Fibre Channel Adapter for VMware ESX User’s Guide
Glossary-4 FC0054606-00 A
S
L_Port
Loop port. Does arbitrated loop functions
and protocols. NL_Ports and FL_Ports are
examples of loop-capable ports. See
E_Port, F_Port, FL_Port, G_Port, N_Port
(Node Port), NL_Port (Node Loop Port).
LIP
Loop initialization process. The initializa-
tion process in an arbitrated loop that
occurs when the loop is powered up or a
new device is added. One function of a LIP
is to assign addresses. All data transmis-
sion on the loop is suspended during a LIP.
loopback
Diagnostic tool that routes transmit data
through a loopback connector back to the
same adapter.
LUN
Logical unit number, a subdivision of a
SCSI target. It is the small integer handle
that differentiates an individual disk drive
or partition (volume) within a common
SCSI target device such as a disk array.
Technically, a LUN can be a single
physical disk drive, multiple physical disk
drives, or a portion (volume) of a single
physical disk drive. However, LUNs are
typically not entire disk drives but rather
virtual partitions (volumes) of a RAID set.
Using LUNs, the FC host can address
multiple peripheral devices that may share
a common controller.
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.
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, detec-
tion, 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 FL_Port.
N_Port ID virtualization
The ability for a single physical FC end
point (N_Port (Node Port)) to support
multiple, uniquely addressable, logical end
points. With NPIV, a host FC adapter is
shared in such a way that each virtual
adapter is assigned to a virtual server and
is separately identifiable within the fabric.
Connectivity and access privileges within
the fabric are controlled by identification of
each virtual adapter and, hence, the virtual
server using each virtual adapter.
NIC
Network interface controller.
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