A DAY in the LIFE of the DATA CENTRE | FULL CUSTOMER "RACK & STACK" with ASH & JAMES!

[@omegarhotv4746]

I watched one video that was randomly suggested to me for this channel. I am now 3 hours deep on this channel and I regret nothing.

[@MsFxtrdr]

did that last week. went through all of them then I bought 3 servers.

[@TheDaddy2003]

Haha weak! Same here.

[@dragonhead01]

Same here, i work in a small DC and am hooked on this channel

[@petermeisenstein3752]

@@MsFxtrdr I bought an entire datacenter just because of this video now I am poor and and have a useless datacenter . Jokeing

[@herraman9000]

@@petermeisenstein3752ohh thank god you were joking, thought u were serious for a second😅

[@pav431]

I work as a remote system administrator... Communicating with our server guys is a daily bread for me, but despite my job... I have never been, phyiscally, in a datacenter. And this line of videos is actually a great learning material for me to be able to picture how my colleagues work, what they do, how the general layoug of DC can look like etc... Thank you!

[@vitiosus701]

They're so confident in their crimping that they don't even need to test the cables before plugging them in. lol Good work fellas!

[@africanqueen1595]

The cables bundling is neat and using velcro instead of zip ties is a great idea.

[@ahabsbane]

Not only a great idea, it's code for anything cat 6 and up, as the zip ties trend to squish the space between pairs in the cable, which increases crosstalk and reduces heat dispersion.

[@Luca-jy8ne]

yes omg I switched to velcro recently and it improved my life so much xD

[@AtreidaeChibiko]

Anyone that uses cable ties should be shot. Especially anyone that doesn't flush cut them (looks at scars on arms)

[@scottscott232]

Yes, I totally agree. Very neat and tidy, which makes any form of maintenance easy to carry out.

[@mikevadnais7722]

Nice job, you should just buy cables already in the lengths you need. Working in the US Postal Service data center we had cable in .5 foot increments up to 20 feet. You waste a lot of time terminating RJ-45's yourself.

[@frederikreiff3758]

This cable managment makes my day better :D

[@random5030]

Man, after all of that cable management, if you make a mistake on terminating a cable on the server side, you would have to pull out that cable from the bundle. But, your expertise is paying off. Hats off. Shows how well you actually perform your skillset.

[@herokatzuki335]

I'm apply for a job to work at a data center because your videos helped validated what I want to do! Thank you so much! Interview this week!

[@AdityaTripathi]

Omg that cable job is so neat

[@whitcwa]

Once you've determined the first cable length, it makes more sense to go back to the office sit in a nice chair, put on some music and make the rest of the cables. On nice days, I even go outside and catch some sun while making cables. And leave a decent sized service loop!

[@rnadey]

Good video guys i have racked and design data centers for 40 years i love it keeping things neat and airflow correct. i have walked into data centers that were a total mess. the cage clips there is also the tool you can use to clip in the clips save your fingers and yes it hurts when it slips. Data Centers is my passion.

[@nicksenske662]

This is probably how Linus thinks his server room looks

[@EoRdE6]

It's fun having watched many of Linus' to now see how a server room is supposed to look

[@SamoScopom]

two questions: don't you need to test those cables? can you still pull out the servers from the front if the cables are run so neatly?

[@thomasesr]

No they can't. They are going to have to unplug the server to pull it out. If a fan fails the server has to be unplugged, which is no big deal if you have high availability and replication... but its not ideal.

[@alexdv2635]

Clearly no cable testing being done before installation, nothing like trying to find a faulty cable later and having to pull apart that loom again 🙁 Do it properly the first time!

[@anthonypolsinelli1179]

Rails with cable management arms are great for keeping the cables super neat and enabling the server to be slid out. A cable tester could have been used and not added much time, but been another report for the customer to see (a quality tester will be able to have a report per cable). Something like a fluke link runner (I use an AT2000) will do this while one end is plugged into a switch. Qualifying it for gig speed.

[@stephanweinberger]

@@anthonypolsinelli1179 On the other hand cable management arms can impede airflow quite a lot. I'm currently in the process of removing all the arms from a 5-rack HPC. It's a pain, but in this case the arms are quite full (redundant power + redundant network + redundant Infiniband + IPMI = 7 cables per 1U), and the machines do really run several degrees cooler without them - which means they will run at higher clocks. I'd recommend arms only for 2U+ servers.

[@n3ttx580]

they probably tested the cables off camera, thos it's weird they didn't mentioned it..

[@CustomComputing]

You didn’t allow for the rack being pulled out and still be connected to the switch... they can’t pull out and upgrade the rack while connected ;( What’s the point on having the rails if you can’t pull them out without pulling out the Ethernet cables?

