Considerations: Structured vs Unstructured Cable Management

There are two distinct pathways for cabling, and you guessed it, it's dependent on the infrastructure cabling. The termination of the back-bone cable will determine which cable management pathway you will chose: Structured vs Unstructured. If the back-bone cable is terminated with MPO/MTP ends on the legs, the logical choice would be MPO/MTP cassettes for your path from backbone to network rack. In the same token if the back-bone cable is terminated with LC or SC connectors, your only option is to go with LC/SC patch paneling. This is unstructured cabling. Unstructured cabling is an inexpensive fiber management method and favorable for low to moderate cable densification. It should be noted that 48-144 Fiber strand back-bone cable are easier to distribute via MPO/MTP connectors because the amount of fiber it can house - 12.

Are the cost of patch panels cheaper than MPO cassettes? Yes. However, the installation time and cost associated for a MPO back-bone to MPO cassette is far less due to the sheer numbers of physical connections that need to be made for the same amount of fiber. Easier maintenance and increased liability are both achieved with structured cabling. Links are easier to access, more secure, less congestion, and have less physical connections with structured cabling.