The glossary contains a list of terms and their definitions as they relate to Oracle Communications MetaSolv Solution (MSS) documentation:
Access Carrier Name Abbreviation (ACNA)
A three-character abbreviation assigned by Telcordia to each Interexchange Carrier (IXC) and listed in the Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG).
This abbreviation represents the access customer name to which the exchange carrier renders the access bill.
Access Customer Terminal Location (ACTL)
The COMMON LANGUAGE Location Identifier (CLLI) code of the Inter-Local Access Transport Area (InterLATA) facility terminal location of the access customer providing service.
ACNA (Access Carrier Name Abbreviation)
A three-character abbreviation assigned by Telcordia to each Interexchange Carrier (IXC) and listed in the Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG).
This abbreviation represents the access customer name to which the exchange carrier renders the access bill.
ACTL (Access Customer Terminal Location)
The COMMON LANGUAGE Location Identifier (CLLI) code of the Inter-Local Access Transport Area (InterLATA) facility terminal location of the access customer providing service.
Identifies the port address on a piece of equipment within the network element identified by the target identifier (TID). In the database, the AID information is stored as the concatenated node address for the port address to which the circuit is assigned.
API (Application Programming Interface)
Software that permits other applications to access a specific area of data in the database.
Application Programming Interface (API)
Software that permits other applications to access a specific area of data in the MetaSolv Solution database.
Operations in which control returns to the invoking application before the operation is acted upon. The invoked application returns the results to the calling application using a callback mechanism after the operation has been completed.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
A high bandwidth, low delay, packet-like switching and multiplexing technique.
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
A high bandwidth, low delay, packet-like switching and multiplexing technique.
The hardware and software resources available to recover data after a degradation or failure of one or more system components.
A copy of computer data on an external storage modem, such as floppy disk or tape.
A term used in various areas of the telecommunications industry (such as with facilities, SONET, Frame Relay, and ATM). In a channelized environment, (such as with facilities and SONET), the circuit positions used in the MetaSolv Solution act as the discrete means of providing ”bandwidth." The term ”allocation of bandwidth" is also used in the industry. In the MetaSolv Solution, ”bandwidth" refers to a virtual circuit being ”allocated" to bandwidth circuits through the Bandwidth Allocation table based on bit rates of each circuit rather than by a specific number of circuit positions (such as channels).
In PVC (Permanent Virtual Circuit), bandwidth circuits are circuits that have virtual circuits assigned to them and have allocated capacity based on the digital bit rate as opposed to the method of using a distinct number of circuit positions (channels).
A mode of computer operation in which a complete program or set of instructions is carried out from start to finish without any intervention from a user. Batch processing is a highly efficient way of using computer resources, but it does not allow for any input while the batch is running, or any corrections in the event of a flaw in the program or a system failure. For these reasons, it is primarily used for CPU-intensive tasks that are well established and can run reliably without supervision, often at night or on weekends when other demands on the system are low.
A system that bills Interexchange Carriers (IXCs) for access time and hardware purchases.
A company that provides communications circuits. There are two types of carriers: private and common. Private carriers are not regulated and they can refuse to provide you service. Common carriers are regulated and they cannot refuse to provide you service. Most carriers (for example, MCI, AT&T, and Sprint) are common carriers.
A system that bills Interexchange Carriers (IXCs) for access time and hardware purchases.
CCNA (Customer Carrier Name Abbreviation)
A Telcordia-maintained industry-standard code used to identify access customers (for example, AT&T and MCI).
An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) term; a carrier service which supports the receipt and transmission of ATM cells between end-users in compliance with ATM standards and implementation specifications.
CLEI (Common Language Equipment Identifier)
Codes assigned by Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) to provide a standard method of identifying telecommunications equipment in a uniform, feature-oriented language. The code is a text/barcode label on the front of all equipment installed at Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) facilities that facilitates inventory, maintenance, planning, investment tracking, and circuit maintenance processes. Suppliers of telecommunication equipment give Telcordia technical data on their equipment, and Telcordia assigns a CLEI code to that specific product.
CNAM is an acronym for:
Call Name Database (Sprint)
Calling Name (Caller ID)
Class Calling Name Delivery (Telcordia)
CBP (Convergent Billing Platform)
Allows for the bundling of services, such as long distance, cellular, paging, and cable, together onto a single monthly invoice.
A combined file used by the ASR/ISI Gateway for transporting multiple types of files. A COM file may contain various combinations of ASR Response files and ASR Error files.
