User`s guide

1-4 StorageWorks Fibre Channel Storage Switch Service Guide

Table 1-1

Storage Switch Technical Features

continued

EATURE

ESCRIPTION

Time Out Values

Both R_A_TOV (Resource Allocation Time Out Value) and

E_D_TOV (Error Detect Time Out Value) are adjustable in 1-

millisecond increments via Telnet.

Fabric Name

An automatic Fabric Name assignment method is used in a multi-

Switch configuration.

Frame Delivery

The Switch delivers the frames via the destination F_Port in the

same order received by the source F_Port. The in-order frame

delivery is maintained within a Fabric of multiple interconnected

Switches.

Address Assignment The Switch follows the addressing hierarchy defined in the Fibre

Channel Standard. The Switch port address identifiers are

selected using an automatic address assignment protocol. All

ports within the switching Fabric (F_Ports, FL_Ports and E_Ports)

are assigned address identifiers. Each Switch maintains its own

address pool. The management of address identifiers and

assignment of the address pool to the individual Switches are

performed by the designated address managers within the Fabric.

Broadcast and Multicast

The system supports up to 32 multicast groups, one is reserved

for broadcast. Any port can be a member of multiple groups. In

addition to the unicast routing table, each port has its own

multicast routing table. The Alias Server is responsible for setting

up and removing multicast groups.

Frame Routing Self-routing of frames between the communicating ports is

supported. The path selection in a multiSwitch configuration is

based on a self-routing protocol.

continued