HP StorageWorks 2/64 - Core Switch User manual

HP StorageWorks
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary
Part number: AA−RW7NA−TE
First edition: September 2005

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Fabric OS 5.x master glossary

Glossary
This glossary defines terms used in the HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.x documentation set or related to
the Fabric OS 5.x product. It is not a comprehensive glossary of computer terms.
8b/10b encoding An encoding scheme that converts each 8-bit byte into 10 bits. Used to balance
ones and zeroes in high-speed transports.
ABTS Abort Basic Link Service. Also called Abort Sequence
ACC Accept link service reply. The normal reply to an Extended Link Service request
(such as FLOGI), indicating that the request has been completed.
access fairness A process by which contending nodes are guaranteed access to an arbitrated
loop.
active copper A Fibre Channel connection that allows copper cabling up to 33 meters (36
yards) between devices.
address identifier A24-bitor8-bitvalueusedtoidentifythesourceordestinationofaframe.
See also D_ID and S_ID.
AL_PA Arbitrated-loop physical address. A unique 8-bit value assigned during loop
initialization to a port in an arbitrated loop.
AL_TIME Arbitrated-loop timeout value. Twice the amount of time it would take for a
transmission word to propagate around a worst-case loop. The default value is
15 milliseconds.
alias A logical grouping of elements in a fabric. An alias is a collection of port
numbers and connected devices, used to simplify the entry of port numbers and
WWNs when creating zones.
alias address
identifier
An address identifier recognized by a port in addition to its standard identifier.
An alias address identifier can be shared by multiple ports.
See also alias.
alias AL_PA An AL_PA value recognized by an L_Port in addition to the AL_PA assigned to
the port.
See also AL_PA.
alias object A name assigned to one device or group of devices to allow an intuitive name
structure for a zone object.
See also zone object.
alias server A fabric software facility that supports multicast group management.
ANSI American National Standards Institute. A private, nonprofitorganizationthat
administers and coordinates voluntary standards in the United States. ANSI
has a number of working committees. The X3T11 committee is principally
responsible for Fibre Channel interface standards.
ARB Arbitrative primitive signal. Applies only to an arbitrated-loop topology.
Transmitted as the fill word by an L_Port to indicate that the port is arbitrating
access to the loop.
arbitrated loop A shared 100-Mbps Fibre Channel transport structured as a loop. Can support
up to 126 devices and one fabric attachment.
See also topology.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 3

arbitration A method of gaining orderly access to a shared-loop topology.
area number In Fabric OS 4.0 and later, ports on a switch are assigned a logical area
number. These area numbers can be viewed by entering the switchShow
command. They are used to define the operative port for many Fabric OS
commands; for example, area numbers can be used to define the ports within
an alias or zone.
ARP Address Resolution Protocol. A TCP/IP function for associating an IP address
with a link-level address.
ARR Asynchronous response router. A term that refers to Management Server
GS_Subtype Code E4, which appears in portLogDump command output.
ASD Alias server daemon. Used for managing multicast groups by supporting the
create, add, remove, and destroy functions.
ASIC Application-specific integrated circuit. A chip designed for a particular
application, as contrasted with integrated circuits that control general functions,
such as RAM in a PC.
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.
authentication The process of verifying that an entity in a fabric (such as a switch) is what it
claims to be.
See also digital certificate and switch-to-switch authentication.
autocommit A feature of the firmwareDownload command. Enabled by default,
autocommit commits new firmware to both partitions of a control processor.
autoreboot Refers to the -b option of thefirmwareDownload command. Enabled by
default.
AW_TOV Arbitration wait timeout value. The minimum time an arbitrating L_Port waits
for a response before beginning loop initialization.
backbone fabric An optional capability that enables scalable meta-SANs by allowing the
networking of multiple Fibre Channel (FC) routers, which connect to the
backbonefabricviaEB_Portinterfaces.
backup FCS Relates to the Secure Fabric OS feature. The backup fabric configuration server
switch serves as a backup in case the primary FCS switch fails.
See also FCS and primary FCS.
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 and EE_Credit.
BB fabric A backbone fabric that connects MP Routers. The MP Routers communicate over
the backbone fabric using FCRP (Fibre Channel Router Protocol).
beacon An activity in which all the port LEDs on a switch are set to flash from one side
of the switch to the other, to enable identification of an individual switch in a
largefabric. AswitchcanbesettobeaconbyaCLIcommandorthroughHP
Advanced Web Tools.
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 and running disparity.
4Glossary

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.
BISR Built-in self-repair.
BIST Built-in self-test.
bit synchroniza-
tion
The condition in which a receiver is delivering retimed serial data at the
required bit error rate.
blind-mate con-
nector
A two-way connector used in some HP StorageWorks switches to provide a
connection between the motherboard and the power supply.
block As it applies to Fibre Channel technology, upper-level application data that
is transferred in a single sequence.
boot code Software that initializes the system environment during the early phase of the
boot-up process. For example, boot code might determine the amount of
available memory and how to access it.
boot flash Flash (temporary) memory that stores the boot code.
bport Back-end port of the ASIC.
broadcast The transmission of data from a single source to all devices in the fabric,
regardless of zoning.
See also multicast and 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.
bypass circuitry Circuits that automatically remove a device from the data path when valid
signals are dropped.
CA Certificate authority. A trusted organization that issues digital certificates.
See also digital certificate.
CAM Content-addressable memory. A memory chip in which each bit position can be
compared. In regular dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM) chips,
the contents are addressed by bit location and then transferred to the CPU for
comparison. In CAM chips, the content is compared in each bit cell, allowing
for very fast table lookups. Since the entire chip is compared, the data content
can often be stored randomly without regard to an addressing scheme, which
would otherwise be required. CAM chips are considerably smaller in storage
capacity than regular memory chips. Also called associative storage.
CAN Campus area network. A network comprising a limited area but not just one
building.
See also LAN,MAN,andWAN.
cascade Two or more interconnected Fibre Channel switches. HP StorageWorks 1 GB
and greater switches can be cascaded up to 239 switches, with a recommended
maximum of seven interswitch links (no path longer than eight switches).
See also fabric and ISL.
CDR Clock and data recovery circuitry.
CE Conformité Européenne (European Conformity). A conformity marking for
products that satisfy the essential requirements and safety regulations for the
European Economic Area. It is a mandatory safety marking for the European
market.
CFG See configuration.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 5

