<s>
Fiber	B-Architecture
to	I-Architecture
the	I-Architecture
office	I-Architecture
(	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
)	O
is	O
an	O
alternative	O
cabling	O
concept	O
for	O
local	B-General_Concept
area	I-General_Concept
network	I-General_Concept
(	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
)	O
network	O
office	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
combines	O
passive	O
elements	O
(	O
fibre	B-Architecture
optic	I-Architecture
cabling	I-Architecture
,	O
patch	O
panels	O
,	O
splice	O
boxes	O
,	O
connectors	O
and	O
standard	O
copper	O
8P8C	O
patch	O
cords	O
)	O
and	O
active	O
mini-switches	O
(	O
called	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switches	O
)	O
to	O
provide	O
end	O
devices	O
with	O
Gigabit	O
Ethernet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
involves	O
centralised	O
optical	B-Architecture
fibre	I-Architecture
cabling	O
techniques	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
combined	O
backbone/horizontal	O
channel	O
;	O
this	O
channel	O
is	O
provided	O
from	O
the	O
work	O
areas	O
to	O
the	O
centralised	O
cross-connect	O
or	O
interconnect	O
by	O
allowing	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
pull-through	O
cables	O
or	O
splices	O
in	O
the	O
telecommunications	O
room	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
Technology	O
emerged	O
in	O
Germany	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
1980s	O
when	O
fibre	O
based	O
connectivity	O
was	O
extensively	O
explored	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
appeared	O
as	O
a	O
response	O
to	O
the	O
growing	O
network	O
complexity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
is	O
a	O
hybrid	O
network	O
involving	O
fibre	B-Architecture
optic	I-Architecture
cabling	I-Architecture
(	O
pre-terminated	O
or	O
extractable	O
cables	O
)	O
and	O
copper	O
twisted	O
pair	O
patch	O
cords	O
with	O
8P8C	O
connectors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
environment	O
,	O
fibre	O
is	O
laid	O
up	O
vertically	O
from	O
the	O
central	O
distribution	O
switch	O
right	O
to	O
the	O
office	O
floor	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
runs	O
horizontally	O
to	O
active	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switches	O
at	O
the	O
users	O
 '	O
workplaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switch	O
provides	O
a	O
connection	O
between	O
optical	O
uplinks	O
and	O
electrical	O
downlinks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Typically	O
,	O
the	O
switch	O
has	O
up	O
to	O
five	O
twisted	O
pair	O
ports	O
supporting	O
Power	B-Device
over	I-Device
Ethernet	I-Device
(	O
IEEE	B-Device
802.3af	I-Device
,	O
15.4W	O
per	O
Port	O
)	O
and	O
Power	B-Device
over	I-Device
Ethernet	I-Device
Plus	O
(	O
IEEE	B-Device
802.3at	I-Device
,	O
30W	O
per	O
Port	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
Switches	O
offer	O
speeds	O
of	O
1Gbit/s	O
per	O
user	O
port	O
(	O
Gigabit	O
Ethernet	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
PCs	B-Device
,	O
laptops	B-Device
,	O
IP	B-Device
Phones	I-Device
,	O
wireless	B-Device
access	I-Device
points	I-Device
,	O
cameras	B-Algorithm
,	O
access	O
control	O
units	O
,	O
building	O
automation	O
devices	O
(	O
including	O
lights	O
control	O
,	O
electricity	O
meters	O
,	O
cooling	O
and	O
HVAC	O
units	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
devices	O
with	O
network	B-Protocol
interfaces	I-Protocol
may	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
backbone	O
network	O
with	O
Gigabit	O
speeds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
should	O
not	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
fibre	O
to	O
the	O
desk	O
(	O
FTTD	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
concept	O
for	O
structured	O
cabling	O
that	O
is	O
found	O
mostly	O
in	O
military	O
environments	O
as	O
a	O
secure	O
communication	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multi-mode	B-Device
fibre	I-Device
cabling	O
covers	O
distances	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
550m	O
and	O
single-mode	B-Device
of	O
up	O
to	O
10km	O
for	O
Gigabit	O
Ethernet	O
and	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
is	O
characterized	O
by	O
an	O
absence	O
of	O
network	O
hierarchy	O
which	O
may	O
make	O
an	O
installation	O
easier	O
to	O
deploy	O
and	O
manage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
