T11/97-449
Project Proposal
For a New
NCITS Standard
FIBRE CHANNEL (FC)
PHYSICAL AND SIGNALING INTERFACE 1998
(FC-PH'98)
December 11, 1997
1 IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSED PROJECT
1.1 TITLE: Fibre Channel Physical and Signaling Interface
1998 (FC-PH'98)
1.2 PROPOSER: T11
1.3 DATE SUBMITTED: December 11, 1997
1.4 PROJECT TYPE: D - Development done within NCITS TC.
2 JUSTIFICATION OF PROPOSED STANDARD
2.1 NEEDS:
It is now ten years since work began on the definition of the
serial, fibre-optic interface definition would eventually come
to be known as Fibre Channel. Since 1988 a total of twenty-six
standards projects have been approved to define aspects of the
Fibre Channel interface and interconnection scheme, as well as
the methods of transport of both existing and new protocols.
The initial Fibre Channel standards project (Project 755-D)
defined both a general structure for Fibre Channel and a set
of concepts. The structure included both a modular
architecture for an interface and models of a small number of
interconnection topologies including a general fabric
functional model. The document also included a set of
requirements for all aspects of the interface. These include
multiple physical variant definitions each with media,
connector and transceiver requirements, a coding scheme
definition, and a rich lowest-level protocol definition. Thus
the document which was approved (X3.230:1994, FC-PH) contained
over 400 pages.
Since then, the topologies and the modular interface
architecture defined for Fibre Channel have been exploited in
a number of ways. Enhanced interface definitions have also
produced, including physical variant definitions which use new
transceiver technologies and additional media types to provide
greater data rates over longer distances. A second generation
interface standard (FC-PH-2) has been approved as X3.297:1996,
and a third generation standard (FC-PH-3) is in the process of
approval. The modular architecture has the considerable
advantage of allowing the subsequent generations to be defined
as 'delta" documents from the original without having to
include all of the previous material. FC-PH-2 and FC-PH-3 have
been structured as delta documents.
Taken together, the three FC-PH documents described above
include in excess of twenty different physical variant
definitions, six classes of service, a significant number of
link services, and several common services. However only a
minority of those variant, class and service definitions have
appeared in actual Fibre Channel implementations. In
particular "Profiles" of the standards have identified small
subsets of the definitions as suitable for specific markets.
In addition, as Fibre Channel products become more widely
deployed in the marketplace, additional applications have been
discovered with characteristics which differ from those for
which the existing FC Classes of Service were designed. It is
desired therefore to investigate extensions to the existing FC
functionality to better serve these requirements.
However to create another 'delta" FC-PH-x document would
create a document set which is too unwieldy for general use,
and which may well result in interoperability problems.
Therefore it is proposed to produce a single document which
incorporates all of the Classes of Service, Link Services,
Common Services and associated definitions which of interest
for current and future implementations as of 1998, and which
includes new service definitions appearing in this document
for the first time. Such a document is the subject of this
project proposal.
2.2 RECOMMENDED SCOPE OF STANDARD:
This proposal recommends the development of a Fibre Channel
1998 Physical and Signaling Interface (FC-PH'98) standard.
Included within the recommended scope of this project are:
1) The consolidation of the relevant text from FC-PH, FC-PH-2, and FC-PH-3 and associated errata and annexes into a single encompassing document.
2) The deletion or obsoleting of outdated functions and features from those documents.
3) The inclusion of additional link services in support of new functions defined by the FC family of documents.
4)The inclusion of improvements and clarifications to the definitions of existing services as dictated by experience with existing implementations;
5) Other capabilities which will improve the performance of
existing FC products and fit those products for new
applications.
It is a principle of this project that the definitions and
improvements contained in this document shall be completely
backwards compatible with the definitions contained in the
existing suite of Fibre Channel standards.
2.3 EXISTING PRACTICE IN AREA OF PROPOSED STANDARD:
There are existing implementations of the Fibre Channel suite
of standards.
2.4 EXPECTED STABILITY OF PROPOSED STANDARD WITH RESPECT TO
CURRENT AND POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES:
The architecture of Fibre Channel, as defined in FC-PH, is
based around a functional model of an interconnection fabric
and a flexible definition of an interface. Because the
interface definition clearly separates the coding and protocol
aspects of the interface from the transceiver definition, it
has proven to be straightforward in the successor standards to
FC-PH to adopt additional service definitions as they are
needed for new applications.
