Question : Problem: 4 post equipment rack and 2 post relay rack.  Terminate everything from the equipment rack into a patch panel?!

In past companies I did most of the rack wiring, but never actually messed with the equipment in the equipment racks.  In my current place of employment, I get to do everything.

I have the following:

One(1) 4 post Dell equipment rack
One(1) 2 post relay rack.
Two(2) 24 port APC cat5e patch panels
Two(2) 24 port Gig-E switches.
I plan on purchasing Two(2) http://www.neatpatch.com/ units to go between each patch panel/switch.


The Patch Panels and GigE switches are all mounted in the 2 post relay rack, all my servers are mounted in the 4 post equipment rack, they are in an L configuration.  When I walk into our "server closet" the Dell equipment rack is directly in front of me, with the front door facing me.  Directly to my right, is the 2 post relay right, with its front facing my right side.  So I have to turn to my right to be facing the relay rack. I cannot get behind the 4 post Dell equipment rack(I can take the sides off), and I can barely get behind the 2 post relay rack. Hopefully this makes sense, and you can somewhat visualize my situation.

  Also, I have ZERO cable management between racks, and in each rack.  I want to buy TWO www.neatpatch.com units for the relay rack.

  What I am wondering is how to run the cables through the equipment rack, and to my relay rack.  Do I terminate all the cables coming from my servers/ups/remote access cards to the patch panels, then to the switches?  Any other recommendations to help me along the way, that might fall outside of this question are also greatly appreciated.

Answer : Problem: 4 post equipment rack and 2 post relay rack.  Terminate everything from the equipment rack into a patch panel?!

I would run Cat5e/Cat6 patch cables directly from the equipment rack servers to the Gig-E switches, personally, but then again I wouldn't use the neatpatch organizers.  I'd go for standard cable-management loops and clips, mounted strategically around and between the switches and the patch panels, so you can easily manage and patch between the switch ports and the patch panel locations, and I'd use velcro straps to neaten up what comes out of the equipment rack to the relay rack.

Does that makes sense?

Anyway, that's what I'd do....