INTRODUCTION TO ARBITRATED LOOP

INTRODUCTION TO ARBITRATED LOOP

This one-day intensive seminar focuses on the operation of the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop. What is it? How does it work? Where will it be used? These are the questions you may be asking---but where do you go for the answers? If you've ever tried reading the various standards, you've probably found that they're frequently more confusing than helpful. Sure, standards tell you what you can and can't do, but what about understanding the how's and why's behind the standard?

This seminar takes you through all of the loop protocols and operations to give you a sound understanding of basic loop operations. You'll look at actual traces to help you understand how Loop Initialization, Arbitration, Fairness and the Opening and Closing of Loop Circuits work. When you get back to work, you'll find yourself taking the reference manual with you to the lab to help you solve that tough problem .

Course Outline

What is Arbitrated Loop?
Background
Arbitrated Loop Applications
Configurations
Loop vs. Other Fibre Channel Topologies
Loop Port Types
Arbitrated Loop Concepts
Loop Initialization
Arbitration and Fairness
Opening a Loop Circuit
Closing a Loop Circuit
Transferring a loop circuit
Loop Addressing
Arbitrated Loop physical
address (AL_PA)
Addressing limitations
AL_PA assignment
New FC-AL Ordered Sets
Arbitrate (ARB)
Open a loop circuit (OPN)
Close a loop circuit (CLS)
Dynamic half-duplex (DHD) Loop Initialization (LIP)
Loop port enable (LPE)
Loop port bypass (LPB)
Loop Port State Machine
Purpose of the LPSM
LPSM operation Loop Initialization Process
Purpose of Initialization
Initialization flow
Select Initialization Master
Address assignment
Reclaim current AL_PA
Claim a new AL_PA
Loop port position map
Arbitration and Fairness
Fill word substitution
How Arbitration works
The fairness protocol
Prioritizing loop devices
Optimizing Arbitration
Arbitration protocol overhead Opening a Loop Circuit
Full-duplex open (OPNyx)
Half-duplex open (OPNyy)
Replicate mode
Broadcast (OPNfr)
Multicast (OPNyr)
Flow Control
Buffer-to-buffer (BB) credit
Alternate BB_Credit model
Use of zero BB_Credit
Dynamic credit signaling
Zero credit overhead
Closing a Loop Circuit
The closing protocol Enhancing performance with transfer
High Availability Loops
Strategies for robustness
Port bypass circuit
Dual loop approaches
Arbitrated Loop hubs
Unmanaged hubs
Managed hubs

Who Should Attend

This seminar is intended for those who require a basic understanding of the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop operation. The audience includes product architects, development team hardware, firmware, software, and test engineers, product planners, managers, or others involved in the planning, implementation, analysis, or testing of Arbitrated Loop products.

Prerequisites: Attendees should have a sound working knowledge of Fibre Channel or have previously completed the "Comprehensive Introduction to Fibre Channel" seminar.

Course Length: 1 Day
Click here for "In-Depth Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop" description (2 Days)

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(800) 246-0102 or (831) 336-6000

*Course Outline*
What is Arbitrated Loop? Background Arbitrated Loop Applications Configurations Loop vs. Other Fibre Channel Topologies Loop Port Types Arbitrated Loop Concepts Loop Initialization Arbitration and Fairness Opening a Loop Circuit Closing a Loop Circuit Transferring a loop circuit Loop Addressing Arbitrated Loop physical address (AL_PA) Addressing limitations AL_PA assignment New FC-AL Ordered Sets Arbitrate (ARB) Open a loop circuit (OPN) Close a loop circuit (CLS) Dynamic half-duplex (DHD)	Loop Initialization (LIP) Loop port enable (LPE) Loop port bypass (LPB) Loop Port State Machine Purpose of the LPSM LPSM operation Loop Initialization Process Purpose of Initialization Initialization flow Select Initialization Master Address assignment Reclaim current AL_PA Claim a new AL_PA Loop port position map Arbitration and Fairness Fill word substitution How Arbitration works The fairness protocol Prioritizing loop devices Optimizing Arbitration Arbitration protocol overhead	Opening a Loop Circuit Full-duplex open (OPNyx) Half-duplex open (OPNyy) Replicate mode Broadcast (OPNfr) Multicast (OPNyr) Flow Control Buffer-to-buffer (BB) credit Alternate BB_Credit model Use of zero BB_Credit Dynamic credit signaling Zero credit overhead Closing a Loop Circuit The closing protocol Enhancing performance with transfer High Availability Loops Strategies for robustness Port bypass circuit Dual loop approaches Arbitrated Loop hubs Unmanaged hubs Managed hubs
Who Should Attend
This seminar is intended for those who require a basic understanding of the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop operation. The audience includes product architects, development team hardware, firmware, software, and test engineers, product planners, managers, or others involved in the planning, implementation, analysis, or testing of Arbitrated Loop products.