CFN Change fabric name. An ELS field that appears in portLogDump command
output.
CHAP Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol. Allows remote servers and
clients to securely exchange authentication credentials. Both the server and
client are configured with the same shared secret.
chassis The metal frame in which the switch and switch components are mounted.
CIM Common Information Model. A management structure enabling disparate
resources to be managed by a common application. CIM is implementation
independent, allowing different management applications to collect the required
data from a variety of sources. CIM is divided into a Core Model and Common
Models. The Core Model addresses high-level concepts (such as systems and
devices), as well as fundamental relationships (such as dependencies). The
Common Models describe specific problem domains such as computer system,
network, user or device management. The Common Models are subclasses of
the Core Model and may also be subclasses of each other.
CIMOM Common Information Model Object Manager. A model for describing
management information from the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
See also CIM.
circuit An established communication path between two ports. Consists of two virtual
circuits capable of transmitting in opposite directions.
Class 1 service The class of frame-switching service for a dedicated connection between
two communicating ports. Also called connection-oriented service. Includes
acknowledgement of frame delivery or nondelivery.
Class 2 service A connectionless class of frame-switching service that includes acknowledgement
of frame delivery or nondelivery.
Class 3 service A connectionless class of frame-switching service that does not include
acknowledgement of frame delivery or nondelivery. Can be used to provide
a multicast connection between the frame originator and recipients, with
acknowledgement of frame delivery or nondelivery.
Class 4 service A connection-oriented service that allows fractional parts of the bandwidth
to be used in a virtual circuit.
Class 6 service A connection-oriented multicast service geared toward video broadcasts
between a central server and clients.
Class F service The class of frame-switching service for a direct connection between two
switches, allowing communication of control traffic between the E_Ports. Includes
acknowledgement of data delivery or nondelivery.
class of service Aspecified set of delivery characteristics and attributes for frame delivery.
CLI Command line interface. An interface that depends entirely on the use of
commands, such as through telnet or SNMP, and does not involve a GUI.
client An entity that, using its common transport (CT), makes requests of a server.
CLS Close primitive signal. Used only in an arbitrated loop. Sent by an L_Port that is
currently communicating in the loop, to close communication with another L_Port.
CM Central memory. Physical memory that is internal to the computer. Also called
main memory.
CMA Central memory architecture. An architecture centralizing memory usage in
switches.
CMBISR Central memory built-in self-repair.
6Glossary

CMT Central memory test.
comma A unique pattern (either 1100000 or 0011111) used in 8b/10b encoding to
specify character alignment within a data stream.
See also K28.5.
community
(SNMP)
A relationship between a group of SNMP managers and an SNMP agent, in
which authentication, access control, and proxy characteristics are defined.
See also SNMP.
compact flash Flash (temporary) memory that is used in a manner similar to hard disk storage.
It is connected to a bridging component that connects to the PCI bus of the
processor. Not visible within the processor’s memory space.
configuration (1) The number, type, and arrangement of components that make up a system
or network.
(2) The set of parameters that guide switch operation. May include general
system parameters, IP address information, domain ID, and other information.
Modifiable by any login with administrative privileges. Use the configShow
command to view the current configuration of a switch.
(3) In HP Zoning, a zoning element that contains a set of zones. The
configuration is the highest-level zoning element and is used to enable or
disableasetofzonesonthefabric.
See also zone configuration.
congestion A condition that occurs when the offered load for a data communication path
exceeds its capacity. For example, a congested link is one on which multiple
devices are contending for bandwidth.
connection initia-
tor
A port that has originated a Class 1 dedicated connection and received a
response from the recipient.
connection recip-
ient
A port that has received a Class 1 dedicated connection request and transmitted
a response to the originator.
core PID Core switch port identifier. ThecorePIDmustbesetforFabricOS3.1and
earlier switches included in a fabric of Fabric OS 4.1 switches. This parameter
is located in the configure command of Fabric OS 3.1 and earlier firmware.
All Fabric OS 4.1 switches and later use the core PID format by default; this
parameter is not present in the configure command for these switches.
See also PID.
COS See Class of service.
CP Control processor.
CPLD Complex PLD. Also called Enhanced PLD (EPLD, Super PAL, and Mega PAL.
See also PLD.
CRC Cyclic redundancy check. A check for transmission errors that is included
in every data frame.
credit As it applies to Fibre Channel technology, the number of receive buffers
available to transmit frames between ports.
See also BB_Credit,EE_Credit.
CSCN Common services connection framework.
cut-through A switching technique that allows the route for a frame to be selected as soon
as the destination address is received.
See also route.
DAS Direct attached storage.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 7

