Page 2 of 18 Fibre Channel: Why another interface? March 2001 Introduction For years, server-to-storage and server-to-server (or client) connections have used separate technologies tailored to meet the unique communication demands of each type of data transfer. One-to-one bus interfaces, such as SCSI, are used for high-speed, high-volume transfers between data storage devices and high-performance servers, PCs, and workstations. Parallel bus technology provides extremely reliable, high-speed block-based transfer for large amounts of data between a host and its storage devices (typically disks and tape drives) over relatively short distances. Traditional IP-based networks, such as 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, are used in LANs (local area networks) for server-to-client connections. Networks provide file-based data transfer between many different types of devices using a wide variety of command protocols. Optimized to provide extremely flexible interconnections, networks are typically used for long-distance communications at relatively slow data rates. With the advent of the Internet, e-commerce, and a host of other data-intensive applications, the ability to reliably move vast amounts of data quickly over long distances and have it accessible to a large number of users simultaneously has become increasingly important. More than ever, companies strive to make the most of their IT dollars by sharing data storage resources among many different servers. Futhermore, as the amount of storage capacity increases, ease of management and scalability become essential. Neither SCSI nor traditional IP network technology can adequately address the data transfer and storage requirements of today’s computing environments. A new interface that provides fast, reliable data transfer over longer distances is needed. Fibre Channel, already in use for long-distance system-to-system interconnection, is ideally suited to meet the data transfer requirements of data storage on large networks. Bus versus network Today there are two basic types of technology used for system interconnections: the bus (or I/O channel), typically used to attach a limited number of peripherals such as tape drives to an individual system, and the network, typically used to interconnect multiple systems and peripherals. Each technology has its strengths and limitations; alone, neither adequately fulfills the requirements for reliable, high-speed transfer of vast quantities of data. Parallel bus interfaces, such as SCSI, and network interfaces, such as 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, were developed to fill different data transfer needs. Neither of these interfaces can adequately address the data transfer and storage requirements of today’s computing environments. p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9   p10   p11   p12   p13   p14   p15   p16   p17   p18