A main distribution frame (MDF) is the primary hub or demarcation point that interconnects private or public IT and telecommunication lines coming into a building to an internal network via any number of intermediate distribution frames (IDFs).
Cables that enter a central office or customer facility must first connect to a centralized MDF closet, then to each individual IDF closet, and finally onto workstations. An example would be a business located across multiple floors of a building may have an MDF on the first floor that connects to public lines from outside the building. That MDF then connects those lines to the internal network via an IDF placed on each individual floor.
Want to see how Sunbird’s world-leading DCIM software makes it easy for you to manage all your MDF and IDF closets? Get your free test drive now!