Home > Ask the Storage Technology Experts > Storage Networking: SAN/NAS Questions & Answers > Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop or switched disk?
Ask The Storage Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop or switched disk?

Greg Schulz EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Greg Schulz

Pose a Question
Other Storage Categories
Meet all Storage Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 13 July 2006
We are considering buying high-end storage from two different vendors, one uses a one uses Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop technology and one uses a switched-disk interface. Of course, each vendor is saying that their technology is better. We'd like to hear from independent source and expert on this dispute.

>
EXPERT RESPONSE
Traditional Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FCAL) has been used on the back-end of storage systems for attachment of disk drives and disk expansion shelves to controllers. Similar to the way the host or server side attachment ports changed over to switched Fibre Channel several years ago, the new standard for storage systems is to leverage a switched or semi-switched (switched loop) connection.

The advantage to using a switched interface is simpler point-to-point connectivity and in some cases, potential for better performance and reliability. The lower cost of switching technology and embedded switch chips has given rise to the shift to switched bunch of disk (SBOD) for storage.

Do you know…

If you need a switch?


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


RELATED CONTENT
Storage Networking: SAN/NAS
Upgrading operating systems for two fabrics
Data centers and synchronous replication
Network File Sharing vs. Common Internet File System
Use of RAID with multiple drives
How to add more channels to a network
Achieving secure data storage for shared read/write I/O operation
SAN server accommodation
Offsite vs. onsite storage
FCID on two separate fabrics
SATA on a Dell Dimension 4400

Connectivity and protocols
Learn all about iSCSI and Fibre Channel SANs
Fibre Channel technology
ISCSI takes its rightful place beside Fibre Channel
Fiber optics over distance
Wavelength vs. dark fiber for SAN
How to minimize I/O latency
FC-AL port protocol for storage
The slow move toward faster Fibre

Fibre Channel (FC) SAN
Xyratex launches 8 Gbps RAID controller
Storage Decisions New York 2008 Session Downloads
Storage Decisions Session Downloads: Storage Systems & Networking Track (New York 2008)
Cisco brings virtualization to Fibre Channel and Ethernet
IBM prepares to roll out midrange disk array
Brocade brings 8 Gbps to SAN blade server switch
IBM set to launch block-level XIV Storage System
Here comes 8Gig Fibre Channel
SAS bumps up speed to 6Gigs
No open-and-shut case for NAS gateways

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
enterprise storage  (SearchStorage.com)
Fast Guide to Storage Technologies  (WhatIs.com)
FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet)  (SearchStorage.com)
Fibre Channel  (SearchStorage.com)
Fibre Channel over IP  (SearchStorage.com)
host bus adapter  (SearchStorage.com)
iFCP  (SearchStorage.com)
IP storage  (SearchStorage.com)
SAN island  (SearchStorage.com)
storage area network  (SearchStorage.com)

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice



Search for Data Management Tools and Tiered Storage Reseller Solutions
TechTarget Storage Media
Storage Magazine View this month\\'s issue and subscribe today.
Storage Decisions Apply online for free conference admission.
SearchStorage.com
HomeNewsMagazineTopicsLearningMultimediaWhite PapersBlogsEventsAbout Us

About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000 - 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts