If wondering which base to choose for your high-speed data center migration strategy is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. The increasing deployment of 400G and 800G transceivers has made this a hotly debated topic for data center operators, network designers, and cabling designers everywhere. Choosing a data center platform for your ongoing evolution to 1.6T is a high-stakes decision. It’s important to assess all your options to ensure you’ll have the most flexible, cost-effective, and future-ready solution today and over the 20-year or more life of your investment. Considering 16F for your data center transition? Get all the facts.
Is it true that Base-16 should only be used for new builds, or is it compatible with legacy data centers, too?
Base-16 should only be used for new builds. 16F offers limited backward compatibility with existing Base-12 and Base-8 components. So, replacing the backbone cabling in a legacy data center with an MPO-16 APC footprint wouldn’t be as cost efficient as installing a full Base-16 architecture in a greenfield application. But even if you're planning a greenfield build, be sure to consider all your options before locking into the Base-16 format and its suppliers. That way you can be sure you’re choosing the most adaptable solution with the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for the lifetime of your data center.
Do I need to use Base-16 to get to 400G, 800G, or 1.6T?
No. While you can achieve these high rates with Base-16, it may not be your best option. Instead of moving to 16F, most major IEEE-member manufacturers have indicated they’ll be continuing to use proven, widely installed 8-fiber MPO and 2F LC duplex connectors for Ethernet transmission in both single-mode and multi-mode from 40G–800G+. They’re also predicting some 16-fiber solutions will eventually be replaced with 8-fiber alternatives in response to advances in transceiver technology and 200G wavelengths that will achieve higher data rates with fewer fibers. Currently, only one application, 400GBASE-SR8, will require MPO-16 connectors.
Wouldn’t I get higher density with 16F?
That depends on which connectors you choose. Base-16 does offer some limited density benefits, but only if you’re using MPO-16 connectors throughout the system. If you’re using breakout modules to 2F interfaces, then there’s no space advantage per RU vs Base-8, since 1RU of 16F modules and 1RU of 8F modules both have 144-fiber capacity. But remember, when using an MPO-16, the higher fiber count also raises the risk of error if the connector fails and needs to be disconnected from the fiber pairs and replaced.
Are MPO-16 backbones cost-effective to deploy?
No. MPO-16 uses an angled polished connector for multimode. It takes additional time and materials to manufacture this connector vs a flat (UPC) MPO-8 connector, which will ultimately add cost to your data center. If you’re using a Base-16 backbone plus transceivers with an 8F interface, you’ll need cleaning and testing supplies for both 16F and 8F connectors to certify the links, which also adds cost and inventory complexity. In addition, to break out an MPO-16 to 2xMPO-8, you’ll need a Y-harness. You can generally establish the same link with an existing Base-8 backbone for a lower cost and with less complexity. Here’s an example for an 800G to 2x400G breakout:
- MPO-16 jumper > (16F) MPO-16 backbone trunk > (1) Y-harness MPO-16 to 2x MPO-8
- Y-harness MPO-16 to 2x MPO-8 > (16F) MPO-8 backbone trunk > (2) MPO-8 jumpers
Which data center platform offers the lowest data center TCO, Base-8 or Base-16?
Base-8 infrastructure is the most cost effective over time if you’re operating transceivers in breakout mode to 2F or 8F components. 8F’s broad acceptance, adaptability, and ability to be easily updated to achieve 400G+ makes it the clear choice in the marketplace today and over the long term. With Base-8, speed upgrades can be implemented with minimal infrastructure change. In this common example, it can be done without changing one single component:
Single-mode upgrade from QSFP-40G-PLR4 (MPO-8) with a 4xSFP-10G-LR (LC Duplex) breakout to either a QSFP-100G-PSM4 (MPO-8) with 4xSFP-25G-LR (LC Duplex) breakout or an OSFP-400G-DR4 (MPO-8) with 4xQSFP-100G-DR (LC Duplex).
Overall, choosing Base-8 vs Base-16 means less ordering complexity, cost to terminate, testing supplies, cleaning consumables, and less risk because there are fewer fibers per termination that could be affected by errors.
If you think Base-8 may be right for your data center migration, learn about our EDGE8® Solution.