[@alexanderlinke2240]

I think the rails are still there for ease of maintenance. I mean depending on the server type things that you can hot-plug like e.g. disks are often accessible from the front or back directly. All other parts you typically cannot maintain while the machine is online anyway. So you'd plug out electricity and ethernet and then start to replace/add components to the server. However you can still do this without completely taking the server out of the rack. Just pull it out the server on the rail, open the chassis and replace the parts.

[@areyounow_2023]

During maintenances we often need to power down entire machine to open box and do whatever is needed. I liked their job leaving the cables as it is is much better for air flow and less visual noise

[@CustomComputing]

@@areyounow_2023 visual but not practical and if you need to shut down an entire production rack to work on 1 server you’re doing it wrong 100%.

[@areyounow_2023]

@@CustomComputing I understand your pov

[@BlitzIn4]

I love the Internet. Thank you for making it.

[@bhattago]

Networking engineer's ASMR :) Nice trip down the data centre alley..thanks

[@GaryMeolaJr]

Great channel.... I spend a few days in a month in a datacenter tending to my servers. Neat to see a channel dedicated to this. Wish more US providers had a channel like this. Thanks KZbin recommendations !!!

[@andydelle4509]

Great job! One suggestion for you from my bag of tricks. Once you measure out the length from the loom to the server, cut a "reference" length of cable from the box the same length. Now you have a measuring stick so to speak to cut the other sever cables the exact same length exiting the loom. Then the install will then look very neat.

[@jamescarter5466]

You have no idea how long i've been going through youtube trying to find a video like this.. finally ! Someone who gets to the point. Great vid !!!

[@xorinzor]

you should look up fiberninja ;)

[@BunToomo]

Gosh. Was researching datacenter HVAC when this video popped out. Never expected to see the rails from my former workplace to show up here. REPON 2U rails mainly supplied for Supermicro. Worked on it. Good stuff

[@JoseLiu-u8e]

how can you use the hand-made cables directly without testing them first?

[@gg.wellplayed]

experience

[@cocotewewegombel4866]

no wast time hehe

[@4lch4z]

As a fellow NOC Engineer, I genuinely enjoy these videos. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this channel.

[@justinhannah1023]

Not leaving slack to pull the server out on it's rails bugs the hell out of me. When installing servers I build a whip with all the power and network cables in a mesh sleeve to the server coiled up so it retracts with the server being pulled out on it's rails.

[@Loutripe]

I agree with you but I think in a Datacenter that doesn't apply really. First of all let's agree on the fact that a server in a DC has to have an uptime of 100% (except of course for the be weekly windows update or some patching that requires a reboot, or maybe a dedicated software that has some issues). Then, if you don't have any connectivity and you need to have access to a serveur, you can go plug yourself on the back or if there's a KVM you can use it too. So beside that, the only time you will pull those servers is in an EOF cycle. Also, if you suggest a hardware issue, the "most common" issue is regarding the SSD/Hardrive having an issue or a raid controller having an issue, in those cases, no need to pull the server you can hot swap those) Remember that those servers are top of the line servers (full RAM, bi processor, dual power supply etc). I've honestly never seen a top of the line server have a critical hardware issue and it's even true in the recent years. That's what I think, thanks for your comment.

[@justinhannah1023]

@@Loutripe most common issue we have is having a "RAM Error" which can be remedied either by popping all the dimms out and pushing them back in, or if that doesn't work then replacing one. The other thing we find ourselves doing is changing pci-e cards for NIC upgrade or downgrade to 10GE or 100GE. Servers get repurposed a lot around here so the 100% uptime comes from migrating VMs around. But dealing with bare metal at the Colo really sucks if you can't slide the box out on it's rails.

[@husher5142]

personally i would zip tie the power cables to the server as possible, way too many accidents with power when doing repairs otherwise

[@bartoszkazmierczak7249]

Aren't the network cables too short? Can they still pull out the servers?

[@pablomartin4811]

Looks amazing!! Just one little doubt... you don't check the crimped cables before connecting them??!?!?!

[@christophermorris1015]

I didn't see a NetScout either...

[@radekpastor6558]

I am doing similiar work but i cannot imagine something like crimping patch-cords on place and use it without any analysis or measurement by testing tools.

[@GuruEvi]

Welcome to paid-by-the-hour remote hands service. I agree though, you can buy patch cables from most decent places in approx. 4U increments. Also, you have to disconnect these wires to pull out the server and they had a ton of waste, with CAT6/7, that adds up quick. I'd leave at least the depth of the server in slack so you can pull it out, swap RAM etc I personally like to keep power cords on one side and network on the other, it seems they went with all wiring on the same side. Do like the loom tool though, may want to invest in one of those.

