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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1208.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1208.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5be1b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1208.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1011 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group O. Jacobsen +Request for Comments: 1208 D. Lynch + Interop, Inc. + March 1991 + + + A Glossary of Networking Terms + +Status of this Memo + + This RFC is a glossary adapted from "The INTEROP Pocket Glossary of + Networking Terms" distributed at Interop '90. This memo provides + information for the Internet community. It does not specify an + Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. + +Introduction + + This glossary is adapted from "The INTEROP Pocket Glossary of + Networking Terms" produced to help you understand the many terms--and + in particular the myriad of acronyms--that can be encountered at the + INTEROP Tutorials, Conference, and Exhibition. + + To keep this document reasonably small we have deliberately omitted + common computer and communications terms such as disk, modem, byte, + and VLSI. In addition, the definitions have been kept brief. We + recommend that you consult the glossaries found in the major computer + networking textbooks for more comprehensive definitions. + + We also realize that producing this glossary is akin to shooting at a + moving target. The computer and communications industries are moving + very rapidly, and terms and acronyms are born every day. You are + invited to submit words which you think should be included in future + editions. + +Glossary + + abstract syntax: A description of a data structure that is + independent of machine-oriented structures and encodings. + + ACSE: Association Control Service Element. The method used in OSI + for establishing a call between two applications. Checks the + identities and contexts of the application entities, and could apply + an authentication security check. + + address mask: A bit mask used to select bits from an Internet address + for subnet addressing. The mask is 32 bits long and selects the + network portion of the Internet address and one or more bits of the + local portion. Sometimes called subnet mask. + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 1] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + address resolution: A means for mapping Network Layer addresses onto + media-specific addresses. See ARP. + + ADMD: Administration Management Domain. An X.400 Message Handling + System public service carrier. Examples: MCImail and ATTmail in the + U.S., British Telecom Gold400mail in the U.K. The ADMDs in all + countries worldwide together provide the X.400 backbone. See PRMD. + + agent: In the client-server model, the part of the system that + performs information preparation and exchange on behalf of a client + or server application. See NMS, DUA, MTA. + + ANSI: American National Standards Institute. The U.S. + standardization body. ANSI is a member of the International + Organization for Standardization (ISO) + + AOW: Asia and Oceania Workshop. One of the three regional OSI + Implementors Workshops, equivalent to OIW and EWOS. + + API: Application Program Interface. A set of calling conventions + defining how a service is invoked through a software package. + + Application Layer: The top-most layer in the OSI Reference Model + providing such communication services as electronic mail and file + transfer. + + ARP: Address Resolution Protocol. The Internet protocol used to + dynamically map Internet addresses to physical (hardware) addresses + on local area networks. Limited to networks that support hardware + broadcast. + + ARPA: Advanced Research Projects Agency. Now called DARPA, the U.S. + government agency that funded the ARPANET. + + ARPANET: A packet switched network developed in the early 1970s. The + "grandfather" of today's Internet. ARPANET was decommissioned in + June 1990. + + ASN.1: Abstract Syntax Notation One. The OSI language for describing + abstract syntax. See BER. + + attribute: The form of information items provided by the X.500 + Directory Service. The directory information base consists of + entries, each containing one or more attributes. Each attribute + consists of a type identifier together with one or more values. Each + directory Read operation can retrieve some or all attributes from a + designated entry. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 2] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + Autonomous System: Internet (TCP/IP) terminology for a collection of + gateways (routers) that fall under one administrative entity and + cooperate using a common Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). See + subnetwork. + + backbone: The primary connectivity mechanism of a hierarchical + distributed system. All systems which have connectivity to an + intermediate system on the backbone are assured of connectivity to + each other. This does not prevent systems from setting up private + arrangements with each other to bypass the backbone for reasons of + cost, performance, or security. + + Bart Simpson (R): Internet and OSI cult hero. + + baseband: Characteristic of any network technology that uses a single + carrier frequency and requires all stations attached to the network + to participate in every transmission. See broadband. + + BER: Basic Encoding Rules. Standard rules for encoding data units + described in ASN.1. Sometimes