Fibre Channel Primer

9 Chapter 2: Fibre Channel at Work
EFFECTIVE USE OF IT RESOURCES
Gigabit Fibre Channel networks take advantage of previously
untapped power in storage, servers and workstations. Fibre Channel
networks make clusters possible with:
l Reliable communications
l Scalable networks
l Highly available systems
l Low-latency messaging
l High-bandwidth transfers
Instead of replacing systems to meet expanded requirements,
Fibre Channel clusters enhance capabilities of the installed base and
preserve your investment. IT managers use Fibre Channel’s flexibility
and reliability to add incremental processing and storage for “just-
in-time computing and storage.”
Fibre Channel is an open ANSI standard, connecting a
heterogeneous mix of servers, workstations, and storage. Any topology
is implemented as required, meeting the needs of each application.
l High Availability – Gigabit Fibre Channel networks enable assured
communications, with servers and storage devices backing up each
other. If a device fails or is taken down for maintenance, Fibre
Channel connectivity enables its activity to be performed by another
device without losing functional capability.
l Compute Clusters – Servers and workstations linked on a Fibre
Channel network cooperate to process applications. Fibre Channel
networks provide low-latency messaging for coordination and high-
bandwidth storage interfaces. Load sharing dispatches tasks to idle
units, putting unused compute cycles to work.
l Storage Pools – Protocols such as SCSI and IP are both effectively
used to provide shared storage. Direct access to disks uses the SCSI
protocol. IP-based network storage using FTP or NFS is faster using
gigabit Fibre Channel.
Fibre Channel-powered clusters cost-effectively share data, share
processing, put unused capacity to work, and provide high availability.
The net result is more effective use of IT resources.