HP Surestore 6.140 Tape Library - Manual (Page 190)

C-6 Appendix C
Introduction to Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel Technology
Fibre Channel Technology
Overview of Fibre Technology
NOTE This section provides an overview of Fibre Channel technology. You can
find information specific to library Model 12/140 in the section “Fibre
Channel with Libraries” on page C-5 and “Fibre Channel Cable
Connections” on page 1-16.
Fibre Channel is an industry-standard interface that is used to transfer
information between computers and computer sub-systems. Defined by
the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Fibre Channel
supports the following:
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
• High-Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI)
• Other high-level protocols
With Fibre Channel, these protocols can be run at the same time. For
example, a host bus adapter (HBA) can simultaneously send Local Area
Network (LAN) information to another computer via IP while reading
and writing data to a (RAID) subsystem via SCSI. In addition to
supporting multiple protocols at the same time, Fibre Channel offers the
following advantages:
• High speed data transmission
• Long distance support (up to 10 kilometers)
• Large address space
• Multiple device configurations