Why is labeling important?
Ever walk into a telecommunications closet looking for a free
port only to find a mess? Structured cabling is the multi-step
practice of defining and managing a cabling system. Once the
system has been installed and tested to the guidelines of
a recognized standard, the process of documentation begins.
Labeling Choices
When choosing a labeling scheme, common sense is your best
guide. Choose a system that is simple, easy to recognize and
decipher, and most importantly easy to use during adds, moves,
and changes.
There is a standard to help define the administration process.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-606 A : Administration Standard for the Telecommunications
Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings.
The purpose and intent of this standard is to provide a uniform
administration scheme that is independent of applications,
which may change several times throughout the life of a building.
This standard establishes guidelines for owners, end users,
manufacturers, consultants, contractors, designers, installers,
and facilities administrators involved in the administration
of the telecommunications infrastructure or related administration
system.
There are some common guidelines to follow when choosing the
right labeling scheme:
- Define and publish the acronyms and abbreviations used
in the scheme
- Choose a system that ensures it can be used over and over
again regardless of the equipment used.
- Store the labeling ID's electronically using a data management
system of software tool
- Use only one system, try to avoid mixing legacy schemes
with new ones.
Lastly when implementing the labeling system be sure to
test it's durability in a few areas before rolling it out everywhere.
Different environments require different labels, check with
the label manufacturer to ensure the proper label is used.
Introduction
Test results management is critical to the success of any installation.
Test results validate the cabling system's performance while
providing valuable historical data.
Managing this data needs careful planning because of the potential
size of data files. A text only Category 5 test uses less than
1Kb of disk space on a computer. The latest generation of testers
which can store detailed test data require around 48Kb of disk
space per test. Some cable testers require much more space.
This section outlines the basic rules for dealing with test
results from cable testers. Results management has become a
real issue in the past few years. The size of installations
has increased as well as their number. It is not uncommon to
see installations in excess of 50,000 outlets.
Which
standard?
All parties should agree which standard is to be used. This
should be as specific as possible. Phrases such as 'Cat 6 Link'
are not specific enough. The best way to deal with this is to
ensure that you have the latest software loaded into the cable
tester. Then agree which standard to select within the tester.
Ensure that this is agreed in writing and the software version
is also recorded.
Cable IDs
Agree on a labeling scheme. Keep it simple, fewer characters
the better. Ensure that the name used to save a cable test,
matches the printed label on the patch panel / outlet.
Data Presentation
Agree with the customer / installer on the format of the test
results. The agree on what media the results are to be presented.
There are a few options here:
Text only ?Paper
Text only ?Floppy Disk with paper summary
Text Only ?CD ROM with paper summary (Preferred)
Graphical ?Paper
Graphical ?Floppy Disk with paper summary
Graphical ?CD ROM with paper summary (Preferred)
Options 3 or 6 are preferred. Purchasing a CD-Writer for your
computer will be a good investment. Using a CD-ROM has many
advantages and is well worth the money at $100. You can store
over 10,000 graphical results on one CD-ROM. Unlike a floppy
disk, a CD-ROM is not susceptible to electromagnetic sources.
The possibility of loosing test results is greatly reduced.
Once the data has been stored on the CD-ROM, it is impossible
to change it, therefore eliminating the possibility of results
being 'manipulated'. This can be important if the installer
is called back in for a warranty claim. Multiple copies are
also easy to make.
Files
Storing all the results in one file on the computer is not
advisable. As with all database programs, the larger the file,
the slower the sorting / viewing of the results. Try and limit
files sizes to specific areas of the cabling system. A good
example is to have one file per cabinet / rack. This makes
life a lot easier for the customer to view the results.
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