The partners say the data will also support develop accurate maps of Britain’s roads they may encounter on the road. This entails to share the processed information that the successful rollout of technologies for new and surrounding infrastructure with what’s tagging objects using specialised technical autonomous vehicles need to function safely. market segments, including 5G, intelligent described as “amazing” detail and precision. videos and images for specific driving With applications like autonomous driving, mobility and connected autonomous vehicles. Professor Amnon Shashua, president scenarios. The driving software then uses which require a dynamic network infrastruc- Part of Intel, Mobileye specialises in and CEO of Mobileye, says: “Using maps to these tagged images to learn how to recognise ture, it’s important to work with network the development of computer vision and improve operations between businesses these objects under different conditions. service providers experienced in managed machine learning, data analysis, localisation and cities will bring us closer to the This is important for autonomous vehicles, solutions that can offer options tailored to and mapping for advanced driver assistance realisation of smart cities and safer roads.” particularly when it comes to safety. For specific performance, latency, security and systems and autonomous vehicles. The According to Ordnance Survey CEO Neil example, let’s say we tag objects in a video of reliability requirements for each use case. This company says its products are also able Ackroyd, detailed and accurate geospatial a deer located 50 metres away from a moving can range from small latency-sensitive data to detect roadway markings, identify and data is essential for the success of projects vehicle and record the vehicle’s reaction. transfers up to high volume bulk data transfer. read traffic signs, provide mapping for such as 5G, IoT and connected and This video can then be used to teach the Therefore, the ability of the service provider autonomous driving, and more. autonomous vehicles. He believes that new autonomous vehicle what decision to make in to deliver low latency services, as well as Using Mobileye’s technology, vehicles will rich data that will be created will be key to this particular situation, based on what it ‘sees’. more dynamic SD-WANs, ensures that your gather large volumes of location data on how vehicles, infrastructure, people, etc., Machine learning technologies are teaching data is routed fast and efficiently. road networks and roadside infrastructure. will communicate in the digital age. For the vehicle how to behave on the road. Whilst we won’t be spotting autonomous The collected data – which includes lamp example, it’s claimed utility companies are There are an infinite number of situations vehicles parked on our streets just yet, fast posts, manhole covers and road markings set to benefit from the data as it will enable a vehicle could encounter. This is why the and secure connectivity will play a large – is then cross-referenced with existing them to maintain the precise location of data generated is currently evaluated and role in supporting a safe and seamless geospatial datasets, such as Ordnance their assets on the ground. categorised using big data analytics and experience.

