2 Fibre Channel is a key technology for storage

Fibre Channel is a serial communications technology designed to transfer large amounts of data among a variety of hardware systems over long distances. It is a key technology for applications that require shared, high bandwidth access to storage.

Fibre Channel provides a logical, point-to-point, serial channel for the transfer of data between a buffer at a source device and a buffer at a destination device. It moves buffer contents from one port to another, without regard to the format or meaning of the data so different upper level

protocols are able to run over Fibre Channel hardware.

The Fibre Channel architecture is structured as a hierarchical set of protocol layers. Defined within these layers are rules for signal interfaces, serial encoding and decoding, error control, frame format and communications protocols.

Glossary

Some terms used in the Fibre Channel industry are defined below. More information is available through the ATTO Technology website (www.attotech.com), the Fibre Channel Industry Association (www.fibrechannel.com), Cern (www.cern.ch), the Storage Area Networking Industry Association

(www.snia.org), and the Fibre Channel Consortium (www.iol.unh.edu/consortiums, click on FC).

Term

Definition

ANSI

American National Standards Institute

arbitrate

process of selecting one L_Port from a collection of ports which ask for use of the arbitrated loop

 

at the same time

arbitrated loop

a loop topology (FC-AL) in which two or more ports are interconnected, but only two ports can

 

communicate at one time; low-cost solution which may or may not use hubs and switches

auto negotiation

hardware senses and automatically responds depending on configuration

BER

Bit Error Rate: a measure of transmission accuracy; the ratio of bits received in error to bits sent

bit

smallest unit of data a computer can process: a single binary digit with a value of either 0 or 1

bus

a collection of unbroken signal lines used to transmit information from one part of a computer

 

system to another; taps on the lines connect devices to the bus

byte

an ordered set of 8 bits

channel

a point-to-point link which transports data from one point to another

CPU

Central Processing Unit: the portion of the computer that actually performs computations

CRC

Cyclic Redundancy Check: an error-correcting code which calculates a numeric value for received

 

and transmitted data; if no error has occurred during transmission, the CRC for both received and

 

transmitted data should be the same

destination

a value in the frame header of each frame which identifies the port in the node where the frame is

address

being sent

device driver

a program that allows a microprocessor to direct the operation of a peripheral device

DMA

Direct Memory Access: a way to move data from a storage device directly to RAM without using

 

the CPU’s resources

DMA bus master

allows a peripheral to control the flow of data to and from system memory by block as opposed to

 

allowing the processor to control the data by bytes (PIO or programmed I/O)

11 ATTO Technology Inc. Celerity FC Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

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ATTO Technology FC-21PS, FC-42XS, FC-41XS, FC-44ES, FC-42ES, FC-41ES Fibre Channel is a key technology for storage, Glossary
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FC-41EN, FC-42EN, FC-41ES, FC-42ES, FC-44ES specifications

ATTO Technology is a leader in the world of storage connectivity and network solutions, and its products are specifically designed to enhance the performance of data-intensive workloads. Among their lineup, the ATTO FC-41ES, FC-41EL, and FC-21PS stand out as powerful Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs), tailored for environments that require reliable, high-speed data transfer.

The ATTO FC-41ES is known for its ability to maximize the performance of high-bandwidth applications, such as video editing, virtualization, and large-scale data storage. It features dual-port 16Gb/s Fibre Channel connections, which ensure that it can handle intensive data transactions efficiently. The FC-41ES is designed with low-latency architecture to provide a significant boost to I/O operations, making it ideal for time-sensitive applications.

On the other hand, the FC-41EL is designed for enterprise use, emphasizing energy efficiency without compromising on performance. This model also offers dual-port 16Gb/s connectivity, allowing for seamless integration into existing storage networks while providing an eco-friendly solution. The FC-41EL’s lower power consumption translates into reduced operating costs for data centers, which is a critical factor for organizations seeking to maximize their return on investment.

The FC-21PS, a SCSI-based host bus adapter, is tailored for applications that may not require the speed of 16Gb/s but still require robust performance and reliability. With its advanced technology, the FC-21PS delivers 8Gb/s speeds while maintaining compatibility with older SCSI systems. This makes it an excellent choice for organizations that are gradually upgrading their infrastructure while still needing to support legacy storage solutions.

All three adapters feature ATTO’s proprietary Advanced Data Streaming (ADS) technology, which optimizes data flow to ensure consistent performance even in highly loaded environments. This technology minimizes latency and maximizes throughput, making it invaluable for applications where every millisecond counts.

The FC-41ES, FC-41EL, and FC-21PS all come with an intuitive management software that simplifies monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting. This ensures that IT administrators can maintain high availability and performance of their storage networks with minimal effort.

In summary, ATTO Technology’s FC-41ES, FC-41EL, and FC-21PS host bus adapters bring advanced Fibre Channel technology to the table, each tailored to meet specific performance and efficiency demands. Whether it’s high-speed video production, cost-effective enterprise storage solutions, or legacy SCSI system integration, ATTO’s HBAs are designed to deliver superior performance and reliability for all data-intensive applications.
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