ICT Today

July/August/September 2021 I 3 SUBMISSION POLICY ICT TODAY is published quarterly in January/February/March, April/May/June, July/August/September, and October/November/December by BICSI, Inc., and is sent to BICSI members, RCDDs, RTPMs, DCDCs, BICSI Installers and Technicians and ESS, NTS, OSP, RITP and WD credential holders. ICT TODAY subscription is included in BICSI members' annual dues and is available to others through a purchased yearly subscription. ICT TODAY welcomes and encourages submissions and suggestions from its readers. Articles of a technical, vendor-neutral nature are gladly accepted for publication with approval from the Editorial Review Board. However, BICSI, Inc., reserves the right to edit and alter such material for space or other considerations and to publish or otherwise use such material. The articles, opinions and ideas expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BICSI, its members or its staff. BICSI is not liable in any way, manner or form for the articles, opinions and ideas, and readers are urged to exercise professional caution in undertaking any of the recommendations or suggestions made by authors. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission from BICSI, Inc. ADVERTISING: Advertising rates and information are provided upon request. Contact the BICSI Sales Department for information at +1 813.979.1991 or 800.242.7405 (U.S. and Canada toll-free) or cnalls@bicsi.org. Publication of advertising should not be deemed as endorsement by BICSI, Inc. BICSI reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to reject any advertisement at any time by any party. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices to BICSI, Customer Care, 8610 Hidden River Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33637-1000; Phone: +1 813.979.1991 or 800.242.7405 (U.S. and Canada toll-free). © Copyright BICSI, 2021. All rights reserved. BICSI and RCDD are registered trademarks of BICSI, Inc. contents FROM THE PRESIDENT 05 BICSI's First Hybrid Conference By Todd W. Taylor, RCDD, NTS, OSP COVER ARTICLE 06 Data Center Network Adoption, Trends, and Emerging Standards: When moving to 200 Gb/s, 400 Gb/s, and beyond, the relationship of structured cabling to the transceivers becomes even more integral to performance, and the optics choices can no longer be considered outside the context of the fiber cabling and connectivity used. Explore the latest designs, adoption trends, and standards for today's and tomorrow's high-speed, high-density applications. By Mike Connaughton, RCDD, CDCD 18 Today's Digital Transformation Calls for Enhanced Data Center Fiber Testing Strategy: As data centers evolve to support digital transfor- mation, MPO and polarity testing has become essential, reflectance is now a vital consideration, and cleaning and inspection are more important than ever. The use of both an OLTS and OTDR now perform a complementary rather than mutually exclusive role in the fiber testing process. By Mark Mullins 26 How Higher Densities Are Impacting the Rack Space: Data center cabinets are having to support advanced, heavier equipment that consumes more power and produces more heat. For successful operations, data center managers should approach the entire rack space as an inte- grated platform that combines intelligence and structure. Business continuity is not possible without connectivity—remote connectivity. By Duke Robertson 36 Smart Cities and Edge Data Centers Can Bridge the Digital Divide: To bridge the digital divide from an ICT perspective, a viable solution lies in smart city connectivity in conjun- ction with decentralized data via edge data centers. By understanding the digital divide and the multifaceted considerations and technologies of smart cities and EDCs, ICT professionals can become more innovative in solving the divide for their smart city or municipal projects. By Carrie Goetz, RCDD, NTS, PSP, CNID, CDCP, CSM-Agile, AWS CCP 48 Overcoming Data Center Challenges: Fire and Airflow Containment: Studies reveal that fire incidents are one of the leading causes of data center downtime. Discover the balanced, holistic approach to fire protection. This compre- hensive guide to the latest design best practices and standards addresses emerging challenges, such as airflow containment, movement, and acoustics to ensure better the long-term protection and business continuity of both the building and its data center, plus much more. By Chris Kusel, CFPS, CDT 60 Looking Forward to 2022—Changes to NFPA 72—Cybersecurity and Best Practices: Learn about the 2022 edition of the NFPA 72 Fire Alarm and Signaling Code that includes significant changes. Two of the most noteworthy are the addition of Chapter 11, Cybersecurity, and the option of allowing remote access into fire alarm and signaling system control units. Explore current best practices that affect data centers too. By Denise Pappas JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 Volume 42, Issue 3

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