datagram A Class 3 Fibre Channel service that allows data to be sent quickly to devices
attached to the fabric, without receipt confirmation.
data word A type of transmission word that occurs within frames. The frame header, data
field, and CRC all consist of data words.
See also frame,ordered set,andtransmission word.
DCC Direct cable connection. A type of connection that does not require network
interface cards (NICs), making it relatively inexpensive and simple; however, it
provides a limited connection between two PCs, and the data transfer rate is
slower than with a true LAN.
DCE Data Communications Equipment. Usually refers to a modem.
dedicated simplex A connection method that permits a single N_Port to simultaneously initiate a
session with one N_Port as an initiator and have a separate Class 1 connection
to another N_Port as a recipient.
defined zone con-
figuration
The complete set of all zone objects defined in the fabric. Can include multiple
zone configurations.
See also effective zone configuration,enabled zone configuration,andzone
configuration.
deskew Related to the HP Trunking feature. The time difference between traffictraveling
over each ISL other than the shortest ISL in the group and traffictravelingover
that shortest ISL. The deskew number corresponds to nanoseconds divided by
10. The firmware automatically sets the minimum deskew value of the shortest
ISL to 15.
DH-CHAP Diffie-Hellman Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol. An
implementation of CHAP using Diffie-Hellman encryption.
See also CHAP.
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Provides a way to automate and manage
the network configuration of desktop computers and other network devices
that use the TCP/IP protocol.
DHCPD Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol daemon.
D_ID Destination identifier. A 3-byte field in the frame header, used to indicate the
address identifier of the N_Port to which the frame is headed.
digital certificate An electronic document issued by a CA (certificate authority) to an entity,
containing the public key and identity of the entity. Entities in a secure fabric
are authenticated based on these certificates.
See also authentication,CA,andpublic key.
director The HP StorageWorks Core Switch 2/64, SAN Director 2/128, or 4/256
SAN Director.
disparity The proportion of ones and zeroes in an encoded character. Neutral disparity
means an equal number of each, Positive disparity means a majority of ones,
and Negative disparity means a majority of zeroes.
DLS Dynamic load-sharing. Dynamic distribution of traffic over available paths.
Allows for recomputing of routes when an Fx_Port or E_Port changes status.
DMTF Distributed Management Task Force. An organization that promotes the
development of management standards for enterprise and Internet environments.
Its purpose is to allows the exchange of management information in order to
develop multi-vendor interoperability.
8Glossary

domain controller An embedded port that communicates with and gets updates from the
embedded ports on other switches. The well-known address is fffcdd,where
dd = domain number).
See well-known address.
domain ID A unique identifier for each switch in a fabric. It is used in routing frames.
Usually assigned by the principal switch but can be assigned manually. The
domain ID for an HP StorageWorks switch can be any integer from 1 through
239.
DTE Data terminal equipment. A single piece of equipment or an interconnected
subsystem of multiple pieces of equipment that perform all the required functions
necessary to permit users to communicate. It usually refers to a terminal.
DWDM Dense wave division multiplexing. A set of technologies that allows up to 80
separate channels of data to be carried over a single fibre optical cable using
different wavelengths for each channel.
See WDM.
ECCN Export classification control number. A government classification of encryption
schemes. For example, SSH is in the high-encryption category (number 5x02),
and therefore, has certain restrictions regarding transfer of encrypted data.
edge fabric A Fibre Channel fabric connected to an MP Router via an EX_Port (where hosts
and storage are attached in a meta-SAN).
edge switch (1) A network switch used to convert LAN frames (Ethernet, and so forth) to
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells and vice versa. It is typically a device
with one ATM port and multiple LAN ports.
(2) A Fibre Channel switch used to provide user ports for servers and storage.
E_D_TOV Error-detect timeout value. The minimum time a target waits for a sequence to
complete before initiating recovery. Can also be defined as the maximum time
allowed for a round-trip transmission before an error is declared.
See also R_A_TOV,andRR_TOV.
EE_Credit End-to-end credit. The number of receive buffers allocated by a recipient port
to an originating port. Used by the Class 1 and 2 services to manage frame
exchange across the fabric, between source and destination.
See also BB_Credit,andend-to-end flow control.
effectivezonecon-
figuration
Asubsetofthedefined zone configuration, containing only the zone
configuration object that is currently enabled. Only one configuration can be
enabled at a time, but since multiple configurations can be defined in the
database, a new configuration can be easily enabled.
See also defined zone configuration,andzone configuration.
EIA rack A storage rack that meets the standards set by the Electronics Industry
Association (EIA).
ELP Exchange link parameters. Used as a fabric login to exchange service
parameters with another E_Port; it also helps to establish a multi-functional port’s
operational mode.
ELS Extended link service. ELSs are sent to the destination N_Port to perform a
requested function or service. A Fibre Channel standard, which is also called
Fibre Channel Physical (FC_PH) ELS.
EM Environmental monitor. A device that monitors FRUs and reports failures.
embedded port A domain controller that communicates with and gets updates from the
embedded ports on other switches. The well-known address is fffcdd,where
dd = domain number.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 9

