Administrator Guide

zoning configurations, ensure that end devices use their assigned addresses, and secure the network from
unauthorized access and denial-of-service attacks.
To ensure similar Fibre Channel robustness and security with FCoE in an Ethernet cloud network, the Fibre
Channel over Ethernet initialization protocol (FIP) establishes virtual point-to-point links between FCoE end-
devices (server ENodes and target storage devices) and FCoE forwarders (FCFs) over transit FCoE-enabled
bridges.
Ethernet bridges commonly provide access control list (ACLs) that can emulate a point-to-point link by
providing the traffic enforcement required to create a Fibre Channel-level of robustness. In addition, FIP
serves as a Layer 2 protocol to:
• Operate between FCoE end-devices and FCFs over intermediate Ethernet bridges to prevent
unauthorized access to the network and achieve the required security.
• Allow transit Ethernet bridges to efficiently monitor FIP frames passing between FCoE end-devices and
an FCF, and use the FIP snooping data to dynamically configure ACLs on the bridge to only permit traffic
authorized by the FCF.
FIP enables FCoE devices to discover one another, initialize and maintain virtual links over an Ethernet
network, and access storage devices in a storage area network. FIP satisfies the Fibre Channel requirement for
point-to-point connections by creating a unique virtual link for each connection between an FCoE end-
device and an FCF via a transit switch.
FIP provides a functionality for discovering and logging in to an FCF. After discovering and logging in, FIP
allows FCoE traffic to be sent and received between FCoE end-devices (ENodes) and the FCF. FIP uses its
own EtherType and frame format. The below illustration about FIP discovery, depicts the communication that
occurs between an ENode server and an FCoE switch (FCF).
FIP performs the following functions:
• FIP virtual local area network (VLAN) discovery: FCoE devices (Enodes) discover the FCoE VLANs on
which to transmit and receive FIP and FCoE traffic.
• FIP discovery: FCoE end-devices and FCFs are automatically discovered.
• Initialization: FCoE devices perform fabric login (FLOGI) and fabric discovery (FDISC) to create a virtual
link with an FCoE switch.
FIP Snooping 378