Sun Microsystems Sun Fire X4200 User Manual
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Glossary-2
Sun Fire X4100 and Sun Fire X4200 Servers System Management Guide • December 2005
feature of the ACPI enables the OS to modify the voltage and frequency of a
CPU in response tYPo system load, thus enabling the system’s main power-
consuming element (the CPU) to vary its power consumption based on system
load.
Advanced
Programmable
Interrupt Controller
(APIC)
A device that manages interrupt requests for multiple central processing units
(CPUs). The APIC decides which request has the highest priority and sends an
interrupt to the processor for that request.
Advanced Technology
Attachment (ATA)
A specification that describes the physical, transport, electrical, and command
protocols used to attach storage devices to host systems.
Advanced Technology
Attachment Packet
Interface (ATAPI)
An extension to the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) standard for
connecting removable media storage devices in host systems, including
CD/DVD drives, tape drives, and high-capacity floppy drives. Also called
“ATA-2” or “ATA/ATAPI.”
agent
A software process, usually corresponding to a particular local managed host,
that carries out manager requests and makes local system and application
information available to remote users.
alert
A message or log generated by the collection and analysis of error events. An
alert indicates that there is a need to perform some hardware or software
corrective action.
Alert Standard Format
(ASF)
A preboot or out-of-band platform management specification that enables a
device, such as an intelligent Ethernet controller, to autonomously scan ASF-
compliant sensors on the motherboard for voltage, temperature, or other
excursions and to send Remote Management and Control Protocol (RMCP)
alerts according to the Platform Event Trap (PET) specification. ASF was
intended primarily for out-of-band management functions for client desktops.
ASF is defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
authentication
The process that verifies the identity of a user in a communication session, or a
device or other entity in a computer system, before that user, device, or other
entity can access system resources. Session authentication can work in two
directions. A server authenticates a client to make access control decisions. The
client can authenticate the server as well. With Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the
client always authenticates the server.
authorization
The process of granting specific access privileges to a user. Authorization is
based on authentication and access control.