As such, the definitions produced by this project are expected
to be stable and long-lived.
3 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT
3.1 TYPE OF DOCUMENT (STANDARD OR TECHNICAL REPORT): Standard
3.2 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS AND SPECIAL TERMS: None
3.3 EXPECTED RELATIONSHIP WITH APPROVED NCITS REFERENCE
MODELS:
All Fibre Channel standards are intended for use in closed
systems.
3.4 RECOMMENDED PROGRAM OF WORK:
(1) Solicit participation by the present Fibre Channel
participants through T11 procedures and new participants
through press releases. Invite comments by end-user
organizations and invite proposals from Fibre Channel
development organizations and other organizations that may
have interest in this proposed standard.
(2) Investigate existing standards and standards projects to
determine their applicability to the development effort, and
establish liaisons with other standards committees as
appropriate.
(3) Prepare a draft standard based on proposals submitted and
other information gathered during the investigations.
(4) Test the standard through the voluntary and cooperative
efforts of T11 Task Group members.
(5) Submit the draft proposed standard to NCITS for further
processing.
3.5 RESOURCES - INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMPETENT IN
SUBJECT MATTER:
The current membership of T11 consists of representatives from
all parts of the computer industry including semiconductor
chip manufacturers, computer system manufacturers and
Government agencies. Members of T11 have expressed their
desire to participate and cooperate in the development of this
proposed standard.
There are sufficient resources to complete the definition of
this standard without delaying work on other standards.
3.6 RECOMMENDED NCITS DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE:
It is recommended that this project be assigned to TC T11, in
order that the project be coordinated with work on other Fibre
Channel standards.
3.7 ANTICIPATED FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF MEETINGS:
This project will make use of the regularly-scheduled
bimonthly T11 plenary meetings. Informal Working Groups will
be organized on an ad-hoc basis to discuss specific subjects
where appropriate.
3.8 TARGET DATE FOR INITIAL PUBLIC REVIEW (MILESTONE 4):
October, 1998.
3.9 ESTIMATED USEFUL LIFE OF STANDARD:
It is anticipated that this standard will have a useful life
of over 10 years.
4 IMPLEMENTATION IMPACTS
4.1 IMPACT ON EXISTING USER PRACTICES AND INVESTMENTS:
The proposed standard will provide a migration path
complementary to existing practices and investments in basic
Fibre Channel services. It will provide a means to leverage
user investments in those services to new application areas.
It is likely that isolated adverse effects would occur in any
case through non-standard evolution or revolution.
4.2 IMPACT ON SUPPLIER PRODUCTS AND SUPPORT:
The proposed standard will provide an upward growth path that
complements and enhances existing supplier products and
support schemes. The proposed standard will result in expanded
applications for existing and conceived products in both the
channel and network markets. It is likely that isolated
adverse effects would occur in any case through non-standard
evolution or revolution.
4.3 TECHNIQUES AND COSTS FOR COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION:
The committee will consider the results of testing provided to
the committee through the voluntary efforts of the
participants in T11. With this method all costs are borne by
the organizations of the various participants and have for the
most part been mainly an adjunct of their normal development
costs.
4.4 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: None known
5 CLOSELY RELATED STANDARDS ACTIVITIES
5.1 EXISTING STANDARDS:
(1) X3.230:1994, Fibre Channel Physical and Signaling Interface (FC-PH), with amendment X3.230/AM1:1996;
(2) X3.272:1996, Fibre Channel - Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL);
(3) X3.297:1997, Fibre Channel - Physical and Signaling
Interface - 2 (FC-PH-2).
5.2 NCITS STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:
(1) Project 901-D for Fibre Channel - Physical and Signaling Interface -3 (NCITS 303:199x, FC-PH-3), which has completed a first Public Review;
(2) Project 1133-D for Fibre Channel - Second Generation
Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL-2), which is in development in T11;
5.3 NCITS STUDY GROUPS: None
5.4 OTHER RELATED DOMESTIC STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:
None
5.5 ISO/IEC JTC 1 STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:
The Fibre Channel standards are to be submitted as project
requests to ISO JTC1/SC25. International Fibre Channel
standards are in the ISO/IEC 12165-xxx series.
5.6 OTHER RELATED INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS: None
5.7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COORDINATING LIAISON: None
5.8 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLOSE LIAISON: None