FLOGI, PLOGI and PRLI

N_Port: an end device connecting to a switched fabric network, such as a SCSI initiator or a SCSI target.
F_Port: a port on a switch that provides access to Fabric Services (eg. the Fabric Nameserver & the Fabric Login Serveretc)

Fabric_point_2_point initialization (ie. N_Port to F_Port initialization) involves the following ordered sequence: FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI.

  • FLOGI
    •           N_Port requests a unique 24-bit address from the Fabric Login Server (accessible via an F_port on a Fabric switch).
  • PLOGI
    •           N_Port informs the Fabric Name Server of its personality and capabilities. For example:
      • WWNN, WWPN
      • Buffer credits for flow control
      • clock frequency ('speed capability')
      • Upper layer protocol support (eg. SCSI-3, IP)
  • PRLI
    • Upper layer protocol communication. Well, ever since SCSI was designed and engineered (1970s, or so, previously SASI...), SCSI initiators need to discover SCSI targets. So, during PRLI, N_Port SCSI initiators discover N_Port SCSI targets (which is an opportunity for the host (maybe a UNIX host) to assign a target ID to the device path).




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