The maximum supported FC hop count between a host and storage system depends on switch supplier and storage system support for FC configurations.
The hop count is defined as the number of switches in the path between the initiator (host) and target (storage system). Cisco also refers to this value as the diameter of the SAN fabric.
The following table lists supported hop counts:
Switch supplier | Supported hop count |
---|---|
Brocade | 7 for FC 5 for FCoE |
Cisco | 7 Up to 3 of the switches can be FCoE switches. |