In a ToR configuration with one switch in each cabinet, the total number of switch ports depends on the total number of cabinets, rather than on the actual number of switch ports needed to support the servers.

EQUIPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND CABLING COSTS Let’s take a look at each of these factors that should be considered when evaluating ToR and structured cabling configurations in the data center. Structured cabling also offers several benefits, including reduced cost, maximum port utilization, improved manageability, scalability, reduced power consumption, and fewer cooling concerns. It offers cabinet-at-a-time deployment, the ability to limit the use of copper cabling within cabinets, support for east-west (i.e., server-to-server) traffic, and cabinet-level management capabilities. ToR configurations are often positioned as a replacement for structured cabling used with MoR, EoR, and dedicated network row options. Figure 1 shows the four common configurations. ToR configurations feature smaller (1 RU to 2 RU) access switches placed in each cabinet that connect directly to the servers via short preterminated small form-factor pluggable (e.g., SFP+ and QSFP) twinaxial cable assemblies, active optical cable assemblies, or RJ-45 modular patch cords, eliminating the use of patch panels and structured cabling for making connections. Popular for today’s pod-based designs where each row of server cabinets is dedicated to a particular purpose and upgrades are accomplished on a row-by-row basis, MoR and EoR configurations house access switches in cabinets located in the middle or at the end of the row of servers they support. Undertaking a study that looks at the impact of the various configurations on equipment, maintenance, and cabling costs switch port utilization manageability scalability and upgrades power consumption and cooling considerations will help facilities and data center managers ultimately make the best educated decision. These configurations use structured cabling with patch panels that serve as the connection point between switches and equipment. On the other hand, many data center environments can benefit from configurations like middle of row (MoR), end of row (EoR), or a traditional dedicated network row. Several switch manufacturers recommend a top of rack (ToR) configuration with access switches placed in each rack or cabinet. There is no single end-all cabling configuration for every data center.

Eor vs tor switch