g-2
Departmental Switch Models DS-16B and DS-8B Web Tools User Guide
Glossary
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.
B
Bandwidth The total transmission capacity of a link, cable, or system.
BB_Credit Buffer-to-buffer credit. The number of frames that can be transmitted
to a directly connected recipient or within an arbitrated loop.
Determined by number of available receive buffers. See also
Buffer-to-buffer flow control, EE_Credit.
BER Bit Error Rate. Rate at which bits are expected to be received in error.
Expressed as ratio of error bits to total bits transmitted. See also Error.
Bit synchronization The delivery of correctly clocked bits at the required BER. See also
BER.
Broadcast Transmission of data from a single source to all devices in fabric,
regardless of zoning. See also Multicast, Unicast.
Buffer
-to-buffer flow
control
Management of frame transmission rate between directly connected
ports or within an arbitrated loop. See alsoBB_Credit.
C
Cascade Two or more interconnected fibre channel switches. Some switches
can cascade up to 32; others can cascade up to 239. For Department
switches, a maximum of seven hops is recommended (no path longer
than eight switches).
Circuit Established communication path between ports. Consists of two
virtual circuits that transmit in opposite directions. See also Link.
Class 1 A connection-oriented service that provides a dedicated connection
between two ports, with notification of delivery or non-delivery.
Class 2 A multiplex and connectionless frame switching service between two
ports, with notification of delivery or nondelivery.