Dell™ PowerEdge™ T110 Systems Hardware Owner's Manual
A — Ampere(s).
AC — Alternating current.
ACPI — Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. A standard interface for enabling the operating system to direct configuration and power management.
ambient temperature — The temperature of the area or room where the system is located.
ANSI — American National Standards Institute. The primary organization for developing technology standards in the U.S.
asset tag — An individual code assigned to a system, usually by an administrator, for security or tracking purposes.
backup — A copy of a program or data file. As a precaution, back up your system's hard drive(s) on a regular basis.
blade — A module that contains a processor, memory, and a hard drive. The modules are mounted into a chassis that includes power supplies and fans.
BMC — Baseboard management controller.
bootable media — A CD or USB memory key that is used to start your system if the system does not boot from the hard drive.
BTU — British thermal unit.
bus — An information pathway between the components of a system. Your system contains an expansion bus that allows the processor to communicate with controllers for the peripheral devices connected to the system. Your system also contains an address bus and a data bus for communications between the processor and RAM.
C — Celsius.
cache — A fast storage area that keeps a copy of data or instructions for quick data retrieval.
cm — Centimeter(s).
COMn — The device names for the serial ports on your system.
control panel — The part of the system that contains indicators and controls, such as the power button and power indicator.
controller — A chip or expansion card that controls the transfer of data between the processor and memory or between the processor and a peripheral device.
coprocessor — A chip that relieves the system's processor of specific processing tasks. A math coprocessor, for example, handles numeric processing.
CPU — Central processing unit. See processor.
DC — Direct current.
DDR — Double-data rate. A technology in memory modules that potentially doubles the data rate by transferring data on both the rising and falling pulses of a clock cycle.
device driver — A program that allows the operating system or some other program to interface correctly with a peripheral.
DHCP — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A method of automatically assigning an IP address to a client system.
diagnostics — A comprehensive set of tests for your system.
DIMM — Dual in-line memory module. See also memory module.
DNS — Domain Name System. A method of translating Internet domain names, such as www.example.com, into IP addresses, such as 208.77.188.166.
DRAM — Dynamic random-access memory. A system's RAM is usually made up entirely of DRAM chips.
driver — See device driver.
DVD — Digital versatile disc or digital video disc.
ECC — Error checking and correction.
EMI — Electromagnetic interference.
ERA — Embedded remote access. ERA allows you to perform remote, or "out-of-band," server management on your network server using a remote access controller.
ESD — Electrostatic discharge.
ESM — Embedded server management.
expansion bus — Your system contains an expansion bus that allows the processor to communicate with controllers for peripherals, such as NICs.
expansion card — An add-in card, such as a NIC or SCSI adapter, that plugs into an expansion-card connector on the system board. An expansion card adds some specialized function to the system by providing an interface between the expansion bus and a peripheral.
expansion-card connector — A connector on the system board or riser board for plugging in an expansion card.
F — Fahrenheit.
FAT — File allocation table. The file system structure used by MS-DOS® to organize and keep track of file storage. The Microsoft® Windows® operating systems can optionally use a FAT file system structure.
Fibre Channel — A high-speed network interface used primarily with networked storage devices.
flash memory — A type of electronic chip that can be programmed and reprogrammed using a software utility.
FSB — Front-side bus. The FSB is the data path and physical interface between the processor and the main memory (RAM).
FTP — File transfer protocol.
g — Gram(s).
G — Gravities.
Gb — Gigabit(s); 1024 megabits or 1,073,741,824 bits.
GB — Gigabyte(s); 1024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes. However, when referring to hard-drive capacity, the term is usually rounded to 1,000,000,000 bytes.
graphics mode — A video mode that can be defined as xhorizontal by yvertical pixels by z colors.
host adapter — A controller that implements communication between the system's bus and the peripheral device, typically a storage device.
hot-swap — The ability to insert or install a device, typically a hard drive or an internal cooling fan, into the host system while the system is powered on and running.
Hz — Hertz.
I/O — Input/output. A keyboard is an input device, and a monitor is an output device. In general, I/O activity can be differentiated from computational activity.
IDE — Integrated drive electronics. A standard interface between the system board and storage devices.
IP — Internet Protocol.
IPv6 — Internet Protocol version 6.
IPX — Internet package exchange.
