Fibre Channel Primer

10 Fibre Channel: Connection to the Future
EXPLOSIVE DATA GROWTH
Information storage has become a critically important element for
enterprises. New applications and image-oriented data have fueled a
storage explosion. Storage capacity is doubling every year with no
end in sight. IT managers are demanding better ways of maintaining
and increasing storage performance while rapidly adding capacity to
meet new demands.
Fibre Channel storage and networks deliver greater data loads,
streamline data access and distribution, and handle more complex
data types. IT managers can use Fibre Channel storage and networks
to deliver these advantages:
l Managed Growth – Storage is no longer isolated behind a server.
It is shared among servers, providing more efficient use of storage
assets.
l Scalable Performance – Storage systems may now scale to tens,
hundreds, or thousands of terabytes. Fibre Channel networks
support this growth, scaling from tens of nodes on a shared gigabit
loop to thousands of nodes on switched fabrics.
l Accessibility – Fibre Channel spans a building, a campus, or, with
fiber optic extenders, remote sites up to 30 km away.
l Heterogeneous Systems – Servers, storage, and workstations from
different manufacturers are interconnected with Fibre Channel
networks.
l Affordable – Fibre Channel is the most cost-effective gigabit
technology. Fibre Channel’s efficient structure delivers excellent
price/performance when compared with other gigabit technologies.
l High Availability–Fibre Channel disks come with redundant gigabit
interfaces. Network architectures support high availability. Gigabit
switches are now providing redundant components and automatic
failover in case of failures.
l Storage Backup – With storage expanding and backup windows
shrinking, gigabit Fibre Channel storage becomes a necessity.
As client/server systems continue to grow, enterprises need more
reliable, more scalable, more intelligent storage solutions. Fibre
Channel storage and networks meet these needs with an environment
that consolidates and simplifies storage access.