Glossary

This chapter provides contextual definitions for the key technical terms used throughout this guide.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System):

• The first software that runs when you power on a server. Its primary job is to initialize the hardware (like checking memory and disks) and then hand off control to the operating system. In this guide, you interact with the BIOS to change fundamental settings like the boot order and security options.

BMC (Baseboard Management Controller):

• A small, independent computer-on-a-chip on the server's motherboard. It runs its own operating system and has its own dedicated network connection. This allows you to manage the server remotely as if you were physically present, providing critical features like power control, health monitoring, Virtual Media, and the KVM console, even when the main server is powered off or has no OS installed.

Chassis:

• The physical metal frame and enclosure that houses all the server's components. In a multi-node system, a single chassis can contain several independent server nodes, sharing power and cooling.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit):

• A specialized processor designed to handle complex mathematical calculations in parallel, making it ideal for accelerating AI and machine learning workloads. While they also render graphics, their primary role in an AI server is high-performance computing.

KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse):

• A feature, provided by the BMC, that allows you to see the server's video output and control its keyboard and mouse remotely through a web browser. It is your virtual "eyes and hands" for interacting with the server during OS installation and troubleshooting.

Node:

• A complete, self-contained server with its own CPU, memory, and storage, housed within a larger chassis. For the purposes of this guide, you can think of each node as an individual computer that requires its own operating system installation.

PSU (Power Supply Unit):

• The hardware component that converts AC power from an electrical outlet into the regulated DC power used by all the components inside the server chassis. Enterprise servers often have redundant (multiple) PSUs for high availability.

Rack:

• A standardized steel and aluminum frame used in data centers to house and organize servers, networking equipment, and other hardware modules. Servers are mounted into the rack to save space and streamline management.