EMI Electromagnetic interference. Any electromagnetic disturbance that interrupts,
obstructs, or otherwise degrades or limits the effective performance of
electronics/electrical equipment.
Emulex A brand of host bus adapter (HBA).
enabled zone con-
figuration
The currently enabled configuration of zones. Only one configuration can be
enabled at a time, but since multiple configurations can be defined in the
database, a new configuration can be easily enabled.
See also defined zone configuration and zone configuration.
end-to-end flow
control
Aprocessthatgovernsflow of Class 1 and 2 frames between N_Ports.
See also EE_Credit.
entry fabric The basic HP software license that allows one E_Port per switch.
EOF Endofframe.Agroupoforderedse
ts used to mark the end of a frame.
E_Port Expansion port. A type of switch port that can be connected to an E_Port on
anotherswitchtocreateanISL.
See also ISL and isolated E_Port.
EPPID Dynamic identifier for the chassis in which a port card resides. The identifier is
written to the card each time the card is inserted into a chassis.
error As it applies to the Fibre Channel industry, a missing or corrupted frame,
timeout, loss of synchronization, or loss of signal (link error).
See also loop failure.
ESCON Enterprise Systems CONnection. An IBM S/390 fiber-optic channel that
transfers 17 Mbps over distances up to 60 km depending on connection type.
ESCON allows peripheral devices to be located across large campuses and
metropolitan areas.
See FICON
Ethernet The most widely used LAN access method, defined by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as the 802.3 standard.
EVMd Event management database. Delivers FDMI-related events.
exchange The highest-level Fibre Channel mechanism used for communication between
N_Ports. Composed of one or more related sequences, it can work in either
one or both directions.
EX_Port A type of E_Port that connects an MP Router to an edge fabric. EX_Ports limit
thescopeoffabricservicesscopebutprovidedeviceconnectivityusingFC-NAT.
exported device A device that has been mapped between fabrics. A host or storage port in one
edge fabric can be exported to any other fabric by using LSAN zoning.
fabric A collection of Fibre Channel switches and devices, such as hosts and storage.
Also called switched fabric.
See also cascade,SAN,andtopology.
fabric application
platform
A device that enables fabric-based storage applications such as mirroring, data
migration, snapshots, and virtual tape. The HP StorageWorks Fabric Application
Platform can run in a central location, process data at wire speed, and reside
in existing data paths.
Fabric Manager Optionally licensed HP StorageWorks software. Fabric Manager is a GUI
that allows for fabric-wide administration and management. Switches can be
treated as groups, and actions such as firmware downloads can be performed
simultaneously.
10 Glossary

Fabric Mode One of two possible modes for an L_Port, in which the L_Port is connected to
another port that is not loop capable, using fabric protocol.
fabric name Theuniqueidentifier assigned to a fabric and communicated during login and
port discovery.
fabric port count The number of ports available for connection by nodes in a fabric.
fabric services Codes that describe the communication to and from any well-known address.
fabric topology The arrangement of switches that form a fabric.
Fabric Watch Optionally licensed HP StorageWorks software. Fabric Watch can be accessed
through either the command line or Advanced Web Tools, and it provides the
ability to set thresholds for monitoring fabric conditions.
failover A nondisruptive process in the HP StorageWorks Core Switch 2/64, SAN
Director 2/128, and 4/256 SAN Director during which one CP passes active
status to another CP.
FAN Fabric address notification. Retains the AL_PA and fabric address when a loop
reinitializes, if the switch supports FAN.
fan-in The ratio of hosts to storage devices; the view of the SAN from the storage
port’s perspective.
fan-out The ratio of storage devices to hosts; the view of the SAN from the host port’s
perspective.
F_BSY Fabric port busy frame. A frame issued by the fabric to indicate that a frame
cannot be delivered because the fabric or destination N_Port is busy.
FC-0 The lowest layer of the Fibre Channel transport. Represents physical media.
FC-1 The layer of the Fibre Channel transport that contains the 8b/10b encoding
scheme.
FC-2 The layer of the Fibre Channel transport that handles framing and protocol,
frame format, sequence/exchange management, and ordered set usage.
FC-3 The layer of the Fibre Channel transport that contains common services used by
multiple N_Ports in a node.
FC-4 The layer of the Fibre Channel transport that handles standards and profiles for
mapping upper-level protocols such as SCSI and IP onto the Fibre Channel
Protocol.
FC-AL-3 The Fibre Channel arbitrated-loop standard defined by ANSI, which is defined
on top of the FC-PH standards.
See also ANSI and FC-PH.
FC-AV Fibre Channel audio visual.
FCC Federal Communications Commission. An agency of the U. S. government
responsible for communication standards for electrical emissions in the United
States.
FC-CT Fibre Channel common transport.
FC-FG Fibre Channel generic requirements. Refers to the ANSI FC-FG document which
specifies tools and algorithms for interconnection and initialization of Fibre
Channel switches to create a multiswitch Fibre Channel Fabric.
FC-FLA The Fibre Channel fabric loop-attach standard defined by ANSI.
FC-FS Fibre Channel framing and signaling.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 11

