Server Rack Choice: How to Make It Right?

Data centers and server rooms house an abundance of server rack cabinets, which work to organize IT equipment into assembly order to make the most use of space and resources. Your daily operation and maintenance rely significantly on the server rack choice since it greatly affect the network reliability, serviceability and manageability. Not all the server racks are created equal, so we will walk you though some critical aspects for choosing the right server rack.

What Is a Server Rack and Why We Need It?

Typically made of steel or aluminum, rails and framework, a server rack is capable of holding hundreds or even thousands of pounds of equipment. For now, the vast majority of IT applications use 19-inch server racks and equipment. As the width of which is always the same, the height and depth can be various. Server rack is designed to hold all standard 19-inch rack-mountable equipment, as long as it isn’t too deep for the cabinet or too high to fit in the available rack spaces. Moreover, server rack also holds IT infrastructures and rack accessories that support the operation of the production equipment, including UPS systems, PDUs, cable managers, KVM switches, patch panels and shelves.

Common Server Rack Types

Basically, there are two types of server racks: rack enclosures (or rack cabinets) and open-frame racks. And based on where they are used, rack enclosures and open-frame racks are further divided into floor-standing server rack and wall-mount server rack.

What Should I Look for a Rack?

There exist a dazzling array of rack options, in terms of different heights, sizes and styles. When selecting the rack for your installation, here are some factors to consider:

Server rack size

Be sure to accurately assess the amount of rack space you need while allow for future growth. So always pay attention to the height and depth of a server rack. The height of a rack is expressed in "rack units" (a rack unit is 1.75 inches, or 44.45mm). The actual height of a 42U rack is therefore 42 x 1.75 = 73.5 inches.

AV vs. IT-based installations

The choice should better depend on the equipment being installed. IT racks are designed for traditional IT equipment in which the I/O and cabling is on the front of the rack. This makes easier troubleshooting and network monitoring. AV racks are typically shallower in depth, enabling a cleaner installation by using equipment with rear facing I/O.

Airflow and cooling

These two factors are critical to the performance and longevity of the equipment installed in the rack. Depending on the airflow condition of the place the rack located, you may need to increase the rack’s cooling capability.

Equipment width

With 19-inches being the traditional standard for rack mounted network hardware, some vendors make custom sizes for other types of equipment. Make sure to check what size of rack your equipment requires.

Security options

While there might be a great amount of expensive equipment installed on the rack, you have always to bear security in mind. A rack that meets the security goal is thus essential. Locking cabinet and tinted door glass can help protecting your network from prying eyes and hands.

Conclusion

The right server rack type that meets your demand helps you improve power protection, cooling, cable management, and physical security. Hope the knowledge and suggestions offered in this article will help you choose the perfect server rack/server rack cabinet. Taking the above factors into consideration and thinking thoroughly before making the choice. Should you ever need a server rack or associated cable management accessories such as fiber optic patch panel, Ethernet patch panel and cable organizer, feel free to contact us at sales@fs.com

Source: Server Rack Choice: How to Make It Right?

PPPoE vs DHCP: What is the difference?

PPPoE vs DHCP may sound like two irrelevant items since the application of each are not the same: DHCP is a protocol for obtaining IP addresses while PPPoE is a common method of connecting to an ISP. But the debate over PPPoE vs DHCP differences has been around for a long time and thus causes a lot confusions. So in this article we will have PPPoE vs DHCP explained and walk you through how they differ from each other.

PPPoE vs DHCP: DHCP Wiki

DHCP, or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is a standardized client/server network protocol that dynamically assigns IP addresses and other related configuration information to network devices. It is known that each device from a TCP/IP network should have a unique IP address to access the network. So without DHCP configuration, network admins have to configure IP addresses manually if they want to add new computers or move computers from one subnet to another. Usually, a DHCP architecture is made up of DHCP clients, DHCP servers and DHCP relay agents.

DHCP works to offer an automated way to distribute and update IP addresses and other configuration information on a network. A DHCP server provides this information to a DHCP client through the exchange of a series of messages. DHCP enables network users to travel anywhere on the network and automatically receive an IP address when they reconnecting. On the other hand, DHCP provides network admins quicker and more reliable IP address configuration – it mitigates configuration errors caused by manual IP address configuration. DHCP also helps to conserve limited IP address space.

PPPoE vs DHCP: What Is PPPoE?

PPPoE, short for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet, is an Ethernet encapsulation of the Point to Point Protocol that is commonly used with dial-up connections. This allows the modem to be a part of the network that multiple users can utilize instead of being connected directly to the computer. PPPoE combines the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), commonly used in dialup connections, with the Ethernet protocol, which supports multiple users in a local area network. The PPP protocol information is encapsulated within an Ethernet frame. To employ PPPoE, you need a username and a password provided by your ISP, which you use to dial-up to your ISP and establish a connection. More recent modems now incorporate the PPPoE dialer into them. You can simply set your username and password once and your modem automatically connects to the internet whenever you turn it on.

PPPoE vs DHCP: How They Differ?

