OCS_FC(4)

💅 OCS_FC(4) — like, the Emulex Fibre Channel Host Adapter driver, bestie

okay so this is ocs_fc(4) from the Kernel Interfaces Manual (section 4, driver town ✨) and it's the page for the Emulex Fibre Channel Host Adapter driver. Strap in, it's actually so good.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

Slap this in your kernel config:

device ocs_fc

And in device.hints(5):

hint.ocs_fc.N.initiator
hint.ocs_fc.N.target
hint.ocs_fc.N.topology
hint.ocs_fc.N.speed

In loader.conf(5):

ocs_fc_load="YES"

And in loader.conf(5) or sysctl.conf(5):

dev.ocs_fc.N.port_state
dev.ocs_fc.N.wwpn
dev.ocs_fc.N.wwnn
dev.ocs_fc.N.configured_speed
dev.ocs_fc.N.configured_topology
dev.ocs_fc.N.current_speed
dev.ocs_fc.N.current_topology

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

The ocs_fc driver provides access to Fibre Channel SCSI devices. That's the whole vibe. 💫

It supports initiator and target modes, and you can hook it up over Arbitrated loops, Point-to-Point, or Fabric connections. Pick your fighter, they all slay.

Now, FC-Tape? highly recommended for connections to tape drives that support it. Not like "meh maybe", like highly. And FC-Tape is literally four elements from the T-10 FCP-4 specification:

• Precise Delivery of Commands
• Confirmed Completion of FCP I/O Operations
• Retransmission of Unsuccessfully Transmitted IUs
• Task Retry Identification

Together these features allow for link level error recovery with tape devices — and ngl, that's kind of the whole point. Without link level error recovery, an initiator cannot, for instance, tell whether a tape write command that has timed out resulted in all, part, or none of the data going to the tape drive. the suspense?? unbearable 😭

Good news: FC-Tape is automatically enabled when both the controller and target support it. It just happens. main character energy. 👑

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🎀 HARDWARE 🎀

The ocs_fc driver supports these PCIe Fibre Channel adapters (and yes, they're all iconic):

• LPe3500X FC Host Bus Adapter (Emulex 64/32G FC Gen 7 HBA)
• LPe3200X FC Host Bus Adapter (Emulex 32/16G FC Gen 6 HBA)
• LPe3100X FC Host Bus Adapter (Emulex 32/16G FC Gen 6 HBA)
• LPe160XX FC Host Bus Adapter (Emulex 16/8G FC Gen 5 HBA)
• LPe15004 FC Host Bus Adapter (Emulex 16/8G FC Gen 5 HBA)

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🌸 UPDATING FIRMWARE 🌸

First thing, bestie: adapter firmware updates are persistent. ok noted. 🫶

Here's the whole ritual for updating firmware:

1. Copy this code to a Makefile:

KMOD=ocsflash
FIRMWS=imagename.grp:ocsflash
.include <bsd.kmod.mk>

2. Replace imagename with the name of the GRP file.
3. Copy the Makefile and GRP file to a local directory
4. Execute make and copy the generated ocsflash.ko file to /lib/modules
5. sysctl dev.ocs_fc.<N>.fw_upgrade=ocsflash
6. Check kernel messages regarding status of the operation
7. Reboot the machine

step 7 is not optional, bestie, do not skip the reboot 🙈

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💜 BOOT OPTIONS 💜

These bad boys are controlled by setting values in /boot/device.hints:

• hint.ocs_fc.N.initiator — Enable initiator functionality. Default 1 (enabled), 0 to disable.
• hint.ocs_fc.N.target — Enable target functionality. Default 1 (enabled), 0 to disable.
• hint.ocs_fc.N.topology — Topology: 0 for Auto, 1 for NPort only, 2 for Loop only.
• hint.ocs_fc.N.speed — Link speed in megabits per second. Possible values include: 0 Auto-speed negotiation (default), 4000 (4GFC), 8000 (8GFC), 16000 (16GFC).

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🧚 SYSCTL OPTIONS 🧚

• dev.ocs_fc.N.port_state — Port state (read/write). Valid values are online and offline. that's literally it, two moods 💀
• dev.ocs_fc.N.wwpn — World Wide Port Name (read/write).
• dev.ocs_fc.N.wwnn — World Wide Node Name (read/write).
• dev.ocs_fc.N.fwrev — Firmware revision (read-only). look, don't touch 👀
• dev.ocs_fc.N.sn — Adapter serial number (read-only).
• dev.ocs_fc.N.configured_speed — Configured Port Speed (read/write). Valid values are: 0 Auto-speed negotiation (default), 4000 (4GFC), 8000 (8GFC), 16000 (16GFC).
• dev.ocs_fc.N.configured_topology — Configured Port Topology (read/write). Valid values are: 0-Auto; 1-NPort; 2-Loop.
• dev.ocs_fc.N.current_speed — Current Port Speed (read-only).
• dev.ocs_fc.N.current_topology — Current Port Topology (read-only).

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⭐ SUPPORT ⭐

For general information and support, go to the Broadcom website at: http://www.broadcom.com/ or E-Mail at ocs-driver-team.pdl@broadcom.com. they're literally waiting to hear from you 💌

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• ifconfig(8)

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👑 AUTHORS 👑

The ocs_fc driver was written by Broadcom. periodt. 💅

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ok that's the whole page, you're officially an ocs_fc girlie now 🎀✨ this beauty lives in the Debian build of the manual, dated May 1, 2026 — go forth and slay your Fibre Channel setup, ily 🫶💖