Copy of `Wild Packets - Networking terms`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

Wild Packets - Networking terms Category: Agriculture and Industry > Networking terms Date & country: 24/02/2017, USA Words: 1152

Fault Management
One of five categories of network management defined by ISO for management of OSI networks. Fault management attempts to ensure that network faults are detected and controlled. See also accounting management, configuration management, performance, and security management.

FCC
Federal Communications Commission. The United States government agency that regulates electronic communications and the domestic manufacture and importation of communication equipment.

FDDI
Fiber Data Distributed Interface. A specification (ANSI X 3T9.5)for 100 MBits/sec. on dual counter-rotating token passing ringimplemented on fiber optic cabling.

FDDI II
ANSI standard that enhances FDDI. FDDI II provides isochronous transmission for connectionless data circuits and connection-oriented voice and video circuits. Compare with FDDI.

FDM
Frequency-division multiplexing. Technique whereby information from multiple channels can be allocated bandwidth on a single wire based on frequency. Compare with ATDM, statistical multiplexing, and TDM.

FECN
Forward explicit congestion notification. Bit set by a Frame Relay network to inform DTE receiving the frame that congestion was experienced in the path from source to destination. DTE-receiving frames with the FENC bit set can request that higher-level protocols take flow-control action as appropriate. Compare with BECN.

FEP
Front-end processor. Device or board that provides network interface capabilities for a networked device. In SNA, typically an IBM 3745 device.

Fiber optic
A transmission media that uses a light wave for signaling.

Fiber-optic Cable
Physical medium capable of conducting modulated light transmission. Compared with other transmission media, fiber-optic cable is more expensive, but is not susceptible to electromagnetic interference and is capable of higher data rates. Sometimes called optical fiber.

FID0
Format indicator 0. One of several formats that an SNA TH can use. An FID0 TH is used for communication between an SNA node and a non-SNA node. See also TH.

FID1
Format indicator 1. One of several formats that an SNA TH can use. An FID1 TH encapsulated messages between two subarea nodes that do not support virtual and explicit routes. See also TH.

FID2
Format indicator 2. One of several formats that an SNA TH can use. An FID2 TH is used for transferring messages between a subarea node and a PU 2 , using local addresses. See also TH.

FID3
Format indicator 3. One of several formats that an SNA TH can use. An FID3 TH is used for transferring messages between a subarea node and a PU 1, using local addresses. See also TH.

FID4
Format indicator 4. One of several formats that an SNA TH can use. An FID4 TH encapsulates messages between two subarea nodes that are capable of supporting virtual and explicit routes. See also TH.

Field
In an information packet, a group of one or more bytes that performs a specific function, such as designating the recipient of the packet, the length of the packet or the type of protocol encoded in the packet.

File system
Refers to the collection of system software routines that managesand accesses files located on a computer's storage volumes.

File Transfer
Popular network application that allows files to be moved from one network device to another.

Filter
A network manager-defined conditional test placed on incomingpackets in a network bridge or protocol analyzer. Generally, if the packet meets the conditions defined in the filter criteria, it under goes further processing. If the packet does not meet the filtercriteria, it is rejected.

Finder
A software application included with Macintosh system softwarethat allows users to perform basic file access and management functions using icons and pull-down menus.

Finger
A collection of software routines used by computers running theIP protocol stack, which allows a user to read public informationabout a user on the same, or a remote machine, often including:full name, telephone number and extension, snail-mail address,time and place of last login, whether user has any pending un-read mail, and witticisms selected by the user.

Firewall
Router or access server, or several routers or access servers, designated as a buffer between any connected public networks and a private network. A firewall router uses access lists and other methods to ensure the security of the private network.

FireWire
High-speed external data bus intended to replace the SCSI busin the Macintosh system architecture, as the bus of choice for theconnection of storage devices, external video and image I/O, etc.

Firmware
A collection of programmed routines and instructions that is implemented in a computer chip or similar hardware form insteadof a software form.

Flag
In a packet, a bit (or sometimes a group of bits) that indicates acondition. For example, the ZIP GetNetInfo Reply includes a 1-bitflag that indicates whether the zone name specified either is or isnot a valid home zone name for the node that requested the information.

Flapping
Routing problem where an advertised route between two nodes alternates (flaps) back and forth between two paths due to a network problem that causes intermittent interface failures.

Flash memory
Technology developed by Intel and licensed to other semiconductor companies. Flash memory is nonvolatile storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Allows software images to be stored, booted, and rewritten as necessary.

Flash Update
Routing update sent synchronously in response to a change in the network topology. Compare with routing update.

Flooding
Traffic-passing technique used by switches and bridges in which traffic received on an interface is sent out all of the interfaces of that device except the interface on which the information was originally received.

