EMC FC5300 User Manual download pdf (Page 15)

Fibre Channel Background

1-3

About Fibre Channel Storage Systems and Networks (SANs)

Fibre Channel Background

Fibre Channel is a high-performance serial protocol that allows

transmission of both network and I/O channel data. It is a low level

protocol, independent of data types, and supports such formats as

SCSI and IP.

The Fibre Channel standard supports several physical topologies,

including switched fabric point-to-point and arbitrated loop (FC-AL).

The topologies used by the Fibre Channel storage systems described

in this manual are switched fabric and FC-AL.

A switch fabric is a set of point-to-point connections between nodes,

the connection being made through one or more Fibre Channel

switches. Each node may have its own unique address, but the path

between nodes is governed by a switch. The nodes are connected by

optical cable.

A Fibre Channel arbitrated loop is a circuit consisting of nodes. Each

node has a unique address, called a Fibre Channel arbitrated loop

address. The nodes are connected by optical cables. An optical cable

can transmit data over great distances for connections that span

entire enterprises and can support remote disaster recovery systems.

Copper cable serves well for local connections; its length is limited to

30 meters (99 feet).

Each connected device in a switched fabric or arbitrated loop is a

server adapter (initiator) or a target (storage system). The switches

and hubs are not considered nodes.

Figure 1-2 Nodes - Initiator and Target

EMC1802

Server Adapter (initiator)

Connection

Storage System (tar

get)

Node

Adapter

Node

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EMC FC5300 User Manual Page 15