Fabric Shortest Path First

Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) is a routing protocol used in Fibre Channel computer networks.

FSPF can guarantee in-sequence delivery of frames, even if the routing topology has changed during a failure, by enforcing a 'hold down' time before a new path is activated.

FSPF was created by Brocade Communications Systems in collaboration with Gadzoox, McDATA, Ancor Communications (now QLogic), and Vixel; it was submitted as an American National Standards Institute standard.

The protocol is similar in conception to the Open Shortest Path First used in IP networks.

[1] FSPF has been adopted as the industry standard for routing between Fibre Channel switches within a fabric.