B

Bandwidth

A measure of the capacity of a communication channel, which is usually specified in megabytes per second (MB/s).

Block

A unit of data that can be transferred by a device, usually 512 bytes long.

Block device

A device file that calls for I/O operations based on a defined block size. The block size varies by device, but for a UFS, the default block size is 8KB.

Block size

Specifies the size of a section of data that is written to disk or tape at one time. Typical block sizes are 512 bytes or 1024 bytes.

Boot server

A server that provides the information that a JumpStart client needs to boot using the network.

Boot

The process of loading and executing the operating systemsometimes referred to as bootstrapping.

Bootblock

The boot program is stored in a predictable area (sectors 115) on the system hard drive, CD-ROM, or other bootable device and is referred to as the bootblock (bootblk). The bootblock is responsible for loading the secondary boot program (ufsboot) into memory, which is located in the UFS on the boot device. Only the root (/) file system has an active bootblock, but each file system has space allocated for one.

Bootstrapping

The process a computer follows to load and execute the bootable operating system. The name is coined from the phrase "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." The instructions for the bootstrap procedure are stored in the boot PROM.

Boot server

A server system that provides client systems on the same network subnet with the programs and information that they need to start. A boot server is required to install over the network if the install server is on a different subnet than the systems on which Solaris software is to be installed.

Bundled software package

A Solaris software package is the standard way to deliver bundled and unbundled software. Packages are administered by using the package administration commands, and they are generally identified by a SUNWxxx naming convention when supplied by Sun Microsystems. SUNW is Sun Microsystems' ticker symbol on the stock exchange, hence the SUNW prefix.

Bus

A path for transferring data.

Byte

A group of adjacent binary digits (bits) operated on by the computer as a unit. The most common-sized byte contains eight binary digits.