gns3-server/docs/glossary.rst

Glossary

Node

A Virtual Machine (Dynamips, IOU, Qemu, VPCS...), a cloud, a builtin device (switch, hub...)

Adapter

The physical network interface. The adapter can contain multiple ports.

Port

A port is an opening on network adapter that cable plug into.

For example a VM can have a serial and an ethernet adapter plugged in. The ethernet adapter can have 4 ports.

Controller

The central server managing everything in GNS3. A GNS3 controller will manage multiple GNS3 compute node.

Compute

The process running on each server with GNS3. The GNS3 compute node is controlled by the GNS3 controller.