Storage Networking Protocol Fundamentals

by James Long

Overview

A comparative analysis of Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Fibre Channel in the context of SCSI

• Introduces network administrators to the requirements of storage protocols
• Explains the operation of network protocols to storage administrators
• Compares and contrasts the functionality of Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Fibre Channel
• Documents the details of the major protocol suites, explains how they operate, and identifies common misunderstandings
• References the original standards and specifications so you can get a complete understanding of each protocol
• Helps you understand the implications of network design choices
• Discusses advanced network functionality such as QoS, security, management, and protocol analysis

Corporations increasingly depend on computer and communication technologies to remain competitive in the global economy. Customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and e-mail are a few of the many applications that generate new data every day. Effectively storing, managing, and accessing that data is a primary business challenge in the information age. Storage networking is a crucial component of the solution to meet that challenge.

Written for both storage administrators who need to learn more about networking and network administrators who need to learn more about storage, Storage Networking Protocol Fundamentals is a concise introduction to storage networking protocols. The book picks up where Storage Networking Fundamentals left off by focusing on the networking protocols that underlie modern open systems: block-oriented storage networks.

The first part of the book introduces you to the field of storage networking and the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. The second part compares networked storage technologies, including iSCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface over IP) and Fibre Channel. It also examines in detail each of the major protocol suites layer-by-layer within the OSI reference model. The third part discusses advanced functionalities of these technologies, such as quality of service (QoS), load-balancing functions, security, management, and protocol analysis. You can read this book cover to cover or use it as a reference, directly accessing the particular topics of interest to you.

“Storage networking is a critical concept for today’s businesses, and this book provides a unique and helpful way to better understand it. Storage networking is also continuously evolving, and as such this book may be seen as an introduction to the information technology infrastructures of the future.”

—from the foreword by Claudio DeSanti, vice-chairman of the ANSI INCITS T11 Technical Committee

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781587051609
Publisher:	Cisco Press
Publication date:	06/01/2006
Series:	Fundamentals Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	552
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.13(h) x 1.07(d)

About the Author

James Long is a storage networking systems engineer for Cisco Systems, Inc., where he specializes in field sales organization. James has more than 16 years of IT experience spanning server administration, database administration, software development, multiprotocol network design and administration, remote access solutions design and administration, IP telephony and IP contact center design, content distribution design, storage network design, and advanced technology evaluation. James holds numerous technical certifications from Cisco®, Microsoft, Novell, the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA), and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Table of Contents

Part I Storage Networking Landscape

Chapter 1 Overview of Storage Networking

Brief History of Storage

Intelligent Interface Models

Serial Transmission Techniques

Modern Storage Networks

Drivers for Change

What Is a Storage Network?

Block Storage Protocol Review: ATA, SCSI, and SBCCS

ATA

SCSI

SBCCS

Mainframe Storage Networking: ESCON and FICON

ESCON

FICON

File Server Protocol Review: CIFS, NFS, and DAFS

CIFS

NFS

DAFS

Backup Protocols: NDMP and EXTENDED COPY

NDMP

SCSI-3 EXTENDED COPY

Optical Technologies: SONET/SDH, DWDM/CWDM, and RPR/802.17

SONET/SDH

DWDM/CWDM

RPR/802.17

Virtualization Implementations: Host, Storage Subsystem, and Network

Host Implementations

Storage Subsystem Implementations

Network Implementations

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 2 OSI Reference Model Versus Other Network Models

OSI Reference Model

Network Models, Specifications, and Implementations

Seven-Layer Model

Implementation Considerations

SCSI Bus Interface and the ANSI T10 SCSI-3 Architecture Model

Ethernet and the IEEE 802 Reference Model

TCP/IP Suite and the ARPANET Model

Fibre Channel Architecture and ANSI T11 Model

Fibre Channel Model and the OSI Reference Model

Fibre Channel Specifications

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 3 Overview of Network Operating Principles

Conceptual Underpinnings

Throughput

Topologies

Service and Device Discovery

SCSI Parallel Interface

The Right Tool for the Job

SPI Throughput

SPI Topologies

SPI Service and Device Discovery

Ethernet

Low Overhead Paradigm

Ethernet Throughput

Ethernet Topologies

Ethernet Service and Device Discovery

TCP/IP Suite

Value of Ubiquitous Connectivity

TCP/IP Throughput

TCP/IP Topologies

TCP/IP Service and Device Discovery

Fibre Channel

Merger of Channels and Packet Switching

FC Throughput

FC Topologies

FC Service and Device Discovery

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 4 Overview of Modern SCSI Networking Protocols