The final step in the successful completion of a previously started database change. The commit saves any pending changes to the database.
Common Language Equipment Identifier (CLEI)
Codes assigned by Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) to provide a standard method of identifying telecommunications equipment in a uniform, feature-oriented language. The code is a text/barcode label on the front of all equipment installed at Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) facilities that facilitates inventory, maintenance, planning, investment tracking, and circuit maintenance processes. Suppliers of telecommunication equipment give Telcordia technical data on their equipment, and Telcordia assigns a CLEI code to that specific product.
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
A standard architecture that allows different applications to communicate and exchange commands and data.
A central element in CORBA is the Object Request Broker (ORB). An ORB makes it possible for a client object to make a server request without having to know where in a network the server object or component is located and exactly what its interfaces are.
To allocate contiguous bandwidth for transport of a payload associated with a super-rate service. The set of bits in the payload is treated as a single entity, as opposed to being treated as separate bits, bytes or time slots. The payload, therefore, is accepted, multiplexed, switched, transported and delivered as a single, continuous chunk of payload data.
Convergent Billing Platform (CBP)
Allows for the bundling of services, such as long distance, cellular, paging, and cable, together onto a single monthly invoice.
CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture)
A standard architecture that allows different applications to communicate and exchange commands and data.
A central element in CORBA is the Object Request Broker (ORB). An ORB makes it possible for a client object to make a server request without having to know where in a network the server object or component is located and exactly what its interfaces are.
A way of connecting two objects together. Cross-connects may be hard-wired or software based. Hard-wired cross-connects are used to connect two pieces of equipment using a physical media. Software cross-connects represent the connections made within a network node. The software cross-connect determines how a circuit is connected through an intelligent network element.
An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) term; a carrier service which supports the receipt and transmission of ATM cells between end-users in compliance with ATM standards and implementation specifications.
Customer Carrier Name Abbreviation (CCNA)
A Telcordia-maintained industry-standard code used to identify access customers (for example, AT&T and MCI).
DACS (Digital Access and Cross-Connect Systems)
AT&T's proprietary digital cross-connect system (DCS) product. DCS is a type of switching/multiplexing equipment that permits per-channel DS0 electronic cross-connects from one T1 transmission facility to another, directly from the DS1 signal. That is, the DCS allows the 24 DS0 channels in one T1 line to be distributed among any of the other T1 lines connected to the DCS, without requiring external cross-connects.
A program that runs continuously and exists for the purpose of handling periodic service requests that a computer system expects to receive. The daemon program forwards the requests to other programs (or processes) as appropriate.
Describes a method used to build a telephone company's facilities. It is used when designated equipment, cables, and cable pairs are to be connected specifically to other pieces of equipment or locations. Once those connections are made they are seldom changed.
A form designed according to the Industry Support Interface (ISI) standard originated by the Ordering and Billing Forum (OBF) committee. This form contains pertinent technical information sent to the access customer for review to ensure that the appropriate design has been provided and for the recording of its contents for future circuit activities. For the MetaSolv Solution system, this entity type and its dependents are used to record when the DLR was issued and to make the necessary changes to defaulted ASR values.
Digital Access and Cross-Connect Systems (DACS)
AT&T's proprietary digital cross-connect system (DCS) product. DCS is a type of switching/multiplexing equipment that permits per-channel DS0 electronic cross-connects from one T1 transmission facility to another, directly from the DS1 signal. That is, the DCS allows the 24 DS0 channels in one T1 line to be distributed among any of the other T1 lines connected to the DCS, without requiring external cross-connects.
A form designed according to the Industry Support Interface (ISI) standard originated by the Ordering and Billing Forum (OBF) committee. This form contains pertinent technical information sent to the access customer for review to ensure that the appropriate design has been provided and for the recording of its contents for future circuit activities. For the MetaSolv Solution system, this entity type and its dependents are used to record when the DLR was issued and to make the necessary changes to defaulted ASR values.
The terminating location of telephone services for residential and business customers.
Documents that identify the properties and functionality of a piece of hardware. Equipment Specs are limited to items relevant to the operation of a circuit, such as channel banks, channel units, VF equipment, switches, cards, and so on.
The process of elevating a trouble ticket and making the appropriate parties aware that the resolution of the ticket is not progressing as well as expected and that assistance may be needed.
