Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel is a technology designed for very high performance low-latency data transfer among various types of devices, as defined by a family of ANSI standards developed by INCITS T11.
Data rates of 100, 200, 400, and 1200M-bytes/sec are defined for fiber optic links up to 50 km and for copper links.
The links are full duplex, providing total bandwidth double the link rate.
Topologies include point-to-point, shared loop, and switched. Fibre Channel is mapped to several protocol layers, the most popular ones being the storage protocols SCSI (FCP) and ESCON (FICON).
Fibre Channel is the principal technology used to implement Storage Area Networks (SANs).
Thanks to Robert Snively for this updated definition.
Additional resources
Fibre Channel Industry Association
Fibre Channel Tutorial
Fibre Channel projects
Details on various specifications from T11.
Storage Research Center
Latest news, opinion and analysis from Network World.
Breaking Fibre Channel news
EMC, NetApp roll out Fibre Channel over Ethernet products
Oct. 17, 2008
EMC and NetApp pushed new Fibre Channel over Ethernet products at Storage Networking World in Dallas this week
10G Ethernet switch design with a twist debuts
Nov. 17, 2008
OEM reference supplier Fulcrum Microsystems has unveiled a 10Gbps Ethernet data center switch design that vendors can use to make "lossless" alternatives to Fibre Channel fabrics.
Fibre Channel over Ethernet gains momentum
Oct. 21, 2008
The Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) bandwagon gathered steam last week at Storage Networking World as QLogic, NetApp and EMC introduced products that support the new transport protocol.
Everything 'over Ethernet'
Oct. 21, 2008
Ethernet continues to build on its role as the great unifying force in networking, with vendors pushing technologies with "over Ethernet" in the name.
Brocade's Foundry buy will boost Fibre Channel over Ethernet market
Jul. 22, 2008
Brocade's purchase of Foundry will help it penetrate the Fibre Channel over Ethernet market.
FCoE: the evolutionary approach to SAN expansion
Apr. 22, 2008
Ever since the emergence of Fibre Channel SANs in the late 1990s, enterprise IT managers have maintained two sets of networks, one for storage I/O traffic and the other for data network traffic. But system consolidation ...
Watch out Cisco: Here comes Brocade/Foundry
Jul. 22, 2008
Brocade's proposed $3 billion acquisition of Foundry Networks this week would create a stronger data center competitor to Cisco while raising the stakes even higher for other Ethernet switch companies.
FCoE interoperability tests completed
Sep. 30, 2008
The Fibre Channel Industry Association completed a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) plugfest earlier this month at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab, giving Fibre Channel vendors the chance to test ...
iSCSI, flash storage highlight overhaul of EMC's mid-range Clariion system
Aug. 05, 2008
EMC embraces iSCSI and flash storage for midrange market with new Clariion system.
Smart move: Brocade buys Foundry
Jul. 29, 2008
Brocade's recent acquisition of Foundry Networks for $3 billion should raise the market's interest in Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).
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