Back to: FC (Fibre Channel) fundamentals
FC is designed as a dedicated storage network that operates independently from regular IP-based networks.
a) Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP)
- FCP is the standard protocol that allows SCSI commands to be carried over Fibre Channel.
- FC-NVMe is a newer standard that enables NVMe over Fibre Channel, providing faster access to SSDs.
b) FC Topologies
Fibre Channel networks can be implemented using different topologies:
- Point-to-Point (P2P) – Direct connection between two FC devices.
- Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) – A legacy setup where devices share a loop.
- Switched Fabric (FC-SW) – The most common topology, using FC switches to enable scalable and high-performance storage networking.