Overview
ISO/IEC 14165-211:1999 - “Information technology – Fibre Channel – Part 211: Mapping to HIPPI‑FP (FC‑FP)” defines an FC‑4 mapping that enables upper‑layer protocols designed for the High‑Performance Parallel Interface Framing Protocol (HIPPI‑FP) to operate over a Fibre Channel lower layer (as defined by FC‑PH / FC‑EP). The standard specifies how HIPPI‑FP packets (header, D1 and D2 data areas) are encapsulated in Fibre Channel Information Units (IUs) and Exchanges so HIPPI‑based systems can interoperate on Fibre Channel fabrics or point‑to‑point links.
Key topics and technical requirements
- FC‑4 mapping (FC‑FP): Treats FC‑FP as the Fibre Channel FC‑4 that carries HIPPI‑FP payloads. Encapsulation includes HIPPI‑FP Header_Area, D1_Area and D2_Area inside Fibre Channel IUs and Exchanges.
- Information Units (IUs): Defines IUs used to transfer HIPPI‑FP packets: optional H1 (single IU contains full packet), mandatory H2 (Header + D1), and mandatory H3 (D2). IUs are delivered in sequence to the destination FC‑FP.
- Data set separation and sizing:
- D1_Data_Set (control area) and D2_Data_Set (user data) are separated. D1 max ≈ 1016 bytes; D1_Area_Size rounded to 8‑byte boundary.
- D2_Size supports very large payloads (up to 4,294,967,294 bytes).
- I_S_1 (Header+D1) maximum 1024 bytes; implementations may use short bursts (≤1024 or 2048 bytes) for first/last bursts.
- Exchange and class of service: Exchanges map to HIPPI connections. FC‑FP supports Fibre Channel Class 1 and Class 2 Exchanges (Class 3 not used). Exchange_Reassembly and multi‑N_Port striping are addressed for higher throughput.
- Control and status: Source FC‑FP reports Accept / Reject / Timeout status to ULP; Keep_Connection is advisory. Destination FC‑FP delivers D1/D2 and associated parameters (CCI, Offset, status) to the ULP.
- Optional headers and features: Expiration/Security, Network, Association headers are supported but implementation‑dependent. Relative Offset semantics and handling of indeterminate D2 sizes (Relative Offset = 0xFFFFFFFF) are specified.
- Service mapping: Annex A (informative) maps FC‑FP behavior to FC‑PH service primitives (e.g., FC_PH_SEQUENCE.request/indication/confirmation) and parameters like D_ID, S_ID and Exchange_Tag.
Applications and who uses it
- Vendors implementing interoperability between legacy HIPPI systems and Fibre Channel fabrics.
- Storage and high‑performance computing (HPC) equipment designers needing FC‑4 mappings.
- Systems integrators and network architects migrating HIPPI‑based workloads to Fibre Channel.
- Test labs and standards compliance engineers validating FC‑FP implementations.
Practical benefits include standardized encapsulation for predictable interoperability, support for large data transfers, and clear service primitive mappings for implementers.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO/IEC 14165-211, FC‑FP, HIPPI‑FP, Fibre Channel, FC‑PH, Information Units, Exchange, D1_Data_Set, D2_Data_Set, FC‑4 mapping.