[@CobisTaba]

@@GuruEvi he actually examined why he put network cable on same side as power. There will be fiber too and he wants fiber and coper separated.

[@romnicknitro4086]

Woow.. great cable management.. so neat and organized.

[@ionvasile12]

Question: If you have to pull out the frame without disconnect the cable or you want to change a connector how you do that? You have to leave a service loop! Bundling cable is not that hard you just need some practice.

[@chroniclesofbap6170]

Your comms cabinets fill me with joy. I've been to some clients whose cabinets...well....you know.

[@dudleyroberts8860]

You didn't leave slack to pull out the servers for servicing

[@MrMrRubic]

Yeah that's what I noticed as well.

[@leephcom]

@@MrMrRubic it's pointless, costly extra cable lengths just to avoid unplugging a couple of cables in order to slide it fully out? Most don't bother with cable slack and concertina arms these days. You've got to power the thing down to do most maintenance tasks anyway so no need to keep the cables plugged in.

[@rosetodaro5081]

I’m applying for an integration data center tech and tack and stack is one of the requirements. It’s been 20yrs since I’ve done this and this video was a wonderful refresher

[@gerhardprinsloo5885]

Underappreciated work that keeps the world turning... Good job... I hope the camera person swiped in as well, we need to stay compliant lads.

[@phant0m597]

Thought the same thing. Security studies kicked in there

[@martynbush]

I used to spend a good deal of time combining cables to look pretty. Then someone much higher up the food chain pointed out that this encouraged crosstalk and noise on the cables. Now I leave them tangled and use nylon sock to tidy up.

[@davidepalermo7028]

I'm network engineer in Italy, I have sometime done this kind of job , well done guys!

[@gasser5001]

Wire management is fucking orgasmic. Nothing better than seeing some properly managed cables!!!!!!!!!!

[@redtails]

the slack on those UTP cables does not look long enough for the servers to slide out?

[@rapidrabbit11485]

I thought the same thing, but at the same time, the servers are missing cable management arms that the cable slack should tuck into to allow them to flex when pulled out.

[@timrussell6740]

If you are a network nerd, this is both a work of art and attention to detail that is vastly under-appreciated unless you have been in a NOC that resembles a giant bowl of multi-colored spaghetti with little to no documentation.

[@ulrichwillems6072]

Exellent job. I have done this kind of job and it's not so easy these guys makes it look like. It's very time consuming, mainly the labelling of the patch cords.

[@jamescarter5466]

That cabling at the end is so calming.

[@asarand]

Now that is the proper way to route cables. I hate the spaghetti messes I've seen in some server situations

[@michaelkulbe9930]

Nice, clean work. Greetings from Germany. Admins United! ✊️

[@Jaze2022]

you must have massive patience to not screw up crimping those tiny wire ends. what is it like to replace the cables when/if they fail?

[@Mikeekim88]

I applied for a position data centre trainee and I think this is part of the job. Am I right? thanks. Great video

[@mahmoudabozied2069]

Everything ins there is focus on the wires of the cables, you know the color and u can easy know lots of stuff about it. nice manage.

[@giornikitop5373]

nicely done but i would have gone with premade cables, you can find every size you need and use some cable management arms. i can make cables with little to no errors but crimping 20+ of them just seems like a waste of time since premade aren't that expensive. also don't cut the cables exactly in size leave a bit of slack in case one fails and you need to re-crimp it. your way looks cleaner but you can't remove a server without unpluging it, maybe that's a concern down the road. and of course velcro is a must to use.

[@travisnelson9104]

Wouldn't that cause inacurrencies in length though? Not to mention the economics of what is actually needed would be bad because a cable may be a tad longer then what's needed. Therefore a little money wasted?

[@giornikitop5373]

@@travisnelson9104 cable arms are used to tidy up different length cables no big deal, it's used everywhere. yes premade will be more expensive but given the fact that you have to do a lot of crimping (fill a rack), the time needed usually costs more in the long run.

[@ForWhhY]

25-50 cm pre-made cables are cheaper than 2 rj45 connector...

[@edwinvargas2181]

very nicely done cable management ❤❤

[@theblackJCW]

im sorry but as a data center Engineer, i cannot stress that some of the methods used during this install are not warranted. no cable testing, install lengths not properly measured, and other items not addressed. constructive feedback.

[@industrial-wave]

I'm curious, what would be the proper process for this? Checking rail length and adjusting, testing Ethernet cables, and what else?

[@andersonpyaban8042]

Constructive feedback indeed

[@Boostocska]

​@@WhackDaddy_Bannonyou have to be a chef to criticise food ey?

