Chapter 7: Glossary
EF2915 Series User Guide
85
N_Port
Node Port
. A physical interface within an end device (node) that may attach to an F-Port
or directly to another N_Port through a point-to-point connection.
Point-to-point
A dedicated Fibre Channel connection (link) between two devices. See also
Topology
.
Port
A Fibre Channel physical entity that connects a node to a network.
Port Login (PLOGI)
The login process in which a port sends its port-to-port operating parameters to every port
in the network that it needs to communicate with.
Port Name
See
World Wide Name
.
Private Loop
A free-standing arbitrated loop with no fabric attachments. See also
Arbitrated Loop
.
Public Loop
An arbitrated loop attached to a (SAN) fabric switch. See also
Arbitrated Loop
.
SAN
Storage Area Network.
A network that links servers and workstations to disk arrays and
tape backup subsystems in a Fibre Channel network.
Sequence
A group of one or more related frames. See also
Frame
and
Word
.
Sequence Count
The value in the frame header that helps identify the order in which the frames were
transmitted.
Sequence ID
The value in a frame header that distinguishes one frame sequence from another.
Source WWN
The world-wide name that identifies the sender of the frame.
Target
A disk array or tape subsystem in a Fibre Channel network.
Topology
The logical or physical arrangement of devices in a network configuration. Also refers to a
specific way of connecting the components, such as point-to-point or arbitrated loop. See
also
Point-to-Point
and
Arbitrated Loop
.
Word
The basic Fibre Channel building block used to construct frames. It consists of four 10-bit
bytes. See also
Frame
and
Sequence
.
