Fibre Channel - Ports

Ports

The following types of ports are defined by Fibre Channel:

  • node ports
    • N_port is a port on the node (e.g. host or storage device) used with both FC-P2P or FC-SW topologies. Also known as node port.
    • NL_port is a port on the node used with an FC-AL topology. Also known as Node Loop port.
    • F_port is a port on the switch that connects to a node point-to-point (i.e. connects to an N_port). Also known as fabric port. An F_port is not loop capable.
    • FL_port is a port on the switch that connects to a FC-AL loop (i.e. to NL_ports). Also known as fabric loop port.
    • E_port is the connection between two fibre channel switches. Also known as an Expansion port. When E_ports between two switches form a link, that link is referred to as an inter-switch link (ISL).
    • B_port A Bridge Port is a Fabric inter-element port used to connect Bridge devices with E_Ports on a Switch. The B_Port provides a subset of the E_port functionality
    • D_port is a diagnostic port, used solely for the purpose of running link-level diagnostics between two switches and to isolate link level fault on the port, in the SFP, or in the cable.
    • EX_port is the connection between a fibre channel router and a fibre channel switch. On the side of the switch it looks like a normal E_port, but on the side of the router it is an EX_port.
    • TE_port * a Cisco addition to Fibre Channel, now adopted as a standard. It is an extended ISL or EISL. The TE_port provides not only standard E_port functions but allows for routing of multiple VSANs (Virtual SANs). This is accomplished by modifying the standard Fibre Channel frame (vsan tagging) upon ingress/egress of the VSAN environment. Also known as Trunking E_port.
    • VE_Port an INCITS T11 addition, FCIP interconnected E-Port/ISL, i.e. fabrics will merge.
    • VEX_Port a INCITS T11 addition, is a FCIP interconnected EX-Port, routing needed via lsan zoning to connect initiator to a target.
  • general (catch-all) types
    • Auto or auto-sensing port found in Cisco switches, can automatically become an E_, TE_, F_, or FL_port as needed.
    • Fx_port a generic port that can become a F_port (when connected to a N_port) or a FL_port (when connected to a NL_port). Found only on Cisco devices where oversubscription is a factor.
    • GL_port on a switch can operate as an E_port, FL_port, or F_port. Found on QLogic switches.
    • G_port or generic port on a switch can operate as an E_port or F_port. Found on Brocade, McData, and QLogic switches.
    • L_port is the loose term used for any arbitrated loop port, NL_port or FL_port. Also known as Loop port.
    • U_port is the loose term used for any arbitrated port. Also known as Universal port. Found only on Brocade switches.....

(*Note: The term "trunking" is not a standard Fibre Channel term and is used by vendors interchangeably. For example: A trunk (an aggregation of ISLs) in a Brocade device is referred to as a Port Channel by Cisco. Whereas Cisco refers to trunking as an EISL.)

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