A meet-me room (MMR) is a secure place where customers can connect to one or more carriers. This area enables cable companies, ISPs, and other providers to cross-connect with tenants in the data center. An MMR contains cabinets and racks with carriers’ hardware that allows quick and reliable data transfer. MMRs physically connect hundreds of different companies and ISPs located in the same facility. This peering process is what makes the internet exchange possible.

The meet-me room(MMR) eliminates the round trip traffic has to take and keep the data inside the facility. Packets do not have to travel to the ISP’s main network and back. By eliminating local loops, data exchange is more secure while also lower costs.

Sending data out to the Internet requires a connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

When two organizations are geographically far apart, the data exchange occurs through a global ISP. Hence, if one system wants to communicate with the other, it first needs to exchange the information with the ISP. Then, the ISP routes the packets to the target system. This process is necessary when two systems are located in different countries or continents. In these cases, a global ISP is crucial for the uninterrupted flow of traffic between the parties. A meet-me room in a data center or carrier hotel enables the two systems to exchange information directly.

Meet-me rooms are monitored and secure areas within a data center typically encased in fire-rated walls. These areas have restricted access, and unescorted visits are impossible. Multi-factor authentication prevents unauthorized personnel from entering the MMR space. Cameras record every activity in the room. With a 24/7 surveillance system and biometric scans, security breaches are extremely rare.

Meet-Me Room Design & Structure

In modern data centers, MMR room is fulfilling multiple functions together that were apart in the past. MMR room can facilitate the space for Entrance Facility, Rack Space and Cross-Connect.

A) Entrance Facility

Entrance facility (EF) is the point where external cables enter the building, and with external cables comes external ducts. Designing this zone is extremely important. Not only are bonding regulations stringent for incoming services but you need to think about external ducts’ favorite friend and the MMRs worst nightmare: water! The two do not mix well for obvious reasons, so designing the EF is key to a successful space. Entrance facility may or may not be within the MMR space. If your MMR location is positioned on an external wall, it is most likely space will be required for an EF.

B) Rack Space

This is the space provided for the carrier racks. This is where carrier-incoming services are managed and distributed. This zone typically provides rack space for carriers to mount their equipment or provides for the space for carriers to deploy their own rack systems. When designing this zone it is important to understand how many carriers are likely to deploy within the data center, the expected kWh load for their equipment, required airflow, and the fiber counts the carriers intend to deploy to support the facility.

C) Cross-Connect or MDF

The space, which will sit nearer to the owner network side, is the cross-connect — more commonly known as the MDF (Main Distribution Frame). This is the typical connection point for carriers to the owner circuits, and provides a managed environment for connectivity. In most MMRs this passive space is separated from the carrier space and would be managed by the facility engineers. This is not always the case, but certainly in a colocation environment securing and reducing risk at the cross-connect should be a fundamental part of MMR design.

Hence we can say that the data center clients uses MMR space to interconnect or cross-connect to a single or multiple carriers (for redundancy) and to exchange information, which can be transmitted to individual computers via the Internet, without incurring local-loop fees. There can be multiple MMR rooms in a data center depending on the number of ISP, Size of the data center and for improved security.

Connections in MMR

The connection to the data center clients and carriers / MMRs have many methods. Some standards exist. Each method has challenges in co-location facilities, and each challenge can be met so long as they are identified early and planned for.

A) Direct Connect

Each carrier connects directly with the client from the carrier-equipment rack to the client-side demarcation point or equipment rack which is also located in a secure half of the MMR (see figure below). The client then extends to the floor space.

The MMR is split for security reasons between clients and carriers. Clients are permitted in their side of the MMR, and carriers in theirs. This approach could increase the amount of conduit in the ceiling space and limit future installations. 

Using a private cage for client-side equipment or third-party cross-connect provider as the only staff permitted in the client side of the MMR could limit a security concern.

B) Direct Connect (Extended Demarcation Point)

It means each carrier connects directly with the client from the carrier-equipment rack in the MMR to the client-side demarcation point located in the client space (see figure below). Multiple conduits demanded by clients can quickly fill any available space above the ceiling.

C) Cross Connect in the MMR

Each client space has pre-installed patch panels located in a secure side of the MMR whereby multiple carriers cross-connect (see figure below). The pre-installed facility is then patched to the client’s equipment in the floor space.

Similar to the “Direct Connect” method, some clients may express security concerns with this topology and carriers may not like the potential that a competitor could accidentally unplug their patch. If the MMR is professionally managed (which is highly recommended), the carrier would not have access to this side of the MMR.

D) Cross Connect in Client’s Floor Space

Patch panels are placed in each carrier’s secure equipment rack and pre-connected to each client’s space (see figure below). Drawbacks include higher upfront costs to carriers and operators, who may never connect to every client, and loss of operator cross-connect fees.

Benefits of a Meet-me Room

All colocation data centers house an MMR. Most data centers are carrier neutral. Being carrier neutral means there is a wide selection of network providers for tenants to choose from. When there are more carriers, the chances are higher for customers to contract with that data center. The main reason is that by having multiple choices for providers, customers can improve flexibility, redundancy, and optimize their connection.

The benefits of meet-me rooms include:

Reduced latency: High-bandwidth, direct connection decreases the number of network hops to a minimum. By eliminating network hops, latency is reduced substantially.

Reduced cost: By connecting directly through a meet-me room, carriers bypass local loop charges. With many carriers in one place, customers may find more competitive rates.

Quick expansion: MMRs are an excellent method to provide more fiber connection options for tenants. Carrier neutral data centers can bring more carriers and expand their offering.

Knowledge Credits: Green-data Blog, Phoenixnap

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