96122 • Revision: F 33
CHAPTER
4
Fibre Channel Physical Interface
This chapter describes how the Sun StorageTek SL500 tape library attach to Fibre
Channel (FC), and it includes recommendations for hubs, cables, and connectors.
Ports
Library ports are N*_Ports in a Fibre Channel topology.
The “N*” here stands generically for a type of “node” port.
More specifically, the link at the library can be a N_Port in a point-to-point
topology but is more often an NL_Port in an arbitrated loop topology.
An N*_Port supports:
■ one media type,
■ one media rate, and
■ one or more classes of service.
Note: Currently, Class 3 Service is the only class of service that the libraries
support.
Thus data transmission between N*_Ports occurs only if the ports have the same
media type, the same media rate, and at least one class of service in common. In
addition, in arbitrated loop topologies, one N*_Port typically communicates with
only one other N*_Port on the loop at a time. For more information about
arbitrated loop topologies, see “Arbitrated Loop” on page 34.
When an N*_Port is connected to a Fibre Channel fabric, typically through an
F*_Port, the breadth of possibilities for data transmission increases because the
fabric topology permits:
Many pairs of N*_Ports to communicate at the same time
Communication between dissimilar N*_Ports
For more information about the Fibre Channel fabric topology, see “Direct Fabric
Attachment” on page 38.
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