Bringing Intelligence to Security Infrastructure
Learn best practices that address proper cable management for rack-based systems, and the importance of facilitating efficiency, aesthetics and easy servicing.
High-density security system installations involve a wide range of cables and wires that must be installed, routed, connected and labeled. Unless devised and deployed properly with an effective cable management design, as well as the knowledge to put it all together, the rack can end up looking like the proverbial rat’s nest.
This jumble of cables and wires can also lead to problems ranging from poor system performance to maintenance difficulties to safety issues. The sad truth is many jobs are awarded to the lowest bidder and cable management inevitably becomes one of the first casualties in the effort to rein in costs. Moreover, poor quality cable and connector products, corner-cutting and a “good enough” attitude can also create problems that grow and multiply with time.
By contrast, when care is given to the management and maintenance of cable – both entering and inside of the rack or enclosure system – the goal of providing customers with a neat, organized and reliable system is easily attained.
ASIS 2014 Session: Basic Security Design
Date: Monday, Sept. 29, 2014
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: B312
Understanding the security system design process is absolutely critical for any stakeholder involved in the project. Before anyone begins talking about security solutions, project initiators have to understand the process and identify the key players.
Learn how to define the steps in a proven process: establish the need for security, conduct asset and risk assessment, develop functional requirements, and identify preliminary mitigation measures. Hear practical examples of how these steps are developed and used.
Proper Cable Management Can Save Time, Money
The cabling, wiring and infrastructure used to tie diverse security systems together are essential in optimizing functionality and efficiency of mission critical equipment. The repercussions of even one camera that is not recording due to faulty wiring can be disastrous if that particular camera has the key view during an incident. Fixing the problem is much easier when the cable is properly grouped and labeled in the rack, making tracing much faster and more convenient.
The effective management of cables and wires in a system accomplishes several factors that are necessary to keep the system running at peak performance and eliminate problems such as cross-talk, impeded rack airflow or cable damage. Following is an explanation for each of these complications:
Cross-talk is electrical interference from outside sources that can disrupt the normal flow of data in a cable. When cables are in close proximity to each other interference can occur, causing erratic or error-prone data. Segregating the cables helps to minimize the problem, as does the use of proper cabling practices and techniques (e.g., proper termination procedures) to decrease the chance of interference. Anomalies like tight cable ties will increase data errors; similarly, if cable ties are placed at even increments in a high-density installation that uses coax, they can cause standing waves.
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Rack airflow plays an important role in system performance. Properly designed rack cable management can help eliminate unruly or excess cables that can impede exhaust airflow from the various pieces of equipment mounted in the rack. By properly measuring and cutting cables and wires to the correct length, you can create more space for air to flow away from the back of the rack.
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