incorrectly lumped under the term + ASN.1, which properly refers only to the abstract syntax description + language, not the encoding technique. + + big-endian: A format for storage or transmission of binary data in + which the most significant bit (or byte) comes first. The reverse + convention is called little-endian. + + BITNET: Because It's Time NETwork. An academic computer network + based originally on IBM mainframe systems interconnected via leased + 9600 bps lines. BITNET has recently merged with CSNET, The + Computer+Science Network (another academic computer network) to form + CREN: The Corporation for Research and Educational Networking. See + CSNET. + + BOC: Bell Operating Company. More commonly referred to as RBOC for + Regional Bell Operating Company. The local telephone company in each + of the seven U.S. regions. + + bridge: A device that connects two or more physical networks and + forwards packets between them. Bridges can usually be made to filter + packets, that is, to forward only certain traffic. Related devices + are: repeaters which simply forward electrical signals from one cable + to another, and full-fledged routers which make routing decisions + based on several criteria. In OSI terminology, a bridge is a Data + Link Layer intermediate system. See repeater and router. + + broadband: Characteristic of any network that multiplexes multiple, + independent network carriers onto a single cable. This is usually + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 3] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + done using frequency division multiplexing. Broadband technology + allows several networks to coexist on one single cable; traffic from + one network does not interfere with traffic from another since the + "conversations" happen on different frequencies in the "ether," + rather like the commercial radio system. + + broadcast: A packet delivery system where a copy of a given packet is + given to all hosts attached to the network. Example: Ethernet. + + BSD: Berkeley Software Distribution. Term used when describing + different versions of the Berkeley UNIX software, as in "4.3BSD + UNIX." + + catenet: A network in which hosts are connected to networks with + varying characteristics, and the networks are interconnected by + gateways (routers). The Internet is an example of a catenet. See + IONL. + + CCITT: International Consultative Committee for Telegraphy and + Telephony. A unit of the International Telecommunications Union + (ITU) of the United Nations. An organization with representatives + from the PTTs of the world. CCITT produces technical standards, + known as "Recommendations," for all internationally controlled + aspects of analog and digital communications. See X Recommendations. + + CCR: Commitment, Concurrency, and Recovery. An OSI application + service element used to create atomic operations across distributed + systems. Used primarily to implement two-phase commit for + transactions and nonstop operations. + + client-server model: A common way to describenetwork services and the + model user processes (programs) of those services. Examples include + the name-server/name-resolver paradigm of the DNS and file- + server/file-client relationships such as NFS and diskless hosts. + + CLNP: Connectionless Network Protocol. The OSI protocol for + providing the OSI Connectionless Network Service (datagram service). + CLNP is the OSI equivalent to Internet IP, and is sometimes called + ISO IP. + + CLTP: Connectionless Transport Protocol. Provides for end-to-end + Transport data addressing (via Transport selector) and error control + (via checksum), but cannot guarantee delivery or provide flow + control. The OSI equivalent of UDP. + + CMIP: Common Management Information Protocol. The OSI network + management protocol. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 4] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + CMOT: CMIP Over TCP. An effort to use the OSI network management + protocol to manage TCP/IP networks. + + connectionless: The model of interconnection in which communication + takes place without first establishing a connection. Sometimes + (imprecisely) called datagram. Examples: LANs, Internet IP and OSI + CLNP, UDP, ordinary postcards. + + connection-oriented: The model of interconnection in which + communication proceeds through three well-defined phases: connection + establishment, data transfer, connection release. Examples: X.25, + Internet TCP and OSI TP4, ordinary telephone calls. + + core gateway: Historically, one of a set of gateways (routers) + operated by the Internet Network Operations Center at BBN. The core + gateway system forms a central part of Internet routing in that all + groups must advertise paths to their networks from a core gateway, + using the Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP). See EGP, backbone. + + COS: Corporation for Open Systems. A vendor and user group for + conformance testing, certification, and promotion of OSI products. + + COSINE: Cooperation for Open Systems Interconnection Networking in + Europe. A program sponsored by the European Commission, aimed at + using OSI to tie together European research networks. + + CREN: See BITNET and CSNET. + + CSMA/CD: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. The + access method used by local area networking technologies such as + Ethernet. + + CSNET: Computer+Science Network. A large computer network, mostly in + the U.S. but with international connections. CSNET sites include + universities, research