FCoE supported hop count
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The maximum supported Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) hop count between a host and storage system depends on the switch supplier and storage system support for FCoE configurations.
The hop count is defined as the number of switches in the path between the initiator (host) and target (storage system). Documentation from Cisco Systems also refers to this value as the diameter of the SAN fabric.
For FCoE, you can have FCoE switches connected to FC switches.
For end-to-end FCoE connections, the FCoE switches must be running a firmware version that supports Ethernet inter-switch links (ISLs).
The following table lists the maximum 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. |