NetWare 4.1/9000 Concepts
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NetWare Glossary
W
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Wait state
A period of time when the processor does nothing; it simply waits. A wait
state is used to synchronize circuitry or devices operating at different speeds.
For example, wait states used in memory access slow down the CPU so all
components seem to be running at the same speed.
WAN
See “Wide Area Network (WAN).”
Watchdog
Packets used to make sure workstations are still connected to the NetWare
server.
If the server has not received a packet from a station in a certain time, a
watchdog packet is sent to the station. If the station does not respond within
a certain time, another watchdog packet is sent.
If the station still does not respond to a certain number of watchdog packets,
the server assumes that the station is no longer connected and clears the
station’s connection.
The time period between watchdog packets and the number of watchdog
packets sent is configurable using the NetWare Setup graphical utility or the
nwcm command line utility.
Related utilities: “NetWare Setup”; “nwcm” (Utilities Reference).
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A network that communicates over a long distance, such as across a city or
around the world.