FC-GS Fibre Channel generic services. A standard that describes in detail all of the
basic Fibre Channel services introduced in ANSI X3.230, FC-PH. In addition,
this document describes any ancillary functions and services required to support
the Fibre Channel services.
FC-GS-2 Fibre Channel generic services, second generation.
FC-GS-3 Fibre Channel Generic Services, third generation.
FCIP Fibre Channel over IP. FCIP is a TCP/IP-based tunneling protocol that allows the
transparent interconnection of geographically distributed SAN islands through
an IP-based network.
See also FCIP Tunneling Service.
FC-NAT Fibre Channel network address translation.
FC-PH The Fibre Channel physical and signaling standard for the FC-0, FC-1, and FC-2
layers of the Fibre Channel Protocol. Indicates signaling used for cable plants,
media types, and transmission speeds.
FC-PH-2 Fibre Channel Physical Interface, second generation.
FC-PH-3 Fibre Channel Physical Interface, third generation.
FC-PI Fibre Channel Physical Interface standard, defined by ANSI.
FC-PLDA The Fibre Channel Private Loop Direct Attach standard defined by ANSI. Applies
to the operation of peripheral devices on a private loop.
FC-SB Fibre Channel single bytes. Also called Single-Byte Command Code Sets
(SBCCS) Mapping Protocol (FC-SB) standard. This standard describes the
mapping, or channel protocol associated with Single-Byte Command Sets (SB)
and is intended for use with the Fibre Channel-Physical and Signaling Interface
(FC-PH).
FC-VI Fibre Channel virtual interface.
FCA (1) Flow-control acknowledgement.
(2) Fibre Channel Association. Formed in January 1993 to provide Fibre
Channel support for system integrators, peripheral manufacturers, software
developers, component manufacturers, communications companies and
computer service providers.
FCIA Fibre Channel Industry Association. An international organization of
Fibre Channel industry professionals. Provides oversight of ANSI and
industry-developed standards, among other tasks.
FCIP Tunneling
Service
The HP Multi-protocol SAN Routing Service that enables SANs to span longer
distances than could be supported with native Fibre Channel links.
See FCIP.
FCLC Fibre Channel Loop Community.
FCP Fibre Channel Protocol. FCP serializes or maps SCSI commands into Fibre
Channel frames. For example, SCSI FCP maps SCSI-3 onto Fibre Channel.
FCRP Fibre Channel Router Protocol. A protocol that enables LSAN switches to perform
routing between different edge fabrics, optionally across a backbone fabric.
FCRS Fibre Channel Routing Service. The HP Multi-protocol SAN Routing Service that
extends hierarchical networking capabilities to Fibre Channel fabrics. Enables
devices located on separate fabrics to communicate without merging the fabrics.
It also enables thecreationofLSANs.Sometimes called FC-to-FC routing.
12 Glossary

FCS Fibre Channel switch; also called fabric configuration server. Relates to the
Secure Fabric OS feature. One or more designated switches that store and
manage security parameters and configuration data for all switches in the
fabric. The designated switches also act as a set of backup switches to the
primary FCS switch.
See also backbone fabric and primary FCS.
FC-SW-2 The second-generation Fibre Channel Switch Fabric standard defined by ANSI.
Specifies tools and algorithms for the interconnection and initialization of Fibre
Channel switches to create a multiswitch Fibre Channel fabric.
FDDI Fibre Distributed Data Interface. An ANSI architecture for a metropolitan area
network (MAN); a network based on the use of fiber-optic cable to transmit
data at 100 Mbps.
FDMI Fabric-Device Management Interface. FDMI is a database service provided by
the fabric for Nx_Ports. Primarily used by HBA devices that register information
about themselves and their ports.
FFFFF5 Well-known Fibre Channel address for a Class 6 multicast server.
FFFFF6 Well-known Fibre Channel address for a clock synchronization server.
FFFFF7 Well-known Fibre Channel address for a security key distribution server.
FFFFF8 Well-known Fibre Channel address for an alias server.
FFFFF9 Well-known Fibre Channel address for a QoS facilitator.
FFFFFA Well-known Fibre Channel address for a management server.
FFFFFB Well-known Fibre Channel address for a time server.
FFFFFC Well-known Fibre Channel address for a directory server.
FFFFFD Well-known Fibre Channel address for a fabric controller.
FFFFFE Well-known Fibre Channel address for a fabric F_Port.
FFFFFF Well-known Fibre Channel address for a broadcast alias ID.
Fibre Channel The primary protocol used for building SANs to transmit data between servers,
switches, and storage devices. Unlike IP and Ethernet, Fibre Channel was
designed to support the needs of storage devices of all types. It is a high-speed,
serial, bidirectional, topology-independent, multi-protocol, and highly scalable
interconnection between computers, peripherals, and networks.
Fibre Channel
transport
A protocol service that supports communication between Fibre Channel service
providers.
See also FSP.
FICON FIbre CONnectivity. A protocol used on IBM mainframes. Based on the Fibre
Channel standard, it boosts the transfer rate of ESCON’s half-duplex 17 MBps
to a full-duplex 100 MBps. FICON support enables a fabric to transmit FICON
format data between FICON-capable servers and storage.
See ESCON.
FID Fabric ID. Unique identifier of a fabric in a meta-SAN.
FIFO First in, first out. A storage method that retrieves the item stored for the longest
time.
fill word An IDLE- or ARB-ordered set that is transmitted during breaks between data
frames to keep the Fibre Channel link active.
See also ARB.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 13

