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

Glossary
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Glossary
about themselves. This information allows N_Ports to discover and
learn about each other by sending queries to the name server.
name server zoning Node port (N_Port) access management that allows N_Ports to com-
municate if and only if they belong to a common name server zone.
NAS See network-attached storage.
navigation control
panel
The leftmost, vertical frame of the windows in EFC management
applications. The panel contains menu options which, among other
functions, allow you to change your views in the main panel.
navigation panel The left side of the embedded web server interface window. Click on
words in this panel to display menu options. See also main panel.
network An arrangement of hardware, software, nodes, and connecting
branches that comprises a data communication system. The Interna-
tional Organization for Standardization (ISO) seven-layer specifica-
tion partitions a computer network into independent modules from
the lowest (physical) layer to the highest (application) layer (D).
network address Name or address that identifies a device on a transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) network. The network address
can be either an IP address in dotted-decimal notation (composed of
four three-digit octets in the format xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) or a domain
name (as administered on a customer network).
network-attached
storage
NAS. Storage connected directly to the network, through a processor
and its own operating system. Lacks the processor power to run cen-
tralized, shared applications.
network interface
card
NIC. An expansion board inserted into a computer so the computer
can be connected to a network. Most NICs are designed for specific
types of networks, protocols, and medias, although some can serve
multiple networks.
network management The broad subject of managing computer networks. There exists a
wide variety of software and hardware products that help network
system administrators manage a network. Network management
covers a wide area, including security, performance, and reliability.
never principal The setting that prevents the product from becoming the principal
switch for a fabric.