Developed in 1985 and approved by ANSI as a standard in 1994, Fiber Channel (FC) is a high-bandwidth network technology long associated with storage networking. The Fiber Channel Protocol (FCP) is a transport protocol that’s generally used to transport SCSI commands over Fiber Channel networks, though FC does support other “upper layer” protocols such as ATM, and IP.

 

The three major Fiber Channel topologies (which describe how “ports” or devices connect together) are as follows: 1) Point-to-Point (FC-P2P), or two devices connected back-to-back. 2) Arbitrated loop (FC-AL), which all devices positioned in a logical loop or ring, vaguely similar to token ring networking. 3) Switched fabric (FC-SW), wherein the devices or loops of devices connect to Fiber Channel switches, which perform functions similar to equivalent Ethernet implementations and therefore possess the same kind of benefits (the switches manage the fabric and optimize interconnections, multiple port pairs can communicate simultaneously and any failure of a port is isolated from the rest of the system/ports).

 

And now, ADVA (News - Alert) Optical Networking (www.advaoptical.com) of Norcross, Georgia – a leader in providing Optical+Ethernet solutions, and COLT Telecom – a European provider of data, voice and managed services to major businesses, SMBs and wholesale customers over a 13-country, 25,000km network – have teamed up and recently announced the industry’s first deployment of an 8Gbps Fiber Channel service over distance. Featured within a customer’s Storage Area Network (SAN), the new service, built specifically upon the ADVA FSP 3000’s 8Gbps FC card, provides a point-to-point link that stretches beyond 135km. Connecting two data centers with an 8Gbps FC link across this distance was dependent upon the ADVA FSP 3000’s Raman amplification capabilities to eliminate the need for mid-span huts and the associated operations and maintenance costs.

 

ADVA Optical Networking and COLT (News - Alert) Telecom are said to be the only companies currently capable of deploying 8Gbps FC over distance and have worked extensively to ensure the solution is able to perform under the most stressful network demands. Before installation, ADVA Optical Networking (News - Alert) developed and extensively tested its 8Gbps FC solution in its Meiningen, Germany, laboratories, ensuring that it could operate over large distances and that it is compatible with 10-, 4-, 2- and 1Gbps FC interfaces and a range of industry switches, including Brocade’s (News - Alert) 8Gbps SAN switch. This extensive compatibility ensures that enterprises can deploy all FC interfaces in the same network without additional capital expenses.

 

COLT is a leading European provider of business communications. COLT specializes in providing data, voice and managed services to major businesses, SMEs and wholesale customers. COLT owns and operates a 13-country, 25,000km network that includes metropolitan area networks in 34 major European cities with direct fiber connections into 14,000 buildings and 18 COLT data centers. 

 

COLT Telecom Group S.A. is listed on the London Stock Exchange (COLT). Information about COLT and its services can be found at www.colt.net.