[@philcooper9225]

Usually in a way that matters yea ​@@Boostocska

[@dearshomy]

Beautiful. May I ask, why are the two server ports, on each server, connected to the switch?

[@arqais]

So they can able to distribute the data and internet to all those connected server with equal amount of speed that's what the switch does

[@dearshomy]

@@arqais so some kind of redundancy?

[@chewie49uh]

The red cables are connecting to the IPMI or System Controller of the servers. This is an out-of-band interface for remote management of the system and allows remote access and control of the servers. The blue cables are connecting to one of the 4 data ports, which will be the host's main interface and link to other systems and the outside world.

[@huskkyy]

@@arqais Not quite, The red ones are for IPMI so you can fully control the servers remotely even at the bios level.

[@tonyb3629]

I'm all for a tidy rack, but I don't know anyone who cuts/crimps there own cables for patching. Other than the ridiculous time it will take, you'll need to test every cable afterwards. Madness. Just buy a whole bunch of pre-made/tested CAT6 cables at different lengths (not CAT5e these days) and have some decent cable management in the back (management bars/dump trays and post rings). Lots of velcro ties would be useful as well. What about cable management arms too? You'll have to accommodate two power cables per server, one per PDU in each side of the rack - that can get messy. The cabling *is* neat, but not practical and too time consuming.

[@wildwilie]

Cat5e worth perfectly for 10gbs/s under 45metres.

[@tonyb3629]

@@wildwilie I've run 10GbE over CAT5e myself over short distances, but not out of choice. I'd always use CAT6A these days, especially in the datacenter. I know they're only running from the server to the switch over a very short distance, probably over GbE, but it's no excuse. As for user termination of ethernet cables for rack use, not a chance in hell. I'd always use pre-made/tested cables from a good supplier. They didn't even use a basic cable tester before installing them in the rack FFS!

[@wildwilie]

@@tonyb3629 Its possible that they edited out the Testing step. But I do find it odd that they at least didnt show any of it. I personally have more of an issue with the cable length being too short for servicing. Especially since I've had terrible luck with fans dying on me so many times over the years.

[@martynbush]

I didn't see you test the patch cables. Not even a continuity test. That's confidence for you.

[@RosarioSannino]

wow the final part is SO RELAXING!!!

[@TheDinoblues]

Why do you cut the cat 5 so short?. You can't pull out the servers.

[@44magnum84]

if you have to pull the server out, it means you have to replace non hot-swappable FRU or do some serious repair, so you shut it down, unplug cables and then pull it out. Hot-swappable FRUs usually placed in ways to allow swap them without pulling out the server.

[@jonathansheppard8875]

44 Magnum unless the internal fans are also hot-swap. Which is the case with many servers. Personally think cable management arms look a lot better anyway.

[@whistler2000]

@@jonathansheppard8875 the problems is that you need the cable management arms for the servers, using these will hindre the airflow there, most data centers dont use cable management arms as they keep the warm air captured, i have around 10 full 42U racks we lowered the temperature some degrees just by skipping all the cable arms.

[@Ano_ny]

@@whistler2000 Exactly this. I manage 2 cages in 2 datacenters for a customer of us and by deleting all the cable management arms the general system temperatures went down by a few degrees celcius. Upcoming we have a big cable re-ordering which hopefully brings it down a few degrees.

[@cocotewewegombel4866]

@@whistler2000 correct . i am also fix and replace switch and server get problem if no good cable management

[@sarathkrishna5109]

I had to design and implement such a network project for one our customers. It was a oil plant and the heat was unbearable in the server room. They had switched off power for some parallel electrical work. The cabling part is a nightmare even though I had a technician to assist me. Adding to that we had tremendous pressure from customer to get it over within 3 days. When it was over and I checked the network we were facing a loop in one switch. It took me another day to find and fix it. It was due to a wrong cable tag. I sweared I will never go for site implementation again after that episode..I really appreciate these engineers

[@kasperholmj]

Yeah, it looks nice, no doubt... but what's the point of mounting servers on rails when you only leave 7 cm of slack on the cables anyway? .... There's no problem in having more slack on the cables and be able to pull out the rails at the same time....

[@hophop9745]

excatly what i thought haha, maybe the servers will only be slid out when everything is disconnected

[@quilnux]

That only makes since when you either have hotswap parts or have little to no redundancy. If you need to service the server, it's always better to do so turned off. That means having redundancy and migrate the cluster before you pull the server. Even with hotswap parts, bad things can happen while the server is running. We have a few hotswap servers at work but we've not done part swaps for over a decade now. We always service them turned off.

[@jonakers704]

@@quilnux Yerp. About the only parts we will hotswap are power supplies and perhaps fan modules if they are accessible from the outside. Otherwise shut the machine down and work on it powered off.

