Using 10 bits to represent each 8 bits of data, the encoding also provides a first level of data integrity protection. In all, Fibre Channel permits up to 255 different types of protocols. After initial handshaking, control of the rate of data flow is handled by the receiving device indicating the amount of available memory buffer available. Simple error correction is handled in hardware much like a channel. More complex error recovery is passed back to the central processor similar to a network environment.
Frames are the smallest undivided packet of data sent over the connection.
Addressing is done with the frame header. Sequences are composed of one or more related frames flowing in the same direction on a link. They constitute the key unit of transfer between ports, which have negotiated available buffers. Each sequence is identified uniquely and each frame within each sequence is individually numbered to facilitate error detection and re-assembly upon arriving at its destination. This level is the recovery boundary, with re-transmission of complete sequences initiated upon error detection.