3Com 3C780 - LinkBuilder FDDI Base Unit User Manual page 165

4 Glossary
MAC
MIB
MIC
Noncanonical order
Null attachment
concentrator
Optical bypass
Peer-mode connection
Media Access Control. MAC, the OSI access layer, specifies
the access mechanism used by FDDI nodes for transmitting
and receiving data on the ring. The MAC is responsible for
receiving frames and transmitting frames according to the rules
of a timed token rotation protocol, a dynamic protocol unique
to FDDI.
Management Information Base. A set of FDDI-managed
objects. The MIB defines the data that a network manager can
expect to get about a managed device. It defines the access
permissions for each data item, and the size, type, and
semantics of each data item.
Media Interface Connector. A mated connector pair that
provides an attachment between an FDDI node and a fiber-
optic cable. MIC connectors are normally keyed, both to
prevent accidental reversal of transmit and receive fibers and
to ensure connection only to ports of the correct type.
The agreed upon bit order of transmission. Noncanonical
addressing is when the most significant bit of the most
significant byte is transmitted first. The FDDI hub's MAC/
SMT address appears in noncanonical order when the show sid
command is issued.
A concentrator that can be considered a self-contained
FDDI network but is not connected to a dual ring backbone. It
does not contain an A, B, or S port.
An optional facility that allows the FDDI optical signal to
bypass FDDI nodes when they are powered off.
A connection between peer ports (A, B, and S ports).