[@maxmylesone]

Quality work! It looks good. I like that you consider the bend radius on the fiber that will be put in. I’ve been in data centers where they just jam the fiber in any ol’ way.

[@richardj163]

Every crimped cable should be tested with a cable certifier.

[@brandhark7935]

Great tip! Agreed.

[@matthewsachaullymce279]

I would prefer using factory made tested patch cords.. greet from Indonesia 🙏🏻😁

[@airsofttrooper08]

please keep making these video series. Its the only thing Im interested in on youtube and theres such a lack of content for network engineering stuff

[@jayleon147]

Just curious! wouldn't you run a cable tester before you start plugging in the wires? but awesome video tho. really beautiful work

[@franky6776]

Just being confidence of their cables 😂

[@darren-thecottageatelier8962]

love that looming tool, I used to have to wire up cabinets by hand. However speaking as a server engineer wiring up this way means everything has to be unplugged if you want to pull the server out for any kind of servicing and testing means plugging in extra fly leads power leads etc... a real pain

[@xorinzor]

yeah I've learned to always keep enough slack for that. Fiberninja is a really good channel to watch too :)

[@gavincording3638]

always keep a service loop less downtime

[@thegreatoutagesign9204]

Never clicked on a notification so fast.

[@Santospirito007]

I wish I could share videos and photos from inside a facebook data center on how this is done, as well as all the fiber dressing. everything is pinstriped, and perfectly measured including the fiber cables.

[@sirsluginston]

Probably a dumb question, but around 10:30, are the blue cables primary and the red redundant in case of an outage, etc? Or are they just different connections?

[@yoloredalert8404]

They are for redundancy. To avoid a single point of failure.

[@asmqb7222]

I have no way of actually knowing, but one possibility is that one color is the actual network connection, while the other runs to the NIC that's connected to the BMC+management engine. Proper network hygiene (according to my worldview) would isolate these NICs from arbitrarily being accessible. Redundancy is indeed the other possibility; cables running to a pair of switches is pretty ambiguous.

[@OpSic66]

Could go either way really. Usually with a DC rack you would have separate networks (two minimum) and Management - so 3 network cables. Not sure what this DC and Customer have worked out for their topology or requirements.

[@carsten.hamburg8771]

@@yoloredalert8404 Nope.

[@LetMeTakeThisJoint]

Cablegasm... once I will get my collogues to do so as well... dreaming is allowed 👌

[@hennessy6996]

Gr8 vid, only one qualm if anything. The cables that are crimped, unless I missed it, didn't look like they were tested and certified as you made them by hand. But a splendid approach.

[@miko007]

btw, why is there no slack in the network cabling? now one could not pull the rails out without ripping the network, cant they?

[@sanderd17]

Guess if you're ripping out the server, you need to power it down and get the cables out anyway.

[@miko007]

Sander Deryckere i guess hot swappable hdds, ssds and ram are still a thing...

[@sanderd17]

@@miko007, yes, but on many servers, those are accessible from the front. No need to pull them out. Even power supplies are normally swappable without shutting it down. The only reason to pull a server out is usually to change some internals like fans, ram or cpus.

[@wildwilie]

@@sanderd17 Correct me if im wrong, but arent fans what end up failing the most?

[@stephanweinberger]

@@wildwilie usually disks & power supplies fail more often than fans.

[@chroniclesofbap6170]

Making the cables is going the extra-mile. I have to respect you for that.

[@mihajlolakicevic2631]

Cat5, lol. What about Cat6? What about prefabricated Patch Cables with different lengths? I hope cables used in a video are stranded type. I didn't notice cables were tested after terminations.

[@weetygaming]

Nice Video, why do you not have a service Loop on the network cables allowing the server to be pulled out and serviced without disconnecting cables as its should be.

[@skabbas89]

All I can think of is W/Orange, Orange, W/Green, Blue, W/blue, Green, W/Brown, Brown

[@czas4]

​@user-rr3fo6hy9qW/Green, Green, W/Orange, Blue, W/Blue, Orange, W/Brown, Brown

[@TestGearJunkie.]

@user-rr3fo6hy9q Haven't used 568A in 20 years.

[@72chargerse72]

not just professional but craftsmen. Very nice

[@DanielCraigie]

You haven't left any service loops when terminating the Cat 5 so the servers can't be pulled out and opened without first unplugging all of the cables at the back. Is the customer prepared for servers to be taken offline for what could have been Hot Swap maintenance/repairs?