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7 january 2019 networking

Net+ 1901 p6-7 (news) AM RS Online.indd 7 29/01/2019 18:36 real world networks: health register online @ www.networkingplus.co.uk and find out more We’re getting better all the time How IT networking technologies are helping NHS organisations deliver higher quality patient care. Raphael has finger on the However, with the Glenside acquisition UC between all of its UK locations, it Furthermore, the number of trusts, greatly increasing the size and geographic has also recorded a 62.5 per cent saving clinicians and patents using the service pulse with unified comms range of the organisation, it became clear compared to the cost of its previous over the last few years has increased ten that a more cost-effective option that ADSL services. fold in the case of maternity services. Established in 1983, the Raphael Hospital would allow staff to communicate more Wise adds that the biggest unexpected In the future, care records might is said to be the largest independent efficiently and effectively was needed. benefit of 3CX’s system has been its include video files, scans or other neurological care provider in England, with Jack Wise, business and comms lead simplicity. “Administrators, doctors and images. At the moment, for example, more than 500 staff and a turnover of £35m. at Raphael, says: “Given the scale of the nurses don’t need any extra training to 4D pregnancy scans are hosted locally As well as its original hospital in acquisition, one of our primary aims use the technology – they can simply pick by each individual hospital because of Hildenborough, Kent, and a second site in was to ensure we could unite as a single up a device and use it the same as any costs. But as storage costs reduce, it’s Brighton, the hospital recently expanded business and prevent any culture clash. other application. Similarly, adding new highly possible these could also be stored its service with the acquisition of Glenside We needed to be certain that, wherever in workers and new locations is even simpler centrally on the Carelink infrastructure. Manor Healthcare Services in Farnborough the UK or even beyond our workers were, than the initial implementation. and Salisbury. As part of this expansion, they could communicate with one another “As a result, we can communicate with it wanted a new communications platform effectively and immediately.” our clinicians wherever they are in the to ensure a uniform experience for On the advice of its technology partner, world, meaning our patients are assured workers and patients. Fluent Technologies, the hospital opted of the best possible care. We are planning Historically, Raphael’s communications for 3CX’s unified communications (UC) to use 3CX in our expansion into new had revolved around ADSL connections platform. Wise says the switchover regions, such as Germany.” and deskphones. This had been sufficient went as smoothly as his team could to keep care and administrative staff have hoped: “Since 3CX’s platform is Carelink provides crucial connected at the original location. entirely software-based, it was a matter support for medical software of logging onto the platform and pressing a few buttons. In all, the switchover Edinburgh-based Clevermed is using hosted was completed with only 20 minutes of infrastructure services and connectivity Vital signs poor for Imperial downtime – it took longer to collect our to the Health and Social Care Network College Healthcare’s SAN old ISDN phones than it did to get 3CX (HSCN) to provide NHS trusts with running smoothly.” access to its specialist medical software. Imperial College Healthcare NHS, has As a result of all the benefits that UC The company’s products include deployed Tintri’s flash storage systems brings, care staff are now more efficient BadgerNet Maternity which provides as a central piece in its virtualisation and can concentrate more of their time on real-time recording of all clinical events strategy. Since deployment, it’s claimed their key roles of patient safety and care. wherever they occur. It is said to be in the health trust has seen notable benefits And not only does Raphael now have full use by more than 23 NHS trusts and including increased storage performance health boards, recording around 120,000 and capacity, as well as a reduction of pregnancies every year. Clevermed also downtime and administration. offers BadgerNet NeoNatal. It creates a Imperial College Healthcare NHS single record of care for all babies within was formed in 2007 by the merger of neonatal services and is currently claimed Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust to be in use at more than 250 hospitals and St Mary’s NHS Trust with Imperial throughout the UK, New Zealand and College London Faculty of Medicine. It Australia. is one of four major trauma centres in Providing a single record of care solution London, managing five hospitals in the for patients across all connected hospitals, capital. The trust is said to be one of the Clevermed needed its software applications largest in England, employing close to to be hosted securely and reliably. 10,000 people and treating more than a In 2012, it chose to work with managed million patients each year. application hosting provider Carelink Imperial College had begun the process which was one of the first companies of virtualising its server infrastructure providing connectivity to HSCN. but its enterprise SAN was not meeting Jane Stephenson, programme manager performance and capacity requirements. at Clevermed, says: “Our software, IT staff were constantly tuning storage hosted by Carelink and connected to to maintain performance, drawing them HSCN, effectively replaces the function away from higher impact projects. With of patients carrying paper notes between around 1,500 VMs, this represented a appointments. The full software significant resource overhead. application is available to medical staff After considering a number of in any location and, with permission, alternative resolutions, the IT team at patients can also access a controlled, Imperial College deployed three Tintri summary record themselves via an systems. It’s claimed that immediately, Android or iPhone app.” the time spent managing storage dropped Since 2012, Clevermed has scaled to near zero. its servers and hardware to cope with Tintri’s platforms supported the trust’s increasing demand. This has evolved workloads across both VMware and from hybrid architecture using dedicated Hyper-V, shrinking the storage footprint. storage arrays combined with shared Furthermore, Tintri says its VM-level cloud servers, to a higher performing quality of service controls allowed critical private cloud platform which incorporates virtual machines to “perform flawlessly at the clustering and SAN technologies. all hours of the day”. As a result, Imperial College was able to re-deploy its SAN storage to focus on physical servers and file servers while Tintri managed the virtual estate. Yusuf Mangera, technical architect at Imperial College Healthcare, says: “The results have been remarkable. We haven’t had to look into any performance related problems at all. Tintri just works to the point where people have forgotten that the appliances even exist.”

networking january 2019 8

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Next Generation Data claims it was Europe’s first data centre to source all its power from renewables. Corridors of power The IoT, 5G, ‘Industry 4.0’… As demand for data continues to skyrocket, RAHIEL NASIR wonders whether the energy efficiency challenges for data centre operators are set to worsen, especially as we move into the hyperscale era.

