The Fibre Channel Consultant: A Comprehensive Introduction

In order to figure out FC switch/HBA driver/Open FCoE, I need a FC book. This is the ONE I'm looking for. Robert W. Kembel does an excellent job, and it is the 2007 edition that reflects the recent technology change, for example, NPIV. I really enjoy reading it. Mr. Kembel is working on SAN book based on the info on the back cover. I wish we'll get it soon. Even though there are typos and edit errors in the book, I give it 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

In the foreword to this book, Roger Cummings writes, "I can tell you with certainty that the current SAN implementations implement only a fraction of the functionality defined in the standards.". Because the standards go so much farther and deeper than the vendor's current products, this book remains ahead of it's time even though it is a few years old. Whenever I hear about a new product or service in the FC space, or when I see an unusual problem in a fabric, this is the first book I turn to for clarity. With the abundance of vendor materials on SANs and the marketing hype associated with new products, this work remains the best book on my shelf for an in-depth understanding of the FC protocols and services. And while most people will not read this book cover to cover, every enterprise SAN administrator should have this on their shelves so they can develop context for the things they hear from vendors or customer support people. Without that fundamental understanding, you are completely at the mercy of others in your problem resolution and design decisions. This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.

Bob Kembel has done a tremendous service for the storage networking industry by clearly explaining the fundamental components of Fibre Channel standards. His works on Arbitrated Loop, Fibre Channel technology and Fibre Channel Fabric Switches are essential reading for SAN technicians and system designers. As foundation knowledge and consistently useful reference material, keep these books close at hand.

This is a valuable reference. I use it in conjunction with the Fibre Channel documents. The text is clear and concise. The drawings are well-planned and easy-to-follow. The Bibliography contains an exhaustive list of Related Books, Papers, Articles, and Standards. Of the books that I have read about Fibre Channel this is one my team members most often steal (I mean borrow ;D) from me. If you are interested in learning about the Fibre Channel or desire a concise explanation of the overwhelming number of specifications, this text will interest you.