McDATA Enterprise Operating System, User Manual

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Glossary g-7
Glossary
fabric loop port
FL_Port. A fabric port (F_Port) that contains arbitrated loop (AL)
functions associated with the Fibre Channel arbitrated loop (FC-AL)
topology. The access point of the fabric for physically connecting an
arbitrated loop of node loop ports (NL_Ports).
fabric port F_Port. Physical interface within the fabric that connects to a node
port (N_Port) through a point-to-point full duplex connection.
fabric membership list The list of switches, specified by Domain ID and WWN, that will be
exchanged during Exchange Fabric Membership Data.
failover Automatic and nondisruptive transition of functions from an active
field-replaceable unit (FRU) that has failed to a backup FRU.
FAN Fabric address notification.
FCP A standard Fibre Channel protocol used to run SCSI over Fibre
Channel.
fiber The fiber-optic cable made from thin strands of glass through which
data in the form of light pulses is transmitted. It is used for
high-speed transmissions over medium (200 m) to long (10 km)
distances.
Fibre Channel FC. Integrated set of standards recognized by American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) which defines specific protocols for
flexible information transfer. Logically, a point-to-point serial data
channel, structured for high performance.
Fibre Channel address A 3-byte node port (N_Port) identifier which is unique within the
address domain of a fabric. Each port may choose its own identifier,
or the identifier may be assigned automatically during fabric login.
field-replaceable unit
FRU. Assembly removed and replaced in its entirety when any one of
its components fails
(D) . See active field-replaceable unit .
firmware Embedded program code that resides and runs on, for example,
directors, switches, and hubs.
FL_Port See fabric loop port .
FX_Port A port configuration allowing a port to transition operationally to
either an F_Port or an FL_Port. Only the Sphereon 4500 Switch
supports the configuration of this port type.