In the scope of the APIs, an event represents the occurrence of something in the MetaSolv Solution or in a third-party application that is of significance to the gateway.
Any one of the elements of a physical telephone plant required to provide service (for example, a phone or data line, switching system, or cables and microwave radio transmission systems).
Detects, isolates, and corrects network faults. It is also one of five categories of network management defined by the ISO (International Standards Union).
The automating of the activation process used to remotely communicate with the equipment in the field through Work Management tasks. The MetaSolv Solution itself can act as the Service Management Layer (SML) that sends commands to the Network Management Layer (NML) where the commands are non-vendor specific. The NML then passes these commands and translates them into vendor terms and communicates these to the specific Network Element (NE), which is the actual equipment in the field. Examples of Network Elements are C.O. switch, Digital Loop Carrier (DLC), SONET node, and Digital Cross-connect System (DCS). The MetaSolv Solution may also serve as the NML.
A form the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) submits to the Interexchange Carrier (IXC) to indicate the date when they are going to install ordered circuits.
A form the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) submits to the Interexchange Carrier (IXC) to indicate the date when they are going to install ordered circuits.
A telecommunication service designed for cost-efficient data transmission for intermittent traffic between local area networks (LANs) and between end-points in a wide area network (WAN).
The portion of a message containing information that guides the message to the correct destination. The header includes the sender's address, the receiver's address, the precedence level, routing instructions, synchronization pulses, etc.
ICSC (Interexchange Customer Service Center)
The telephone company's primary point of contact for handling the service needs of all long distance carriers. This center is responsible for outlining, configuring, and installing basic service upon customer request.
IDL (Interface Definition Language)
A programming language that helps define interfaces. IDL is inherently object oriented in nature.
A component of ORB that provides persistent storage of the interface definitions, acting as an online database and managing and providing access to a collection of object definitions.
An application-specific file that contains information about the initial configuration of the application.
Using an API, the MetaSolv Solution can be tightly integrated with a customer's proprietary software using software developed by third-party vendors like TMForum Common Interconnection Gateway Platform (CIGP).
Interexchange Customer Service Center (ICSC)
The telephone company's primary point of contact for handling the service needs of all long distance carriers. This center is responsible for outlining, configuring, and installing basic service upon customer request.
A mechanical or electrical link connecting two or more pieces of equipment. An interface allows an independent system to interact with the MetaSolv Solution product family.
In this guide, the term interface refers to the CORBA IDL interface that describes the operations the interface object supports in a distributed application. These IDL definitions provide the information needed by clients for accessing objects across a network.
The collection of APIs and gateway integration software produced by Oracle to permit access to the database.
Interface Definition Language (IDL)
A programming language that helps define interfaces. IDL is inherently object oriented in nature.
A component of ORB that provides persistent storage of the interface definitions, acting as an online database and managing and providing access to a collection of object definitions.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as web site building and hosting.
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as web site building and hosting.
Predefined types which can be used to build product specifications. Relationships between the item types are also predefined; the item types and relationships together are commonly called the MetaSolv Rules. The MetaSolv Solution only allows product specifications to be built that follow the MetaSolv Rules. These rules allow specific processing to be applied to item types.
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
An application program interface (API) specification for connecting programs written in Java to the data in popular databases.
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity)
An application program interface (API) specification for connecting programs written in Java to the data in popular databases.
LATA (Local Access Transport Area)
One of 161 geographical areas in the United States within which a local telephone company may offer local or long distance telecommunications service.
The LATA identifies which exchange carrier or Interexchange Carrier (IXC) may provide service in a defined area.
LIDB (Line Information Database)
A service that provides customers the ability to query Access Provider (AP) databases to determine whether a:
Caller is the authorized user of a valid AP calling card.
Particular telephone number can accept collect or third-party billed calls before transmitting any call.
Line Information Database (LIDB)
A service that provides customers the ability to query Access Provider (AP) databases to determine whether a:
Caller is the authorized user of a valid AP calling card.
Particular telephone number can accept collect or third-party billed calls before transmitting any call.
LNP (Local Number Portability)
A circuit-switched network capability that allows an end user to change service providers without having to change telephone numbers.
Local Access Transport Area (LATA)
One of 161 geographical areas in the United States within which a local telephone company may offer local or long distance telecommunications service.
The LATA identifies which exchange carrier or Interexchange Carrier (IXC) may provide service in a defined area.
