What is cross-connect in a data center?

What is cross-connect?

A cross-connect is a system in which devices within the same data center are connected through cables, cords, and jumpers. Entities such as telecom carriers, network providers, cloud providers, and internet service providers (ISPs) often use cross-connects to create secure networks between their servers and those of their partners.

The direct link between two or more hardware units allows their owners to set up a private network between the devices, avoiding reliance on the public internet. This is a great benefit because a private network connection is significantly less susceptible to interception, is more reliable, and can minimize data transfer latency.

Cross-connection is typically achieved through patch panels, which can mirror the ports of the connected devices. Patch panels are connected using patch cords, allowing new devices to be added or removed at any time. This connection model offers a lot of space for scalability and modification.

Cross-connect vs. interconnect

The main difference between cross-connect and interconnect is the type of objects they link. Cross-connect links devices within the same data center through physical, point-to-point mediums such as cables. Meanwhile, interconnect is a system used to link different data centers or networks located far apart. Interconnect can be both physical and virtual and use either leased lines or connect through a virtual private network (VPN).

While cross-connect is mainly used to link servers, storage devices, or network switches within the same data center, interconnect links separate data centers, cloud environments, or different parts of a wide area network (WAN).

Let’s compare cross-connect and interconnect to understand the difference better:

Types of cross-connects

Cross-connect wouldn’t be possible without cables, which are required to link patch panels. Below are the most commonly used cables for establishing cross-connection.

Fiber optic cables

Fiber optics can support extremely high data traffic and bandwidth. They also resist electromagnetic interference (EMI). They’re ideal for data-intensive applications and heavy computing.

COAX cables

COAX cables can carry high-frequency signals with minimal loss of signal quality. They are covered with a metallic shield, which helps reduce EMI.

CAT5 cables

This is an older Ethernet cable standard that can reach up to 100 Mbps speed without enhancements. They’re most suitable for home and small business networks.

CAT6 cables

CAT6 is a new standard that can support speeds up to 1 Gbps without enhancements. They’re typically used for high-speed networks and data centers.

T1 cables

These cables employ T1 framing to manage the data flow and separate the channels. They were more common in older telecommunication infrastructure and were typically used to carry multiple voice calls or combine channels for data transmission.

Copper cables

Copper cables are divided into two types: twisted pair cables and coax cables. Both types are used to connect networking devices, make voice calls, and transmit video signals.

POTS cables

Known as plain old telephone service cables, POTS were mainly used by traditional telecom network providers to transmit analog voice signals.

The benefits of cross-connect

Establishing a private network with the help of cross-connects can significantly improve connection quality. Some of the advantages of such connections are:

• Better security. When data travels through a private network using cross-connects, it avoids the risks of public networks. This means there are fewer possibilities of malicious interceptions, data loss, or cyberattacks.
• Minimal latency. When customer and client devices connect through private links, data needs to travel only very short distances. This minimizes latency and bandwidth congestion, issues that often come up when using public networks.
• Functionality. Cross-connects allow users to connect directly with network carriers and ISPs within the same data center. It helps to simplify network management and make it more efficient because all the equipment is connected through physical links.
• Reliability. Using physical links significantly reduces the points of failure common in public network connections. The cross-connect method is ideal for companies that cannot afford any downtime.
• Lower cost. Cross-connects help simplify network management because all the equipment is connected through physical links. It reduces the need for complex routing and lowers operational costs.

The challenges of cross-connect

As useful as it is, cross-connect is not flawless. Companies should be aware of potential challenges before implementing this system.

• Congestion and data loss. If the bandwidth spared for a cross-connect is insufficient to handle peak traffic loads, the linked device system can experience congestion. Since cross-connects use physical cables, they can also suffer from physical damage, resulting in data loss or corruption.
• Network failure. A failure in a single link can disrupt the entire network of connected devices if there’s no backup of redundant connections.
• Disaster recovery. Because all linked devices operate within a single data center, any sort of disaster — whether natural or technical — could impact all of the cross-connected devices at once. As a result, companies need to put in more time and effort to deal with the damage.

The role of cross-connect in business

Cross-connect is the ideal choice for companies that require high performance and low latency. This type of connection is often used to provide financial services, such as executing high-frequency trades and processing transactions. Streaming services also benefit from cross-connects because they help deliver high-quality content quickly and efficiently.

Cross-connects provide the necessary bandwidth and low latency to handle large volumes of data in data-intensive operations, such as big data analytics and real-time processing. They’re also a great choice for industries where data security is crucial because cross-connects offer robust security within their enclosed environment.