| Sun Fire V20z and Sun Fire V40z Servers Troubleshooting Techniques and Diagnostics Guide |     |
| Sun Fire V20z and Sun Fire V40z Servers Troubleshooting Techniques and Diagnostics Guide | |
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Glossary |
Analog-to-digital conversion - An electronic process in which a continuously variable (analog) signal is changed, without altering its essential content, into a multi-level (digital) signal.
Active Directory Service - Microsoft's directory service. Both local files and a remote ADS server authenticate users
A circuit board (usually a printed circuit board) that connects several connectors in parallel to each other, so that each pin of each connector is linked to the same relative pin of all the other connectors, forming a computer bus. It is used as a backbone to connect several printed circuit board cards together to make up a complete computer system. A backplane is generally differentiated from a motherboard by the lack of on-board processing power where the CPU is on a plug-in card.
Baseboard Management Controller - Service Processor and its controlling firmware. In order to perform autonomous platform management functions, the Service Processor runs embedded software or firmware. Together, the Service Processor and its controlling firmware comprise the BMC, which is the core of the IPMI structure. The tight integration of IPMI BMC and management software with platform firmware provides a total management solution. The BMC is a Service Processor that is integrated into the motherboard design. It provides a management solution that is independent of the main processor. The monitored system can communicate with the BMC via one of three defined system interfaces which are based on a set of registers that are shared between the platform and the BMC.
Common Internet File Server - A protocol that allows programs to make requests for files and services on remote computers on the Internet. CIFS uses the client/server programming model.
Central Processing Unit - processor or microprocessor
Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory) - can theoretically improve memory clock speed to at least 200 MHz. It activates output on both the rising and falling edge of the system clock, rather than on only the rising edge. This potentially doubles output.
Double Data Rate Voltage Regulator Module - See "DDR SDRAM" and "Universal Time Coordinated - the standard time common to every place in the world. Formerly and still widely called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and also World Time, UTC nominally reflects the mean solar time along the Earth's prime meridian.."
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - a communications protocol that lets network administrators centrally manage and automate the assignment of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in an organization's network.
Dual In-line Memory Module - a double SIMM (single in-line memory module); a module that contains one or several random access memory (RAM) chips on a small circuit board with pins that connect it to the computer motherboard.
Direct Memory Access - a capability provided by some computer bus architectures that allows data to be sent directly from an attached device (such as a disk drive) to the memory on the computer's motherboard. The microprocessor is freed from involvement with the data transfer, thus speeding up overall computer operation.
Domain Name System - the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol addresses.
An optical disc technology with a 4.7 gigabyte storage capacity on a single-sided, one-layered disk, which is enough for a 133-minute movie. DVDs can be single- or double-sided, and can have two layers on each side; a double-sided, two-layered DVD will hold up to 17 gigabytes of video, audio, or other information.
Enhanced Baseboard Management Controller - the modular implementation of the SP; a superset of the BMC with additional intelligence and communication interfaces.
Enterprise Integration System - A computing system that is of "enterprise class." It offers a high quality of service, deals with large volumes of data, and is capable of supporting a large organization. An EIS is usually operated by professional system administrators, is deployed on dedicated servers, offers network connectivity, and provides services that support the operations of the enterprise.
An engineered technique for adding capability to a computer in the form of connection pinholes (typically, in the range of 16 to 64 closely-spaced holes) and a place to fit an expansion card containing the circuitry that provides some specialized capability, such as video acceleration, sound, or disk drive control.
Field-effect Transistor - a type of transistor commonly used for weak-signal amplification (for example, for amplifying wireless signals). The device can amplify analog or digital signals. It can also switch DC or function as an oscillator.
Hard Disk Drive - the mechanism that controls the positioning, reading, and writing of the hard disk, which furnishes the largest amount of data storage for the PC. Although the hard disk drive (often shortened to "hard drive") and the hard disk are not the same thing, they are packaged as a unit and so either term is sometimes used to refer to the whole unit.
The I2C (Inter-IC) bus is a bi-directional two-wire serial bus that provides a communication link between integrated circuits (ICs). Phillips introduced the I2C bus 20 years ago for mass-produced items such as televisions, VCRs, and audio equipment..
Integrated Circuit Management Bus
Unix function that manipulates the underlying device parameters of special files. In particular, many operating characteristics of character special files (for example, terminals) can be controlled with ioctl requests.