he environmental impact of data the cost per kWh has been going up, but “For hyperscale and cloud providers, the across Europe to help them manage their centres has been well documented the trend towards sustainability remains. use of more energy efficient servers and operations and energy efficiency with a Tover the years. But are they actually As a result, data centres are increasingly storage is improving the services that can claimed emphasis on green technology. getting ‘greener’? committed to getting ‘greener’ when it be delivered for a set amount of power. So The company’s data centre director “We’re seeing a growing divide between comes to improved energy efficiency and overall, businesses are now getting a lot Peter Westwood says indications from increasingly larger hyperscale centres the use of alternative energy sources.” more performance per KWh.” industry surveys suggest an increase in supporting the latest cloud technologies, Coors claims Interxion has two unique However, according to data centre design using green service providers over the and much smaller Edge locations where design examples where the company has and build firm Secure I.T. Environments, last three years, approaching a 10 per the picture is much less clear,” says Dr. tapped nature, rather than the grid, to while there are many specifications that look cent improvement. He also points out Stu Redshaw, CTO at data centre energy offset energy expenditures. for efficiencies at maximum design, it is also that while free cooling solutions have optimisation specialist EkkoSense. “It’s “In Copenhagen, we’ve taken advantage important to look at the greater potential of increased, many existing centres continue fair to say that, given the huge volume of the local subterranean geology to build efficiencies at part load conditions. “[This with more traditional cooling solutions. of IT loads being processed, the larger two reservoirs. There, water is naturally is] hugely overlooked in the industry,” However, Westwood says the key issue centres have less of an environmental cooled by the Earth and pumped from says company owner Chris Wellfair. “Our in the coming years is that data centres impact than their predecessors.” one reservoir to the other through a heat experience tells us that data centres never are likely to increase global energy Lex Coors is likely to support this view. exchanger in the data centre. At our centre get to their maximum design load. consumption by a factor of four. He’s the chief data centre technology and in Stockholm, a seawater cooling system Wellfair continues by saying that he “With global population expansion engineering officer at Netherlands-based pumps cold seawater through the HVAC is also seeing a greater desire amongst leading to more people going online, Interxion which is one of the world’s system but unlike typical water-cooling clients to source products with greater and more nations striving for more largest data centre operators and currently systems, Interxion runs the same seawater efficiency. “The more eco-friendly technology-based societies, it is inevitable runs 50 facilities in Europe.“If we look through multiple data centres, saving even customers have a greater appetite to spend that global power consumption will at the hyperscale companies in the US, more energy and reducing energy costs more capex to achieve greater opex, based increase by up to 300 per cent by 2024. there is a push towards establishing by 80 per cent at the campus.” on a robust business payback model. So “Data centres already consume about off-grid and greener sustainable energy Rik Williams, data centre operations yes, data centres are getting greener as three per cent of global power and the sources, such as wind and solar. In manager at Node4, agrees that the use clients either spend on more enhanced global exchange of data is more than Europe, sustainable energy sources are of such adiabatic cooling solutions products or by default as manufacturers doubling every four years. With this, data lower in cost than traditional ‘grey’ in dealing with higher operating are forced to innovate and become more centres as we currently know them could power energy sources. Due to the rise in temperatures represent the biggest moves efficient to maintain their market share.” reach more than 20 per cent of global popularity of sustainable energy sources, in data centre infrastructure. He says: SPIE UK works with data centres power usage by 2025.”

