System architectures using Fibre Channel

The author chronicles an apparent stagnation in the design and development of the channel interfaces which connect to primarily disk and tape mass storage peripherals, and explores the effect of this stagnation on the architectures of current computer systems. He notes that the traditional distributed system architectures and the concept of standard slots are increasingly becoming the roadblocks to the adoption of new computer systems architectures and new applications. He identifies the requirements for a new type of peripheral-channel interface to break this barrier, and shows how a standard called Fibre Channel which is presently under development, will fulfill those requirements. Examples are given of the new system configurations which Fibre Channel will facilitate and which will support new applications such as multimedia