[@pwedding1]

There is almost nothing inside that would be hot swappable other than fans. PSUs and hard drives are by far and away the most failed items, both of which can be serviced with the device in place like that. Having huge service loops generally adds bulk and blocks airflow through the rack. So if you had to pull the server out to replace something failed, it most likely something not hot-swappable that you would have to schedule downtime for anyway.

[@HWGAFoundation]

What happens with rest heat?? How much power does it need- consumes?? How many solar panels would it need??

[@Apaurie]

Got a new job. Starting, the3rd january 2022: I've never done that before. I know how to mount a pc, to mange some stuff via virtualization but this. No technical challenge during the job interview. They just told me "you're the right guy, we trust you" xD Im very afraid of making any mistakes. Checking the system config with some partners in others countries will also be challenging. Anyone got the same situation ? How was his experience ? Thanks for the video.

[@Kallekringla3]

How is your new job?

[@haroldpalmsesq2506]

Clement, don’t worry. You WILL make mistakes. We all do. Just take your time and speed will come naturally.

[@Apaurie]

@@Kallekringla3 Well.....im learning. As the offer was written, it was clear I'll be "the only one to save them". Fortunately, im not alone (clearly, one man for 4 differents sites full of DTC ????). My co-workers teach me what i need to learn. That's going well. Powershelf IP checking, Undercloud project, checking the mainframe and reporting any issue (door of the rack not closing well, health of the network cable...). Checking the network connection and investigating why we can't ping this server.....installing red hat on KVM. Replacing wrong memory stick..... Plus managing remotely the servers when possible. Much more to come. The only problem is: The final client (famous telecomunictaion company in my country) is not providing all the time the badge you need to access to their DTC. When you think it's done, and after spending more than one hour and alf of travelling, the guardian doesn't find any mention of your name. So you have to go back to home xD Happened once or twice. @Harold: Rule #1 with me: Never say i just take my time. Im a turtle with a brake as my father was used to say xD Anyway it's going very well. Nice opportunity I got.

[@rocchirodrigo]

nice story, I'm starting in a small datacenter next week, but I've got previous experience on configuring switches/routers/servers, just virtualization is my achilles heel right now, especially vmware 🤣🤣

[@davidstievenard6313]

you can purchase custom length cables pre-numbered and in factory molded connectors

[@gubbernl]

I crimped hundreds of cables, in the wild. But in a DC: in my opinion a no-go. No quality assurance, even not a good idea with a Fluke tester, very expensive manual labor and you can redo your work when replacing the server in a couple of years for whatever reason. So, my preference: a longer stock cable with a loop.

[@Bob-TheTechGuy]

Agreed. I was very surprised they didnt at least put a tester on each cable. Anytime i make a cable, i always throw a tester on it.

[@feftan]

@@Bob-TheTechGuy eee, managed switch shows you if its gbps duplex capable, or you just floodping or run test on each machine for some time. these guys look like they know what theyre doing. i also met shitload of out-of-box not working cables

[@jonakers704]

Love the bit about "these rack mount arms are sharp"... and I can think of is "Well, yes, they are when you buy SuperMicro rackmount systems". Could be Tyan, but the power supplies on those machines scream SuperMicro.

[@santasl]

Interesting video, as always. I find it interesting that you guys take the time to actually manufacture the cables per rack. Sure if one gets used to the way it is done, it is not really time consuming (besides the neatness it can bring). I would have thought that you have a stack of pre made cat6 cables in various lengths. Another question that came in mind while watching your video. Are you going to measure the cables? In case you do, do you keep or put the measurement reports in the installation report?

[@sitte24]

In our DC we only have pre-made Cat6A cables in steps of 0.25m up to a length of 10m, then the steps are getting bigger like 12m,13.5m, 15m and so on. It's the fastest way and costs are not that bad if you consider the work time needed for crimping them. Also we are using cable management arms, so you can pull out any server to hot swap any of its component's without having to turn them off

[@Karonar]

@@sitte24 same in the DC I'm working. We got 0,5m steps still 7 metres. Also having a number on the cable(from the manufacturer) makes documentation really easy.

[@bmomjian]

I don't think you could do the looming as well with cables that have jacks on them.

[@theruggedboy7958]

this is funny, in my data center our management buys a ready made cables already of different length. In my opinion I don't think you really need to do that crimping anymore now a days, maybe if its your own lab at home like mine its fine.

[@killerlpacman_1852]

Especially since they are using cat5. Alot of data centers use cat6 minimum with already made cables. Only did crimping in college and home use haha

[@ronthedon3106]

Taking up way to much unnecessary time?