iSCSI

iSCSI Functional Overview

iSCSI Procedural Overview

FCP

FCP Functional Overview

FCP Procedural Overview

FCIP

FCIP Functional Overview

FCIP Procedural Overview

iFCP

iFCP Functional Overview

iFCP Procedural Overview

Summary

Review Questions

Part II OSI Layers

Chapter 5 OSI Physical and Data-Link Layers

Conceptual Underpinnings

Addressing Schemes

Address Formats

Delivery Mechanisms

Link Aggregation

Transceivers

SCSI Parallel Interface

SPI Media, Connectors, Transceivers, and Operating Ranges

SPI Encoding and Signaling

SPI Addressing Scheme

SPI Name Assignment and Resolution

SPI Address Assignment and Resolution

SPI Media Access

SPI Network Boundaries

SPI Frame Formats

SPI Delivery Mechanisms

SPI Link Aggregation

SPI Link Initialization

Ethernet

Ethernet Media, Connectors, Transceivers, and Operating Ranges

Ethernet Encoding and Signaling

Ethernet Addressing Scheme

Ethernet Name Assignment and Resolution

Ethernet Address Assignment and Resolution

Ethernet Media Access

Ethernet Network Boundaries

Ethernet Frame Formats

Ethernet Delivery Mechanisms

Ethernet Link Aggregation

Ethernet Link Initialization

Fibre Channel

FC Media, Connectors, Transceivers, and Operating Ranges

FC Encoding and Signaling

FC Addressing Scheme

FC Name Assignment and Resolution

FC Address Assignment and Resolution

FC Media Access

FC Network Boundaries

FC Frame Formats

FC Delivery Mechanisms

FC Link Aggregation

FC Link Initialization

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 6 OSI Network Layer

Internet Protocol

IPv4 Overview

Data-Link Support

Addressing Scheme

Name Assignment and Resolution

Address Assignment and Resolution

Network Boundaries

Packet Formats

Delivery Mechanisms

ICMP

Interface and Port Initialization

Fibre Channel

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 7 OSI Transport Layer

TCP/IP Suite

UDP

UDP Operational Overview

UDP Packet Formats

UDP Delivery Mechanisms

UDP Connection Initialization

TCP

TCP Operational Overview

TCP Packet Formats

TCP Options

TCP Delivery Mechanisms

TCP Connection Initialization

Fibre Channel

FC Operational Overview

FC Frame Formats

FC Delivery Mechanisms

FC Connection Initialization

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 8 OSI Session, Presentation, and Application Layers

iSCSI Operational Details

iSCSI Addressing Scheme

iSCSI Name Assignment and Resolution

iSCSI Address Assignment and Resolution

iSCSI Session Types, Phases, and Stages

iSCSI Data Transfer Optimizations

iSCSI PDU Formats

iSCSI Login Parameters

iSCSI Delivery Mechanisms

FCP Operational Details

FCP Addressing Scheme

FCP Name Assignment and Resolution

FCP Address Assignment and Resolution

FCP Session Establishment

FCP Data Transfer Optimizations

FCP IU Formats

FCP Additional Login Parameters

FCP Delivery Mechanisms

FCIP Operational Details

Architecture and Functional Models

FCIP Addressing Scheme

FCIP Packet and Frame Formats

FCIP Session Establishment

FCIP Delivery Mechanisms

FCIP Data Transfer Optimizations

Summary

Review Questions

Part III Advanced Network Functionality

Chapter 9 Flow Control and Quality of Service

Conceptual Underpinnings of Flow Control and Quality of Service

Ethernet Flow Control and QoS

Ethernet Flow Control

Ethernet QoS

IP Flow Control and QoS

IP Flow Control

IP QoS

TCP Flow Control and QoS

TCP Flow Control

TCP QoS

iSCSI Flow Control and QoS

iSCSI Flow Control

iSCSI QoS

FC Flow Control and QoS

FC Flow Control

FC QoS

FCP Flow Control and QoS

FCP Flow Control

FCP QoS

FCIP Flow Control and QoS

FCIP Flow Control

FCIP QoS

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 10 Routing and Switching Protocols

Conceptual Underpinnings of Routing and Switching Protocols

Ethernet Switching Protocols

IP Routing Protocols

FC Switching Protocols

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 11 Load Balancing

Conceptual Underpinnings of Load Balancing

Load Balancing with Networking Technologies

Ethernet Load Balancing

IP Load Balancing

FC Load Balancing

Load Balancing with Session-Oriented Technologies

iSCSI Load Balancing

FCP Load Balancing

FCIP Load Balancing

End Node Load-Balancing Techniques

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 12 Storage Network Security

Conceptual Underpinnings of Storage Network Security

AAA Protocols

Management Protocols

Ethernet Security

IP Security

TCP Security

iSCSI Security

Fibre Channel Security

FCP Security

FCIP Security

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 13 Storage Management Protocols

Conceptual Underpinnings of Storage Management Protocols

TCP/IP Management

FC Management

SCSI Management

Summary

Review Questions

Chapter 14 Protocol Decoding and Traffic Analysis

The Purpose of Protocol Decoding

Methods of Traffic Capture

Types of Protocol Decoders

Protocol Decoder Screenshots

Purpose of Traffic Analysis

Types of Traffic Analyzers

Summary

Review Questions

Part IV Appendixes

Appendix A Standards and Specifications

Appendix B Acronyms and Abbreviations

Appendix C Answers to Review Questions

Glossary

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