IRQ — Interrupt request. A signal that data is about to be sent to or received by a peripheral device travels by an IRQ line to the processor. Each peripheral connection must be assigned an IRQ number. Two devices can share the same IRQ assignment, but you cannot operate both devices simultaneously.
iSCSI — Internet SCSI (see SCSI). A protocol that enables SCSI device communication across a network or the Internet.
jumper — Small blocks on a circuit board with two or more pins emerging from them. Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins. The wire connects the pins and creates a circuit, providing a simple and reversible method of changing the circuitry in a board.
K — Kilo-; 1000.
Kb — Kilobit(s); 1024 bits.
KB — Kilobyte(s); 1024 bytes.
Kbps — Kilobit(s) per second.
KBps — Kilobyte(s) per second.
kg — Kilogram(s); 1000 grams.
kHz — Kilohertz.
KVM — Keyboard/video/mouse. KVM refers to a switch that allows selection of the system from which the video is displayed and for which the keyboard and mouse are used.
LAN — Local area network. A LAN is usually confined to the same building or a few nearby buildings, with all equipment linked by wiring dedicated specifically to the LAN.
LCD — Liquid crystal display.
LED — Light-emitting diode. An electronic device that lights up when a current is passed through it.
LGA — Land grid array.
local bus — On a system with local-bus expansion capability, certain peripheral devices (such as the video adapter circuitry) can be designed to run much faster than they would with a traditional expansion bus. See also bus.
LOM — LAN on motherboard.
LVD — Low voltage differential.
m — Meter(s).
mA — Milliampere(s).
MAC address — Media Access Control address. Your system's unique hardware number on a network.
mAh — Milliampere-hour(s).
Mb — Megabit(s); 1,048,576 bits.
MB — Megabyte(s); 1,048,576 bytes. However, when referring to hard-drive capacity, the term is often rounded to mean 1,000,000 bytes.
Mbps — Megabits per second.
MBps — Megabytes per second.
MBR — Master boot record.
memory address — A specific location, usually expressed as a hexadecimal number, in the system's RAM.
memory module — A small circuit board containing DRAM chips that connects to the system board.
memory — An area in your system that stores basic system data. A system can contain several different forms of memory, such as integrated memory (ROM and RAM) and add-in memory modules (DIMMs).
memory key — A portable flash memory storage device integrated with a USB connector.
MHz — Megahertz.
mirroring — A type of data redundancy in which a set of physical drives stores data and one or more sets of additional drives stores duplicate copies of the data. Mirroring functionality is provided by software. See also striping and RAID.
mm — Millimeter(s).
ms — Millisecond(s).
NAS — Network Attached Storage. NAS is one of the concepts used for implementing shared storage on a network. NAS systems have their own operating systems, integrated hardware, and software that are optimized to serve specific storage needs.
NIC — Network interface controller. A device that is installed or integrated in a system to allow connection to a network.
NMI — Nonmaskable interrupt. A device sends an NMI to signal the processor about hardware errors.
ns — Nanosecond(s).
NVRAM — Nonvolatile random-access memory. Memory that does not lose its contents when you turn off your system. NVRAM is used for maintaining the date, time, and system configuration information.
parity — Redundant information that is associated with a block of data.
parity stripe — In RAID arrays, a striped hard drive containing parity data.
partition — You can divide a hard drive into multiple physical sections called partitions with the fdisk command. Each partition can contain multiple logical drives. You must format each logical drive with the format command.
PCI — Peripheral Component Interconnect. A standard for local-bus implementation.
PDU — Power distribution unit. A power source with multiple power outlets that provides electrical power to servers and storage systems in a rack.
peripheral — An internal or external device, such as a keyboard, connected to a system.
pixel — A single point on a video display. Pixels are arranged in rows and columns to create an image. A video resolution, such as 640 x 480, is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down.
POST — Power-on self-test. Before the operating system loads when you turn on your system, the POST tests various system components such as RAM and hard drives.
processor — The primary computational chip inside the system that controls the interpretation and execution of arithmetic and logic functions. Software written for one processor must usually be revised to run on another processor. CPU is a synonym for processor.
PXE — Preboot eXecution Environment. A way of booting a system via a LAN (without a hard drive).
RAC — Remote access controller.
RAID — Redundant array of independent disks. A method of providing data redundancy. Some common implementations of RAID include RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and RAID 50. See also mirroring and striping.
