I think I see where I went wrong. I have updated the definitions in the DSA Terminology page to incorporate what I understand from this conversation. See: https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/dsa/dsa-mini-tutorial#terminology
Is this getting closer to a set of good definitions? Thanks. Rich > On Sep 10, 2022, at 9:47 AM, Arınç ÜNAL <arinc.u...@arinc9.com> wrote: > > On 10.09.2022 14:59, Rich Brown wrote: >> I got the following definitions from Arınç, I am taking the liberty of >> opening this to the entire list, so we can refine these definitions >> together. I include some questions in-line to clarify the definitions. >>>>> As a start, certain terms have cropped up multiple times in this >>>>> discussion. Could I ask for definitions for the following terms? >>>>> >>>>> Network: >>> >>> A network represents a group of computers communicating with each other. >> Are there other constraints for what comprises a network? For example, >> which of these would be considered to be "a network" in our DSA discussion? >> - Computers in the same subnet range > > That's a network. > >> - Computers on the same VLAN > > That's a network. > >> - Computers physically attached to a switch or bridge (perhaps on >> different subnets) > > That'd be multiple networks but I guess that's technically a single network > since computers on different subnets can still communicate with each other at > the second layer. > > The means of delivering data in between (switch, bridge etc.) is also > expected on the examples above. > >> - Are there other synonyms for "network"? > > I don't believe so. > >>>>> Network Interface: >>> >>> A network interface is the point of interconnection, implemented on the >>> software, between computers. >> - I had earlier written "... physical connections that convey >> bits/frames to other computers ... such as individual Ethernet switch ports, >> wireless radios, USB networking devices, VLANs, or virtual ethernets." >> - How much of this is correct? What should be added or removed? >> - What about bridges, tunnels, alias interfaces - include or exclude >> them? Why? >> - Must a network interface to be "implemented in software"? > > That's what a network interface is. It's a software term. > >> - Or do you mean that the network interface is the "software >> representation" of a physical connection? > > Software representation of interconnection, doesn't have to be physical. > >>>>> Interface: >>> >>> Short for network interface. >> - Can we *always* treat this as a synonym for "network interface"? > > I believe so. > >>>>> Device: >>> >>> Another term for network interface, used a lot on Linux kernel development. >> - Can we *always* treat this as a synonym for "network interface"? > > No. Outside of Linux driver development, I don't see this widely used in > computer networking software. > >>>>> Netdev: >>> >>> A mailing list for all network-related Linux stuff. >>> https://docs.kernel.org/process/maintainer-netdev.html#what-is-netdev >> - Is "netdev" used commonly in DSA/OpenWrt as a formal term? >> - If not (and if we need to rename something in config files), could >> the term "netdev" provide a new word that isn't ambiguous? > > I don't understand what you're getting at? > > Arınç _______________________________________________ openwrt-devel mailing list openwrt-devel@lists.openwrt.org https://lists.openwrt.org/mailman/listinfo/openwrt-devel
