Administrator Guide

25 Python Scripting for Dell Networking N-Series | Version 1.0.1
C Glossary of Terms
console – the interface that uses the serial port of a switch for management purposes.
console switch – a device that allows management of several switches from a single management station, via
the console port on each switch.
CLI (command line interface) – a text-based interface for issuing commands to a switch (typically uses Telnet,
SSH, or a serial console).
module (Python) – a pre-written Python script (from the Python library) available for programmers to import and
use in their own programs to save time.
OOB port – the Out-of-Band port, the port used to connect to the management OOB network.
Out-of-band – a separate management network that takes management traffic off of the production network.
Python – a popular, high-level programming language with a vast standard library.
package – similar to a module and often used interchangeably, part of the Python library of pre-written code for
users.
serial port - a serial interface through which users may communicate with the switch requiring a single cable, a
“console cable,” between the switch and a computer.
SSH (Secure Shell)– a network protocol that allows users to securely log into a switch or other system on the
same network.
tarball – a single compressed file that contains one or more other files to be transported as one, unpacked, then
used in another area or application.
Telnet - a network protocol that allows users to log into a switch’s command line interface. Telnet is less secure
than SSH.
TFTP – Trivial File Transfer Protocol, a common protocol used to transfer files between local and remote hosts.
VLAN (virtual local area network, or virtual LAN) - logical subgroups that are partitioned off a physical network
in order to create separate broadcast domains.