IBM ServeRAID M5025, User Manual

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ServeRAID M5025 SAS/SATA Controller User’s Guide B-1
Appendix B
Glossary of Terms
and Abbreviations
active
termination The electrical connection required at each end of the SCSI bus,
composed of active voltage regulation and a set of termination resistors.
array An array of drives combines the storage space on the drives into a single
segment of storage space. A hot spare drive does not actively participate
in an array.
BIOS Acronym for Basic Input/Output System. Software that provides basic
read/write capability. Usually kept as firmware (ROM-based). The system
BIOS on the mainboard of a computer boots and controls the system.
The BIOS on your host adapter acts as an extension of the system BIOS.
configuration Refers to the way a computer is set up, the combined hardware
components (computer, monitor, keyboard, and peripheral devices) that
make up a computer system, or the software settings that allow the
hardware components to communicate with each other.
device driver A program that allows a microprocessor (through the operating system)
to direct the operation of a peripheral device.
domain
validation Domain Validation is a software procedure in which a host queries a
device to determine its ability to communicate at the negotiated data rate.
EEPROM Acronym for Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory.
It is a memory chip that typically stores configuration information, as it
provides stable storage for long periods without electricity and can be
reprogrammed. Refer to NVRAM.
external SAS
device A SAS device installed outside the computer cabinet. These devices are
connected using specific types of shielded cables.
Fusion-MPT
architecture Fusion-MPT (Message Passing Technology) architecture consists of
several main elements: Fusion-MPT firmware, the Fibre Channel and
SCSI hardware, and the operating system level drivers that support