Server rack switch cable management

[gshaw]

Looking at tidying up our server rack a bit at the back over the Xmas break... too many cables flapping around for my liking

 

Also want to neaten up the front a bit... basically there's the core 5308xl switch, all the servers connected via Cat6 to this. Cables at the moment come out the front switch module ports, down and through the rack to the servers. Downside being they're just squeezed in the gap between the last server and the switch... not ideal methinks.

 

I was thinking of getting a 1-2U shelf and letting the cables sit nicely on that, with a cable bar at the back to hold the cables neatly... or is there a better way?

 

Any pics would be great

[keithu]

If you have a 4-post rack you could mount the switch at the back (facing backwards) and bring the cables up to the servers through cable guides mounted either side of the back posts. In our server racks we have a back-mounted 24 port patch panel for the servers which connects to a switch in a separate wiring cabinet.

[gshaw]

Thought about doing that at one point but also like to be able to see the status lights at a glance, one day I'm hoping to just have a single rack for comms and the other for servers so the idea with the patch panel might happen one day... bring on VMWare