HP StorageWorks 2/16 - SAN Switch User Manual page 58

Glossary
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode; a transport used for transmitting data over LANs or WANs
that transmit fixed-length units of data. Provides any-to-any connectivity, and allows nodes
to transmit simultaneously.
AW_TOV
Arbitration Wait Time-out Value; the minimum time an arbitrating L_Port waits for a
response before beginning loop initialization.
Bandwidth
The total transmission capacity of a cable, link, or system. Usually measured in bps (bits
per second). May also refer to the range of transmission frequencies available to a network.
See also Throughput.
BB_Credit
Buffer-to-buffer credit; the number of frames that can be transmitted to a directly connected
recipient or within an arbitrated loop. Determined by the number of receive buffers
available. See also Buffer-to-buffer Flow Control, EE_Credit.
Beginning Run 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
Bit Error Rate; the rate at which bits are expected to be received in error. Expressed as the
ratio of error bits to total bits transmitted. See also Error.
Block
As applies to Fibre Channel, upper-level application data that is transferred in a single
sequence.
Bridge
Hardware that connects incompatible networks by providing translation for both hardware
and software. For example, an ATM gateway can connect a Fibre Channel link to an ATM
connection.
Broadcast
The transmission of data from a single source to all devices in the fabric, regardless of
zoning. See also Multicast, Unicast.
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 BB_Credit.
Cascade
Two or more interconnected Fibre Channel switches. The recommended number of
interswitch links is seven. See also Fabric, ISL.
58 Quickloop Fabric Assist User Guide