FW 08.01.00 McDATA® Sphereon 3032 and 3232 Fabric Switches Installation and Service Manual (620-000155-220, November 2005)

g-6
McDATA® Sphereon 3032 and 3232 Fabric Switches Installation and Service Manual
Glossary
in order for the user to locate field-replaceable units (FRU’s),
switches, or directors in cabinets or computer rooms.
ber See bit error rate.
bezel A removable panel that covers empty drive bays and port cards.
bidirectional In Fibre Channel protocol, the capability to simultaneously communi-
cate at maximum speeds in both directions over a link.
bit Abbreviated as b. (1) Binary digit, the smallest unit of data in comput-
ing, with a value of zero or one (D). (2) A bit is the basic data unit of
all digital computers. It is usually part of a data byte or data word;
however, a single bit can be used to control or read logic ON/OFF
functions. (3) A bit is a single digit in a binary number. Bits are the
basic unit of information capacity on a computer storage device.
Eight bits equals one byte.
bit density Expressed as bits per inch (bpi), the number of bits that can be written
on one inch of track on a disk surface.
bit error rate Abbreviated as ber. Ratio of received bits that contain errors to total
of all bits transmitted.
bits per inch Abbreviated as bpi. Indicates the density of information on a hard
drive.
blocked connection In S/390 mode, in a director or switch, the attribute that, when set,
removes the communication capability of a specific port. A blocked
address is disabled so that no other address can be connected to it. A
blocked attribute supersedes a dedicated or prohibited attribute on
the same address. Contrast with allowed connection; unblocked con-
nection. See connectivity attribute. See also dynamic connection;
dynamic connectivity.
blocked port In a director or switch, the attribute that when set, removes the com-
munication capability of a specific port. A blocked port continuously
transmits the offline sequence.
boot (1) To start or restart a computer. (2) Loading the operating system.
bpi See bits per inch.
B_Port See bridge port.