By Roland Ducote
Cloud computing, a form of on-demand computing services, is a pillar of modern computing. This technology thrives on a robust networking infrastructure—an intricate web of hardware and software that delivers massive amounts of data worldwide. The near instant delivery of cloud services and applications worldwide relies entirely on a connected network.
This article delves into the often-overlooked technological marvel that makes this possible.
Connecting data centers in cloud computing
The term ‘cloud’ represents a network of remote servers delivering services over the internet. Servers—high-performance computers designed to handle data storage, processing, and distribution—are the heart of cloud computing. However, a robust and diverse set of connectivity hardware components and cables (the metaphorical veins and capillaries) enable the functionality and scalability of the cloud beyond the servers themselves.
Cloud computing via fiber optic cables
Fiber optic cables are the veins and arteries of cloud infrastructure as they transmit data throughout the network, whether from one server to the other or across the ocean. Fiber optic cables can vary drastically in construction, with some cables having single-digit fibers only a few centimeters long, while others can have thousands of fibers stretching thousands of miles.
This interactive map shows the global distribution of undersea fiber optic cables.
Fiber optic cable 760054239 from TE Connectivity features 96 individual fibers, is 12.2 mm thick, and comes in various lengths. However, fiber optic cables are delicate compared to durable copper cables. That tradeoff is worth it because fiber optic cables transmit data as light instead of electricity, offering higher bandwidth and lower latency, enabling rapid and reliable data transfer across vast distances.
Copper cables max out data transfer speeds at about 40Gbps and are limited to 100-meter lengths, while recent fiber speeds have reached 1.7 Pbps (1,700,000 Gbps) on a single core, using a cable measuring 67km long with 19 total cores. Fiber optic cables are also impervious to electromagnetic interference and do not generate any EMI. Their efficiency is crucial to enabling cloud services and allowing light-speed communication between cloud computing data centers worldwide.
Cloud fiber optic connectors
While fiber optic cables are independently impressive, the true magnificence of fiber optic technology lies within the connectors between servers. There are always two connectors for a single cable. Fiber optic connectors boast highly precise construction so that the optical detector hardware correctly receives the light transmitted through the cables. Fiber connectors have form factor standards in most data center applications to support the common SFP, SFP+, SFP28, SFP56, QSFP+, QSFP28, and QSFP56 transceiver form factors, but optical interconnect specifications can vary dramatically, depending on the environment in which they are used.
For example, 1063971664 from Molex is a metallic optical connector that features high-temperature or sealed bodies with an enhanced latch mechanism that makes it ideal for optical connections in high-shock and vibration environments. Given its extreme durability, this optical connector is likely to be found in telecom antennas, industrial premise wiring, military, aerospace, and medical industries.
Ethernet routers and switches
Routers and switches act as traffic managers within the network of the cloud. Network routers such as the 2701877 from Phoenix Contact, direct data packets between networks and optimize data transmission. Meanwhile network switches, such as the KSZ9897RTXI-TR from Microchip Technology, facilitate communication within local networks to ensure efficient data transfer between in-network devices.
Switches and routers work together to maintain network connectivity, enabling data flow across cloud infrastructures. Both technologies rely on connections, most often supplied by fiber optic cables and interconnects, making products like Molex’s LC adapter interconnects useful for bulk wired interconnectivity.
Ethernet adapters
Ethernet adapters play a crucial role in cloud applications by enabling connectivity between physical devices like independent servers or network switches and the cloud infrastructure. These adapters, also known as network interface cards (NICs), facilitate data transfer between a local network and the cloud environment. NICs manage cloud data transfer and communication, incorporate security features for secure transmission, and manage bandwidth and speed between the local network and the cloud.
For example, the ConnectX-6 Dx SmartNIC is a NIC from NVIDIA that provides a secure and advanced cloud network interface to accelerate data center applications such as virtualization, cybersecurity, big data, machine learning, and data storage. Interestingly, the ConnectX-6 features a virtual switch and virtual router hardware acceleration to offload cloud network workloads and deliver ultra-high network performance. NVIDIA’s ConnectX-6 offers several connectivity options (SFP28, SFP56, QSFP28, QSFP56) so that cable assemblies such as MCP2M00-AO2AE30L can be used.
Hardware is the backbone of cloud computing
The hardware enabling the cloud is constantly evolving and innovating, with new data speed records broken yearly in nearly every facet. Robust networking infrastructure technologies enable the reliability of cloud computing. Components like fiber optic cables, optical interconnects, routers, switches, and ethernet adapters work together to enable high-speed data transfer, ensuring connectivity between local networks and the cloud.
As the demand for cloud services grows in the private and public sectors, hardware innovations—even outside data centers—will provide necessary enhancements to cloud infrastructure. Arrow Intelligent Solutions can help design, build, and launch the next generation of cloud computing infrastructures. To learn more, visit Arrow.com/AIS.
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