Local Number Portability (LNP)
A circuit-switched network capability that allows an end user to change service providers without having to change telephone numbers.
Local Service Ordering Guidelines (LSOG)
A standardized set of guidelines used for ordering various local services. The local service request (LSR) is the administrative form that must accompany any local service request. This type of service request is used in a local competition environment to order unbundled elements such as loop service, number portability, and loop service with number portability. The local service provider sends a LSR to the network service provider when the local service provider cannot fill the requirements of an end user from owned resources.
The type of service request used in a local competition environment to order unbundled elements such as loop service, number portability, and loop service with number portability. An LSR is sent by the local service provider to the network service provider when the local service provider cannot fill the requirements of an end user from owned resources.
A physical location that is of interest for equipment inventory purposes. This location may have a Telcordia CLLI, a location identifier that is not a CLLI code, or may simply be identified by a street address. Circuit Design creates an entry in network location for End User PRILOCs and SECLOCs if it does not exist. Network location is a supertype of locations. Subtypes of locations include CLLI locations, end user locations, or terminal locations.
LSOG (Local Service Ordering Guidelines)
A standardized set of guidelines used for ordering various local services. The local service request (LSR) is the administrative form that must accompany any local service request. This type of service request is used in a local competition environment to order unbundled elements such as loop service, number portability, and loop service with number portability. The local service provider sends a LSR to the network service provider when the local service provider cannot fill the requirements of an end user from owned resources.
The type of service request used in a local competition environment to order unbundled elements such as loop service, number portability, and loop service with number portability. An LSR is sent by the local service provider to the network service provider when the local service provider cannot fill the requirements of an end user from owned resources.
The process of associating each bit transmitted by a service into the SONET payload structure that carries the service. For example, mapping a DS1 service into a SONET VT1.5 associates each bit of the DS1 with a location in the VT1.5.
The interconnection of equipment and outside plant components designed to provide an infrastructure fabric of facilities to support the transport of circuits. Each component of the network (Facilities, Equipment, Plant, and TFC Networks) may stand alone in the individual circuit design/assignment process. Alternatively, the components of the network may be combined to facilitate the designing process by allowing one assignment to encompass many network components together.
A system such as a switch or Digital Cross-connect System (DCS) or a single shelf such as an Add-Drop Multiplexer (ADM). Another type of network element is a Digital Loop Carrier (DLC).
Maintains information on an intelligent network element that makes up a telecommunications facility network.
NPAC SMS (Number Portability Administration Center and Service Management System)
Assists in administering Local Number Portability (LNP).
OBF (Ordering and Billing Forum)
A subcommittee of the Exchange Carriers Standards Association (ECSA). This forum discusses operational ordering, provisioning, billing, and presubscription.
Formed in 1989 by a group of vendors for the purpose of creating a standard architecture for distributed objects (also known as components) in networks. The architecture that resulted is the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA).
The programming that acts as a broker between a client request for a service from a distributed object or component and the completion of that request. Having ORB support in a network means that a client program can request a service without having to understand where the server is in a distributed network or exactly what the interface to the server program looks like. Components can find out about each other and exchange interface information as they are running.
Formed in 1989 by a group of vendors for the purpose of creating a standard architecture for distributed objects (also known as components) in networks. The architecture that resulted is the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA).
The programming that acts as a broker between a client request for a service from a distributed object or component and the completion of that request. Having ORB support in a network means that a client program can request a service without having to understand where the server is in a distributed network or exactly what the interface to the server program looks like. Components can find out about each other and exchange interface information as they are running.
Ordering and Billing Forum (OBF)
A subcommittee of the Exchange Carriers Standards Association (ECSA). This forum discusses operational ordering, provisioning, billing, and presubscription.
A program used to test whether a particular network destination on the Internet is online.
A word or string or characters recognized by automatic means, permitting a user access to a place or to protected storage, files, or input/output devices.
A program used to test whether a particular network destination on the Internet is online.
Maintains information on an equipment's assignable ports for transmission purposes. These ports can be either physical or virtual as in the relationship with the circuit positions associated with virtual (ST or VT) facilities. Port addresses can be either physical or "enabled" by the physical, as in the relationship with the circuit positions associated with facilities.
The port address can also be identified with a node address used for assignment selection. Other information can be maintained specific to the properties of the port, such as whether the port is line or drop, or identified as east or west.
An order request for end user products provided by a LEC. End user products include local dialtone services such as business lines and residential lines.
