What is initiator and target ?

In Fibre Channel (FC), the terms "initiator" and "target" refer to the roles played by different devices in a Fibre Channel communication session.

Initiator:

• The initiator is a device, typically a server or a host, that initiates a request or command to access a storage device or perform a specific action.
• It initiates the communication session and sends commands or requests to the target device.
• The initiator may have multiple initiators in a Fibre Channel SAN, each with its own World Wide Port Name (WWPN) assigned.

Target:

• The target is a device, typically a storage array or a storage device, that responds to requests or commands initiated by the initiator.
• The target device holds the requested data or performs the requested action and returns the result to the initiator.
• The target may have multiple targets in a Fibre Channel SAN, each with its own WWPN assigned.

Initiators and targets work together to establish a communication path and facilitate data transfer or storage operations in a Fibre Channel SAN. The initiator initiates the communication, while the target responds to the requests made by the initiator. This initiator-target relationship allows for efficient and reliable data transfer between servers and storage devices in a Fibre Channel environment.

It's important to note that initiators and targets can be physical devices, such as host bus adapters (HBAs) or storage arrays, or virtual entities in virtualized environments. The WWPNs associated with initiators and targets are used to address and identify the devices within the Fibre Channel SAN.