Guidelines for FCoE deployment
By Ahmad Zamer and Mike McNamara
Many enterprise data centers rely on Ethernet for their LAN and data traffic, and on Fibre Channel (FC) networks for their storage infrastructure. With increased adoption of 10GbE in the data center, the availability of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and new lossless 10GbE technologies, it is now possible to consolidate FC SAN storage data flows with LAN and data traffic onto the same unified Ethernet cable. Network convergence will enable enterprises to preserve their existing investments in FC storage, reduce data center costs and complexity, and simplify network management.
Although the benefits of using FCoE are compelling, many companies are still waiting to deploy the technology. This article provides a summary of FCoE and addresses questions about the technology. It concludes with information on how enterprises can make the move to FCoE using a gradual, phased approach.
