Fibre Channel Primer

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FOREWORD
The information explosion and the need for high-performance
communications for server-to-storage and server-to-server networking
have been the focus of much attention during the 90s. Performance
improvements in storage, processors, and workstations, along with
the move to distributed architectures such as client/server, have
spawned increasingly data-intensive and high-speed networking
applications. The interconnect between these systems and their input/
output devices demands a new level of performance in reliability,
speed, and distance.
Fibre Channel, a highly reliable, gigabit-per-second interconnect
technology, allows concurrent communications among workstations,
mainframes, servers, data storage systems, and other peripherals using
common storage and network protocols. It provides interconnect
systems for multiple topologies that can scale to a total system
bandwidth on the order of a terabit per second. Fibre Channel delivers
a new level of reliability and throughput. Switches, hubs, storage
subsystems, storage devices, and adapters are among the products
that are on the market today, providing the ability to implement a
total system solution.
The members of the Fibre Channel Association (FCA) realize
that wading through the entire Fibre Channel standards documentation
can be a daunting task. This brief tutorial offers a readable overview
of the standard. It is intended for those who are interested in a general
overview of Fibre Channel and its applications. While it won’t make
you an expert, it provides a good starting point. We hope you find it
useful.
Fibre Channel Association