FW 05.01.00 and SW 07.01.00 HP StorageWorks Directors and Edge Switches Glossary (AA-RU5JA-TE, June 2003)

Glossary
6 Directors and Edge Switches Glossary
bridge port
(B_Port) — (1) In Fibre Channel protocol, a fabric inter-element port used to connect bridge
devices with E_Ports on a switch. B_Ports provide a subset of E_Port functionality. (2) A term
for a physical interface between the fabric (switch) and a bridge device. The interface is
identical to an expansion port (E_Port), but it does not participate in full expansion port
protocols. As such, it does not assign domain IDs or participate in routing protocol. See also
expansion port, fabric port, generic port, node port, and segmented E_Port.
broadcast
Send a transmission to all node ports (N_Ports) on a fabric. See also broadcast frame and
multicast.
broadcast frame
Data packet, also known as a broadcast packet, whose destination address specifies all
computers on a network. See also broadcast and multicast.
buffer
Storage area for data in transit. Buffers compensate for differences in processing speeds
between devices. See also buffer-to-buffer credit
buffer-to-buffer credit
(BB_Credit) — The maximum number of frames a port can transmit without receiving a receive
ready signal from the receiving device.
CHPID
See channel path identifier.
call-home
Product feature that requires installation of HP Proactive Service software and enables the
HAFM server to automatically transmit system events (failure information) to aN HP customer
support center. The HP support center server accepts calls from the HAFM server, logs reported
events, and can notify one or more support center representatives.
cell
In S/390 mode, in a port address matrix, a cell is the intersection point between a horizontal port
address and a vertical port address. A selected cell is indicated by the cell cursor.
channel
Point-to-point link that transports data from one point to the other.
channel path
A single interface between a central processor and one or more control units along which
signals and data can be sent to perform I/O requests.
channel path identifier
(CHPID) — In a channel subsystem, a value assigned to each installed channel path of the
system that uniquely identifies that path to the system.