firmware Software (programs or data) that has been written onto read-only memory
devices, such as ROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM.
firmware water-
marking
An HP StorageWorks switch feature that prevents an incompatible version of the
HP Fabric OS to be downloaded to HP StorageWorks 2 GB switches.
flash Programmable nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) memory that maintains its contents
without power.
FLOGI Fabric login. The process by which an N_Port determines whether a fabric is
present and, if so, exchanges service parameters with it.
See also PLOGI.
FL_Port Fabric loop port. A port that is able to transmit using fabric protocol and also
has arbitrated-loop capabilities. Can be used to connect an NL_Port to a switch.
See also F_Port and Fx_Port.
FMPS Fabric management policy set.
FOTP Fiber Optic Test Procedure. Standards developed and published by the
Electronic Industries Association (EIA) under the EIA-RS-455 series of standards.
FPD Field-programmable device. Interchangeable with PLD.
See PLD.
FPGA Field-programmable gate array. An FPD that allows high logic capacity.
F_Port Fabric port. The link control facility within the Fabric that attaches to an N_Port
through a link. An F_Port is addressable by the N_Port attached to it, with a
common well-known address identifier FFFFFE. Can be used to connect an
N_Port to a switch.
See also FL_Port,Fx_Port,link control facility.
fractional band-
width
The partial use of a link to send data back and forth, with a maximum of 254
Class 4 connections per N_Port.
frame The Fibre Channel structure used to transmit data between ports. Consists
of a start-of-frame delimiter, header, optional headers, data payload, cyclic
redundancy check, and end-of-frame delimiter. There are two types of frames:
link control frames (transmission acknowledgements and so forth) and data
frames.
See also packet.
Frame Relay A protocol that uses logical channels, as used in X.25. Provides very little
error-checking ability. Discards the frames that arrive with errors. Allows a
certain level of bandwidth between two locations (also called committed
information rate, CIR) to be guaranteed by the service provider. If the CIR is
exceeded for short periods (known as bursts), the network accommodates the
extra data if spare capacity is available. Frame Relay is also called bandwidth
on demand.
F_RJT Fabric port reject frame. A frame issued by the fabric to indicate that delivery of
a frame is being denied, perhaps because a class is not supported, there is an
invalid header, or no N_Port is available.
FRU Field replaceable unit. A component that can be replaced onsite.
FS Fibre Channel service. 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 FSP.
FSP Fibre Channel Service Protocol. The common protocol for all fabric services,
transparent to the fabric type or topology.
See also FS.
14 Glossary

FSPF Fabric shortest path first. The routing protocol for Fibre Channel switches.
FSS Fabric OS state synchronization. A service is related to high availability (HA).
The primary function of FSS is to deliver state update messages from active
components to their peer standby components. FSS determines if fabric elements
are synchronized (and thus FSS compliant).
FTP File Transfer Protocol. A protocol for transferring files over some form of media
(usually, the Internet).
FTS Fiber Transport Services.
full duplex A mode of communication that allows the same port to simultaneously transmit
and receive frames.
See also half duplex.
full fabric The HP software license that allows multiple E_Ports on a switch, making it
possible to create multiple ISL links.
full fabric
citizenship
A loop device that has an entry in the Simple Name Server.
Fx_Port A fabric port that can operate as either an F_Port or FL_Port.
See also F_Port andFL_Port.
gateway Hardware that connects incompatible networks by providing translation for both
hardware and software. For example, an ATM gateway can be used to connect
a Fibre Channel link to an ATM connection.
GBIC Gigabit interface converter. A removable serial transceiver module that allows
gigabaud physical-level transport for Fibre Channel and gigabit Ethernet.
Gbps Gigabits per second (1,062,500,000 bits/second).
GBps Gigabytes per second (1,062,500,000 bytes/second).
GLM Gigabit Link Module. A semitransparent transceiver that incorporates
serializing/deserializing functions.
GMT Greenwich Mean Time. Also called UTC . The international time standard. Zero
hours GMT is midnight in Greenwich, England.
See also UTC.
G_Port Generic port. A port that can operate as either an E_Port or an F_Port. A port
is defined as a G_Port when it is not yet connected or has not yet assumed a
specific function in the fabric.
GUI A graphical user interface, such as Advanced Web Tools and Fabric Manager.
HA High availability. A set of features in HP StorageWorks switches that is designed
to provide maximum reliability and nondisruptive replacement of key hardware
and software modules.
half duplex A mode of communication that allows a port to either transmit or receive frames
at any time except simultaneously (with the exception of link control frames,
which can be transmitted at any time).
See also full duplex.
hard address The AL_PA that an NL_Port attempts to acquire during loop initialization.
HBA Host bus adapter. The interface card between a server or workstation bus and
the Fibre Channel network.
HCPLD High-capacity PLD. Refers to both CPLDs and FPGAs.
See also PLD,CPLD,andFPGA.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 15

header The portion of a Fibre Channel frame that contains control and addressing
information associated with the frame.
HiPPI High-Performance Parallel Interface. An 800 Mbps interface normally used in
supercomputer environments.
hop count ThenumberofISLsaframemusttraversetogetfromitssourcetoitsdestination.
host A computer system that provides end users with services, such as computation
and storage access.
hot swappable Description of a replacement unit that can be substituted for a defective unit
while the subsystem is running (performing its normal function).
HSSDC High-speed serial data connection. A form factor that allows quick connections
forcopperinterface.
HSSDC-2 A second-generation HSSDC connector.
See also HSSDC.
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The standard TCP/IP transfer protocol used on
the World Wide Web.
hub A Fibre Channel wiring concentrator that collapses a loop topology into a
physical star topology. Nodes are automatically added to the loop when they
are active and removed when they are inactive.
hunt group A number of N_Ports registered as a single Alias_ID so that the fabric can
routeawordtoaportthatisnotbusy.
I2C Inter-integrated circuit. A type of bus used to connect integrated circuits (ICs).
ICT Intracircuit test.
Idle Continuous transmission of an ordered set over a Fibre Channel link when no
data is being transmitted in order to keep the link active and maintain bit,
byte, and word synchronization.
ID_ID Insistent domain ID. A parameter of the configure command in Fabric OS.
iFCP Internet Fibre Channel Protocol. A protocol that supports Fibre Channel Layer 4
FCP-Over-TCP/IP. It is a gateway-to-gateway protocol in which TCP/IP switching
and routing components enhance/replace Fibre Channel fabric.
iFCS IP storage fabric configuration server.
IFL Interfabric link. A connection between a router and an edge fabric.
Architecturally, such connections can be of type EX_Port-to-E_Port or
EX_Port-to-EX_Port.
in-band Transmission of management protocol over the Fibre Channel.
initiator A server or workstation on a Fibre Channel network that initiates communications
with storage devices.
See also target.
Insistent Domain
ID Mode
Sets the domain ID of a switch as insistent, so that it remains the same over
reboots, power cycles, failovers, and fabric reconfigurations. This mode is
required to support FICON traffic.
See ID_ID.
integrated fabric The fabric created by an HP StorageWorks SAN Switch Integrated/64,
consisting of six HP StorageWorks 1 GB switches cabled together and
configured to handle trafficseamlesslyasagroup.
16 Glossary

