Understanding The Cost and Operational Benefits of Patch-by-Exception

14 December 2016 | Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Cost and Operational Benefits of Patch-by-Exception

As we have previously explored, Patch-by-Exception is an alternative cabling solution that offers multiple benefits; from improved performance, to better manageability, security, and aesthetics.

However, PBE also presents cost and operational advantages, which we will explore below.

The Cost Benefits of Patch-by-Exception

PBE design not only provides industry-leading performance, but also many additional benefits that make installation, administration and maintenance of a structured cabling system fast and efficient.

The Patch-by-Exception solution offers many cost savings to an organization. This is both in the initial investment in the installation (which leads to significant cost savings over the lifetime of the asset) and most importantly the ongoing cost of maintaining your patching environment.

Initial PBE cost savings are due to:

• Fewer patch cords.
• Reduced labor due to the front termination of the disconnect modules.
• Cable offcuts are used for connecting services (no special jumper wires required).

The ongoing cost savings that Patch-by-Exception offers are:

• Neat and manageable patching environment increase the productivity of the IT department.
• Quick deployment of adds, moves and changes.
• Easier to locate network faults, on all four pairs.
• Unauthorized changes can be easily identified.
• Records of moves and changes are more easily kept up to date.

The Operational Benefits of Patch-by-Exception

The worldwide move to IP connectivity and software optimized network (SON) and software-defined network (SDN) systems means that Patch-by-Exception has really come of age. In an SDN system, all adds, moves and changes to user devices are done using software tools. The user name and address are related to the device by the IP and MAC address assigned to the IP enabled device itself.

Thus when a user needs to move, they simply unplug the device from its current desk or wall outlet and plug it into another active outlet on the same logical IP network. An analogous action occurs in roaming across Wi-Fi networks. This could be across the hall, the building or the world.

All this is achieved with no patch cord changes on the cross connect at all. Thus in a full IP environment utilizing this system, the need for patch cords is eliminated, only to be used perhaps for diagnosis or to bypass a damaged cable.