fibre channel connection (SAN) (FICON)
Fibre Channel Connection (FICON) is a high-speed channel system for mainframes and storage systems that is to replace Enterprise System Connection( ESCON). The system, which was developed by IBM in 1998, is characterized by a modified architecture compared to Escon, which allows transfer speeds of up to 200 MB/s in conjunction with the faster physical connections.
The Ficon channels have a so-called mapping layer, which is standardized by ANSI and based on the Fibre Channel Physical Standard( FC-PH). This layer specifies thesignals, cabling and transmission speeds. This also means that Ficon and Fibre Channel can communicate with each other.
Up to 16 times more devices can be connected per Ficon channel than with Escon. This means fewer channels and fewer cables are required when connecting storage systems and other devices.
In full duplex, up to 20 km can be bridged at 100 MB/s, allowing simultaneous read and write data to be transmitted over one link. In addition, the ability to multiplex increases Ficon's flexibility because smaller data packets can be multiplexed with larger ones, reducing any waiting times.
Depending on the configuration and transmission technology, distances of up to 150 km can be bridged using Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing( DWDM) and optical amplifiers.
Existing Escon systems can be integrated into Ficon.