A network administrator needs to consolidate cables, adapters, and switches in a mixed Ethernet and Fibre Channel environment. Which protocol enables the administrator to accomplish this task?

Fibre Channel over ATM is not a recognized or widely implemented standard for converging FC and Ethernet infrastructure in modern data centers.

FCoE encapsulates Fibre Channel frames within Ethernet frames, allowing a single set of cables, switches, and adapters to carry both FC storage traffic and standard Ethernet data traffic. This eliminates the need for separate HBAs, FC switches, and cabling plants alongside Ethernet infrastructure. The result is a converged network fabric that reduces physical complexity in mixed SAN and LAN environments.

TCP/IP is a general-purpose networking protocol stack and does not natively transport or encapsulate Fibre Channel frames to consolidate FC and Ethernet infrastructure.

FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP) tunnels FC traffic over existing IP/WAN links for long-distance connectivity, but it does not consolidate physical cables and adapters in a local mixed environment.