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Fiber Channel (FC) is a high-speed networking technology used to interconnect storage devices and servers. It can be used on long distance fiber optic cables or short distance Ethernet networks. FC has five layers and supports various protocols. Three topologies can be used to create a Fiber Channel fabric: Switched Fabric, Arbitrated Loop, and Direct Connection. FC is often used in storage area networks (SANs) for fast and reliable data transfer.
Fiber channel (FC) is a high-speed networking technology. Using an FC network interface, data can be lasered over a fiber optic cable many miles or kilometers long. FC protocols and topologies can also be used on short distance Ethernet networks over copper cabling. FC is often used in storage networks to interconnect storage devices and the servers that distribute their data. It is also commonly used in Internet infrastructure and corporate intranets.
The development of Fiber Channel technology started in 1988 and it became a standard in 1994. Designers initially focused on long distance communication using a simple connection. The alternative was the high-performance parallel interface (HIPPI), a supercomputer-based standard with relatively short and cumbersome connections. Over time, FC throughput increased and became a common interface for storage area network (SAN) devices. Serial storage architecture was a contender in the early 1990s, but FC soon achieved much higher bandwidths.
Unlike the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, the Fiber Channel networking model has only five layers. The top layer is where other protocols are prepared for transmission through the network layer. FC supports many high-level protocols including Internet Protocol (IP), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), and video protocols. The network, datalink, and physical layers, the bottom three layers of the model, are where the FC-specific protocols actually send data. Some of the higher speed FC standards are not backward compatible with lower speed versions due to data link layer coding differences.
When a group of devices is connected via FC, the interconnects are called Fiber Channel Fabric. Three different topologies can be used to create a Fiber Channel fabric. Switched Fabric is similar to Ethernet, with individual devices connected to a central network switch. This is the most efficient arrangement when multiple devices are transferring data simultaneously. It also prevents a failed device or switch port from bringing down the rest of the fabric.
A second topology, somewhat similar to the Token Ring, is known as the Arbitrated Loop. Connect all devices in a loop and only two can talk to each other at the same time. Any device failure breaks the ring, as does the removal or addition of a working device. The third topology simply consists of two devices connected directly to each other. The advantage of these two topologies over Switched Fabric is that each Fiber Channel frame is guaranteed to be delivered.
Large SANs require very fast and reliable connections between networked storage devices and the servers that distribute their data. Because it is usually highly efficient for transferring large blocks of data, Fiber Channel technology is often used in SANs. Distributors generally use slower, less reliable, and less expensive connections to reach other servers and end users. Even without a SAN, Fiber Channel often connects high-end storage devices to individual servers. FC can also be used to connect a remote storage backup system to a single computer many miles away.
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