RE: fcovertcpip - N_Port support.

["Venkat Rangan" <venkat@rhapsodynetworks.com>]

Raj,

I agree that a single switch can include the functionality of an FC switch
and FCIP gateway. In that scenario, when N_Ports connect to it the FCIP
gateway functionality can do the similar FC to IP mappings that iFCP does
and send the traffic on an interface of the switch which supports IP.

Regards,

Venkat Rangan
Rhapsody Networks Inc.
http://www.rhapsodynetworks.com


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ips@ece.cmu.edu [mailto:owner-ips@ece.cmu.edu]On Behalf Of
Raj Bhagwat
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 9:52 PM
To: Murali Rajagopal; Joshua Tseng; Venkat Rangan; IP Storage Working
Group
Subject: RE: fcovertcpip - N_Port support.


As Joshua said in one of the earlier emails, it is always possible to build
a single switch that includes the functionality of an FC switch and a FCIP
gateway. The only reason they are shown separately in the diagram is to
illustrate the concept clearly. So, practically speaking, it is possible to
connect N_Ports or NL_Ports directly to an FCIP gateway as long as it has
the functionality of an FC switch (FLA, GS3, etc).

Raj Bhagwat
LightSand Communications


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ips@ece.cmu.edu [mailto:owner-ips@ece.cmu.edu]On Behalf Of
Murali Rajagopal
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2001 6:49 PM
To: Joshua Tseng; Venkat Rangan; IP Storage Working Group
Subject: RE: fcovertcpip - N_Port support.


Venkat/Josh: (With my TC hat off)

The FCIP as it is written today specifically deals with E_Ports. In other
words, the FCIP device connects to a FC Switch like any FC Switch.This
appraoch in theory could be extended to include N_Port connectivity.
Tunneling FC data frames in this case is the trivial part. The complex part
surfaces when attempting to "replace" the functions and infrastructure
provided by the Fibre Channel Network.

I am NOT in favor of mixing the two specifications for one good reason - the
goals are very different. FCIP's goal is to allow FC Switched networks to be
extended over the IP Network and therefor enhances the existing FC-based SAN
island connectivity. I beleive iFCP's goal is to bypass FC switched networks
altogether and it really does not deal with FC based SANs.

For the above reasons the FCIP specification tends to be relatively simple
compared to iFCP.

Regards,

Murali Rajagopal
LightSand Communications