Intelligent Platform Management Bus
Intelligent Platform Management Interface - an industry-standard interface specification for hardware manageability. It provides an architecture that defines how many unique devices can communicate with the CPU in a standard way. It provides a standard set of interfaces to monitor and manage services. In this way, it simplifies frameworks for platform-side and remote systems management.
Keyboard Controller Style Interface
Logical Unit Number - a unique identifier used on a SCSI bus that enables it to differentiate between up to eight separate devices (each of which is a logical unit). Each LUN is a unique number that identifies a specific logical unit, which may be an end user, a file, or an application program.
The electronic holding place for instructions and data that your computer's microprocessor can reach quickly. When your computer is in normal operation, its memory usually contains the main parts of the operating system and some or all of the application programs and related data that are being used.
A motherboard is the physical arrangement in a computer that contains the computer's basic circuitry and components. On the typical motherboard, the circuitry is imprinted or affixed to the surface of a firm planar surface and usually manufactured in a single step. The most common motherboard design in desktop computers today is the AT, based on the IBM AT motherboard. A more recent motherboard specification, ATX, improves on the AT design. In both the AT and ATX designs, the computer components included in the motherboard are: microprocessor, (optionally) coprocessors, memory, basic input/output system (BIOS), expansion slot, interconnecting circuitry. Additional components can be added to a motherboard through its expansion slot. The electronic interface between the motherboard and the smaller boards or cards in the expansion slots is called the bus.
Network File System - a client/server application that lets a computer user view and optionally store and update files on a remote computer as though they were on the user's own computer.
Network Interface Card - a computer circuit board or card that is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network.
Network Information Service - A UNIX-originated solution to directory service. Both local files and a remote NIS server authenticate users.
Original Design Manufacturer - A company that designs products that are sold to the end user by a second company under the second company's name.
Object Identifier - a numerical variable that identifies multiple of objects that are grouped together for easier reference.
Open Systems Interconnection - a seven-layer model defined by ISO as a reference for standardization of electronic communication systems.
Printed Circuit Board Assembly
Peripheral Component Interconnect - an interconnection system between a microprocessor and attached devices in which expansion slots are spaced closely for high-speed operation.
Physical Layer - the physical layer of the OSI model that defines the physical connections over which data are transmitted.
Random Access Memory - memory is located on one or more microchips that are physically close to the microprocessor in your computer.
Real-time Clock - a battery-powered clock that is included in a microchip in a computer motherboard. This microchip is usually separate from the microprocessor and other chips and is often referred to simply as "the CMOS" (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor). A small memory on this microchip stores system description or setup values - including current time values stored by the real-time clock. The time values are for the year, month, date, hours, minutes, and seconds. When the computer is turned on, the Basic Input-Output Operating System (BIOS) that is stored in the computer's read-only memory (ROM) microchip reads the current time from the memory in the chip with the real-time clock.
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment - a new standard for connecting hard drives into computer systems. As its name implies, SATA is based on serial signaling technology, unlike current IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives that use parallel signaling.
Small Computer System Interface - a set of ANSI standard electronic interfaces that allow personal computers to communicate with peripheral hardware such as disk drives, tape drives, CD-ROM drives, printers, and scanners, quickly and flexibly.
Sensor Data Record Repository - the container for and interface from which you can access sensor data records.
System Event Log - log of informational, warning, and critical events that occurred in the system.
Short Message Service - service for sending messages of up to 160 characters.
Simple Network Management Protocol - the protocol that governs network management and monitoring of network devices and their functions. It is not necessarily limited to TCP/IP networks.
Serial Over LAN - the specification of packet formats and protocols for the transmission of serial data over LAN using IPMI over LAN packets.
Serial Presence Detect - information stored in an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) chip on a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) memory module that tells the basic input/output system (BIOS) the module's size, data width, speed, and voltage. This occurs during boot. The BIOS uses this information to configure the memory properly for maximum reliability and performance. If a memory module does not have SPD, the BIOS "assumes" the memory module's information. This does not cause problems with some memory. However, SDRAM memory usually requires SPD for the computer to boot. If it a computer with SDRAM memory boots without SPD, the "assumed" information can cause fatal exception errors.
Universal Time Coordinated - the standard time common to every place in the world. Formerly and still widely called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and also World Time, UTC nominally reflects the mean solar time along the Earth's prime meridian.
Voltage Regulator Module - an installable module that senses a computer's microprocessor voltage requirements and ensures that the correct voltage is maintained.
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