Fibre Channel Ports &
Topologies
Fibre Channel Technologies
Port Types
Device Ports (Nx_Ports)
◦ N_Port - Node Port, a Fabric device directly attached
◦ NL_Port - Node Loop Port, a device attached to a loop
Switch Ports
◦ U_Port - Universal Port, a port waiting to become another port
type
◦ F_Port - Fabric Port, a port to which an N_Port attaches
◦ FL_Port - Fabric Loop Port, a port to which a loop attaches
◦ E_Port - Expansion Port, a port used for inter-switch links
(ISL's)
◦ G_Port - Generic Port, a port waiting to be an E_Port or F_Port
FC PORT TYPES
Fibre Channel Technologies
Fiber Channel Ports
NL_Port: NL_Port is the node connection pertaining to hosts or
storage devices in an arbitrated loop topology. Also known as
Node Loop port.
FL_port: FL_port is the fabric connection in a public loop for an
arbitrated loop topology. It is connected to a switch. Also known
as Fabric Loop port.
N_Port: N_Port is the node connection pertaining to hosts or
storage devices in a point-to-point or switched fabric topology.
Also known as Node port.
F_port: F_port is the fabric connection on the switch side of a
switched fabric topology. Also known as Fabric port.
E_port: E_port is the connection between 2 fibre channel
switches. Also known as Expansion port. When 2 E_port's
between 2 switches form a link, that link is referred to as ISL.
Fibre Channel Technologies
Fiber Channel Ports
TE_Port: TE_Port is the term used for multiple E_port's trunked
together to create high bandwidth between switches. Also
known as Trunking Expansion port.
G_Port: G_Port is the connection that can be classified or
emulated as F port or E port. It has no function until it has
logged into a fabric. Also known as Generic port.
U_Port: Universal port (U_Port) is one that has not yet assumed a
specific function in the fabric. It is a generic switch port that can
operate as an E_Port, F_Port, or as a FL_Port.
Fibre Channel Technologies
Fabric Initialization Process
Fibre Channel Technologies
Fabric Addressing
When a node attaches to the fabric it must receive a unique 24-bit address.
The network address is a three byte address based upon the Domain ID, the
Area ID and, Port id 0r if a loop device, its AL_PA.
This address is the source address and is used for routing data thru the fabric
from one device to another.
The 24-bit address scheme also removes the overhead of manual
administration of addresses by allowing the topology itself to assign
addresses.
Fibre Channel Technologies
Port Address: A 24-bit port address consists of three parts:
Domain (bits from 23 to 16) — Identifies the switch
Area (bits from 15 to 08) —. Identifies different loops connected to the same
switch
Port or arbitrated loop physical address (bits from 07 to 00)-- Identifies
the port on the switch (for N_Ports) or the specific node on the loop (for
NL_Ports)
Fibre Channel Technologies
Fibre Channel based networks support three
types of topologies, which include
The three Fibre Channel topologies are:
_ Point-to-point
_ Arbitrated loop
_ Switched fabric
These can be stand-alone or interconnected
to form a fabric.
A switched fabric is the most commonly
encountered topology today
Fibre Channel Technologies
SAN Topologies
● A point-to-point connection is the simplest topology.
● It is used when there are exactly two nodes, and future expansion is not predicted.
● There is no sharing of the media, which allows the devices to use the total
bandwidth of the link.
● A simple link initialization is needed before communications can begin
● Separate point-to-point configurations must be created for each new storage device,
requiring a separate host bus adapter (HBA) for each one.
Fibre Channel Technologies
SAN Topologies
Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).
FC-AL is more useful for storage applications.
It is a loop of up to 126 nodes (NL_Ports) that is managed as a shared bus.
Traffic flows in one direction, carrying data frames around the loop with a
total bandwidth of 400 MBps (or 200 MBps for a loop based on 2 Gbps
technology).
Using arbitration protocol, a single connection is established between a sender
and a receiver, and a data frame is transferred around the loop. When the
communication comes to an end between the two connected ports, the loop
becomes available for arbitration and a new connection may be
[Link] can be configured with hubs to make connection
management easier
Fibre Channel Technologies
SAN Topologies
Fibre Channel Switched Fabric (FC-SW)
A network of switches in a Fiber Channel environment is referred to as a
fabric . It applies to switches and directors that support the FC-SW standard,
that is, it is not limited to switches as its name suggests.
Switched fabrics provide full bandwidth per port compared to the shared
bandwidth per port in arbitrated loop implementations
One of the key differentiators is that if you add a new device into the
arbitrated loop, you further divide the shared bandwidth. However, in a
switched fabric,adding a new device or a new connection between existing
ones actually increases the bandwidth
FC TOPOLOGY
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