RFC 3821 (rfc3821) - Page 1 of 74
Fibre Channel Over TCP/IP (FCIP)
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group M. Rajagopal
Request for Comments: 3821 E. Rodriguez
Category: Standards Track R. Weber
July 2004
Fibre Channel Over TCP/IP (FCIP)
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).
Abstract
Fibre Channel Over TCP/IP (FCIP) describes mechanisms that allow the
interconnection of islands of Fibre Channel storage area networks
over IP-based networks to form a unified storage area network in a
single Fibre Channel fabric. FCIP relies on IP-based network
services to provide the connectivity between the storage area network
islands over local area networks, metropolitan area networks, or wide
area networks.
Table Of Contents
1. Purpose, Motivation, and Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Relationship to Fibre Channel Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.1. Relevant Fibre Channel Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2. This Specification and Fibre Channel Standards . . . . . 5
3. Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4. Protocol Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5. The FCIP Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5.1. FCIP Protocol Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5.2. FCIP Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.3. FC Entity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.4. FCIP Entity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.5. FCIP Link Endpoint (FCIP_LEP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.6. FCIP Data Engine (FCIP_DE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5.6.1. FCIP Encapsulation of FC Frames. . . . . . . . . 16
5.6.2. FCIP Data Engine Error Detection and Recovery. . 19
6. Checking FC Frame Transit Times in the IP Network. . . . . . . 22
Rajagopal, et al. Standards Track