Fibre Channel speed is defined by its generation, measured in gigabits per second (Gb/s) or gigafibre channel (GFC). Since its commercial introduction, the technology has followed a consistent roadmap of speed doubling with each new generation. Fibre Channel (FC) is a high-speed data transfer protocol providing in-order, lossless delivery of raw block data. It handles high performance of disk storage for applications on many corporate networks. It supports data backup and replication. Fibre Channel standards define the links and protocols that form storage area. Fibre Channel ≠ Fiber Optic Cable What is Fibre Channel? Fibre Channel (FC) is a high-speed network protocol designed for transferring large volumes of data between servers and storage devices, typically within a Storage Area Network (SAN). The Fibre Channel Association has a complete list of the ANSI X3T11 Fibre Channel Standards and draft Standards You can find those via the FCA Fibre Channel Technology pages (click on Standards at the top of that page). Tip: FC wouldn't be much use without something (typically SCSI) on top of it.
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