Fabric OS Reference Manual

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GLOSSARY
8b/10b encoding Encoding scheme that converts each 8-bit data byte into a 10-bit transmission
character. Used to balance ones and zeros in high-speed transports.
Address identifier Value used to identify source or destination of a frame.
AL_PA Arbitrated Loop Physical Address. Unique 8-bit value assigned during loop
initialization to each port in an arbitrated loop.
Alias server Fabric software facility that supports multicast group management.
ANSI American National Standards Institute. Governing body for fibre channel
standards in the U.S.A.
API Application Programming Interface. Defined protocol that allows
applications to interface with a set of services.
Arbitrated loop A fibre channel transport structured as a loop. Allows communication
between ports without using a switch. Requires successful arbitration by a
port before a circuit is established. Supports up to 126 devices and 1 fabric
attachment. Similar to a “shared bandwidth ring” on a network.
ASIC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit.
ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode. Transport 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.
Bandwidth The total transmission capacity of a link, cable, or system.