labs, and some commercial companies. Now + merged with BITNET to form CREN. See BITNET. + + DARPA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The U.S. + government agency that funded the ARPANET. + + Data Link Layer: The OSI layer that is responsible for data transfer + across a single physical connection, or series of bridged + connections, between two Network entities. + + DCA: Defense Communications Agency. The government agency + responsible for the Defense Data Network (DDN). + + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 5] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + DCE: Distributed Computing Environment. An architecture of standard + programming interfaces, conventions, and server functionalities + (e.g., naming, distributed file system, remote procedure call) for + distributing applications transparently across networks of + heterogeneous computers. Promoted and controlled by the Open + Software Foundation (OSF), a consortium led by HP, DEC, and IBM. See + ONC. + + DDN: Defense Data Network. Comprises the MILNET and several other + DoD networks. + + DECnet: Digital Equipment Corporation's proprietary network + architecture. + + DNS: Domain Name System. The distributed name/address mechanism used + in the Internet. + + domain: In the Internet, a part of a naming hierarchy. + Syntactically, an Internet domain name consists of a sequence of + names (labels) separated by periods (dots), e.g., "tundra.mpk.ca.us." + In OSI, "domain" is generally used as an administrative partition of + a complex distributed system, as in MHS Private Management Domain + (PRMD), and Directory Management Domain (DMD). + + dotted decimal notation: The syntactic representation for a 32-bit + integer that consists of four 8-bit numbers written in base 10 with + periods (dots) separating them. Used to represent IP addresses in + the Internet as in: 192.67.67.20. + + DSA: Directory System Agent. The software that provides the X.500 + Directory Service for a portion of the directory information base. + Generally, each DSA is responsible for the directory information for + a single organization or organizational unit. + + DUA: Directory User Agent. The software that accesses the X.500 + Directory Service on behalf of the directory user. The directory + user may be a person or another software element. + + EARN: European Academic Research Network. A network using BITNET + technology connecting universities and research labs in Europe. + + EGP: Exterior Gateway Protocol. A reachability routing protocol used + by gateways in a two-level internet. EGP is used in the Internet + core system. See core gateway. + + encapsulation: The technique used by layered protocols in which a + layer adds header information to the protocol data unit (PDU) from + the layer above. As an example, in Internet terminology, a packet + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 6] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + would contain a header from the physical layer, followed by a header + from the network layer (IP), followed by a header from the transport + layer (TCP), followed by the application protocol data. + + end system: An OSI system which contains application processes + capable of communicating through all seven layers of OSI protocols. + Equivalent to Internet host. + + entity: OSI terminology for a layer protocol machine. An entity + within a layer performs the functions of the layer within a single + computer system, accessing the layer entity below and providing + services to the layer entity above at local service access points. + + ES-IS: End system to Intermediate system protocol. The OSI protocol + by which end systems announce themselves to intermediate systems. + + EUnet: European UNIX Network. + + EUUG: European UNIX Users Group. + + EWOS: European Workshop for Open Systems. The OSI Implementors + Workshop for Europe. See OIW. + + FARNET: Federation of American Research NETworks. + + FDDI: Fiber Distributed Data Interface. An emerging high-speed + networking standard. The underlying medium is fiber optics, and the + topology is a dual-attached, counter-rotating Token Ring. FDDI + networks can often be spotted by the orange fiber "cable." + + FIPS: Federal Information Processing Standard. + + flame: To express strong opinion and/or criticism of something, + usually as a frank inflammatory statement in an electronic message. + + FNC: Federal Networking Council. The body responsible for + coordinating networking needs among U.S. Federal agencies. + + fragmentation: The process in which an IP datagram is broken into + smaller pieces to fit the requirements of a given physical network. + The reverse process is termed reassembly. See MTU. + + FRICC: Federal Research Internet Coordinating Committee. Now + replaced by the FNC. + + FTAM: File Transfer, Access, and Management. The OSI remote file + service and protocol. