Moro Hub, CommScope and global technology integrator PTS, have built Middle East’s largest and most advanced colocation data centre, to meet the requirements of UAE’s digital transformation while supporting A-list colocation clients with high-density, high-speed, simplified management and migration path to higher speeds.
As part of 10X, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority mobilaised its innovation unit to create a new entity called Digital DEWA.
Digital DEWA required an innovative, agile data hub, and thus Moro Hub was established.
Forming the backbone of Digital DEWA, Moro Hub was introduced to fulfil the need for an innovative and agile data centre.
After reviewing the initial network design and goals, Moro Hub and CommScope along with global technology integrator, PTS, began working on the network design.
Countries in the Middle East have worked hard to evolve beyond their oil-based economies. As one of Middle East’s largest and most advanced colocation data centre, Moro Hub in Dubai plays a part in this success. Moro Hub was recently recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest solar-powered green data centre in the world.
As part of 10X, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority mobilised its innovation unit to create a new entity called Digital DEWA, which uses innovation in Artificial Intelligence and digital services to meet the current and future requirements.
Digital DEWA required an innovative, agile data hub, and thus Moro Hub was established. Forming the backbone of Digital DEWA, Moro Hub was introduced to fulfil the need for an innovative and agile data centre.
“Our ambition at Moro Hub is to be the number one data and digital transformation provider globally. To do that, we need to provide a complete facility, technology, and service ecosystem to support our customers as their infrastructure needs evolve.”
“As networks become more complex, especially within data centres, and the dependency on them becomes greater, it is often a challenge to plan change quickly and safely. Hence lead times often extend far beyond what they should require, simply because of self-imposed safeguards in the process,” said Mohammad Bin Sulaiman, CEO of Moro Hub.
Selection of a technology partner
A key challenge early in the planning involved selecting a technology partner to provide cabling and connectivity. Since Moro Hub presented an ambitious vision, they collaborated with CommScope, a global provider that possesses the technical expertise and experience to serve as both an advisor and a supplier.
- Harun Cakin, Sales Director, Gulf and Eastern Mediterranean, CommScope
From a solutions perspective, CommScope is known for its industry-leading copper and optical fibre-optic cabling which is optimised for density, speed and simplicity and has a clear migration path for higher speeds. Additionally, CommScope’s global delivery and technical support collaborated with Moro Hub to offer products and on-site expertise that would be needed to keep the project on schedule and within budget.
Building the infrastructure
The requirements included building a best-in-region colocation data centre to support UAE’s digital transformation. And supporting A-list colocation clients with high-density, high-speed performance, simplified management and a clear migration path to higher speeds.
After reviewing the initial network design and goals, Moro Hub and CommScope along with the global technology integrator, PTS, began working on the network design.
Network topology
The decision was made early on to design the data centre’s fabric network using spine-and-leaf topology. This any-to-any architecture is crucial for Moro Hub’s colocation customers since additional spine switches can be added and connected to every leaf to increase capacity whenever required. In addition, adding new switches does not require any re-architecting of the network, eliminating downtime.
The leaf-and-spine model is optimised to move data in an east-west flow, enabling servers to co-operate in delivering cloud-based applications. In this topology, networks are spread across multiple leaf-and- spine switches, making the leaf-and-spine switch layer critical for delivering maximum scale and performance.
Each leaf switch is connected to every spine switch, creating a highly resilient any-to-any structure. The mesh of fibre links creates a high-capacity network resource or fabric that is shared with all attached devices. All fabric connections run at the same speed. The higher the speed, the higher the capacity of the mesh network, often called a fabric network.
Fabric networks require a large number of fibre connections, particularly in the leaf-switch layer. Equipment vendors continuously work to increase the density of their line cards in order to keep pace. With the increasing density, cabling connectivity and management become more important.
LAN noise suppression
To provide connectivity within the cabinet rows, the joint team went with the CommScope Category 6A UTP field- installed Ethernet. When the channel is not well balanced, for example, the shielding of cables degrades balance, there is a voltage present between the pairs that will be added to the transmitted signal as common mode noise, thus increasing the occurrence of bit errors.
The system will depend then on the Common Mode Rejection of the receiver to get rid of any effects. Furthermore, unbalance increases emissions and degrades immunity.
In LAN environments, the use of balanced transmission with well-balanced electronics and cables eliminates the need for shielding the pairs as a measure against external interference and radiated emission, without the extra concerns of earthing and bonding. Since grounding and earthing requirements differ from one country to another, the only truly portable and open cabling system is the UTP cabling system.
Selection of multimode fibre
For the racks, the selection was CommScope’s multimode OM4 preterminated low-loss fibre for the low- density racks, less than 4 kilowatts, and multimode OM4 preterminated ultra-low loss for high- and medium-density racks, between 4 kW and 12 kW.
OM4 standard addresses Wideband Multimode Fibre, WBMMF, which allows for the distribution of multiple parallel 10G, 25G or higher rate signals on the same fibre. WBMMF also supports nonstandard proprietary 40G or other applications but only needs 25% of the fibres required for serial applications.
In addition, CommScope TeraSPEED singlemode preterminated fibre was deployed from the main distribution cabinets to the meet-me rooms.
CommScope’s High Speed Migration platform includes TeraSPEED singlemode, LazrSPEED 550 multimode and LazrSPEED 550 Wideband multimode fibres. They support evolving 100G and 400G applications while enabling flexible ultra-low-loss preterminated components.
Ultra-low loss and ultra-low latency
The ultra-low-loss, ULL platform enabled Moro Hub to increase capacity when required without incurring any extra costs. CommScope’s ULL fibre solutions consist of high-bandwidth fibre and factory preterminated ULL connectivity. The result is excellent loss performance. Used throughout the channel, the ULL solutions enable longer link spans and more complex topologies while supporting the physical layer design you need to achieve guaranteed operational availability.
For singlemode applications including hyperscale deployments, CommScope’s G.657.A2 fibres offer the lowest bend losses, for macro- as well as micro-bending, while still being fully compatible with G.652.D fibres. ULL apparatus provides extended reach for emerging PAM4 DR and DR4 100, 400G applications.
Cabling footprint
While the preterminated ULL cabling reduced deployment time, it also delivered another important benefit. Its smaller outer diameter enabled Moro Hub to increase system density and optimise airflow inside each cabinet.
The network infrastructure gives Moro Hub all the performance and benefits, plus several more. The preterminated cabling assemblies helped save a significant amount of installation time and rework.
Cabled modules are available in LC and SC, singlemode configurations. Each module is designed for craft friendliness. Individual adapter ports are labelled for easy identification. Two cable options are available with cabled modules, conventional IFC or 24-fiber micro cable IFC cable.
Preterminated cable modules NG4access cabled modules will save operators significant time and cost in their cable deployments. Using the LC cabled module, for example, an installer can route a 24-fiber cable to any access tray in a universal chassis, then rapidly terminate the module’s 24-fiber connectors using a single click, rather than installing 24 individual connectors.
Future ready
The scalable design gives Moro Hub a future-proof, scalable migration path from 100G to 400G when Moro Hub and their customers are ready with reduced deployment times and smart data management. CommScope collaborates with customers and partners to design, create and build the world’s most advanced networks.
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