Glossary

network management

The broad subject of managing computer networks. There exists a wide variety of software and hardware products that help network system administrators manage a network. Network management covers a wide area, including security, performance, and reliability.

never principal

The setting that prevents the product from becoming the principal switch for a fabric.

NIC

See network interface card.

nickname

Alternate name assigned to a world-wide name for a node, director or switch in the fabric.

node

In Fibre Channel protocol, an end device (server or storage device) that is or can be connected to a switched fabric. See also device.

node port

N_Port. Physical interface within an end device that can connect to an fabric port (F_Port) on

aswitched fabric or directly to another N_Port (in point-to-point communications). See also bridge port; expansion port; fabric port; generic port; segmented expansion port.

node port identifier

N_Port ID. In Fibre Channel protocol, a unique address identifier by which an N_Port is uniquely known. It consists of a domain (most significant byte), an area, and a port, each 1 byte long. The N_Port ID is used in the source identifier (S_ID) and destination identifier (D_ID) fields of a Fibre Channel frame.

nondisruptive maintenance

See concurrent maintenance.

nonvolatile random access memory

NV-RAM. RAM that retains its content when the device power is turned off.

N_Port

See node port.

N_Port ID

See node port identifier.

NV-RAM

See nonvolatile random access memory.