designs	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
need	O
for	O
floor	O
distributors	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
investment	O
in	O
cooling	O
,	O
power	O
supply	O
and	O
security	O
equipment	O
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
advantage	O
of	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
infrastructures	O
is	O
their	O
flexibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
installations	O
can	O
be	O
realised	O
on	O
average	O
by	O
60%	O
quicker	O
than	O
their	O
traditional	O
counterparts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Research	O
shows	O
that	O
using	O
EEE-enabled	O
switches	O
can	O
save	O
up	O
to	O
70%	O
power	O
consumption	O
compared	O
to	O
traditional	O
non-EEE	O
network	B-Architecture
designs	I-Architecture
..	O
On	O
top	O
of	O
that	O
,	O
most	O
advanced	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
infrastructures	O
help	O
to	O
save	O
up	O
to	O
40%	O
TCO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
the	O
more	O
advanced	O
features	O
of	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switches	O
are	O
precise	O
link	O
diagnostics	O
(	O
on	O
the	O
uplinks	O
and	O
TP	O
ports	O
)	O
,	O
programmable	O
function	O
contacts	O
,	O
hardened	O
management	O
against	O
hacking	O
attacks	O
,	O
intelligent	O
power	O
budget	O
management	O
,	O
easy	O
reboot	O
with	O
memory	O
cards	O
,	O
and	O
extended	O
durability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
volume	O
of	O
fibre	B-Architecture
optics	I-Architecture
cabling	O
is	O
considerably	O
reduced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
very	O
small	O
fibre	B-Architecture
optic	I-Architecture
cable	O
diameter	O
of	O
9	O
–	O
50mm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fire	O
load	O
of	O
fibre	B-Architecture
optic	I-Architecture
cables	O
is	O
extremely	O
low	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
good	O
for	O
historical	O
buildings	O
with	O
special	O
needs	O
regarding	O
fire	O
protection	O
and	O
safety	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
is	O
not	O
suitable	O
for	O
small	O
and	O
middle	O
size	O
installations	O
with	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
network	O
components	O
and	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
requires	O
a	O
high	O
port	O
count	O
in	O
central	O
distribution	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
using	O
fewer	O
ports	O
with	O
higher	O
bandwidth	O
for	O
vertical	O
distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
switches	O
are	O
managed	O
,	O
which	O
requires	O
professional	O
skills	O
for	O
their	O
configuration	O
and	O
management	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Managed	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switches	O
can	O
never	O
beat	O
unmanaged	O
SOHO	O
switches	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
simplicity	O
and	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
projects	O
require	O
an	O
extensive	O
knowledge	O
of	O
and	O
routine	O
with	O
optical	B-Architecture
fibre	I-Architecture
cabling	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
additional	O
power	O
supply	O
unit	O
may	O
be	O
needed	O
to	O
power	O
an	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
switch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
FTTO	B-Architecture
relies	O
on	O
Ethernet	O
transport	O
,	O
additional	O
cabling	O
may	O
still	O
be	O
required	O
for	O
applications	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
transported	O
over	O
structured	O
cabling	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
over	O
an	O
Ethernet	O
network	O
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
USB	B-Protocol
,	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
,	O
traditional	O
analog	O
or	O
ISDN	B-Protocol
telephony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
projects	O
are	O
not	O
low	O
cost	O
infrastructure	O
projects	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
enable	O
cost-efficient	O
solutions	O
for	O
large	O
and	O
middle	O
size	O
network	O
infrastructure	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTTO	B-Architecture
is	O
mostly	O
used	O
in	O
larger	O
professional	O
infrastructure	O
projects	O
,	O
with	O
campus	O
architecture	O
,	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
users	O
and	O
advanced	O
redundancy	O
needs	O
.	O
</s>