networking january 2019 10

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Westwood goes on to warn that if current easy” to be energy efficient in large data Node4 believe it is Edge computing that trends continue, data centres could account centres hosting hyperscale cloud platforms will actually present a greater problem. for 14 per cent of global emissions by 2040. because you can site them in optimal Redshaw says: “The energy efficiency locations (if latency is not overly critical). challenge will actually evidence itself at The greening of the Fourth Carlini adds his voice to this aspect of the other end of the spectrum – the edge the discussion when he says that one trend of the IT estate – as processing power Industrial Revolution Schneider has witnessed is a desire among divides into small modules at the point of hyperscale operators to move medium use. This is not only difficult to monitor So as we head into the so-called ‘Fourth voltage power closer to the IT load. from a thermal and power perspective but Industrial Revolution’ (a.k.a. ‘Industry 4.0’), “Technically that makes sense; there is less is also complex to manage as part of an fuelled by tech innovations that will be copper wiring needed and circuit breakers end-to-end data centre estate.” predicated on 5G, the Internet of Things, can be smaller, but the problem is that Williams concurs: “The challenge is machine learning, etc., how will data centre even with medium voltages you are talking for services using edge data centres to operators continue to keep their cool? about 10kV and it is extremely dangerous minimise latency and bandwidth, as we “Whilst the management of the data to place such equipment in close proximity may begin to see more small scale and centre gets harder as the resources to people, so there are safety concerns that inefficient data centres in urban areas increase, the actual basics of achieving must be addressed.” which can reduce the overall energy efficiency remain the same,” says Wellfair. He says another technology beginning efficiency of the solution.” “Equally, one of the key characteristics of to gain traction as a means of reducing “You probably need to 5G, IoT and other technologies, is that they IT power consumption is liquid cooling. Is PUE enough? are designed to be more efficient than the “This is not a particularly new technology avoid getting sucked into generation before. In the case of IoT, these and it has been deployed in HPC (high- When measuring a data centre’s energy devices are all about energy efficiency, as performance computing) environments for efficiency, does the oft-used PUE (power expensive and over-complex many operate in isolated locations, or their some time. But it provides great efficiency usage effectiveness) rating provide the DCIM investments.” physical size is so restricted that power benefits, as water and other liquids are best gauge? consumption has to be minimised.” more effective cooling media than air. “PUE is of course still a useful metric Dr. Stu Redshaw, EkkoSense’s Redshaw also sounds a note However, there is a trade-off to be made in to determine the overall electrical CTO, of optimism when he says that, if anything, terms of maintenance and serviceability. efficiency of a data centre, but it does EkkoSense anticipated additional load demands on data Hyperscale data centre operators have little to address the issue of overall power centres should help to increase the need for become extremely efficient at servicing IT consumption,” says Carlini. “Other metrics centres to become more energy efficient. equipment and replacing malfunctioning have been tried such as CUE (carbon a strategy to improve and reduce your PUE He reckons thermal optimisation has a key parts with the minimum of downtime, usage efficiency) and WUE (water usage rating. If that’s in place, you should be well role to play here, particularly as making but having servers immersed in liquid efficiency) but they have not proved as on your way to continuously improving existing data centre cooling more efficient complicates that process. popular as PUE, which remains the most your data centre performance across all will help unlock additional capacity without “Nonetheless, as procedures become effective way to benchmark data centres of metrics, including PUE.” the requirement for expensive new cooling more efficient over time we expect that any size against comparable installations.” Furthermore, others such as Williams, infrastructure. liquid-cooling of data centres, especially Many of the commentators we spoke point out that the “classic PUE” will need Redshaw also expects the shift towards large hyperscale facilities, will become to agreed that PUE is not a measure for to be adjusted to take better account of hyperscale to ease the overall energy a major part of the drive towards greater sustainability. For instance, Redshaw says the energy saved by using water with efficiency problem thanks to increased efficiency.” it’s never enough just to calculate a PUE adiabatic cooling, and to factor in onsite cloud and data centre optimisation. Interestingly, the growing size of data score and consider yourself ‘green’ if you’ve generation through solar and wind power. Node4’s Williams is likely to support centres is not an issue when it comes to achieved an impressive PUE rating. “What’s Wellfair also supports this view: this view when he says that it’s “relatively future cooling needs. Both EkkoSense and more relevant is whether you actually have “Unfortunately, the industry has only

