<s>
Buffer	B-Architecture
credits	I-Architecture
,	O
also	O
called	O
buffer-to-buffer	O
credits	O
(	O
BBC	O
)	O
are	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
flow	O
control	O
method	O
by	O
Fibre	B-Architecture
Channel	I-Architecture
technology	O
and	O
represent	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
frames	O
a	O
port	O
can	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
benefits	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
data	O
buffer	O
are	O
particularly	O
evident	O
in	O
long-distance	O
applications	O
,	O
when	O
operating	O
at	O
higher	O
data	O
rates	O
(	O
2	O
Gbit/s	O
,	O
4	O
Gbit/s	O
)	O
,	O
or	O
in	O
systems	O
with	O
a	O
heavily	O
loaded	O
PCI	B-Protocol
bus	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
