Handbook of Fiber Optic Data Communication: Chapter 8. Fibre Channel Standard

Fibre Channel technology is the primary means for attaching servers to storage via storage area networks (SANs). The subject of network architectures that can continue to effectively use the quickly increasing bandwidth of optical technologies to deliver real data communications performance to applications is in a state of intense research and rapid development. This chapter gives an overview of Fibre Channel at a fairly detailed level, including definitions of N_Ports, E_Ports, and F_Ports, Fibre Channel forwarders, frame structures (protocols, sequences, exchanges), connectionless routing, classes of service, arbitrated loop, FICON, ESCON, FC over IP, and related technologies. It also describes the current main application areas for Fibre Channel SANs. Finally, this chapter gives an overview of how Fibre Channel, in contrast with other network architectures, leverages the advantages of high-speed, high-reliability optical technology to provide high overall data communications performance.