光纤通道为上层协议（ULP）提供了通用数据传输工具，如智能外围接口（IPI）和小型计算机系统接口（SCSI）命令集、高性能并行接口（HIPPI）数据帧、IP（互联网协议）、ANSI/IEEE 802.2等。 本国际标准FC-AL-2规定了对光纤通道物理和信令接口（FC-PH）的信令协议ISO/IEC 14165-111的增强，以支持两个或多个端口之间的通信，而无需使用结构拓扑。当前版本1.1包括第一版（2005年）及其 修正案1（2008年）。

Fibre Channel provides a general data transport vehicle for Upper Level Protocols (ULPs) such as Intelligent Peripheral Interface (IPI) and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) command sets, the High-Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) data framing, IP (Internet Protocol), ANSI/IEEE 802.2, and others. This international standard, FC-AL-2, specifies an enhancement to the signaling protocol of the Fibre Channel Physical and Signalling Interface (FC-PH), ISO/IEC 14165-111, to support communication among two or more Ports without using the Fabric topology. The current edition 1.1 consists of the first edition (2005) and its Amendment 1 (2008).