Deployment KB: Dell Unity: How to identify the supported Fiber Cables

Fiber patch cord can be classified into various types based on different standards, such as fiber cable mode, transmission mode, jacket type, connector type, and polishing type.

The selection of cable depends on the distance that we must cover and the connectors (SFP/SFP+) we are using in devices. In Dell storage, we are using Multimode SFP connectors which we connecting for short distance communication. The following table lists the optical cables that are available for the Dell Unity Family storage system.

Maximum Speed supported by each type of Fiber Patch Cord and Color Code

Fiber Patch Cord Color Code for Outer Jacket

The differences in colors are based on different levels of OM and OS fiber (Optical Multimode and Optical Singlemode). Single mode means that the fiber enables one type of light mode to be propagated at a time. While multimode means that the fiber can propagate in multiple modes. The differences between single mode and multimode fiber mainly lie in fiber core diameter, wavelength and light source, bandwidth, color sheath, distance, and cost. According to the TIA-598C standard definition, for nonmilitary applications, single mode cable is coated with yellow outer sheath, and multimode fiber is coated with orange or aqua jacket.

Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Distance

It is known that single mode fiber is suitable for long-distance applications, while multimode optical fiber is designed for short-distance runs.