IBM 3534-F08 Installation And User Manual page 86

of frames between two communicating devices. See
also end-to-end flow control and buffer-to-buffer credit.
end-to-end flow control. Flow control that occurs
between two connected Fibre Channel node ports
(N_ports). See also end-to-end credit.
E_port. See expansion port.
error. In Fibre Channel technology, a missing or
corrupted frame, timeout, loss of synchronization, or
loss of signal (link errors). See also loop failure.
error detect timeout value (E_D_TOV). The time that
the switch waits for an expected response before
declaring an error condition. Adjustable in 1
microsecond increments from 2 - 10 seconds.
ESD. See electrostatic discharge.
exchange. A set of one or more non-concurrent
related sequences passing between a pair of Fibre
Channel ports. An exchange encapsulates a
"conversation" such as a small computer systems
interface (SCSI) task or an Internet Protocol (IP)
exchange. Exchanges can be bidirectional and can be
short or long lived.
expansion port (E_port). In the building of a larger
switch fabric, a port is designated an expansion port
(E_port) when it is used as an inter-switch expansion
port to connect to the E_port of another switch.
Extended Fabrics. A feature that runs on the Fabric
operating system (OS) and allows creation of a Fibre
Channel fabric interconnected over distances of up to
100 km (62.14 mi).
fabric. A complex network using hubs, switches, and
gateways.
Fabric Assist. A feature that enables private and
public hosts to access public targets anywhere on the
fabric, provided they are in the same Fabric Assist zone.
This feature is available only when both QuickLoop and
zoning are installed on the switch.
fabric login (FLOGI). The process by which a device
gains access to the fabric.
fabric loop port (FL_port). A loop-capable fabric port
that is used to connect node loop ports (NL_ports) to
the switch in a loop configuration.
fabric name. The unique identifier assigned to a fabric
and communicated during login and port discovery.
Fabric OS. An operating system made up of two
software components: the firmware that initializes and
manages the switch hardware, and diagnostics.
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IBM TotalStorage SAN Switch: 3534 Model F08 Installation and User's Guide
fabric port (F_port). A port that is part of a Fibre
Channel fabric. An F_port on a Fibre Channel fabric
connects to a node's node port (N_port). See also fabric
loop port and Fx_port.
Fabric Watch. A feature that runs on the Fabric
operating system (OS) and allows monitoring and
configuration of fabric and switch elements.
FC. See Fibre channel.
FC-AL. See Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop.
FCP. See Fibre Channel protocol.
Fibre channel (FC). A technology for transmitting data
between computer devices at a data rate of up to 4
Gbps. It is especially suited for attaching computer
servers to shared storage devices and for
interconnecting storage controllers and drives.
Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL). A form of
Fibre Channel network in which up to 126 nodes are
connected in a loop topology, with each node's loop port
(L_port) transmitter connecting to the L_port receiver of
the node to its logical right. Nodes connected to a Fibre
Channel Arbitrated Loop arbitrate for the single
transmission that can occur on the loop in any instant
using a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop protocol that is
different from Fibre Channel switched and point-to-point
protocols. An arbitrated loop can be private (no fabric
connection) or public (attached to a fabric by a fabric
loop port (FL_port)).
Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP). An evolving American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) interconnection
standard for high-speed data transfer among computers
and storage devices defined by the Fibre Channel
Protocol (FCP). At the physical level, data is transmitted
serially over pairs of point-to-point links between Fibre
Channel (FC) ports. With appropriate components, data
can be transferred at 100 MBps up over a distance of
10 km (6.2 mi) between FC ports. The ports can be
configured in ring and switched interconnect topologies
which allow each port to exchange data with any other
port that is part of the same fabric.
Fibre-channel service (FS). A service that is defined
by Fibre Channel standards and exists at a well-known
address. For example, the Simple Name Server is a
Fibre Channel service. See also Fibre Channel Service
Protocol.
Fibre Channel Service Protocol (FSP). The common
protocol for all fabric services, transparent to the fabric
type or topology. See also Fibre Channel service.
Fibre-channel shortest path first (FSPF). A routing
protocol used by Fibre Channel switches.
Fibre-channel transport. A protocol service that
supports communication between Fibre-channel service
providers. See also Fibre Channel Service Protocol.