The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has undertaken to provide a standard to allow IP and the address resolution protocol to run over fibre channel. The initiative, promped by industry association, the Fibre Channel Association (FCA), wants a standard to solve problems caused by multiple implementations. This problem also dogs interoperability between different fibre channel solutions on the same network. This has caused IT managers to have to implement SCSI on fast connections as it does offer a standard. According to the FCA, an IP implementation over fibre channel is an important move for the industry and will aid the move toward implementing storage area networks (SANs). The FCA has now set up a working group to provide a specification intended to support the different fibre channel topologies including point-to-point, loop and fabric and other services. The benefit of developing an IP based solution would lead to SNMP based network management of storage area networks and allow their integration with local area networks, said the FCA. The association -- which has seventy members -- was unable to give any date for the ratification and then the implementation of the IP based solution. ®