<s>
NPIV	B-Architecture
or	O
N_Port	O
ID	O
Virtualization	O
is	O
a	O
Fibre	B-Architecture
Channel	I-Architecture
feature	O
whereby	O
multiple	O
Fibre	B-Architecture
Channel	I-Architecture
node	O
port	O
(	O
N_Port	O
)	O
IDs	O
can	O
share	O
a	O
single	O
physical	O
N_Port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
allows	O
multiple	O
Fibre	B-Architecture
Channel	I-Architecture
initiators	O
to	O
occupy	O
a	O
single	O
physical	O
port	O
,	O
easing	O
hardware	O
requirements	O
in	O
Storage	O
Area	O
Network	O
(	O
SAN	O
)	O
design	O
,	O
especially	O
where	O
virtual	B-Architecture
SANs	I-Architecture
are	O
called	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NPIV	B-Architecture
is	O
defined	O
by	O
the	O
Technical	O
Committee	O
T11	O
in	O
the	O
Fibre	B-Architecture
Channel	I-Architecture
-	O
Link	O
Services	O
(	O
FC-LS	O
)	O
specification	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
with	O
NPIV	B-Architecture
it	O
may	O
continue	O
like	O
this	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
N_Port	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
connect	O
equipment	O
ports	O
to	O
the	O
fibre	B-Architecture
channel	I-Architecture
fabric	O
(	O
optical	O
network	O
)	O
Source	O
:	O
</s>
