IP over Fibre Channel (ipfc)
(concluded WG)

Description of Working Group

The importance of running IP and ARP over Fibre Channels has reached a
critical point wherein a standardized approach seems to be the only
solution. Historically over the past few years, there have been a
multitude of attempts and approaches to implementing IP and ARP over
Fibre Channel (FC). This has resulted in islands of implementations
with no interoperability. Several vendors from the Fibre Channel
Association (FCA) have proposed taking this problem to the IETF with
the intent of generating one "standard" specification.

This working group will be responsible for standardizing a
specification that will allow IP and ARP to ride over various Fibre
Channel topologies, which may include point-to-point, Loop, and
Fabric.

The specification will include procedures and protocols for the
broadcast of ARP packets between Fibre Channel devices and an
encapsulation mechanism to carry IP payloads.

Objectives:

1. Specify a Standards Track procedure for broadcasting ARP packets
and resolving IP to FC MAC address and FC MAC to FC port address

2. Specify a Standards Track encapsulation for carrying IP over FC.

Goals and Milestones