Glossary

The following symbols are used in this glossary:

vThe symbol (A) identifies definitions from the American National Standard Dictionary for Information Systems, ANSI X3.172-1990, copyright 1990 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Copies can be purchased from the American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York, New York 10018.

vThe symbol (I) identifies definitions from the Information Technology Vocabulary, developed by Subcommittee 1, Joint Technical Committee 1, of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC JTC1/SC1).

vThe symbol (T) identifies definitions from draft international standards, committee drafts, and working papers being developed by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC1.

The following cross-references are used in this glossary:

Contrast with. This refers to a term that has an opposed or substantively different meaning.

See. This refers the reader to multiple-word terms in which this term appears.

See also. This refers the reader to terms that have a related, but not synonymous, meaning.

Synonym for. This indicates that the term has the same meaning as a preferred term, which is defined in the glossary.

access priority. The maximum priority that a token can have for the adapter to use it for transmission.

adapter address. Twelve hexadecimal digits that identify a LAN adapter.

address. (1) In data communication, the IEEE-assigned unique code or the unique locally administered code assigned to each device or workstation connected to a network. (2) A character, group of characters, or a value that identifies a register, a particular part of storage, a data source, or a data sink. The value is represented by one or more characters. (3) To refer to a device or an item of data by its address. (4) The location in the storage of a computer where data is stored. (5) In word processing, the location, identified by the address code, of a specific section of the recording medium or storage.

APAR. Authorized program analysis report.

ARP. Address Resolution Protocol.

attach. To make a device a part of a network logically.

Note:

Not to be confused with connect, which implies physically connecting a device to a network.

attaching device. Any device that is physically connected to a network and can communicate over the network.

auto-removal.The removal of a device from data-passing activity without human intervention. This action is accomplished by the adapter in the device, and can be initiated by a network management program.

available memory. In a personal computer, the number of bytes of memory that can be used after memory requirements for the operating system, device drivers, and other application programs have been satisfied.

beaconing. An error-indicating function of token-ring adapters that assists in locating a problem causing a hard error on a token-ring network.

BIA. Burned-In Address. The address of a LAN adapter card, burned into the card and unique to the card.

BIOS. Basic Input/Output Services. See also NetBIOS.

block size. (1) The minimum size that frames are grouped into for retransmission. (2) The number of data elements (such as bits, bytes, characters, or records) that are recorded or transmitted as a unit.

buffer. (1) A portion of storage used to hold input or output data temporarily. (2) A routine or storage used to compensate for a difference in data rate or time of occurrence of events, when transferring data from one device to another.

bus. (1) In a processor, a physical facility on which data is transferred to all destinations, but from which only addressed destinations may read in accordance with appropriate conventions. (2) A network configuration in which nodes are interconnected through a bidirectional transmission medium. (3) One or more conductors used for transmitting signals or power.