11 january 2019 networking

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developed PUE as a metric to measure Netherlands, and more specifically the [are] only within the grasp of modern sucked into expensive and over-complex data centre efficiency, and the diversity of Amsterdam area, regulations are fairly purpose-built rather than legacy facilities, DCIM investments. Far too often, these cooling products can skew this figure to rigid. “Government organisations only give including the harnessing of climatically approaches tend to be much too complex the advantage of some providers. a permit for the construction and operation cooler locations that favour direct air and expensive for most data centres. “PUE is only a ‘point in time’ of data centres once it can be proven that and evaporative techniques; installing “Similarly, I wouldn’t rush into CFD measurement. Therefore, caution should the design has a maximum PUE of 1.2. In intelligent predictive cooling systems; (computational fluid dynamics) projects be exercised when comparing claims other countries, the rules are not as strict.” using water, liquid or nano-cooling as this often just result in less than on tenders that are very low. Secure I.T. Meanwhile, Next Generation Data (NGD) technologies; as well as prerequisite aisle objective airflow recommendations that Environments will often offer competitive claims it was Europe’s first data centre containment techniques. don’t necessarily leave you any further energy leading solutions for projects to source all its power from renewables. “Faced with these challenges, best forward in your efficiency journey.” but with an option for the enhanced and This is said to support what’s described practice dictates that data centre and According to Redshaw, IT managers more energy efficient solution. This way a as the company’s “industry leading” PUE facilities professionals will increasingly need to remember that what they are client can decide to spend more to ensure credentials – in 2014, NGD announced need to apply real-time Big Data analysis trying to achieve is the elimination of greener credentials, or pick the more what was said at the time to be the first and monitoring techniques for optimising thermal risk and running their data common solution accepted in the industry. PUE rating of 1.0. In addition to this, cooling systems plant and maintaining centres efficiently. “In providing this, we offer an commercial director Simon Bearne says appropriate operating temperatures “Where there’s any uncertainty, ‘annualised’ PUE figure which shows an NGD also has BSI ISO 14001 and UK for IT assets, and all without fear of organisations typically resort to over- average of winter, summer and two seasons Government Climate Change Agreement compromising performance and uptime.” cooling their data centres, and in of mixed conditions. This demonstrates an (CCA) certifications, making it exempt “Our experience tells us that He adds that central to this, and efficiency terms, that’s an expensive and “Data centres as we open and honest approach for the whole from carbon taxes. “Being 100 per cent in order to maximising overall data wasteful approach. We’re convinced that year’s performance.” renewable used to be unusual. But we’ve data centres never get to centre energy efficiencies and PUE, effective thermal optimisation means you currently know them could Interxion’s Coors also points that reached a point where the preference is are integrated energy monitoring and really don’t need to do this; you’ll save regulations vary considerably region by for renewable energy, and it’s more of a their maximum design load.” management platforms capable of A different view of data centre energy management: Secure I.T. Environments says despite around 25 per cent of your data centre reach more than 20 per region. For example, he says that in the problem to a customer if they can’t get it. Chris Wellfair, integrating the building management renewable energy and more efficient cooling systems, the most important element will be cooling costs if you get it right.” cent of global power usage We haven’t given customers a choice of Secure I.T. Environments system, PDUs and SCADA. “An advanced greater use of analytical tools and cloud-based management software. For Node4’s Williams, one of the anything but renewable energy, and given system will save many thousands of biggest pitfalls is rushing for the most by 2025.” the levels of power consumed in data pounds through reduced power costs and management. “Data centre concepts are terms of capability and ease of use. Early ‘efficient’ solution with a view to saving centres, we think it’s the right route to be done to optimise and reduce cooling by minimising the environmental impact changing, and the boundaries of current DCIM tools were complex to install and opex on power without understanding any Peter Westwood, have taken.” the better from cost, environmental and while helping to ensure maximum uptime technology are being stretched. To stay maintain; today’s cloud-based systems of the other ‘hidden’ costs, such as water Data centre director, legislative perspectives.” through predictive maintenance.” on top of the energy challenge is both a are much more flexible, allowing the user consumption and treatment. SPIE UK If you can’t stand the heat… On the subject of regulations, one This is arguably where specialists such short- and long-term consideration, where to monitor the data centre, or a number And on the subject of water, when particular significant development last month as EkkoSense come in. “You need to have creative and competent engineers will of distributed data centres across the it comes to choosing energy efficient Going forward, what are the solutions and was the announcement that ASHRAE’s TC a network of sensors to monitor how your be the key ingredient in the data centre network efficiently, in real-time.” solutions, Coors advises against selecting climates and new IT technologies. products data centre managers need in order 9.9 Data Centre Environmental Guidelines