Multiple devices can be connected via multiple loops through a fiber channel switch. This has the effect of increasing bandwidth as each individual 100MBps loop can operate simultaneously. With a switch, bandwidth can be assigned based on current application needs, and loop configurations can be managed at one central control point. Multiple switches create FC Fabrics. Fabrics support very large fiber channel networks.
Fabrics furnish increased performance, extremely high bandwidths and redundancy.
The switching environment increases aggregate bandwidth as additional devices are attached to them. The maximum number of devices supported on a fabric is approximately 15.5 million. In addition to the bandwidth increase, another major benefit of fabric switches is the isolation of individual faults. The faulty device can be repaired or removed from the SAN without interfering with working hosts or other storage modules. An effective, comprehensive set of SAN management software is key to deploying these new networks.