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 7] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + FTP: File Transfer Protocol. The Internet protocol (and program) + used to transfer files between hosts. See FTAM. + + gateway: The original Internet term for what is now called router or + more precisely, IP router. In modern usage, the terms "gateway" and + "application gateway" refer to systems which do translation from some + native format to another. Examples include X.400 to/from RFC 822 + electronic mail gateways. See router. + + GOSIP: Government OSI Profile. A U.S. Government procurement + specification for OSI protocols. + + IAB: Internet Activities Board. The technical body that oversees the + development of the Internet suite of protocols (commonly referred to + as "TCP/IP"). It has two task forces (the IRTF and the IETF) each + charged with investigating a particular area. + + ICMP: Internet Control Message Protocol. The protocol used to handle + errors and control messages at the IP layer. ICMP is actually part + of the IP protocol. + + IESG: Internet Engineering Steering Group. The executive committee + of the IETF. + + IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force. One of the task forces of the + IAB. The IETF is responsible for solving short-term engineering + needs of the Internet. It has over 40 Working Groups. + + IGP: Interior Gateway Protocol. The protocol used to exchange + routing information between collaborating routers in the Internet. + RIP and OSPF are examples of IGPs. + + IGRP: Internet Gateway Routing Protocol. A proprietary IGP used by + cisco System's routers. + + INTAP: Interoperability Technology Association for Information + Processing. The technical organization which has the official + charter to develop Japanese OSI profiles and conformance tests. + + intermediate system: An OSI system which is not an end system, but + which serves instead to relay communications between end systems. + See repeater, bridge, and router. + + internet: A collection of networks interconnected by a set of routers + which allow them to function as a single, large virtual network. + + Internet: (note the capital "I") The largest internet in the world + consisting of large national backbone nets (such as MILNET, NSFNET, + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 8] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + and CREN) and a myriad of regional and local campus networks all over + the world. The Internet uses the Internet protocol suite. To be on + the Internet you must have IP connectivity, i.e., be able to Telnet + to--or ping--other systems. Networks with only e-mail connectivity + are not actually classified as being on the Internet. + + Internet address: A 32-bit address assigned to hosts using TCP/IP. + See dotted decimal notation. + + IONL: Internal Organization of the Network Layer. The OSI standard + for the detailed architecture of the Network Layer. Basically, it + partitions the Network layer into subnetworks interconnected by + convergence protocols (equivalent to internetworking protocols), + creating what Internet calls a catenet or internet. + + IP: Internet Protocol. The network layer protocol for the Internet + protocol suite. + + IP datagram: The fundamental unit of information passed across the + Internet. Contains source and destination addresses along with data + and a number of fields which define such things as the length of the + datagram, the header checksum, and flags to say whether the datagram + can be (or has been) fragmented. + + IRTF: Internet Research Task Force. One of the task forces of the + IAB. The group responsible for research and development of the + Internet protocol suite. + + ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network. An emerging technology + which is beginning to be offered by the telephone carriers of the + world. ISDN combines voice and digital network services in a single + medium making it possible to offer customers digital data services as + well as voice connections through a single "wire." The standards + that define ISDN are specified by CCITT. + + IS-IS: Intermediate system to Intermediate system protocol. The OSI + protocol by which intermediate systems exchange routing information. + + ISO: International Organization for Standardization. You knew that, + right? Best known for the 7-layer OSI Reference Model. See OSI. + + ISODE: ISO Development Environment. A popular implementation of the + upper layers of OSI. Pronounced eye-so-dee-eee. + + JANET: Joint Academic Network. A university network in the U.K. + + JUNET: Japan UNIX Network. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 9] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + KA9Q: A popular implementation of TCP/IP and associated protocols for + amateur packet radio systems. + + Kermit: A popular file transfer and terminal emulation program. + + little-endian: A format for storage or transmission of binary data in + which the least significant byte (bit) comes first. See big-endian. + + mail exploder: Part of an electronic mail delivery system which + allows a message to be delivered to a list of addressees. Mail + exploders are used to implement mailing lists. Users send messages + to a single address (e.g., hacks@somehost.edu) and the mail exploder + takes care of delivery to the individual mailboxes in the list. + + mail gateway: A machine that connects two or more electronic mail + systems (especially dissimilar mail systems on two different + networks) and transfers messages between them. Sometimes the mapping + and translation can be quite complex, and generally it requires a + store-and-forward scheme whereby the message is received from one + system completely before it is transmitted to the next system after + suitable translations. + + Martian: Humorous term applied to packets that turn up unexpectedly + on the wrong network because of bogus routing entries. Also used as + a name for a packet which has an altogether bogus (non-registered or + ill-formed) Internet address. + + MHS: Message Handling System. The system of message user agents, + message transfer agents, message stores, and access units which + together provide OSI electronic mail. MHS is specified in the CCITT + X.400 series of Recommendations. + + MIB: Management Information Base. A collection of objects that can + be accessed via a network management protocol. See SMI. + + MILNET: MILitary NETwork. Originally part of the ARPANET, MILNET was + partitioned in 1984 to make it possible for military installations to + have reliable network service, while the ARPANET continued to be used + for research. See DDN. + + MTA: Message Transfer Agent. An OSI application process used to + store and forward messages in the X.400 Message Handling System. + Equivalent to Internet mail agent. + + MTU: Maximum Transmission Unit. The largest possible unit of data + that can be sent on a given physical medium. Example: The MTU of + Ethernet is 1500 bytes. See fragmentation. