What is Fiber Channel Switching?

Fiber channel switching refers to using switches to build a switched fabric topology that intelligently networks storage devices for faster, more efficient data transfer.

Let's begin with a metaphor before we get to a technical explanation of fiber channel switching. Your house, neighbors, city, and neighboring cities are connected by roads – that's your network. Choosing to walk, bike, take a car, or drive a big truck is like choosing what sort of frame or protocol you'll use to transfer data.

If you have a bunch of errands to run, you'll probably take local roads to the grocery store, hop over to the gas station, and take the connecting alley to the Radio Shack (that's still a thing, right?). You probably won't need a large vehicle to get on the highway. 

Now, imagine you work in construction and need to transport a load of bricks from one city to the next. You probably want to store those bricks at a warehouse and use a highway to get to the other city to avoid being slowed down by all the local traffic on city roads. 

Using a car on city streets is similar to using Ethernet traffic: it's versatile, capable of complex connections, and best suited to diverse tasks and applications. But the fiber channel is more like a truck on a highway: it supports a higher speed, has higher throughput, and is great for large volumes of data. 

Now, let's explore fiber channels, fiber channel switching, and why they're so great for high-speed data transfer.

The Absolute Basics of Fiber Channel

Fiber channel (FC) is a networking technology that includes hardware components and protocols that are especially well-suited for transferring large volumes of data between storage devices. Fiber channel technology has existed since the late 1980s, so it's not new. 

However, over the last 40 years, fiber channels have advanced and expanded, evolving storage networking requirements. Newer technologies provide similar results, but many adapt and incorporate the old classic into new versions.

The Terminology: Fiber Channel Terms and Concepts

Defining the key terms about fiber channels will help you understand the more nuanced concepts: 

• Fiber Channel: A high-speed network technology primarily used for connecting storage devices.

• Fiber Channel Switching: Using intelligent switches to direct and manage data traffic via fiber channels.

• Fibre Channel: This is a different spelling of "fiber channel." The two have no meaningful difference except that the Storage Area Network (SAN) protocol is spelled Fibre Channel Protocol. Fibre is also more commonly used in British English. 

• Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP): The primary protocol for fiber channel storage transfer is the set of rules and conventions for formatting and exchanging data between devices in a Fibre Channel SAN. 

• Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE): A protocol that enables the transport of fiber channel storage traffic over an Ethernet network.

• Network Fabric: A concept describing the infrastructure and connections between devices (usually switches) in a network that manage data traffic.

These terms and concepts are fundamental to understanding fiber channels as a technology and protocol and working as an associate-level network administrator. If learning about these concepts excites you, consider taking CBT Nuggets' CCNA course. It prepares you for the CCNA certification and a network administration career.

The Physical: Fiber Channel Hardware

Fiber channel is a protocol and a method of data transfer. However, a distinct set of hardware and physical components makes high-speed, high-performance data transfer possible. In the early days, fiber channels, storage networks, and general-purpose networks were separate, with distinct and specialized infrastructures. 

In the last decade, networking technologies have evolved and blurred their boundaries. Converged data center architectures have consolidated storage and general-purpose traffic over a unified network infrastructure. However, the fiber channel is still at least partly defined by the hardware.

The Host Bus Adapter (HBA) is one of the key parts of the fiber channel. It is a specialized network interface card that connects servers and hosts to the Fiber Channel fabric and handles communication between servers, FC switches, and storage devices.

A fiber channel switch is the backbone of an FC storage area network (SAN). These intelligent devices, specially designed to manage the flow of large volumes of data between servers and storage devices on a SAN, enable fiber channel switching. FC switches come in different sizes, capacities, and configurations.

Fiber channel ports, cables, and transceivers are the nuts and bolts that connect FC devices and make fiber channel switching possible. Fiber optic cables are most commonly used for cabling, but copper cables are sometimes used in shorter-distance connections.

Other physical components, such as connectors, modules, routers, and gateways, make fiber channel switching possible. A fiber channel SAN is a sophisticated and efficient data transfer ecosystem.

The Digital: Fiber Channel Protocols and Standards

Fiber channels are trusted for high-performance storage connectivity largely because of well-defined standards and protocols for communication in high-speed storage networks.

Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) (spelled that way) is the language servers, devices, and intelligent switches used to keep the network moving. Learning to configure FCP and implement it on devices is a fundamental skill for network administrators on enterprise networks.

How is the Fiber Channel Used?

Fiber channels are preferred for data transfer and storage networks because of their speed and throughput. Ethernet is more flexible and cost-effective, so it is reserved for generalized networking, which is mainly for cost and convenience. However, fiber channels are used when a company needs to move large amounts of data quickly.

Understanding Fiber Channel and Storage Area Networks

Fiber channels are prevalent in Storage Area Networks (SANs) because they provide a dedicated and reliable infrastructure for connecting servers to storage arrays. FC connectivity is crucial for applications like database management, virtualization, and data analytics, where rapid and efficient data transfer is crucial. 

Fiber channel's topology and architecture support scalability when properly configured. That scalability is attractive for companies and enterprise networks constantly scaling their data storage footprint. Administrators tend to prove they can ensure the integrity and accessibility of critical data via fiber channels with certifications like the CCNA and CCNP.

SAN vs NAS – The Difference Fiber Channel Makes

Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS) provide storage solutions to network and organizational concerns. Fiber channel-powered SANs offer block-level access, which is ideal for high-performance apps.

On the other hand, NAS tends to use Ethernet-based protocols and provide file-level access. That makes it a better fit for general file sharing and centralized storage.

SANs are more scalable and better suited for performance-dependent apps. NAS, however, is simpler to implement and scale for broad storage needs. Choosing between the two storage solutions can be complicated without a good SAN vs NAS course that explains the nuances.

Learn More About Fiber Channel Switching 

The era of Big Data arrived long ago, and the data has only gotten bigger. Companies need to store, access, and process vast amounts of data, and few people are trained and ready to provide the necessary understanding and skills. 

A CCNA course doesn't just set you up to earn a career-defining certification; it can also focus your skills and experience to make you a local fiber channel implementation and configuration expert. 

Want to learn more about Fiber Channel and Storage Area Networks? Consider our CCNA Training.