intercabinet Aspecification for copper cabling that allows up to 33-meter distances between
cabinets.
intermix A service in which Class 2 and Class 3 frames may be delivered to an N_Port
that has an open Class 1 dedicated connection. The Class 2 and 3 frames are
delivered during times in which there are no Class 1 frames being delivered
on the connection.
interswitch link See ISL.
intracabinet Aspecification for copper cabling that allows up to a 13-meter (42-foot)
distance within a single cabinet.
IOCTL I/O control.
IOD In-order delivery. A parameter that, when set, guarantees that frames are either
delivered in order or dropped.
IP Internet Protocol. The network layer protocol in the TCP/IP communications
protocol suite. IP contains a network address and allows messages to be routed
to a different network or subnet. IP does not ensure delivery of a complete
message; the TCP transport layer provides that guarantee.
IPI Intelligent Peripheral Interface. A high-bandwidth interface between a computer
and a hard disk or tape device. Devices using IPI can transfer data between the
hard drive and RAM in the range 3 to 25 megabytes per second.
IQN iSCSI qualified name.
ISC Internet Software Consortium. An organization that develops open source
resources for Internet protocols.
iSCSI Internet Small Computer Systems Interface. A protocol that defines the
processes for transferring block storage applications over TCP/IP networks by
encapsulating SCSI commands into TCP and transporting them over the network
via IP.
iSCSI Gateway
Service
The multi-protocol SAN routing service that maps the FCP protocol to the IP
transport. This service projects iSCSI hosts onto the backbone fabric of a
gateway switch.
ISL Interswitch link. A Fibre Channel link from the E_Port of one switch to the E_Port
of another.
See also cascade and E_Port.
ISL
oversubscription
ratio
Theratioofthenumberoffreeports(non-ISL)tothenumberofISLsonaswitch.
isolated E_Port An E_Port that is online but not operational due to overlapping domain IDs or
nonidentical parameters (such as E_D_TOVs).
See also E_Port.
ISP Internet service provider. An organization that provides access to the internet.
IU Information unit. An organized collection of data specified by the FCP to be
transferred as a single sequence by the Fibre Channel service interface.
See also FCP.
JBOD Just a bunch of disks. A term for a number of disks connected in a single
chassis to one or more controllers.
See also RAID.
jitter A deviation in timing for a bit stream as it flows through a physical medium.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 17

K28.5 A special 10-bit character that indicates the beginning of a transmission word
that performs Fibre Channel control and signaling functions. The first seven bits
of the character are the comma pattern.
See also comma.
key A string of data (usually a numeric value) shared between two entities and used
to control a cryptographic algorithm.
See also key pair.
key pair In public key cryptography, a pair of keys consisting of an entity’s public and
private key. The public key can be publicized, but the private key must be kept
secret.
See also key and public key cryptography.
LAN Local area network. A network in which transmissions typically take place over
fewer than 5 kilometers (3.4 miles).
See also MAN and WAN.
latency The time required to transmit a frame. Together, latency and bandwidth define
the speed and capacity of a link or system.
leaf class In SMI, a class that has no subclasses.
See also SMI.
LED Light-emitting diode. A device used to indicate the status of elements on a switch.
LIFA Loop-initialization fabric-assigned frame. A frame that contains a bitmap of all
fabric-assigned AL_PAs and is the first frame transmitted in the loop initialization
process after a temporary loop master has been selected.
LIHA Loop-initialization hard-assigned frame. A hard-assigned AL_PA that is indicated
by a bit set and is the third frame transmitted in the loop initialization process
after a temporary loop master has been selected.
LILP Loop-initialization loop-position frame. The last frame transmitted in a loop
initialization process after all L_Ports have selected an AL_PA. This frame is
transmitted around the Loop so that all L_Ports can determine the relative position
of all other L_Ports around the Loop. L_Port support for this frame is optional,
and this frame is not transmitted unless the LIRP is also transmitted.
See also LIRP.
link control facility A link hardware facility that attaches to an end of a link and manages
transmission and reception of data. It handles the physical and logical control
of the Fibre Channel link for each mode.
Link Services A protocol for link-related actions.
LIP Loop initialization primitive. The signal used to begin initialization in a loop.
Indicates either loop failure or node resetting.
LIPA Loop-initialization previously assigned frame. The second frame transmitted in
the loop initialization process after a temporary Loop master has been selected.
L_Ports that had an AL_PA prior to the loop initialization will select their AL_PA’s
in this frame as it makes its way around the loop.
LIRP Loop-initialization report position frame. The first frame transmitted in the loop
initialization process after all L_Ports have selected an AL_PA.The LIRP gets
transmitted around the loop so all L_Ports can report their relative physical
position. Thisisanoptionalframe.
See also LILP.
18 Glossary