data centre is actually performing – ideally managers toolkit.” Carlini also admits that whilst traditional a design that cannot work without However, he says these new technologies to stay on top of energy efficiency challenges? has now been incorporated into the EU’s in real-time,” advises Redshaw. “A software Secure I.T. Environments’ Wellfair DCIM is still an excellent tool for water for adiabatic or open water tower will take time to demonstrate benefits In one word, it’s all about cooling. Regulation for servers and data storage solution that allows you to visualise this also says that while there is currently managing on-premise data centres – citing cooling. “Droughts around the world, or for other operators and legacy sites with Coors says: “When it comes to staying products. As Redshaw explains, this means performance, and then improve the real-time great emphasis on renewable energy and an example where a DCIM deployment at the potential for water to be banned or older technologies. on top of energy efficiency challenges, that for European firms, ASHRAE’s management of all your data centre’s cooling, more efficient IT equipment and cooling a UK university yielded an energy saving extremely expensive, means that all data “Data centre owners and operators it is important to take into consideration recommendations are now defined within power and space aspects is invaluable. systems, the most important element will worth £125,000 per annum – cloud-based centres should be designed so that they can have often been keen to develop new the different design approaches available a regulation and can no longer just be “And you also need access to data centre be the increased use of analytical tools Data Centre management as a Service function in the absence of water if needed. or improved energy and engineered for cooling systems. The most expensive considered as guidelines. He says: “This optimisation expertise to make sure you’re and cloud-based data centre management (DmaaS) systems enable today’s businesses “Another pitfall to avoid is designing solutions and to maximise the efficiency solution is chilled water (PUE of EU regulation will start taking effect in making the right decisions when it comes to software. He reckons that as hyperscale to gain greater visibility into a portfolio of a data centre with direct outside air for of floor space. As such, creative approximately 1.18) while the lowest March 2020, with final implementation on maximising performance. Get all this right data centres become larger and contain facilities across an entire network. “This is cooling, built around city centres. These engineering with the ability to provide “We expect that liquid- cost solution is direct air (PUE of 1 January 2023. So over the next few years, and you’ll be well on your way to staying on ever greater numbers of products and an advanced software management solution designs typically have the potential of robust proof of concept is essential.” approximately 1.1). Choosing between we’ll see the data centre energy efficiency top of your energy efficiency challenges.” components, manual operation and that will only be viable through the cloud, gaseous contamination –something that But in any event, data centre energy cooling of data centres will one over the other is typically dependent guidelines established by ASHRAE TC SPIE’s Westwood agrees that the cooling management of such facilities will require and as hyperscale facilities continue to should be avoided at all costs.” efficiency needn’t be seen as a cost that on a mix of customer demands regarding 9.9 become the de facto standard for EU system is one of the key areas that can make greater use of analytics, automation and grow in number with more edge solutions data centres have to bear. As Redshaw become a major part of price and sustainability requirements.” data centres. With today’s inevitable Brexit a data centre much more efficient. But he machine learning to ensure efficiency. being deployed to support them, DMaaS …stay in the kitchen states, when done right, monitoring, the drive towards greater “Cooling and real-time energy uncertainties, it’s perhaps reassuring also points out that there are many other “Fortunately, the cost of embedding becomes a far superior choice to deliver a managing and maximising data centre monitoring and management are critical that there are now common data centre areas of design that need consideration sensors within critical infrastructure has tangible ROI for today’s operators.” In conclusion, SPIE’s Westwood says the performance leads directly to reduced efficiency.” to data centre resilience and uptime as environmental guidelines across both together with new technologies such as come down, resulting in much greater Redshaw is clearly no great fan of data data centre industry remains extremely data centre cooling costs and increased well as in determining a facility’s overall Europe and the US.” immersed liquid cooling, Open Compute numbers of metering points which centre infrastructure management systems. active, with hyperscale operators driving capacity. “At the same time, organisations Steven Carlini, PUE,” says Bearne. “With cooling typically NGD’s Bearne continues by saying that Program projects, solar farms, powers generate higher volumes of data,” says When asked what are the pitfalls to avoid PUE down to between 1.0 and 1.2 with will benefit from the reduced risk that VP innovation and data centre IT division, accounting for 40 per cent or more of a data when it comes to cooling, there are various cells, and software systems to manage Wellfair. “Furthermore, management when it comes to choosing cooling solutions, new developments and greener designs comes from having a thermally optimised CTO office Schneider Electric centre’s total energy bill, the more that can options and alternatives available: “Some efficiency through data centre infrastructure tools have improved greatly both in he says: “You probably need to avoid getting utilising large solar farms, perfect data centre. What’s not to like?” n