[@husher5142]

So for my little (~1000 node) network we buy pre patched too, but running exact length is by far cleaner. If we werent shutting down this network I would have insisted we cutover to manual and align with the rest of the company standards. The other issue I have with prefab is when the server guys run cables and they pick up a 20 ft instead of the 15 ft they needed. Especially with big builds space is at a premium. And decommissioning becomes a nightmare. But for small enterprises with a dozen servers than yea dont waste time patching. Just depends

[@weis.victor]

I'm surprised to see you installing new Cat 5e in 2019. I would have expected Cat 6 or even 6A. Is it because the customer is only doing 1000BASE-T with no plans to do 10GBASE-T in the future, and they want to save cost? Also, wouldn't it be more efficient to buy pre-terminated (machine- terminated) cables rather than crimping your own? There are specialty cable vendors who will sell custom length cables in increments of 10cm, so you can still have a neat install. I got to imagine that would be less expensive than paying you guys to do it manually. Lastly, do you test & certify these cables to ensure NEXT and ACR are within spec?

[@Time4Technology]

I actually wondered as well, why their employer doesn't see the cost factor in all the labor work involved in crimping custom cables.

[@AlternateDargon]

@@Time4Technology Based on the single rack they did, waiting and paying for a kit of pre terminated probably wasnt worth it for the customer. After all, they just do what the customer wants. Pre-terminated patch kits can be quite expensive, some customers just dont want to pay for it, its also easier to markup your own time and cost vs that of a 3rd party supplied kit. Cat 5e is totally fine for in rack work for the vast majority of work, based on single rack customer, chances are slim they are a HUGE company that would benefit from using 6. Im also betting that like a fair bit of places, they keep a decent amount of stock of all kinds of cables and you can literally sell a customer a "rack and stack kit" that includes x patches of 5e, custom terminated lengths at xx cost vs pre packaged, 6 from a 3rd party. Again, laregely depends on the size of the implementation. Ordering in bulk gives you that power to save, but you really cant order in bulk for a single rack install and most companies wont front the cash to have pre terminated stock if they dont need it. There also isnt much of a "cost factor" when it comes to labor work in crimping custom cables for small implementations and typically a place that runs 24/7 has the downtime to just do these things pretty easily, especially with two staff. If it was overtime work or rush theyd probably add in a cost. Structured cabling between multiple racks with many inter connects and patches, thats a totally different story. They showed them doing OTDR testing for the fiber, i bet its safe to assume they test their copper as well =P They just didnt show us that yet as they arent anywhere ready for handover. No PDU's in yet or the fiber as they mentioned .

[@stephanweinberger]

10G will run over Cat5e, if it's not too long. 2-3m in a rack are no problem, especially if you use stp or s/ftp cable.

[@JustSomeGuy009]

Personally, I don't care if i have some slack cable in the back of the rack either and actually want to be able to pull my servers out if needed. I'm not doing all that crimping and labor to make what ultimately is an interior product (pre-terminated cables are more reliable statistically).

[@laszu7137]

10G works on cat5e below 10m.

[@dearkaseland40]

Guys, you did a flawless job Please more numerous videos, and I believe to see your channel reach the MILLIONS. Greeting from Germany Tschüss

[@Frogstomp_actual]

You guys do an amazing job, such a credit to your company. I have managed larger DC's and wish I had you guys working for me..

[@miket5506]

Very neat and clean install! Makes me want to start re-wiring and re-dressing the cables in my racks at work. I did notice, however, that you didn’t leave enough cable in the back to completely slide the server completely forward on the rails while it’s in service. When I do a rack I always factor-in the need to change a fan or add/change an internal component at some point in its lifetime and wire it so I can pull it out while it’s still running. That’s one thing I like about Dell EMC-they actually have n arm that attaches to the back of the rail that’ll hold the cables and ensure that you can do that. Just food for thought!! Again, very nice install!

[@Tompii]

I work as an DC technician and what I've seen of your videos, you have quite a nice DC I'd must say, but I do have a question tough. How do you connect your PDU's in the racks? Do you have your electric rails underneath the floor? Well done with the cabling lads. =)

[@sarguhl5892]

Damn that level of cable management! I need this for my personal computer desk ngl

[@Thomas-nn3rz]

That is some beautiful cable management

[@tejsays1921]

Very well explained.... did not over do...It was great.. I absolutely love this channel.

[@dantydong4138]

Curious to know how much does it cost each of those servers!

[@alisalah7326]

is the cables short? if i want to look to any server i will take it out the rack when the servers power on

[@swingsterz4126]

No Fluke or something equal on the cable for certification, impossible to open connected server cause cable are to short, but nice work, it's a way to do that.

[@kasimsche2812]

Thank you so much for providing us such high quality and real time information.

[@waynechow1090]

How do you plan on servicing one of those servers if you have to slide one out? do you disconnect all the cables in the back and hope you plug it all back in correctly? I thought that's the whole point for sliding rails vs. fixed racked servers with cable management arm?

