1.

Fibre Channel (FC)

Heading Key Points
FC Fibre Channel
Definition High-speed networking technology for SAN.
Purpose Connects servers and storage devices.
Media Optical Fiber, Serial Copper Cable.
Standard ANSI Fibre Channel Working Group (FCWG).
Speed 1 Gb/s to 8 GFC (1600 MB/s).
Features High speed, Reliable, Scalable, Long-distance communication.

2. Storage Area Network (SAN)

Heading Key Points
SAN Storage Area Network
Definition Dedicated high-speed storage network.
Purpose Storage consolidation and sharing.
Benefits Centralized storage, High performance, Scalability.
Communication Secure communication between host and storage.

3. SAN Evolution
Technology Key Points
FC-AL Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop; Hub-based.
FC Switch Better connectivity and performance.
Enterprise SAN Highly scalable switched fabric.
IP SAN Uses iSCSI and FCIP.

4. SAN Components
Component Key Points
Server Generates I/O requests.
Node Port Physical communication interface.
Storage Array Stores enterprise data.
FC Switch Connects devices with dedicated bandwidth.
SAN Software Manages SAN resources.

5. Node Ports
Heading Key Points
Node Host, Storage, Tape Library.
Node Port Interface connecting node to SAN.
Communication Full-duplex (Tx & Rx).

6. SAN Cabling
Term Expansion Key Points
MMF Multi-Mode Fiber Multiple light beams; up to 500 m.
SMF Single-Mode Fiber Single light beam; up to 10 km.
SC Standard Connector Supports up to 1 Gb/s.
LC Lucent Connector Supports up to 4 Gb/s.
ST Straight Tip Connector Bayonet-lock fiber connector.
SFP Small Form-factor Pluggable Optical transceiver.
7. SAN Interconnect Devices
Device Key Points
FC Hub Shared bandwidth.
FC Switch Dedicated bandwidth.
Director High-end FC switch with many ports.
8. Fibre Channel Connectivity
Topology Expansion Key Points
Connects two N_Ports directly; simple
Point-to-Point P2P
topology; dedicated communication path.
Fibre Channel Devices connected in a loop; only one device
FC-AL
Arbitrated Loop transmits at a time after arbitration.
Devices connected through FC switches;
Fibre Channel
FC-SW dedicated bandwidth; high performance;
Switched Fabric
scalable.

9. Fibre Channel Ports

Port Expansion Key Points
N_Port Node Port Connects an end device (host/storage) to the Fibre Channel network.
NL_Port Node Loop Port Node port used in FC-AL topology.
F_Port Fabric Port Switch port connecting directly to an N_Port.
FL_Port Fabric Loop Port Switch port connecting an FC loop to a fabric.
E_Port Expansion Port Connects one FC switch to another switch (ISL).
G_Port Generic Port Switch port that automatically functions as E_Port or F_Port.
L_Port Loop Port Port configured for loop topology.

10. Fibre Channel Architecture

Layer Key Points
FC-4 Upper-layer protocol mapping (SCSI, IP, etc.).
FC-3 Common services between ports.
FC-2 Framing, sequencing, flow control, and services.
FC-1 Encoding and decoding of data.
FC-0 Physical layer (cables, connectors, signaling).

11. Fibre Channel Addressing

Term Expansion Key Points
Unique 64-bit identifier assigned to each Fibre Channel
WWN World Wide Name
device.
World Wide Node
WWNN Identifies the node/device.
Name
WWPN World Wide Port Name Identifies an individual port.
FC Address 24-bit Address Used for communication inside the Fibre Channel fabric.

12. Fibre Channel Frame

Field Key Points
SOF Start of Frame – Indicates the beginning of the frame.
Frame Header Contains source ID, destination ID, control information.
Data Field Carries user data.
CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check – Detects transmission errors.
 Field Key Points
EOF End of Frame – Indicates the end of the frame.
13. Flow Control
Term Expansion Key Points
Controls the flow of data between sender and receiver to
Flow Control –
prevent data loss.
Buffer-to-Buffer Controls frame transmission between two directly connected
BB_Credit
Credit ports.
Controls frame transmission between source and destination
End-to-End Credit EE_Credit
ports.
Receiver Indicates that the receiver has buffer space to accept the next
R_RDY
Ready frame.

14. Classes of Service (CoS)

Class Key Points
Class 1 Dedicated connection between source and destination; guaranteed bandwidth.
Class 2 Connectionless service with acknowledgment.
Class 3 Connectionless service without acknowledgment; most widely used.
Class 4 Fractional bandwidth with Quality of Service (QoS).
Class 6 Multicast service for one-to-many communication.
15. Zoning
Term Expansion Key Points
Groups devices in a SAN to control communication and
Zoning –
improve security.
Purpose – Improves security, isolates traffic, and reduces interference.
Port Zoning – Devices are grouped based on switch port numbers.
World Wide
WWN Zoning Devices are grouped using WWPN/WWNN.
Name Zoning
Mixed Zoning – Combination of Port Zoning and WWN Zoning.
16. Fibre Channel Login Types
Login Expansion Key Points
Establishes communication between an N_Port and the
FLOGI Fabric Login
fabric.
PLOGI Port Login Establishes communication between two N_Ports.
Establishes communication between upper-layer protocols
PRLI Process Login
(e.g., SCSI).
LOGO Logout Terminates the login session.

17. Fibre Channel Topologies

Topology Key Points
Point-to-Point Two devices connected directly.
Arbitrated Loop Devices connected in a loop; one device transmits at a time.
Switched Fabric Devices connected through switches; high performance and scalability.
Core-Edge
Core switches connect multiple edge switches; scalable enterprise design.
Topology
Every switch connected to every other switch; provides high redundancy and
Mesh Topology
fault tolerance.
18. EMC Connectrix
Heading Key Points
EMC Connectrix Enterprise Fibre Channel switch family used to build SAN infrastructure.
Provides high-speed switching, scalability, reliability, and centralized
Purpose
SAN management.
Features High availability, flexible connectivity, and enterprise-level performance.