Performance analysis of a fibre channel switch supporting node port identifier virtualization: Preliminary results

Abstract

The server virtualization architecture, encompassing the sharing of data storage subsystems among the virtual servers or operating systems on a single host server using I/O channel sharing capabilities in fibre channel fabrics, was pioneered by IBM through their System z9 mainframe and its predecessors. The implementations of I/O channel sharing capabilities were based on the fibre connectivity channel standard. With the advent of sharing small computer system interface devices among host servers in storage area networks using the fibre channel protocol, certain problems arose in sharing the I/O channels between virtual servers on a host. To implement server virtualization with this new environment, IBM invented the N_Port identifier virtualization architecture, which is now part of the fibre channel standards. This paper examines the performance of a Fibre channel switch supporting N_Port identifier virtualization. In particular, the switch latency for discover fabric services command during the process of granting multiple virtual N_Port identifiers to single and multiple hosts, hosting a large number of virtual servers is examined.

Design of FC-AE-1553 Interface GPS Module

“…With the advantage in data rate and network performance [1] , FC-AE-1553 based on Fibre Channel technology may probably be the new generation of military bus standard following MIL-STD-1553B [2] , and there will be more and more its applications in spaceborne and airborne systems [3] [4] . So the research on FC-AE-1553 protocol and the development on standard instruments are of great significance for realizing the overall upgrading of avionics system.…”