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Migrating to a 40GB Network: Now a Necessity

Why Migrate to a 40GB Network

As data centers rapidly grow and develop, the need for a faster network connection also increases. With the ratification of the IEEE 802.3ab in 2010, 40G has displaced 10G as the next network speed evolution in the enterprise.The emergence of 100GB has taken this even further, but is not wildly accepted yet.

What drives the need for 40G today is the same force that drove the need for 10G just over 10 years ago: increasing bandwidth demand. In the modern enterprise, bandwidth demand is driven by the changing nature of applications and advances in server and storage technologies. Let’s look at some of the benefits of upgrading to a 40G network.

Higher Speed

Surely one of, if not the, biggest reason for upgrading to a 40G network is the speed. The industry currently relies on 10G technology for lightning speed data transfer, capable of transmitting 10,000,000 bytes of data every second. Now imagine if you could multiply that speed four times. That’s how fast and efficient a 40G network is.

Especially in this day and age of massive files like 4K videos, high-resolution photos, and cloud backup files being sent and received every single day, there is virtually no downside to having a faster connection.

Lower Power Consumption

As a consumer, you might think that surely the equipment for a 40G network would run up your electricity bill since it’s faster. Which is a fair point. However, if you consider the fact that you’d be able to finish transmitting a file or data in a quarter of the time that you used to, using your current network, the energy efficiency will be apparent. Additionally, manufacturers are coming up with Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) modules that have power consumptions of just 1.5 to 3.5 Watts.

Increased Density

In this day and age of continuous improvement and expansion of storage network area environments, space has never been more important. The growth of data centers is a reality that is challenging to keep up with and perhaps the most difficult hurdle to overcome is the physical floor space to put all of it on.

Fortunately, evolving technology can come to your rescue with new products designed to work well using less space. Such as the equipment that goes hand in hand with a 40g network. Using denser fiber optic cables and patches always translate to better space-saving capability as well as better performance.

Longer Reach

Single mode and multimode are two different types of cables in optical networking. For data centers, storage area networks (SANs), or local area networks (LANs), multimode fiber systems are often used due to it being a reliable, flexible, and cost-effective cabling solution.

fiber is further divided into several types, from OM1 to OM5. OM4 fiber cables are the current industry standard for a 40G network and can transmit data for up to a pretty far-reaching 150 meters.

Utilization Of Current Fiber Infrastructure

To support 40G connectivity, data center administrators are challenged by the necessity of a hugely major upgrade of the cabling infrastructure. This problem is solved by using innovative 40G Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable (QSFP) technology which transmits full-duplex 40G traffic using over a single dual-fiber LC connector OM3 or OM4 MMF cable.

Simply put, it allows you to upgrade to 40G connectivity without making any changes at all to your current infrastructure. This system virtually eliminates the cost barriers for migrating from a 10G network to a 40G one to enable a higher data rate.

The need for more speed and more space never goes away. Don’t wait to start preparing your network for future technology. The need for faster data transfer rates is relentless and carries significant implications with to your productivity. Migrating to a 40G network doesn’t have to be difficult and expensive. Like what we have covered, the process of upgrading can be done in smaller steps by utilizing your existing fiber infrastructure.

Additional Learning Center Resources

• Understanding Polarity for MPO
• Understanding MPO/MTP Cabling Systems in Data Centers
• What are SFP's and How do They Work?
• What is OM5 fiber and how is it different than OM4 & OM3?
• What does 5G mean for business networks?
• Best Practices for Network Security in 2019
• What is DWDM?(Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing)
• What is Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology
• Understanding Wavelengths
• All about the CablesAndKits New Premium Corning Fiber Cables
• Shop all Fiber Cables
• Visit the CK Learning Center