McDATA 3032 Switch User Manual


 
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McDATA® Sphereon 3032 and 3232 Fabric Switches Installation and Service Manual
Glossary
scalable Refers to how well a system can adapt to increased demands. For
example, a scalable network system could start with just a few nodes
but easily expands to thousands of nodes. Scalability is important
because it allows the user to invest in a system with confidence that a
business will not outgrow it. Refers to anything whose size can be
changed.
SCSI See small computer system interface.
segment A fabric segments when one or more switches cannot join the fabric
because of various reasons. The switch or switches remain as separate
fabrics.
segmented E_Port See segmented expansion port.
segmented expansion
port
Segmented E_Port. E_Port that has ceased to function as an E_Port
within a multiswitch fabric due to an incompatibility between the
fabrics that it joins. See also bridge port; fabric port; generic port; node
port.
serial port A full-duplex channel that sends and receives data at the same time.
It consists of three wires: two that move data one bit at a time in
opposite directions, and a third wire that is a common signal ground
wire.
server A computer that provides shared resources, such as files and printers,
to the network. Used primarily to store data, providing access to
shared resources. Usually contains a network operating system.
SFP transceivers See small form factor pluggable transceivers.
shortwave Lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit light with wave-
lengths around 780 nm or 850 nm. When using multimode fiber (50
nm) shortwave lasers can be used with Fibre Channel links less than
500 m. To achieve longer lengths, single-mode fiber is required. The
preferred fiber core size is 50 micron as this fiber has large bandwidth
so that the distance is limited by the fiber attenuation. A 62.5 micron
core size is also supported for compatibility with existing FDDI
installations. Fiber of this type has smaller bandwidth and, in this
case, the distance is limited by the fiber bandwidth.
simple mail transfer
protocol
SMTP. A transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)
protocol that allows the user to create, send, and receive text mes-
sages. SMTP protocols specify how messages are passed across a link