networking january 2019 121212 13 january 2019 networking

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Bittree describes the DSFB124NL series as its next- Making great cable generation patch panel enclosures. The media infrastructure specialist claims the feed-through, slide-out enclosure the friction-based connections solution is ideal for customers managing trays of the past. It reckons interconnections and cross-connections the gliding trays offer a “huge” benefit for within IT closets and data centres, as well smooth movement with steady-locking We round up some of the latest network cabling as in TV and radio facilities, commercial positions simplifying access between solutions. Plus, PAUL HUNTER offers advice on AV architectures, etc. ports as technicians move, add or make The first products in the series include changes to the fibre network. how to make sure data cables are installed the DSFB124NL-ST which is designed to The enclosure comes with grommets, correctly and work effectively for years to come. accommodate high-density, simplex ST-to- cable strain reliefs and bend radius ST connections, while the DSFB124NL- guides, along with knock-out positions LC has duplex LC-to-LC connections. available on all four sides to help with Having visited many sites walls and openings should be checked for Bittree say both support single and multi- any demanding installation, says Bittree. over the years, initially as an snagging hazards prior to installation. Cables mode fibre applications, while a compact It adds that the products are built using electrician and now as a BICSI RCDD, I have bundles should be held in place using Velcro 1RU form factor enables high-density a cold-rolled steel construction with a seen some dubious installation practices. ties to avoid crushing and overheating, 24-position patching – an important durable black powder-coat finish, ensuring Here are a few essential guidelines to as it can have a negative effect on the benefit in facilities with limited rack space. a highly durable and reliable product help ensure professional and trouble-free transmission characteristics of the cable. Unlike its previous-generation design. The fold-down, clear-red acrylic deployments: enclosures, the company says the new front and rear doors additionally enables Bend radius: This should comply with series includes steel gliding rails for visual inspection of the patch interface to Storage: Cables should be protected from cabling standards; EN50173 states it easier access to connections, instead of monitor connections and performance. environmental influences, i.e. kept dry and should always be greater than eight times within acceptable temperature ranges (refer the outer diameter of the cable during to the manufacturer’s data sheet). installation (unless otherwise specified on Excel Networking says it’s now offering a Furthermore, the company says the nature the manufacturer’s data sheet). The radius range of “high-quality, high-performance” of a PON solution is passive, meaning the Standards, guidelines and warranties: of the containment used to route the cables PON (passive optical network) solutions costs associated with power and cooling Always follow local country (and EU) should also comply. Waterfall fittings, for fibre connectivity and distribution. systems is taken out of the equation regulations and guidelines specific to the for cable basket and bend radius control The line-up includes the Environ which results in increased opex savings materials being installed. Always follow the corners for trunking, are some accessories enclosures which feature consolidated and increased return on investment. manufacturer’s guidelines (usually supplied that can ensure bend radius is maintained. points of connection that will fit into “With absolute central management with products or on the web). Make sure utility spaces and cable routes. Excel from the OLT to all ONTs, further your installer warranty certification is up-to- Cable pulling: Refer to the manufacturer’s says this removes the need for additional savings can be achieved by reduced date for on-site staff. product data sheets for recommended space to be allocated throughout the labour costs; as everything is centrally tensile strength/pulling force details. Always building infrastructure, such as secondary managed, skilled and trained network Open installation, wall openings, cable pull cables directly from the drum or box; for equipment rooms. engineers don’t need to waste time trays, etc.: Lay data cables in separate or reels, and always use suitable equipment According to the company, PON travelling from switch divided channels from power cables and that will ensure free rotation of the reel. solutions have several advantages when it to switch to always cross at 90° using a bridge. Never comes to cost and space savings, reducing configure the exceed the recommended fill capacity Paul Hunter is technical director at iDaC overall total cost of ownership. ports,” states (refer to manufacturers manual). Edges of Solutions. For instance, it says a reliance on PLC Excel. splitters in the mid span of the network removes the need for aggregation switches. Excel adds that with a PLC splitter occupying considerably less footprint than an aggregation switch, the associated housing equipment is reduced also.

HUBER+SUHNER (H+S) claims to with the company’s patented push-pull have launched the world’s safest LC fibre functionality which, says H+S, offers optic connector for FTTH access. ease of installation even in high-density The COVERINO LC has been developed environments. to provide what the manufacturer says The firm adds that the COVERINO LC is “optimal handling” for users to easily also has a “simple and easy” to use latch install. The new connector is fully mechanism to ensure connectivity can compatible with standard LC connectors be made with one hand. Furthermore, it according to IEC 61754-20. comes with a matching adaptor to offer Compared to other similar products on what’s claimed to be “full mechanical, the market today, H+S says the COVERINO dust and laser protection”. LC additionally features an automatic, spring-loaded shutter mechanism allowing for the “highest” safety protection when the connector is unplugged. The connector is also compatible

In an effort to support fast and appear on a single screen, making tester straightforward cable certification, IDEAL configuration faster and simpler. Details Networks has updated its LanTEK III that can be updated from the Quick Setup cable certifier with a new Quick Setup screen include the user, customer, job, test feature. Designed to support standard and test name/number. busy cable installers, the new As a result, IDEAL says the feature is said to enable almost new mode eliminates the need all configuration and testing to navigate through different to be performed on just one menus and options before straightforward screen. starting to test or troubleshoot, IDEAL says the LanTEK and therefore simplifies and III can be used to test the speeds up the process for performance of cable and installers. connectors in installed LAN Users can choose Quick Setup cabling systems, and to ensure as the default operating mode, that components and cable entering directly from the home meet relevant standards. With screen at the touch of a button. the new Quick Setup operational Standard Setup is still an available mode, the company says the operating mode for those most commonly used functions installers who prefer it.