Flow
Stream of data traveling between two endpoints across a network (for example, from one LAN station to another). Multiple flows can be transmitted on a single circuit.

Flow Control
Technique for ensuring that a transmitting entity, such as a modem, does not overwhelm a receiving entity with data. When the buffers on the receiving device are full, a message is sent to the sending device to suspend the transmission until the data in the buffers has been processed. In IBM networks, this technique is called pacing.

FM
Frequency Modulation. In data transmission, a system of signaling

FNC
Federal Networking Council. Group responsible for assessing and coordinating U.S. federal agency networking policies and needs.

FOIRL
Fiber Optic Inter Repeater Link. An asynchronous fiber optic connection that links two Ethernet repeaters (hubs) with a maximum transmission distance of 2 kilometers when used at 10MBits/sec.

Format
A specification for the arrangement of information. Examples include the format of disk, file or packet.

Forward Channel
Communications path carrying information from the call initiator to the called party.

Forward Delay Interval
Amount of time an interface spends listening for topology change information after that interface has been activated for bridging and before forwarding actually begins.

Forwarding
Process of sending a frame toward its ultimate destination by way of an internetworking device.

Fourier Transform
Technique used to evaluate the importance of various frequency cycles in a time series pattern.

FQDN
Fully Qualified Domain Name. Includes host name, as well as allenclosing domains, and is often distinguished by the use of aterminating dot: (host.subdomain.domain.).

FRAD
Frame Relay access device. Any network device that provides a connection between a LAN and a Frame Relay WAN.

Fragment
Piece of a larger packet that has been broken down to smaller units.

Fragmentation
Process of breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting over a network medium that cannot support a packet of the original size. See also reassembly.

Frame
In data networks, the information packet and all of the precedingand succeeding signals necessary (flag bytes, preambles, framechecks, abort sequences, etc.) to convey it along the data link.

Frame Relay
Industry-standard, switched data link layer protocol that handles multiple virtual circuits using HDLC encapsulation between connected devices. Frame relay is more efficient than X.25, the protocol for which it is generally considered a replacement. See also X.25.

Frame Relay Bridging
Bridging technique, described in RFC 1490, that uses the same spanning-tree algorithm as other bridging functions, but allows packets to be encapsulated for transmission across a Frame Relay network.

Free-trade Zone
Part of an AppleTalk internetwork that is accessible by two other parts of the internetwork that are unable to directly access one another.

Frequency
1. A measure of the rate of change of a signal. 2. In a periodic signal, the reciprocal of the time necessary to complete oneperiod.

Front End
Node or software program that requests services of a back end. See also back end, client, and server.

FST
Fast Sequenced Transport. Connectionless, sequenced transport protocol that runs on top of the IP protocol. SRB traffic is encapsulated inside of IP datagrams and is passed over an FST connection between two network devices (such as routers). Speeds up data delivery, reduces overhead, and improves the response time of SRB traffic.

FTAM
The OSI standard for File Transfer, Access and Management.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol. Lowest-common-denominator protocolfor the point-to-point transfer of text and binary files between IP connected hosts.

Full Mesh
Term describing a network in which devices are organized in a mesh topology, with each network node having either a physical circuit or a virtual circuit connecting it to every other network node. A full mesh provides a great deal of redundancy, but because it can be prohibitively expensive to implement, it is usually reserved for network backbones. See also mesh and partial mesh.

Full-duplex
A communication system between two entities in which eitherentity can transmit simultaneously.

Fuzzball
Digital Equipment Corporation LSI-11 computer system running IP gateway software. The NSFnet used these systems as backbone packet switches.

Gateway
1. A device that performs a protocol translation at the SessionLayer or higher. 2. Archaic. A TCP/IP router that routes packetsbetween different network numbers.

Gateway Host
In SNA, a host node that contains a gateway SSCP.

Gateway NCP
NCP that connects two or more SNA networks and performs address translation to allow cross-network session traffic.

Gb
Gigabit.

GB
Gigabyte

Gbps
Gigabits per second.

GBps
Gigabytes per second.

GDP
Gateway Discovery Protocol. Cisco protocol that allows hosts to dynamically detect the arrival of new routers as well as determine when a router goes down. Based on UDP. See also UDP.

Get
In SNMP, a command given by the Console to retrieve a single data structure from a MIB.

GGP
Gateway-to-Gateway Protocol. MILNET protocol specifying how core routers (gateways) should exchange reachability and routing information. GGP uses a distributed shortest-path algorithm.

GHz
Gigahertz.

Giga
A prefix denoting a billion.