DHCP is a way for a network to allocate unique IP addresses to the devices (i.e. computers, smartphones Gigabit Ethernet switch and etc.) within a network, so that traffic can be delivered back-n-forth without confusion. PPPoE is a way to encapsulate network traffic, based on credentialed access (i.e. username/password). PPPoE needs to be configured correctly before a user can actually connect to the internet, however, modems that use DHCP does not need to be configured and is basically plug and play. So using DHCP to connect to an ISP eliminates the problems that are associated with PPPOE. Just like with computers on a network, you do not need to configure your computer beforehand. You simply leave everything on automatic and leave the configuration to the ISP servers.

The difference between PPPoE vs DHCP can be summarized as following:

• DHCP is a protocol for obtaining IP addresses while PPPOE is a common method of connecting to an ISP
• DHCP is very popular and is widely used while PPPOE is slowly falling out of favor
• You would need to have a username and password with PPPOE while the configuration of DHCP is automatic

Conclusion

So we’ve explored the definition of each term and major PPPoE vs DHCP differences. It is thus to conclude that there is no “one is better than the other”- PPPoE and DHCP serve two entirely different purpose without overlap. Hope it would help to clear out your confusion. Backed by a professional tech team, FS.COM has improved solutions for network devices like Ethernet routers, fiber switch (i.e. 10 Gigabit switch) and servers. To get any further information, reach us via sales@fs.com.

Source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/pppoe-vs-dhcp-difference.html

What Is IPv6 And Why Is It Important?

IPv6 has been around for over a decade but is not yet seeing broad adoption. However, with the imminent exhaustion of available IPv4 addresses, the lack of IP addresses has become a more pressing problem. As the successor of IPv4, IPv6 will not only offer far more addresses, but will address assignments and additional network security features. What is IPv6 and how does it matters? What’s the differences between IPv4 vs IPv6? Let’s get some insight into these issues.

What Is IPv6 and How Does It Matter?

IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) is a network layer protocol which allows communication and data transfers to take place over the network. IPv6 came into existence in 1998 and was created out of the concern that demand for IPv4 addresses would exceed availability. IPv6 protocol, which is 128-bits, consists of eight numbered strings, each containing four characters, separated by colon. This gives us an unbelievable amount of unique IP addresses. Despite these, IPv6 protocol also simplifies address assignment (for computers) and provides additional security features. It greatly solves network bottleneck caused by the soaring amount of Internet-connected devices.

Advantages and Disadvantages of IPv6 Protocol

IPv6 protocol is all about future-proofing, with which every current household could have trillions of connected devices, each with their own individual IP addresses, and there would still be plenty of IPv6 addresses to spare, without the need for NAT. Here are the pros and cons of IPv6.

Pros of IPv6 Ptotocol

• Increased Capacity: of address space—resources are efficiently allocated to accommodate additional web addresses.
• Efficient Routing: allows for easy aggregation of prefixes assigned to IP networks.
• Efficient Data Flow: enables large data packets to be sent simultaneously helping to conserve bandwidth.
• Security: is improved due in part to improved authentication methods built into network firewalls.

Cons of IPv6 Ptotocol

• Conversion: IPv4 is still widely used and the world is slow to convert to IPv6, the process of making the switch to IPv6 from IPv4 is slow and tedious.
• Communication: IPv4 and IPv6 machines cannot communicate directly to each other, in the very rare circumstance that they would need to.
• Readability: Understanding IPv6 subnetting can be difficult on its own, let alone trying to remember/memorize your IPv6 address.

IPv4 vs IPv6: What’s the Difference?

IPv4 protocol consists of four number strings – each containing three digits separated by dots. A standard IPv4 address is 32-bit and allows 4.2 billion unique IP addresses. By comparison, IPv6 uses longer IP addresses: with eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. Hence IPv6 significantly expands the pool of IP addresses. Besides, it also frees the internet from relying on NAT because of the dearth of IPv4. Ipv6 enables all devices to be accessible on the public network for easier management. Moreover, IPv6 is much secure than IPv4 at making sure Internet traffic gets to the correct destination without being intercepted.

What You Need to Enable IPv6

IPv6 has not yet put IPv4 into obsolescence, but we should at least get fully prepared for it. It would be better to make sure that any future PC, mobile device and gigabit Ethernet switch/router support IPv6 protocol. To use IPv6, you’ll need three things:

• An IPv6-Compatible Operating System: Your operating system’s software must be capable of using IPv6. All modern desktop operating systems should be compatible.
• A Ethernet Switch/Router With IPv6 Support: Check your network switch/router’s specifications to see if it supports IPv6 if you’re curious. Or when the need occurs, try to grasp network switch/router with IPv6 function.
• An ISP With IPv6 Enabled:Your Internet service provider must also have IPv6 set up on their end.

Conclusion

IPv6 is rolling out steadily, but slowly. As IPv6-only networks can dramatically simplify network operations and keep costs down, there is reason to believe the trend will continue. It’s important to prepare for the future and get IPv6 working, however, there is no need to race to implement this or worrying about it too much. FS.COM offers IPv6 enabled 10GbE switch and other copper/fiber switch with advanced feature sets that can fit your varying demand. For further information, contact us via sales@fs.com.

Source: What Is IPv6 And Why Is It Important?