LISA Loop-initialization soft-assigned frame. The fourth frame transmitted in the
loop initialization process after a temporary loop master has been selected.
L_Ports that have not selected an AL_PA in a LIFA, LIPA, or LIHA frame select
their AL_PA here.
LISM Loop-initialization select master frame. This Frame applies only to the Arbitrated
Loop topology. It is the first frame transmitted in the loop initialization process
in which L_Ports select an AL_PA. LISM is used to select a temporary loop
master or the L_Port that will subsequently start transmission of the LIFA, LIPA,
LIHA, LISA, LIRP, or LILP frames.
LM_TOV Loop master timeout value. The minimum time that the loop master waits for a
loop initialization sequence to return.
login server Theunitthatrespondstologinrequests.
loop circuit A temporary bidirectional communication path established between L_Ports.
loop failure Loss of signal within a loop for any period of time, or loss of synchronization for
longer than the timeout value.
Loop_ID A hexadecimal value representing one of the 127 possible AL_PA values in
an arbitrated loop.
loop initialization The logical procedure used by an L_Port to discover its environment. Can be
used to assign AL_PA addresses, detect loop failure, or reset a node.
looplet A set of devices connected in a loop to a port that is a member of another loop.
Loop Mode One of two possible modes for an L_Port, in which the L_Port is in an arbitrated
loop, using loop protocol. An L_Port in Loop Mode can also be in Participating
Mode or Nonparticipating Mode.
LPB Loop port bypass. A primitive sequence transmitted by an L_Port to bypass one
or all L_Ports to which it is directed. For example, if Port A suspects that Port B
is malfunctioning, Port A can send an LPB to Port B so that Port B retransmits
everything it receives, but it is not be active on the loop. This sequence is used
only in arbitrated loops.
LPE Loop port enable. A primitive sequence transmitted by an L_Port to enable
one or all L_Ports that have been bypassed with the LPB. It is used only in
arbitrated loops.
L_Port Loop port. A node port (NL_Port) or fabric port (FL_Port) that has arbitrated-loop
capabilities. An L_Port can be in either Fabric Mode or Loop Mode.
LPSM Loop Port State Machine. Logic that monitors and performs the tasks required
for initialization and access to the loop. It is maintained by an L_Port to track
behavior through different phases of loop operations. Alternatively, the logical
entity that performs arbitrated-loop protocols and defines the behavior of L_Ports
when they require access to an arbitrated loop.
LR Link reset. A primitive sequence used during link initialization between two
N_Ports in point-to-point topology or an N_Port and an F_Port in fabric topology.
The expected response is an LRR.
LRR Link reset response. A primitive sequence during link initialization between two
N_Ports in point-to-point topology or an N_Port and an F_Port in fabric topology.
An LRR is sent in response to an LR.
LSAN Logical storage area network. A network that enables device and storage
connectivity that spans two or more fabrics. The path between devices in an
LSAN can be local to a fabric or cross one or more MP Routers and one or
more backbone fabrics.
Fabric OS 5.x master glossary 19

LSAN zone The mechanism by which LSANs are administered. An MP Router attached to
two fabrics will listen for the creation of matching LSAN zones on both fabrics. If
this occurs, it will create phantom domains and FC-NAT entries as appropriate,
and insert entries for them into the name servers on the fabrics. LSAN zones are
compatible with all standard zoning mechanisms.
LUN Logical unit number. The physical number of a device in a chain of drives
connected in series.
LWL Long wavelength. A type of fiber optic cabling that is based on 1310-mm lasers
and supports link speeds of 1.0625, 2.125, or 4.25 Gbps. Can also refer
tothetypeofGBICorSFP.
See also SFP and SWL.
MALLOC Memory allocation. Usually relates to buffer credits.
MAN Metropolitan area network. A communications network that covers a
geographic area, such as a city or a suburb.
See also LAN and WAN.
Mbps Megabits per second (1,048,576 bits/second).
MBps Megabytes per second (1, 048,576 bytes/second).
meta-SAN The collection of all devices, switches, edge and backbone fabrics, LSANs,
and MP Routers that make up a physically connected but logically partitioned
storage network. LSANs span between edge fabrics using MP Routers. In a
data network, this would simply be called the network. However, an additional
term is required to specify the difference between a single-fabric network (SAN),
a multifabric network without cross-fabric connectivity (dual-redundant fabric
SAN), and a multifabric network with connectivity (meta-SAN).
metric A relative value assigned to a route to aid in calculating the shortest path
(defaults to 1000 at 1 Gbps and 500 at 2 or 4 Gbps).
MIA Media interface adapter. A device that converts optical connections to copper
ones, and vice-versa.
MIB Management Information Base. An SNMP structure to help with device
management, providing configuration and device information.
MMF Multimode fiber. An optical fiber with a larger core than singlemode fiber. It is
the most commonly used fiber for short distances, such as in LANs.
See also LAN and SWL.
MOF Managed Object Format file.
MP Management Platform. A platform running the HP Fibre Channel Routing Service
or FC-to-FC routing (for instance, the HP StorageWorks Multi-protocol Router)
thatenablestwoormorefabricstoshareresources(suchhostsorstorage
devices) without merging those fabrics. The platform could simultaneously be
used as an MP Router and as an FCIP tunnel or iSCSI gateway.
MRK Mark primitive signal. A signal that is used only in an arbitrated loop, is
vendor-specific, and is transmitted by an L_Port for synchronization and is
vendor specific.
MS Management Server. A server allows a storage area network (SAN)
management application to retrieve information and administer the fabric and
interconnected elements, such as switches, servers, and storage devices. The
MS is located at the Fibre Channel well-known address FFFFFAh.
MSD Management Server daemon. A daemon that monitors the MS. Includes the
Fabric Configuration Service and the Unzoned Name Server.
20 Glossary