[@Minecraft5454]

Cable management arms fucking suck. They are nothing but a huge pain in the ass. What could you possible not plug in correctly if you plug in the servers all the same way? Just look at a different server for reference. Realistically the only thing that would be plugged into a rack of servers like this is power and network.

[@zemerick1]

They should not have cut them to length. @Wayne is right about that. And yes, F cable arms. However, the whole point of the rails is for servicing. Now you have to unplug everything to add a stick of RAM.

[@CanyonSteve-z8j]

From someone who's actually worked in the industry... For most customers, there's nothing inside that they would service while the server is online. From a safety and stability perspective ,they would take a server offline if they had to. Also, even though they're on the rails, the customer hasn't opted for cable management arms. The arms still server the function of making mounting easier. In the case that a server fails, you can insert and remove easily.

[@byron7165]

@@Minecraft5454 Power, network, and IME.

[@antonyb6500]

@@byron7165 and fans

[@dansclassics]

Without the time lapse; how much time did each person spend doing the install?

[@jleote]

Im telcom so I really don't deal with much cta5 or 6 anymore. Its mostly all fiber. But ill tell ya something. Those cable combs (mine were made by PairGain) are such a nice tool even with fibers to keep it all clean and neat looking,. Nice Job.

[@eoeoeovideos]

I think that Cat6 is ok, but Cat5e not anymore. So i think that they are ok with it

[@TestGearJunkie.]

@@eoeoeovideos 5e is ok for short runs, say from a PC to a wall jack, or for patch panel cables. Anything longer I'd use 6 or above.

[@faizahmed5865]

I got a question, why do you guys connect two links(wires) to each of the servers? For redundancy? Or link aggregation?

[@martinkorf1319]

The RED one is for IPMI management and the BLUE one is for network ;-)

[@sudomc]

Still trying to figure out how Centre and Center are the same sound

[@moardub]

Ahahhh sneaky I like that wire loom trick you did with the plastic bit. I always wondered how some data centers got their cables to nice and tidy. Beautiful work guys. I cant wait for the next video!

[@joshgagnier]

Most of the time it's simply added effort. The cone makes it much easier.

[@mrmotofy]

Start at one end and work your way down. I was taught at like 18yrs old with power wires

[@neiltsakatsa]

Could you also do a few topics on configuring MPLS, VPLS, GRE Tunnels as well as explaining the different ISP levels there are. Thanks :-)

[@power1212]

They are a datacentre, not a ISP.

[@Tesfalem]

Matt Ford Seems like Neil is a network engineer so he thinks he’s “smarter” than DC Techs. I’m sure he knows he can find a bunch network focused channels but it makes him feel smarter requesting it here.

[@SignAndCodec]

With the switches mounted rear facing, how about the cooling air for the switches? When they are all running, the switches will get hot air that coming out from the servers below.

[@sportsguy2891]

Those switches can be ordered with port-side or rear intake.

[@callowaysutton]

Most 24+ port switches, from what I've seen, use cooling fans on the sides

[@quilnux]

We only have a couple of front intake switches in our datacenter. Almost all the racks use rear and side intakes. Once you start getting into the 48 (and sometimes even 24) port ranges, there is nowhere to add front intakes because the NIC ports take up the entire front almost. If you go back and look at the switch they installed, you'll see very little surface area for a front intake.

[@carsten.hamburg8771]

With cabinets inside a datacenter you have a cold side on which the cooled air will be sucked in by the devices installed in there. Air cools the machines and exits the cabinet on the hot side which we are looking at in this video. For servers air intake is normally through the front bezel and that cannot be changed. For (high performance) network switches you order them with the correct air flow direction, back to front or front to back. This depends on whether you install them on the front side or back side of the cabinet. So the switches that this customer had shipped later on for the data links will be with back to front, so the hot air exits where the network ports are. For the switches already installed it does not matter too much as 1GB copper switches do not produce a massive amount of heat hence they do not even have vent slots on the switch port side.

[@185Mouse]

How long did that task take?

[@sherwinvaz]

Good cable management. Loved it. The servers I've seen are cable nightmares .

[@pwedding1]

Thats what you get when you use in all these pre-term cables and service loops everyone else here is insisting is necessary. Giant pile of spaghetti mess.

[@miko007]

are you allowed to tell where you buy your crimpconnectors and shoes?

[@benur9945]

Is it really cheaper and bette (connection quality) to manufacture the patch cables by themself instead of have preconfigured sets?

[@ferky123]

It depends on the length. Hundred foot cables yeah do it yourself. Foot long and six inch, get yourself a bag of them. Anything in between just use your judgment.