N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV)
N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) is a technology that defines how multiple virtual servers can share a single physical Fibre Channel port identification (ID).
NPIV allows a single host bus adaptor (HBA) or target port on a storage array to register multiple World Wide Port Names (WWPNs) and N_Port identification numbers. This allows each virtual server to present a different world wide name to the storage area network (SAN), which in turn means that each virtual server will see its own storage -- but no other virtual server's storage.
This was last updated in April 2011
