Data Center Networking Services

Deep or Shallow? 🤔 Data Center Interconnects, or #DCI, are critical for modern computing infrastructure. They enable the seamless flow of information between physically separated data centers. In today's AI-driven landscape, a single data center can no longer house sufficient computing power for many #AI/ML workloads. This new reality has forced organizations to distribute the applications across multiple facilities, making the performance characteristics of these high-capacity DCI links more critical than ever before. As network architects design these interconnects, they face a critical decision: Should they deploy deep-buffer switches or rely on sophisticated traffic engineering around shallow-buffer hardware? 🤔 Many inter-data center links can span tens to hundreds of kilometers, carrying traffic from many applications. At any moment, these high-speed links have substantial data "in flight." Any congestion that is not handled in time results in buffer overflows. Without sophisticated congestion control, links remain underutilized, and latency variation increases. Network architects overcome the limited buffering of the shallow buffer switches through sophisticated traffic engineering: Advanced congestion control algorithms and active queue management that rely on high-precision telemetry, per-flow statistics, queue-depth monitoring, and centralized controllers for congestion-aware flow placement. Additionally, application-level scheduling and rate limiting have become essential. Yet, despite these complex mechanisms, rapid traffic fluctuations can still cause buffer overflows. To prevent this, shallow buffer networks often resort to overprovisioning the network and underutilizing links to ensure stable operation. Unfortunately, this reduces the key cost advantage, as additional optical modules significantly increase both expense (long-reach LR/ZR optics vastly outweigh the per port switch cost) and power consumption. In contrast, deep-buffer switches, with 40-50ms buffering—though slightly pricier per port- provide insurance against congestion bursts without needing ultra-precise traffic management. As a result, the switches can have higher link utilization, often 15-20% more. This directly translates to 20% fewer optics in the system. Ultimately, there is no universal right answer. The optimal solution depends on scale/cost, operational model, engineering capabilities, and application characteristics - some workloads are inherently more bursty and sensitive to traffic loss. Lastly, future expansion plans also influence today's architecture. Nowadays, many operators are adopting hybrid approaches, strategically placing deep-buffer switches at critical congestion points while using shallow-buffer hardware elsewhere. Intelligent traffic steering between the deep/shallow buffered ports, combined with ML-based adaptive congestion control, provides a balanced solution... Any thoughts? 🤔

Enterprises are at a pivotal moment as AI-driven data growth accelerates at a projected 40.5% CAGR through 2027, driving unprecedented demand for high-capacity Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions. Traditional leased circuits—typically 10G Carrier Ethernet or wavelength services—are increasingly strained by AI workloads that require 100G, 400G, and even 800G links. With bandwidth-based pricing, costs can skyrocket rapidly, making it critical for IT and network architects to identify the tipping point at which alternative DCI models yield greater long-term value. A three-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis by ACG Research examined Carrier Ethernet, wavelength services, and dark fiber across metro (50 km), short-haul (200 km), and long-haul (500 km) environments. Key findings include: Metro Networks: Dark fiber becomes the most cost-effective choice beyond 100G, delivering up to 48% savings compared to Carrier Ethernet and 55% versus wavelength services at 400G. Short-Haul Networks: Dark fiber shows a 61% TCO advantage over Carrier Ethernet at 400G, and up to 48% savings compared to wavelength services at 800G. Long-Haul Networks: While dark fiber offers a 46% saving over Carrier Ethernet at >400G, wavelength services may remain competitive over very long distances due to fiber construction costs. To stay ahead of the AI data surge, forward-thinking enterprises should begin planning a transition to dark fiber combined with Cisco Routed Optical Networking today . This approach leverages coherent pluggable optics directly on routers and switches—collapsing network layers, simplifying operations, and enabling multi-terabit scaling without incremental bandwidth fees. Coupled with end-to-end observability via Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance, organizations gain the resilience, low latency, and control needed for tomorrow’s AI workloads. Next Steps: 1 - Assess: current DCI capacity relative to AI growth projections. 2 - Model: TCO scenarios for leased circuits versus dark fiber in your specific metro, regional, and long-haul environments. 3 - Partner: with service providers to secure dark fiber and leverage their operational expertise. 4 - Adopt: a routed optical network to streamline your infrastructure and capably support exponential AI traffic. Download the full ACG Research TCO report: “Comparing Total Cost of Ownership for Dark Fiber, Carrier Ethernet, and Wavelength Services for Data Center Interconnect at 100G and Beyond.” https://lnkd.in/eXGbsPUp #DCI #AI #acgresearch #Cisco #networking Peter Fetterolf, Ph.D. Cisco ACG Research

How Lightstorm is transforming India’s network infrastructure For years, India’s terrestrial networks were a challenge, with frequent outages causing global enterprises to avoid routing through the country. Lightstorm, a leading cloud and data centre connectivity solution provider, set out to change this narrative by tackling the problem from the ground up. Traditional telecom models are slow, often requiring months to procure and deploy network services. Lightstorm flipped this with its network-as-a-service (NaaS) model, allowing customers to access an on-demand, ready-to-use network. “The current customer experience for NaaS in India is quite different. While there are competitors offering networking or connectivity solutions to enterprises, these services are still delivered through a traditional sales model,” Prasanna C, head of product, at Lightstorm, noted. They redesigned India’s long-distance network, moving 95% of it to robust, utility-grade infrastructure like gas pipelines and high-power transmission networks. This shift dramatically reduced outages due to common issues like cable cuts. In India, it is currently operational in several cities, such as Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Mundra, Nashik, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Chennai, and will be expanded to Lucknow, Kolkata and Vijayawada shortly. Lightstorm’s NaaS platform, Polarin, guarantees enterprises the agile and scalable networking interconnection capabilities they need to thrive in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, as well as in Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and Internet Exchange scenarios. Full story link in the comment.

⭕ Data Center Spaces for Telecommunications Data center structured cabling is the backbone of any robust telecommunications infrastructure, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient data transmission. According to the TIA-942 standard, which sets guidelines for data center design and operation, there are six key functional subsystems that comprise a structured cabling system: ✅ Entrance Room (ER): This serves as the interface between the ISP/telecommunication provider and the data center structured cabling. The ER can be located inside or outside of the data center and contains demarcation points to the service provider’s network and backbone cabling to other buildings in a campus environment. ✅ Main Distribution Area (MDA): The hub of the cabling system, housing the main cross-connect and possibly the horizontal cross-connects. MDA houses core switches and routers for connecting to the LAN, SANs, and other areas of the data center, as well as telecommunications rooms (TRs) located throughout a facility. ✅ Intermediate Distribution Area (IDA): An optional area primarily used in large data centers. Referred to as an intermediate distributor (ID) in the ISO/IEC 24764 standard, IDAs may include intermediate cross-connects and are designed to enable data center growth or provide segmentation for specific applications. ✅ Horizontal Distribution Area (HDA): The transition point between backbone and horizontal cabling, serving as the distribution point for the Equipment Distribution Area (EDA). While most data centers will contain at least one HDA, it is typically eliminated in data centers using a top-of-rack (ToR) configuration. ✅ Zone Distribution Area (ZDA): Another optional area not commonly used in most enterprise data centers. It serves as a consolidation point within the horizontal cabling between the HDA and the EDA and contains no active equipment. ✅ Equipment Distribution Area (EDA): The main server area where racks and cabinets are located. It houses the end equipment (e.g., servers) that connect via horizontal cables from access switches in the HDAs or via point-to-point cabling to ToR access switches that reside in the same cabinet. When designing cabling systems for these areas, consideration must be given to backbone cabling and horizontal cabling, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and reliability. ✴ Media selection is crucial, considering factors like cable type (copper, multimode fiber optic, single mode optical) and terminators for each connection. Pre-terminated fiber/copper cabling solutions are widely used, offering plug-and-play convenience and high-density cabling options. ⛔ Note: Pathway design should prioritize maintenance and changes, ensuring problems can be addressed without disrupting production. #DataCenter #Telecommunications #StructuredCabling #TIA942 #Networking #DataCenterDesign #Infrastructure #ITInfrastructure #CablingSolutions #DataCenterManagement #NetworkDesign #ITNetwork #FiberOptics