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FC Switch Interconnection Interface Types

Fiber and communications infrastructure knowledge brief Published 24 Oct 2022

Prepared for preliminary research by the ENSAA knowledge desk. Confirm optical interfaces, port or core capacity, electrical input and output, enclosure protection, thermal design and installation limits against current standards and product documentation.

FC switch interconnection interfaces enable communication between Fibre Channel switches, forming scalable and redundant SAN fabrics through E_Ports, EX_Ports, and inter-fabric links.

Overview of FC Switch Interconnection

Fibre Channel (FC) switches interconnect to form a Fibre Channel fabric, which is the backbone of a storage area network (SAN) allowing many-to-many communication between initiators and targets (servers and storage devices) with lossless, in-order frame delivery. Interconnection interfaces are critical for fabric scalability, redundancy, and high availability. Key Interconnection PortsE_Port (Expansion Port): Connects two FC switches directly, forming an inter-switch link (ISL).

E_Ports propagate fabric services and routing information across the fabric. EX_Port (Edge Expansion Port): Similar to an E_Port but terminates at the switch and does not propagate fabric services to other fabrics, often used in multi-fabric or backbone scenarios.

Inter-

Fabric Link (IFL): A logical link between an FC router and an edge fabric, enabling communication across separate SAN fabrics.

Multiple IF

Ls can be configured for redundancy and increased bandwidth.

Backbone and Multi-

Switch Configurations

In larger SANs, backbone fabrics connect multiple edge fabrics using FC routers and switches. This allows creation of metaSANs, where devices in different fabrics can communicate while maintaining zoning and access controls. Proxy devices and phantom domains are used to represent devices across fabrics, ensuring seamless inter-fabric communication without merging the fabrics.

Configuration Considerations

Port Channels: Logical link bundling across DWDM or high-speed links can increase reliability and bandwidth without affecting routing decisions.

Speed and SF

P Compatibility: Switch interconnection interfaces must be configured with supported speeds for the SFP modules (e.g., 16 Gbps, 32 Gbps) to ensure proper operation. Resource Allocation: Shared resources like buffer credits must be managed when interfaces are taken out of service or added to port groups to avoid traffic disruption.

Standards and Protocols

The INCIT

S T11 Technical Committee defines FC standards, including physical variants, interconnection schemes, and switch protocols. These standards ensure interoperability between switches from different vendors and support features like zoning, lossless transport, and fabric management. SummaryFC switch interconnection interfaces, primarily through E_Ports, EX_Ports, and IFLs, enable SAN scalability, redundancy, and high-performance communication.

Proper configuration of port speeds, link aggregation, and resource allocation is essential for maintaining fabric stability and ensuring seamless inter-fabric device access. These interfaces are standardized by INCITS/Fibre Channel to ensure reliable and interoperable SAN deployments.

FC Switch Interconnection Interface Types - ENSAA OPTICAL NETWORKS [PDF]

FC Switch Interconnection Interface Types

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Technical note

This reference is intended for preliminary fiber and communications infrastructure research. Optical interface, fiber type, port or core capacity, electrical input and output, enclosure protection, cooling, installation limits and applicable standards must be verified for the specific project.

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