400G optical networks are the next big step for data centers to meet different high speed needs at different distances
Birla Furukawa Fibre Optics Private Limited, the Joint Venture Company formed between Universal Cables Limited, India and Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., has announced its 400G ready data centre program for the evolution of data centres to 400G. The rapid rise in demand for Online business transactions, Work from Home by Employees, and other cloud-hosted services, as well as the growth of IoT applications, has accelerated the need for data centres to evolve into the next wave of technology – 400 Gb/s optical networks, known as 400G. Birla-Furukawa has focused its strategy and investments on offering solutions to prepare Data Centers for this new level of evolution.
“This concept implies offering a set of products, solutions and services designed to support 400G applications in a data centre, both current and future and this applies both to the internal environment of the data centre and to the interconnection and between data centres, or any mission-critical environment,” said Nitin Nayak, Business Head at Birla Furukawa.
The technological reference for the 400G is the Ethernet protocol. Multiple interfaces using this protocol are already available or under development – such as 400GBASE-SR4.2 and 400GBASE-DR4 – allowing the use of multi-mode and single-mode fibres.
“One of the advantages of the 400G-Ready concept is the flexibility to meet different needs for higher speeds, at different distances,” he says.
High Distance Solution
For the internal environment of the data centre, for example, with distances of up to 150 meters, a recommended solution is the OM5 multi-mode fibre, which supports various wavelengths. Based on SWDM (Shortwave Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology, OM5 fibre can carry up to 8 wavelengths on a single multi-mode fibre optic, reflected in the optimisation of data centre infrastructure. Additionally, OM5 fibres are fully compatible with Ethernet or Fiber-Channel networks.
The strategy to prepare the 400G data centre is not limited to offering products such as optical fibres or special MPO connectors, or even management software. “It is a broader concept, ranging from consulting and basic design, with the definition of the most appropriate network architecture and topology to take full advantage of the new 400G infrastructure, up to operational support,” emphasised Nitin Nayak.
In addition to 400G-ready data centre solutions, the company offers a suite of services such as blueprint, installation support, with inspection tracking, training, streamlined logistics, and an extended 25-year warranty (per program). “It is the combination of these factors that will ensure the success of the project and make the data centre 400G ready,” he says.
Birla-Furukawa maintains a constant evaluation of the evolution of the industry in this area, participating in regulatory forums and following market movements. “At some point, there will be evolution at 800 Gb/s and/or 1.6 Tb/s. When this happens and is ratified by the standards organisations, we will adjust our offer. But, in the short and medium-term, the most massive adoption will be 100 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s,” concludes the Business Head of Birla-Furukawa.
