What is the function of the 0xFFFFFC address in a Fibre Channel fabric?

Question

Options

• Amanagement server
• Bfabric controller
• Cname server
• Dtime server

• A
  5% (1)
• C
  90% (19)
• D
  5% (1)

Explanation

In Fibre Channel fabrics, well-known addresses (0xFFFFF0–0xFFFFFF) are reserved for fabric services, and 0xFFFFFC is specifically assigned to the Name Server (also called the Directory Service). The Name Server is the central registry that stores and provides N_Port identifiers (WWNs) and service parameters, allowing devices to discover each other within the fabric - without it, devices cannot communicate.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (Management Server): The Management Server resides at 0xFFFFFB, not 0xFFFFFC.
• B (Fabric Controller): The Fabric Controller's well-known address is 0xFFFFFD, one step above 0xFFFFFC.
• D (Time Server): The Clock Synchronization/Time Server lives further down the well-known address range (0xFFFFF7).

Memory tip: Think of the Name Server as the "FC phonebook" - it's the most commonly queried fabric service, so it sits at the highest non-login well-known address (0xFFFFFC). You can also use the mnemonic "FC = Find/Call": Fabric Controller = FD, Name Server (C = Catalog) = FC.

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