FSPF
Encyclopedia
Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) is a routing protocol used in Fibre Channel
networks
. It calculates the best path between switches
, establishes routes across the fabric and calculates alternate routes in event of a failure or topology
change. FSPF can guarantee in-sequence delivery of frames
, even if the routing topology has changed during a failure, by enforcing a 'hold down' time before a new path is activated.
FSPF was created by Brocade Communications Systems
, and has since been adopted as the industry standard for routing between Fibre Channel switches within a fabric.
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
networks
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
. It calculates the best path between switches
Network switch
A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
, establishes routes across the fabric and calculates alternate routes in event of a failure or topology
Network topology
Network topology is the layout pattern of interconnections of the various elements of a computer or biological network....
change. FSPF can guarantee in-sequence delivery of frames
Data frame
In computer networking and telecommunication, a frame is a digital data transmission unit or data packet that includes frame synchronization, i.e. a sequence of bits or symbols making it possible for the receiver to detect the beginning and end of the packet in the stream of symbols or bits...
, even if the routing topology has changed during a failure, by enforcing a 'hold down' time before a new path is activated.
FSPF was created by Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...
, and has since been adopted as the industry standard for routing between Fibre Channel switches within a fabric.