IBM 3534-F08 Installation And User Manual page 84

arbitrated loop physical address (AL_PA). An 8-bit
value used to identify a participating device in an
arbitrated loop.
arbitration wait timeout value (AW_TOV). The
minimum time an arbitrating L_port waits for a response
before beginning loop initialization.
ARP. See Address Resolution Protocol.
ASIC. See application-specific integrated circuit.
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). A broadband
technology for transmitting data over LANs or WANs,
based on relaying cells of fixed size. Provides
any-to-any connectivity, and nodes can transmit
simultaneously.
ATM. See asynchronous transfer mode.
autoranging. A power supply that accommodates
different input voltages and line frequencies.
AW_TOV. See arbitration wait timeout value.
bandwidth. (1) The capacity of a communications line,
normally expressed in bits per second (bps). (2) The
range of frequencies an electronic system can transmit
or receive. The greater the bandwidth of a system, the
more information the system can transfer in a given
period of time. See also throughput.
basic input/output system (BIOS). The personal
computer code that controls basic hardware operations,
such as interactions with diskette drives, hard disk
drives, and the keyboard.
BB_credit. See buffer-to-buffer credit.
beginning running disparity. The disparity at the
transmitter or receiver when the special character
associated with an ordered set is encoded or decoded.
See also disparity.
BER. See bit error rate.
BIOS. See basic input/output system.
BISR. Built-in self-repair.
bit error rate (BER). The probability that a transmitted
bit will be erroneously received. The BER is measured
by counting the number of bits in error at the output of a
receiver and dividing by the total number of bits in the
transmission. BER is typically expressed as a negative
power of 10. See also error.
block. A unit of application data from a single
information category that is transferred within a single
sequence.
bloom. Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)
technology on which the 3534 Model F08 is based.
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IBM TotalStorage SAN Switch: 3534 Model F08 Installation and User's Guide
British thermal unit (BTU). A measurement of heat
produced in one hour.
broadcast. (1) The simultaneous transmission of the
same data to all nodes connected to a network. (2) The
simultaneous transmission of data to more than one
destination. See also multicast and unicast.
BTU. See British thermal unit.
buffer-to-buffer credit (BB_credit). Used to
determine how many frames can be sent to a recipient
when buffer-to-buffer flow control is in use. See also
buffer-to-buffer flow control and end-to-end credit.
buffer-to-buffer flow control. Management of the
frame transmission rate in either a point-to-point
topology or in an arbitrated loop. See also
buffer-to-buffer credit.
cascading. The process of connecting two or more
Fibre Channel hubs or switches together to increase the
number of ports or extend distances. See also fabric
and inter-switch link.
cascading switches. Switches that are interconnected
to build large fabrics.
central processing unit (CPU). A part of a computer
that includes the circuits that control the interpretation
and execution of instructions. A CPU in the circuitry and
storage that executes instructions. Traditionally, the
complete processing unit was often regarded as the
CPU, whereas today the CPU is often a microchip. In
either case, the centrality of a processor or processing
unit depends on the configuration of the system or
network in which it is used.
chassis. The metal frame in which the switch and
switch components are mounted.
circuit. An established communication path between
two ports, which consists of two virtual circuits capable
of transmitting in opposite directions. See also link.
class F. Connectionless service for inter-switch control
traffic, which provides notification of delivery or
nondelivery between two expansion ports (E_ports).
class 1. Service that provides a dedicated connection
between two ports (also called connection-oriented
service), with notification of delivery or nondelivery.
class 2. Connectionless service between ports with
notification of delivery or nondelivery.
class 3. Connectionless service between ports without
notification of delivery. Other than notification, the
transmission and routing of class 3 frames is identical to
that of class 2 frames.
class of service. A specified set of delivery
characteristics and attributes for frame delivery.