The term "storage network" typically refers to a Storage Area Network (SAN), which is a dedicated, high-speed network designed for block-level storage access. Fibre Channel (FC) is the foundational and most widely used protocol for traditional SANs. It operates over a dedicated network fabric using specific hardware like Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and Fibre Channel switches to provide high-throughput, low-latency, and lossless data transmission. While other protocols exist, FC is the quintessential technology that defines a classic, high-performance storage network.

A. NFS: This is a file-level protocol used for Network Attached Storage (NAS) to share files over a standard IP network, not for block-level access in a SAN.

C. iSCSI: While iSCSI is a valid block-level SAN protocol, it encapsulates SCSI commands over standard TCP/IP Ethernet networks, whereas FC defines its own dedicated, purpose-built fabric.

D. SMB: This is a file-level protocol, also known as CIFS, used primarily for file sharing in Windows environments (NAS), not for block-level SANs.

1. Dell Technologies White Paper

"Introduction to Storage Area Networks

" H2275.3 (April 2012).

Page 4

Section: SAN Protocols: "The two principal SAN transport protocols are Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) and iSCSI... FCP is the most widely used SAN protocol

deployed in 70 to 80 percent of the overall SAN market." This source establishes FC as the primary and most common SAN protocol.

2. Dell PowerMax Family Spec Sheet (December 2023).

Page 2

Section: Host/Back-end Connectivity: This document lists "Fibre Channel" as a primary host I/O module option for Dell's flagship enterprise storage array

underscoring its importance in high-performance storage networks. It also lists iSCSI

but FC is the traditional high-performance choice.

3. Dell PowerStore Series Documentation

"Dell PowerStore: Introduction to the Platform" White Paper (April 2023).

Page 16

Section: Block Storage Access: "For block storage access

PowerStore supports the Fibre Channel (FC) and iSCSI protocols." This document clearly distinguishes block (SAN) protocols like FC and iSCSI from file (NAS) protocols like NFS and SMB (discussed on page 18).