Qlogic QLA2 Series, User Manual

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SANsurfer FC/CNA HBA CLI User’s Guide
Command Line Interface for QLogic FC and FCoE Adapters
Glossary-6 SN0054614-00 K
Using LUNs, the FC host can address
multiple peripheral devices that may share
a common controller.
LUN masking
A software feature that assigns LUNs to
specific servers or hides LUNs from
specific servers for maximum access and
availability control.
media
Physical-layer information carriers. FC
supports several different physical media:
copper, multimode optical, and
single-mode optical. All FC protocols are
supported on all media.
message passing interface
See MPI .
MPI
Message passing interface is a specifica-
tion for an API that allows many computers
to communicate with one another. It is
used in computer clusters and supercom-
puters.
MSI-X
One of two PCI-defined extensions to
support message signaled interrupts
(MSI), in PCI 2.2 and later and PCI
Express. MSIs are an alternative way of
generating an interrupt through special
messages that allow emulation of a pin
assertion or deassertion.
MSI-X (defined in PCI 3.0) allows a device
to allocate any number of interrupts
between 1 and 2048 and gives each inter-
rupt separate data and address registers.
Optional features in MSI (64-bit
addressing and interrupt masking) are
mandatory with MSI-X.
N_Port
Node port. A port that connects by a
point-to-point link to either a single N_Port
or a single F_Port. N_Ports handle
creation, detection, and flow of message
units to and from the connected systems.
N_Ports are end ports in virtual
point-to-point links through a fabric, for
example N_Port to F_Port to F_Port to
N_Port using a single FC fabric switch.
See also
F_Port .
N_Port ID virtualization
See NPIV .
network adapter
A chip that provides network capabilities. A
computer may include a network adapter
on its system board, or on an adapter card.
Also a
NIC (network interface card or
controller).
network interface card/controller
See NIC .
NIC
Network interface card or network inter-
face controller. A computer card installed
to enable a dedicated network connection.
NL_Port
Node loop port. A port capable of
arbitrated loop functions and protocols. An
NL_Port connects through an arbitrated
loop to other NL_Port and at most a single
FL_Port. NL_Ports handle creation, detec-
tion, and flow of message units to and from
the connected systems. NL_Ports are end
ports in virtual point-to-point links through
a fabric, for example NL_Port to F_Port to
F_Port to N_Port using a single FC fabric
switch. In the absence of a fabric switch
FL_Port, NL_Ports can communicate with