The ratification of 40/100GbE by IEEE has increased the number of high speed transmission options. Likewise, Top of Rack (ToR) switches with short reach twinax copper or fiber assemblies provide a relatively new set of options. Designs for these systems, however, are significantly different than industry standards-based structured cabling; using two-strand fiber (10GBASE-SR/SX) and/or four-pair, twisted pair copper (10GBASE-T and 1000BASE-T) systems. This paper will provide an overview and compare various options for achieving higher speeds in today's emerging data center.

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