GNS
Get Nearest Server. Request packet sent by a client on an IPX network to locate the nearest active server of a particular type. An IPX network client issues a GNS request to solicit either a direct response from a connected server or a response from a router that tells it where on the internetwork the service can be located. GNS is part of the IPX SAP. See also IPX and SAP (Service Advertisement Protocol).

GOSIP
Government OSI Profile. US Government procurement standard that specified interoperability standards for computing equipmentand software purchased.

Grade
Also Level or Category. In the specification of wiring for data networks, a standard designation used to describe the electricalquality of the wiring with regard to its suitability to carry high-speed

Grade of Service
Measure of telephone service quality based on the probability that a call will encounter a busy signal during the busier hours of the day.

GRE
Generic Routing Encapsulation. Tunneling protocol developed by Cisco that can encapsulate a wide variety of protocol packet types inside IP tunnels, creating a virtual point-to-point link to Cisco routers at remote points over an IP internetwork. By connecting multiprotocol subnetworks in a single-protocol backbone environment, IP tunneling using GRE allows network expansion across a single-protocol backbone environment.

Ground
An electrical conductor that is neither negatively or positively charged.

Ground Station
Collection of communications equipment designed to receive signals from (and usually transmit signals to) satellites. Also called a downlink station.

Guard Band
Unused frequency band between two communications channels that provides separation of the channels to prevent mutual interference.

GUI
Graphical User Interface. User environment that uses pictorial as well as textual representations of the input and output of applications and the hierarchical or other data structure in which information is stored. Conventions such as buttons, icons, and windows are typical, and many actions are performed using a pointing device (such as a mouse).

Half Duplex
Capability for data transmission in only one direction at a time between a sending station and a receiving station. Compare with full duplex and simplex.

Handshake
Sequence of messages exchanged between two or more network devices to ensure transmission synchronization.

Hardware Address
An address, fixed at the time of manufacturing, that identifies a network adapter such as an Ethernet card.

HBD3
Line code type used on E1 circuits.

HDLC
High-level Data Link Control. An ISO standard for encapsulation of data on synchronous links.

Headend
The end point of a broadband network. All stations transmit toward the headend; the headend then transmits toward the destination station.

Header
In a network packet or frame, a section of data that describes the data that immediately follows.

Heap
The RAM memory allocated by system software and system extensions to hold frequently used instructions and data not contained in ROM or firmware.

HELLO
Interior routing protocol used principally by NSF net nodes. HELLO allows particular packet switches to discover minimal delay routes. Not to be confused with the Hello protocol.

Hello Packet
Multicast packet that is used by routers for neighbor discovery and recovery. Hello packets also indicate that a client is still operating and network-ready.

Hello Protocol
Protocol used by OSPF systems for establishing and maintaining neighbor relationships. Not to be confused with HELLO.

Helper Address
Address configured on an interface to which broadcasts received on that interface will be sent.

HEPnet
High-Energy Physics Network. Research network that originated in the United States, but that has spread to most places involved in high-energy physics. Well-known sites include Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Hertz
(HZ) A unit of measure of the frequency of cyclic wave form, equal to one cycle or period per second.

Heterogeneous Network
Network consisting of dissimilar devices that run dissimilar protocols and in many cases support dissimilar functions or applications.

Hexadecimal
A numerical system with a base of 16 that is useful for expressing digital data. One hexadecimal digit represents for bits.

HFS
Hierarchical File System.

Hierarchical Routing
Routing based on a hierarchical addressing system. For example, IP routing algorithms use IP addresses, which contain network numbers, subnet numbers, and host numbers.

Hint
In dynamic addressing, an address that a node will test for uniqueness first. The hint is either the last successful address the node used previously (the Macintosh keeps such a hint in PRAM) or a particular address that is specific to a particular model of device (the GatorBox always tries 128 first or LocalTalk networks).

HIPPI
High-Performance Parallel Interface. High-performance interface standard defined by ANSI. HIPPI is typically used to connect supercomputers to peripherals and other devices.

Holddown
State into which a route is placed so that routers will neither advertise the route nor accept advertisements about the route for a specific length of time (the holddown period). Holddown is used to flush bad information about a route from all routers in the network. A route is typically placed in holddown when a link in that route fails.

Homologation
Conformity of a product or specification to international standards, such as ITU-t, CSA, TUV, UL, or VCCI. Enables portability across company and international boundaries.

Hop
In routed networks, the passage of a packet through a router on the way to its destination.

Hop Count
In AppleTalk packets, a 4-bit counter in the DDP header that is incremented each time a packet passes through a router on the way to its destination.

Hop Distance
A unit of measure used to express the number or routers that a packet must pass through its way to its destination.