What is FCoE?

Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a storage protocol that ensures that Fiber Channel communications are transmitted directly over Ethernet. FCoE moves Fiber Channel traffic to exist high-speed Ethernet infrastructures and then integrates storage and IP protocols into a single cable transport and interface. The purpose of FCoE is to unify input/output (I / O) ports, simplify switching, and reduce counting of cables and interface cards. However, due to the scarcity of end-to-end FCoE devices, some organizations are reluctant to change how they implement and manage their networks, leading to a slow development of FCoE. There are already some organizations that use Ethernet over their TCP / IP networks and Fiber Channel over storage networks. Fiber Channel can support high-speed data connections between computer devices that interconnect with servers that have shared storage and between storage controllers and drives. FCoE shares Fiber Channel and Ethernet traffic on the same physical cable and also enables enterprises to separate Fibre Channel and Ethernet traffic on the same hardware. FCoE uses a lossless Ethernet fabric and has its own frame format. It keeps Fiber Channel devices communicating, but need you change the Ethernet link between the devices to a Fibre Channel link. FCoE uses standard Ethernet cards, cables, and switches to handle Fiber Channel traffic at the data link layer, encapsulating, routing, and transporting FC frames from a Fibre Channel switched Ethernet network using Ethernet frames to another device, And use the same switch configuration. FCoE is relative to iSCSI, an Internet protocol (IP) based storage networking standard. FCoE is a compelling technology that allows data centers to be integrated over the Ethernet in the same network instead of supporting multiple independent networks, lowering the total cost of ownership of the data center and increasing system flexibility, While achieving the protection of the original investment.