Q-Logic FC0054607-00 A Cache, Converged Network Adapter, Device, Driver, EPort, Enhanced Ethernet

Fibre Channel and Converged Network Adapters for VMware ESX/ESXi 4.0 User’s Guide

cache

Atemporary high-speed storage (memory) area where recently used or frequently accessed data is stored for rapid access, thus increasing the efficiency of processor operations.

Cache contents duplicate recently-used values stored on disk or elsewhere. Cache is quick to access relative to the original data which either takes more time due to slow disc-access time, or is slow to compute. After data is stored in the cache, future use can be made by accessing the cached copy rather than re-finding or recomputing the original data, so that the average access time is lower.

„L1 cache—Primary (smallest) cache on the same chip as the processor.

„L2 cache—Secondary (larger) cache. Either on the processor chip or external to the processor.

Converged Network Adapter

QLogic Converged Network Adapters support both data networking (TCP/IP) and storage networking (FC) traffic on a single I/O adapter using two new technolo- gies: Enhanced Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).

device

A target, typically a disk drive. Hardware such as a disk drive, tape drive, printer, or keyboard that is installed in or connected to a system. In FC, a target device.

driver

The software that interfaces between the file system and a physical data storage device or network media.

E_Port

Expansion port. A port in a Fibre Channel switch that connects to another Fibre Channel switch or bridge device by an inter-switch link ISL). E_Ports are used to link Fibre Channel switches to form a multi-switch fabric.

Enhanced Ethernet

Also called data center Ethernet or converged enhanced Ethernet. Refers to new enhancements to the existing Ethernet standard that eliminate Ethernet’s inherent lossy nature and make 10Gb Ethernet a viable storage networking transport.

Ethernet

The most widely used LAN technology that transmits information between computers, typically at speeds of 10 and 100 million bits per second (Mbps).

expansion port

See E_Port.

F_Port

Fabric port. The “fabric” port in a Fibre Channel fabric switch provides a point-to-point link attachment to a single N_Port. F_Ports are intermediate ports in virtual point-to-point links between end ports, for example N_Port to F_Port to F_Port to N_Port using a single Fibre Channel fabric switch.

fabric

Afabric consists of cross-connected Fibre Channel devices and switches.

fabric loop port

See FL_Port.

fabric port

See F_Port.

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