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Q: What is data center bridging (DCB) and what Ethernet extensions were created to support it?
Greg Shields
September 6, 2011
1 Min Read
A: Data center bridging (DCB) is today's buzzword to describe the convergence of Fibre Channel storage atop traditional Ethernet-based devices. DCB specifically refers to four extensions to the Ethernet protocol that enable it to operate with the lossless nature of Fibre Channel traffic. Those four extensions are:
Priority-based Flow Control (802.1Qbb), which enables the management of a single, bursty source on a multiprotocol link.
Enhanced Transmission Selection (802.1Qaz), which enables bandwidth management between traffic types on multiprotocol links.
Congestion Notification (802.1Qau), which addresses the problem of sustained network congestion by moving corrective actions to the network edge.
Data Center Bridging Exchange Protocol (DCBX), which allows the automatic exchange of Ethernet parameters between switches and endpoints.
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