Transmission of IPv6, IPv4, and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Packets over Fibre Channel
RFC 4338

Network Working Group                                         C. DeSanti
Request for Comments: 4338                                 Cisco Systems
Obsoletes: 3831, 2625                                         C. Carlson
Category: Standards Track                             QLogic Corporation
                                                                R. Nixon
                                                                  Emulex
                                                            January 2006

                    Transmission of IPv6, IPv4, and
      Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Packets over Fibre Channel

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

Abstract

   This document specifies the way of encapsulating IPv6, IPv4, and
   Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets over Fibre Channel.  This
   document also specifies the method of forming IPv6 link-local
   addresses and statelessly autoconfigured IPv6 addresses on Fibre
   Channel networks, and a mechanism to perform IPv4 address resolution
   over Fibre Channel networks.

   This document obsoletes RFC 2625 and RFC 3831.

DeSanti, et al.             Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 4338                 IP over Fibre Channel              January 2006

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
   2. Summary of Fibre Channel ........................................4
      2.1. Overview ...................................................4
      2.2. Identifiers and Login ......................................5
      2.3. FC Levels and Frame Format .................................5
      2.4. Sequences and Exchanges ....................................6
   3. IP-capable Nx_Ports .............................................7
   4. IPv6, IPv4, and ARP Encapsulation ...............................7
      4.1. FC Sequence Format for IPv6 and IPv4 Packets ...............7
      4.2. FC Sequence Format for ARP Packets .........................9
      4.3. FC Classes of Service .....................................10
      4.4. FC Header Code Points .....................................10
      4.5. FC Network_Header .........................................11
      4.6. LLC/SNAP Header ...........................................12
      4.7. Bit and Byte Ordering .....................................12
      4.8. Maximum Transfer Unit .....................................12
   5. IPv6 Stateless Address Autoconfiguration .......................13
      5.1. IPv6 Interface Identifier and Address Prefix ..............13
      5.2. Generating an Interface ID from a Format 1 N_Port_Name ....14
      5.3. Generating an Interface ID from a Format 2 N_Port_Name ....15
      5.4. Generating an Interface ID from a Format 5 N_Port_Name ....16
      5.5. Generating an Interface ID from an EUI-64 Mapped
           N_Port_Name ...............................................17
   6. Link-local Addresses ...........................................18
   7. ARP Packet Format ..............................................18
   8. Link-layer Address/Hardware Address ............................20
   9. Address Mapping for Unicast ....................................20
      9.1. Overview ..................................................20
      9.2. IPv6 Address Mapping ......................................20
      9.3. IPv4 Address Mapping ......................................21
   10. Address Mapping for Multicast .................................22
   11. Sequence Management ...........................................23
   12. Exchange Management ...........................................23
   13. Interoperability with RFC 2625 ................................24
   14. Security Considerations .......................................25
   15. IANA Considerations ...........................................25
   16. Acknowledgements ..............................................25
   17. Normative References ..........................................26
   18. Informative References ........................................26
   A. Transmission of a Broadcast FC Sequence over FC Topologies
      (Informative) ..................................................28
   B. Validation of the <N_Port_Name, N_Port_ID> Mapping
      (Informative) ..................................................29
   C. Fibre Channel Bit and Byte Numbering Guidance ..................30