RAM — Random-access memory. The system's primary temporary storage area for program instructions and data. Any information stored in RAM is lost when you turn off your system.
R-DIMM — A registered DDR3 memory module.
readme file — A text file, usually shipped with software or hardware, that contains information supplementing or updating the product's documentation.
read-only file — A read-only file is one that you are prohibited from editing or deleting.
ROM — Read-only memory. Your system contains some programs essential to its operation in ROM code. A ROM chip retains its contents even after you turn off your system. Examples of code in ROM include the program that initiates your system's boot routine and the POST.
ROMB — RAID on motherboard.
SAN — Storage Area Network. A network architecture that enables remote network-attached storage devices to appear to a server to be locally attached.
SAS — Serial-attached SCSI.
SATA — Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. A standard interface between the system board and storage devices.
SCSI — Small computer system interface. An I/O bus interface with faster data transmission rates than standard ports.
SDRAM — Synchronous dynamic random-access memory.
sec — Second(s).
serial port — A legacy I/O port with a 9-pin connector that transfers data one bit at a time and is most often used to connect a modem to the system.
service tag — A bar code label on the system used to identify it when you call Dell for technical support.
SMART — Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology. Allows hard drives to report errors and failures to the system BIOS and then display an error message on the screen.
SMP — Symmetric multiprocessing. Used to describe a system that has two or more processors connected via a high-bandwidth link and managed by an operating system, where each processor has equal access to I/O devices.
SNMP — Simple Network Management Protocol. A standard interface that allows a network manager to remotely monitor and manage workstations.
striping — Disk striping writes data across three or more disks in an array, but only uses a portion of the space on each disk. The amount of space used by a "stripe" is the same on each disk used. A virtual disk may use several stripes on the same set of disks in an array. See also guarding, mirroring, and RAID.
SVGA — Super video graphics array. VGA and SVGA are video standards for video adapters with greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards.
system board — As the main circuit board, the system board usually contains most of your system's integral components, such as the processor(s), RAM, controllers for peripherals, and various ROM chips.
system configuration information — Data stored in memory that tells a system what hardware is installed and how the system should be configured for operation.
system memory — See RAM.
System Setup program — A BIOS-based program that allows you to configure your system's hardware and customize the system's operation by setting features such as password protection. Because the System Setup program is stored in NVRAM, any settings remain in effect until you change them again.
TCP/IP — Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
termination — Some devices (such as the last device at each end of a SCSI cable) must be terminated to prevent reflections and spurious signals in the cable. When such devices are connected in a series, you may need to enable or disable the termination on these devices by changing jumper or switch settings on the devices or by changing settings in the configuration software for the devices.
TOE — TCP/IP offload engine.
U-DIMM — An unregistered (unbuffered) DDR3 memory module.
uplink port — A port on a network hub or switch used to connect to other hubs or switches without requiring a crossover cable.
UPS — Uninterruptible power supply. A battery-powered unit that automatically supplies power to your system in the event of an electrical failure.
USB — Universal Serial Bus. A USB connector provides a single connection point for multiple USB-compliant devices, such as mice and keyboards. USB devices can be connected and disconnected while the system is running.
USB memory key — See memory key.
utility — A program used to manage system resources—memory, disk drives, or printers, for example.
V — Volt(s).
VAC — Volt(s) alternating current.
VDC — Volt(s) direct current.
VGA — Video graphics array. VGA and SVGA are video standards for video adapters with greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards.
video adapter — The logical circuitry that provides (in combination with the monitor) your system's video capabilities. A video adapter may be integrated into the system board or may be an expansion card that plugs into an expansion slot.
video memory — Most VGA and SVGA video adapters include memory chips in addition to your system's RAM. The amount of video memory installed primarily influences the number of colors that a program can display (with the appropriate video drivers and monitor capabilities).
video resolution — Video resolution (800 x 600, for example) is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down. To display a program at a specific graphics resolution, you must install the appropriate video drivers and your monitor must support the resolution.
virtualization — The ability via software to share the resources of a single computer across multiple environments. A single physical system may appear to the user as multiple virtual systems able to host multiple operating systems.
W — Watt(s).
WH — Watt-hour(s).
XML — Extensible Markup Language. XML is a way to create common information formats and to share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, intranets, and elsewhere.
