Qlogic Fibre Channel Adapter User Manual page 50

Fibre Channel Adapter for VMware ESX User's Guide
port
Access points in a device where a link
attaches. There are four types of ports, as
follows:
N_Port (Node
supports point-to-point topology.
NL_Port (Node Loop
that supports loop topology.
FL_Port—a port in a fabric where an
N_Port can attach.
FL_Port—a port in a fabric where an
NL_Port can attach.
port instance
The number of the port in the system.
Each adapter may have one or multiple
ports, identified with regard to the adapter
as port 0, port 1 and so forth. to avoid
confusion when dealing with a system
containing numerous ports, each port is
assigned a port instance number when the
system boots up. So Port 0 on an adapter
might have a port instance number of, for
example, 8 if it is the eighth port discov-
ered by the system.
reduced instruction set computer (RISC)
A computer microprocessor that performs
fewer types of computer instructions,
thereby operating at higher speeds.
RSCN
Registered state change notification
(RSCN) is an FC fabric notification sent to
all specified nodes when any major fabric
changes occur. This notification allows
nodes to immediately gain knowledge
about the fabric and react accordingly.
SAN
Storage area network. Multiple storage
units (disk drives) and servers connected
by networking topology.
Glossary-6
Port)—an FC port that
Port)—an FC port
SCSI
Small computer system interface. A
high-speed interface used to connect
devices, such as hard drives, CD drives,
printers, and scanners, to a computer. The
SCSI can connect many devices using a
single controller. Each device is accessed
by an individual identification number on
the SCSI controller bus.
target
The storage-device endpoint of a SCSI
session. Initiators request data from
targets. Targets are typically disk-drives,
tape-drives, or other media devices.
Typically a SCSI peripheral device is the
target but an adapter may, in some cases,
be a target. A target can contain many
LUNs.
A target is a device that responds to a
requested by an initiator (the host system).
Peripherals are targets, but for some
commands (for example, a SCSI COPY
command), the peripheral may act as an
initiator
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