Storage Networking Architectures
Storage Transport Protocols
Channels and Networks
• Fibre Channel is both a channel and a network
• It provides the best of both channels and
networks:
9Many devices
9Dynamic addressing
9Low latency
Fibre Channel
9Long distances
9Hardware-based
delivery management
Fibre Channel is designed to incorporate features of both channel and network
architectures:
Like a network, Fibre Channel is designed to dynamically adjust to
changing environments that contain many devices.
Although Fibre Channel is a network, storage networks are generally
somewhat simpler and more “stable” than data networks (such as the
Internet). Therefore, Fibre Channel compromises between flexibility and
efficiency in order to minimize end-to-end latency
Fibre Channel uses a serial architecture that supports high speeds and
long distances.
Fibre Channel HBAs incorporate application-specific integrated circuits
(ASICs) that perform delivery management services, minimizing host
CPU load and delivery delay.