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 10] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + multicast: A special form of broadcast where copies of the packet are + delivered to only a subset of all possible destinations. See + broadcast. + + multi-homed host: A computer connected to more than one physical data + link. The data links may or may not be attached to the same network. + + name resolution: The process of mapping a name into the corresponding + address. See DNS. + + NetBIOS: Network Basic Input Output System. The standard interface + to networks on IBM PC and compatible systems. + + Network Address: See Internet address or OSI Network Address. + + Network Layer: The OSI layer that is responsible for routing, + switching, and subnetwork access across the entire OSI environment. + + NFS(R): Network File System. A distributed file system developed by + Sun Microsystems which allows a set of computers to cooperatively + access each other's files in a transparent manner. + + NIC: Network Information Center. Originally there was only one, + located at SRI International and tasked to serve the ARPANET (and + later DDN) community. Today, there are many NICs, operated by local, + regional, and national networks all over the world. Such centers + provide user assistance, document service, training, and much more. + + NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology. (Formerly + NBS). See OIW. + + NMS: Network Management Station. The system responsible for managing + a (portion of a) network. The NMS talks to network management + agents, which reside in the managed nodes, via a network management + protocol. See agent. + + NOC: Network Operations Center. Any center tasked with the + operational aspects of a production network. These tasks include + monitoring and control, trouble-shooting, user assistance, and so on. + + NSAP: Network Service Access Point. The point at which the OSI + Network Service is made available to a Transport entity. The NSAPs + are identified by OSI Network Addresses. + + NSF: National Science Foundation. Sponsors of the NSFNET. + NSFNET: National Science Foundation NETwork. A collection of local, + regional, and mid-level networks in the U.S. tied together by a + high-speed backbone. NSFNET provides scientists access to a number + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 11] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + of supercomputers across the country. + + OIW: Workshop for Implementors of OSI. Frequently called NIST OIW or + the NIST Workshop, this is the North American regional forum at which + OSI implementation agreements are decided. It is equivalent to EWOS + in Europe and AOW in the Pacific. + + ONC(tm): Open Network Computing. A distributed applications + architecture promoted and controlled by a consortium led by Sun + Microsystems. + + OSI: Open Systems Interconnection. An international standardization + program to facilitate communications among computers from different + manufacturers. See ISO. + + OSI Network Address: The address, consisting of up to 20 octets, used + to locate an OSI Transport entity. The address is formatted into an + Initial Domain Part which is standardized for each of several + addressing domains, and a Domain Specific Part which is the + responsibility of the addressing authority for that domain. + + OSI Presentation Address: The address used to locate an OSI + Application entity. It consists of an OSI Network Address and up to + three selectors, one each for use by the Transport, Session, and + Presentation entities. + + OSPF: Open Shortest Path First. A "Proposed Standard" IGP for the + Internet. See IGP. + + PCI: Protocol Control Information. The protocol information added by + an OSI entity to the service data unit passed down from the layer + above, all together forming a Protocol Data Unit (PDU). + + PDU: Protocol Data Unit. This is OSI terminology for "packet." A + PDU is a data object exchanged by protocol machines (entities) within + a given layer. PDUs consist of both Protocol Control Information + (PCI) and user data. + + Physical Layer: The OSI layer that provides the means to activate and + use physical connections for bit transmission. In plain terms, the + Physical Layer provides the procedures for transferring a single bit + across a Physical Media. + + Physical Media: Any means in the physical world for transferring + signals between OSI systems. Considered to be outside the OSI Model, + and therefore sometimes referred to as "Layer 0." The physical + connector to the media can be considered as defining the bottom + interface of the Physical Layer, i.e., the bottom of the OSI + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 12] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + Reference Model. + + ping: Packet internet groper. A program used to test reachability of + destinations by sending them an ICMP echo request and waiting for a + reply. The term is used as a verb: "Ping host X to see if it is up!" + + port: The abstraction used by Internet transport protocols to + distinguish among multiple simultaneous connections to a single + destination host. See selector. + + POSI: Promoting Conference for OSI. The OSI "800-pound gorilla" in + Japan. Consists of executives from the six major Japanese computer + manufacturers and Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. They set policies + and commit resources to promote OSI. + + PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol. The successor to SLIP, PPP provides + router-to-router and host-to-network connections over both + synchronous and asynchronous circuits. See SLIP. + + Presentation Address: See OSI Presentation Address. + + Presentation Layer: The OSI layer that determines how Application + information is represented (i.e., encoded) while in transit between + two end systems. + + PRMD: Private Management Domain. An X.400 Message Handling System + private organization mail system. Example: NASAmail. See ADMD. + + protocol: A formal description of messages to be exchanged and rules + to be followed for two or more systems to exchange information. + + proxy: The mechanism whereby one system "fronts for" another system + in responding to protocol requests. Proxy systems are used in + network management to avoid having to implement full protocol stacks + in simple devices, such as modems. + + proxy ARP: The technique in which one machine, usually a router, + answers ARP requests intended for another machine. By "faking" its + identity, the router accepts responsibility for routing packets to + the "real" destination. Proxy ARP allows a site to use a single IP + address with two physical networks. Subnetting would normally be a + better solution. + + PSN: Packet Switch Node. The modern term used for nodes in the + ARPANET and MILNET. These used to be called IMPs (Interface Message + Processors). PSNs are currently implemented with BBN C30 or C300 + minicomputers. + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 13] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + RARE: Reseaux Associes pour la Recherche Europeenne. European + association of research networks. + + RARP: Reverse Address Resolution Protocol. The Internet protocol a + diskless host uses to find its Internet address at startup. RARP + maps a physical (hardware) address to an Internet address. See ARP. + + RBOC: Regional Bell Operating Company. See BOC. + + repeater: A device which propagates electrical signals from one cable + to another without making routing decisions or providing packet + filtering. In OSI terminology, a repeater is a Physical Layer + intermediate system. See bridge and router. + + RFC: Request For Comments. The document series, begun in 1969, which + describes the Internet suite of protocols and related experiments. + Not all (in fact very few) RFCs describe Internet standards, but all + Internet standards are written up as RFCs. + + RFS: Remote File System. A distributed file system, similar to NFS, + developed by AT&T and distributed with their UNIX System V operating + system. See NFS. + + RIP: Routing Information Protocol. An Interior Gateway Protocol + (IGP) supplied with Berkeley UNIX. + + RIPE: Reseaux IP Europeenne. European continental TCP/IP network + operated by EUnet. See EUnet. + + rlogin: A service offered by Berkeley UNIX which allows users of one + machine to log into other UNIX systems (for which they are + authorized) and interact as if their terminals were connected + directly. Similar to Telnet. + + ROSE: Remote Operations Service Element. A lightweight RPC protocol, + used in OSI Message Handling, Directory, and Network Management + application protocols. + + router: A system responsible for making decisions about which of + several paths network (or Internet) traffic will follow. To do this + it uses a routing protocol to gain information about the network, and + algorithms to choose the best route based on several criteria known + as "routing metrics." In OSI terminology, a router is a Network + Layer intermediate system. See gateway, bridge and repeater. + + RPC: Remote Procedure Call. An easy and popular paradigm for + implementing the client-server model of distributed computing. A + request is sent to a remote system to execute a designated procedure, + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 14] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + using arguments supplied, and the result returned to the caller. + There are many variations and subtleties, resulting in a variety of + different RPC protocols. + + RTSE: Reliable Transfer Service Element. A lightweight OSI + application service used above X.25 networks to handshake application + PDUs across the Session Service and TP0. Not needed with TP4, and + not recommended for use in the U.S. except when talking to X.400 + ADMDs. + + SAP: Service Access Point. The point at which the services of an OSI + layer are made available to the next higher layer. The SAP is named + according to the layer providing the services: e.g., Transport + services are provided at a Transport SAP (TSAP) at the top of the + Transport Layer. + + selector: The identifier used by an OSI entity to distinguish among + multiple SAPs at which it provides services to the layer above. See + port. + + Session Layer: The OSI layer that provides means for dialogue control + between end systems. + + SGMP: Simple Gateway Management Protocol. The predecessor to SNMP. + See SNMP. + + SLIP: Serial Line IP. An Internet protocol used to run IP over + serial lines such as telephone circuits or RS-232 cables + interconnecting two systems. SLIP is now being replaced by PPP. See + PPP. + + SMDS: Switched Multimegabit Data Service. An emerging high-speed + networking technology to be offered by the telephone companies in the + U.S. + + SMI: Structure of Management Information. The rules used to define + the objects that can be accessed via a network management protocol. + See MIB. + + SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The Internet electronic mail + protocol. Defined in RFC 821, with associated message format + descriptions in RFC 822. + + SNA: Systems Network Architecture. IBM's proprietary network + architecture. + + SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol. The network management + protocol of choice for TCP/IP-based internets. + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 15] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + SPAG: Standards Promotion and Application Group. A group of European + OSI manufacturers which chooses option subsets and publishes these in + a "Guide to the Use of Standards" (GUS). + + SQL: Structured Query Language. The international standard language + for defining and accessing relational databases. + + subnet mask: See address mask. + + subnetwork: A collection of OSI end systems and intermediate systems + under the control of a single administrative domain and utilizing a + single network access protocol. Examples: private X.25 networks, + collection of bridged LANs. + + TCP: Transmission Control Protocol. The major transport protocol in + the Internet suite of protocols providing reliable, connection- + oriented, full-duplex streams. Uses IP for delivery. See TP4. + + Telnet: The virtual terminal protocol in the Internet suite of + protocols. Allows users of one host to log into a remote host and + interact as normal terminal users of that host. + + three-way-handshake: The process whereby two protocol entities + synchronize during connection establishment. + + TP0: OSI Transport Protocol Class 0 (Simple Class). This is the + simplest OSI Transport Protocol, useful only on top of an X.25 + network (or other network that does not lose or damage data). + + TP4: OSI Transport Protocol Class 4 (Error Detection and Recovery + Class). This is the most powerful OSI Transport Protocol, useful on + top of any type of network. TP4 is the OSI equivalent to TCP. + + transceiver: Transmitter-receiver. The physical device that connects + a host interface to a local area network, such as Ethernet. Ethernet + transceivers contain electronics that apply signals to the cable and + sense collisions. + + Transport Layer: The OSI layer that is responsible for reliable end- + to-end data transfer between end systems. + + UA: User Agent. An OSI application process that represents a human + user or organization in the X.400 Message Handling System. Creates, + submits, and takes delivery of messages on the user's behalf. + + UDP: User Datagram Protocol. A transport protocol in the Internet + suite of protocols. UDP, like TCP, uses IP for delivery; however, + unlike TCP, UDP provides for exchange of datagrams without + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 16] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + + acknowledgements or guaranteed delivery. See CLTP. + + UUCP: UNIX to UNIX Copy Program. A protocol used for communication + between consenting UNIX systems. + + XDR: eXternal Data Representation. A standard for machine- + independent data structures developed by Sun Microsystems. Similar + to ASN.1. + + X/Open: A group of computer manufacturers that promotes the + development of portable applications based on UNIX. They publish a + document called the X/Open Portability Guide. + + X Recommendations: The CCITT documents that describe data + communication network standards. Well-known ones include: X.25 + Packet Switching standard, X.400 Message Handling System, and X.500 + Directory Services. + + The X Window System (TM): A popular window system developed by MIT + and implemented on a number of workstations. + +For More Information + + As indicated in the introduction, this is only a partial list of + words from the world of interoperability. Yes, you're right, we + didn't list "interoperability" because the jury is still out on + exactly what it means, and we invite you to suggest a definition. + + To learn more about these topics, consult the books, standards + documents, bibliographies, periodicals, mailing lists, etc. listed in + "Information Sources" in the December 1989 issue of ConneXions--The + Interoperability Report. + +Security Considerations + + Security issues are not discussed in this memo. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 17] + +RFC 1208 INTEROP Pocket Glossary March 1991 + + +Authors' Addresses + + Ole J. Jacobsen + Interop, Inc. + 480 San Antonio Road + Suite 100 + Mountain View, CA 94040 + + Phone: (415) 941-3399 + + EMail: OLE@CSLI.STANFORD.EDU + + + Daniel C. Lynch + Interop, Inc. + 480 San Antonio Road + Interop, Inc. + 480 San Antonio Road + Suite 100 + Mountain View, CA 94040 + + Phone: (415) 941-3399 + + EMail: Lynch@ISI.EDU + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Jacobsen & Lynch [Page 18] +
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