networking january 2019 14

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“Our ECPs undertake extensive IN BRIEF… opportunities that 5G, connected innovation AI and cloud training to maintain their partner status and smart technology bring. It says delegates and keep up to date with the latest n Rainbird has announced a programme will also learn how to develop ideas, evaluate advances in industry technology,” says to help businesses develop the AI skills best practice, and explore ways to maximise among most Excel technical manager Paul Cave. “Our needed to automate processes within their opportunities, with a “full appreciation of customers’ understanding of this training organisation. According to the London-based how 5G will support value creation going is verified through an examination AI specialist, its University Certification forward”. telecomstechacademy.com desired tech process to demonstrate knowledge of the Programme is based on a unique platform Excel system and how to design, install that is modelled on human expertise rather n IT and telecoms bosses who give out for UK workers and test the infrastructure in accordance than the “elusive” data-driven matrixes that bonuses in December are less likely to see with Excel guidelines, best practice and, underpin machine learning. Rainbird claims staff being poached or looking elsewhere. An organisation which actively invests above all, standards compliance.” the platform replicates the human judgement That’s according to a survey of 1,096 in new and worthwhile technology will Cave adds that ECPs are required to process and is designed to handle uncertainty UK employees carried out by bonus and significantly contribute towards making retake the training course every two years and ambiguity just like a human. The firm incentives provider One4all Rewards. Fifty- their human resource feel better valued. to ensure they maintain their partner status. hopes its programme will help ease the skills seven per cent of ICT workers said a bonus That’s according to training and qualification BICSI is the worldwide association gap in AI and data science. www.rainbird.ai or gift from their boss would prevent them provider Knowledge Academy which has for cabling design and installation from looking for a new job; 54 per cent said been analysing independent research studies professionals. The organisation is n Informa Telecoms Academy has devel- they would be less likely to accept a new in an effort to understand the influence claimed to be the global leader in ICT oped a 5G Readiness Workshop to help job if the same had happened. The study workplace technology is having on education and certification, supporting provide senior management with a “solid” said workers are most likely to look for a employee performance and satisfaction. the advancement of the community. foundation to meet challenges and develop new job in January. One4allRewards.co.uk After studying the findings from research carried out by B2B digital services provider Econocom, Knowledge Academy found that 43 per cent of staff felt more valued by their employers introducing more useful tech into the workplace. Thirty- eight per cent said that this increases the motivation to work harder. The biggest performance-related gains employees think they will achieve from having the latest work-related technology is improved productivity (55 per cent), greater flexibility (54 per cent) and more mobility (32 per cent). Knowledge Academy also analysed a study from business software and services firm Advanced. It surveyed more than 1,000 UK employees in professional occupations to discover the technology they would most like to see in their daily working life. This revealed that the two technology resources that are most desired by workers are cloud services (35 per cent) and AI (also 35 per cent). Thirty one per cent are also keen to utilise predictive analytics techniques such as data mining and machine learning to analyse historical information/data and predict what might happen in the future. In contrast, Knowledge Academy found that AR ranked as the least appealing technology, with only 17 per cent of employees wanting to harness it in their job each day. While 18 per cent are happy for ‘robots’ (i.e. configured software) to automate the tasks and responsibilities they believe are mundane, the Advanced report also said that 65 per cent of workers are willing to work alongside robotic technology if it leads to the reduction of manual processes. Additionally, 34% of British employees would consider a robot with the right business intelligence, to be better at decision making than their respective boss/bosses or senior management. Excel training awarded BICSI education credits Excel Networking Solutions’ cabling partner certification course has been recognised for four BICSI continuing education credits (CECs). Excel says its partner programme comprises organisations that are experienced providers of design, installation and testing services for its entire range of passive copper, conventional, pre-terminated and high density MTP optical fibre solutions. A pre-requisite of partner status is training under the Excel Cabling Partner (ECP) certification course. The course is run online by Excel. Alternatively, engineers can opt to take part in a two-day face-to-face course which is run by Excel’s independent training partner, CNet Training.

15 january 2019 networking

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