I-Fiber optic switch iyisisetshenziswa sokudlulisa inethiwekhi esinesivinini esikhulu, esibizwa nangokuthi iswishi se-fibre channel noma iswishi ye-SAN.Uma kuqhathaniswa nokushintsha okujwayelekile, isebenzisa intambo ye-fiber optic njengendawo yokudlulisela.Izinzuzo zokudluliswa kwe-fiber optical isivinini esisheshayo nekhono eliqinile lokulwa nokuphazamiseka.Kunezinhlobo ezimbili eziyinhloko zokushintshwa kwe-fiber optic, eyodwa iyiswishi ye-FC esetshenziselwa ukuxhuma kwisitoreji.Okunye ukushintshwa kwe-Ethernet, ichweba liwukuxhunywa kwefiber optical, futhi ukubukeka kuyafana nesixhumi esibonakalayo sikagesi esivamile, kodwa uhlobo lwesixhumi esibonakalayo luhlukile.

Njengoba izinga lephrothokholi ye-Fiber Channel lahlongozwa yi-ANSI (American Industrial Standards Protocol), ubuchwepheshe beFiber Channel buye bathola ukunakwa okubanzi kuzo zonke izici.Ngokuncishiswa kancane kancane kwezindleko zemishini yamashaneli e-fiber kanye nokubonakala kancane kancane kwezinga eliphezulu lokudlulisela, ukwethembeka okuphezulu, nezinga eliphansi lamaphutha obuchwepheshe besiteshi se-fiber, abantu banaka kakhulu ubuchwepheshe besiteshi se-fiber.Ubuchwepheshe be-Fiber Channel sebuyingxenye ebalulekile yokufezekiswa kwamanethiwekhi wendawo yokugcina.Ukushintsha kwe-Fiber Channel sekuphinde kwaba yithuluzi eliwumgogodla elakha inethiwekhi ye-SAN, futhi linesikhundla esibalulekile nomsebenzi.Ukushintsha kwe-Fiber Channel kuyingxenye ebalulekile yenethiwekhi yendawo yokugcina, futhi ukusebenza kwayo kuthinta ngokuqondile ukusebenza kwayo yonke inethiwekhi yendawo yokugcina.Ubuchwepheshe be-Fiber Channel bune-topology eguquguqukayo, okuhlanganisa i-point-to-point topology, i-topology yokushintsha kanye ne-ring topology.Ukwakha inethiwekhi, i-topology yokushintsha iyona esetshenziswa kakhulu.

Ngemuva kokuthi inkinobho ye-Fiber Channel yenze ukuguqulwa kwe-serial-to-parallel, ukuqoshwa kwe-10B/8B, ukuvumelanisa kancane nokuvumelanisa amagama kanye nokunye ukusebenza kudatha yokudlulisela ye-serial enesivinini esiphezulu etholiwe, isungula isixhumanisi neseva nedivayisi yokugcina exhunywe kuyo, futhi ngemva kokuthola idatha Ngemva kokuhlola ithebula lokudlulisela phambili, lithumele lisuka esikhaleni elihambisana nalo liye ocingweni oluhambisanayo.Njengohlaka lwedatha ye-Ethernet, ifreyimu yedatha yedivayisi ye-Fiber Channel nayo inefomethi yayo yozimele engaguquki kanye nesethi yayo yobunikazi e-oda ukuze kucutshungulwe okuhambisanayo.Amaswishi e-Fibre Channel nawo ahlinzeka ngezinhlobo eziyisithupha zezinsizakalo ezigxile ekuxhumekeni noma ezingaxhumekile.Ngokwezinhlobo ezahlukene zezinsizakalo, amaswishi e-Fiber Channel abuye abe nezindlela ezihambisanayo zokulawula ukugeleza kokusuka kuye ekupheleni noma ku-buffer-to-buffer.Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukushintshwa kwe-Fiber Channel futhi kuhlinzeka ngezinsizakalo nokuphatha njengesevisi yamagama, isevisi yesikhathi nesibizo, kanye nesevisi yokuphatha.