More questions on the Telecom data model: patch cables?

4201
3
06-05-2014 07:09 AM
CherylTrine
Occasional Contributor II
As mentioned in my previous post, I am trying to use the Telecom Data Model for a small university campus.  The external backbone to our network is in fiber optics with patch panels in each of the buildings.  Fibers that enter the building are either patched through the patch panel to a transceiver (which I'm still not sure how to model either) or through the same or another patch panel and out on another cable to another building.  I currently have a table which indicates the beginning and ending ports for each patch cable

How are patch (jumper) cables modeled, or are they?  I suppose I could include them in the Fiber Cable feature class with a Fiber count of 2, but then I have to draw them and the distance they go is at most only a few feet.  To me, that doesn't seem like a very good solution.  A patch panel could have 100 of these patch cables, and I do not need to know the geographic location of each patch cable, only what patch panels and ports it is attached to on both ends and somehow relate that to the fiber on the other side of the patch panel.

If patch cables aren't currently modeled, what would be a good way to do it?

Thanks  in advance for any assistance,

Cheryl
0 Kudos
3 Replies
HunterWest
New Contributor III

Hi Cheryl,

Did you ever figure this out?

If you do not need to visualize the patch cables, but still need that information in a tabular format for analysis and reference, then my recommendation would be that you create a table with each patch cable (you might already have this by the sound of it) and add to each of them an attribute that says which patch panel it starts from, which patch panel it ends at, which ports it connects through, and which fiber it is associated with.

If you make sure that the attribute values match, you could then relate that table to both the fiber terminus and the patch panel features which would solve your problem (I think).

Let me know how that sounds.

-Hunter

0 Kudos
CherylTrine
Occasional Contributor II

Hi Hunter,

Wow!  I'd given up on getting an answer!

What you suggest is ultimately what I did.  I haven't had a chance to work more with it to see how well it works--sidetracked by other projects

Thanks for answering even though it was an old post.  This one I think I have figured out, but there are others out there which I haven't.  Maybe, someday, someone will find them and have an answer!

Cheers!

Cheryl

0 Kudos
HunterWest
New Contributor III

Glad to hear that you've developed a solution!

Maybe in another 8 months and maybe someone will see them

0 Kudos