The process of accomplishing the physical work necessary to implement the activity requested on an order.
This normally includes the design and the activation processes. For an install of a circuit, this would typically involve Circuit Design in the MetaSolv Solution (making assignments) and activating the circuit.
An order request for end user products provided by a LEC. End user products include local dialtone services such as business lines and residential lines.
Identifies the bit rate associated with a circuit, facility, or equipment. For example, DS0, DS1, or DS3.
A gateway event which must be associated with a task in the provisioning plan assigned to the service request.
The APIs use SQL (Structured Query Language) script. A script is a program or sequence of instructions that is interpreted or carried out by another program rather than by the computer processor (as a compiled program is).
A gateway event which must be associated with a task in the provisioning plan assigned to the service request.
Identifies the class of cell relay service for the Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC). This information is identified in both directions of the PVC to support asymmetrical virtual services.
An artifact that communicates information about an event. The point of reference for the API documentation is the MetaSolv Solution product line. Therefore, when reading material about signals, the direction of the signal in relation to the MetaSolv Solution determines whether it is an inbound or outbound signal. When the MetaSolv Solution sends the signal, that signal is called an "outbound signal." When the MetaSolv Solution receives the signal, that signal is called an "inbound signal."
A message issued the by the MetaSolv Solution acting as a client to another vendor.
SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork)
An optical interface standard that allows interworking of transmission products from multiple vendors. It is a family of fiber-optic transmission rates from 51.84 Mbps to 13.22 Gbps, created to provide the flexibility needed to transport many digital signals with different capacities, and to provide a standard from which manufacturers can design.
A set of interim database tables used by the ASR/ISI gateway when processing access service request (ASR) files.
An operation in which the invoking application gets the results of the operation immediately upon the return of the call. The receiver of the operation acts upon that operation and returns the results. No callback mechanism is used.
Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)
An optical interface standard that allows interworking of transmission products from multiple vendors. It is a family of fiber-optic transmission rates from 51.84 Mbps to 13.22 Gbps, created to provide the flexibility needed to transport many digital signals with different capacities, and to provide a standard from which manufacturers can design.
Identifies a group of equipment associated as part of a system or network element. In the MetaSolv Solution the TID information is maintained on the Node tab of the Network Element Properties window.
Companies that write customized and interconnection interfaces to the MetaSolv Solution APIs, allowing you to access data.
Identifies a group of equipment associated as part of a system or network element. In the MetaSolv Solution, the TID information is maintained on the Node tab of the Network Element Properties window.
The bit rates associated with a circuit, facility, or equipment. For example, DS0, DS1, DS3, N/A, and so on.
Any cause that may lead to or contribute to an end-user perceiving a failure or degradation on the quality of service of a telecommunications service.
VCI (Virtual Circuit Identifier)
The part of the logical connection address on the ATM switch port where the physical NNI or UNI circuit terminates. The PVC may be assigned one VCI per physical circuit. The VCI accompanies the virtual path identifier (VPI) if the PVC Connection Type is "Channel"; it is not used if the type is "Path." In a combined identification, the two are displayed as VPI or VCI.
A term that has been used in various areas of the telecommunications industry such as with SONET, Frame Relay, and ATM. In a SONET environment, the MetaSolv Solution uses "virtual" facilities the identify SONET auto-built ST and VT facilities as virtual facilities because the Virtual Indicator on the Transmission Facility Circuit table. In the MetaSolv Solution SONET application, the "virtual" facilities are used to transport other signals such as DS3 and DS1 circuits. In Frame Relay and ATM, the MetaSolv Solution has used the "virtual" term for the permanent virtual circuit (PVC). Therefore, a "Virtual Facility" is used in the realm of SONET auto-built STS and VT facilities and "Virtual Circuit" is used when referring to the Frame Relay or ATM PVC.
Virtual Circuit Identifier (VCI)
The part of the logical connection address on the ATM switch port where the physical NNI or UNI circuit terminates. The permanent virtual circuit (PVC) may be assigned one VCI per physical circuit. The VCI accompanies the virtual path identifier (VPI) if the PVC Connection Type is "Channel"; it is not used if the type is "Path." In a combined identification, the two are displayed as VPI or VCI.
The logical connection address on the ATM switch port where the physical NNI or UNI circuit terminates. The permanent virtual circuit (PVC) may be assigned one VPI per physical circuit. The VPI is accompanied by the virtual circuit identifier (VCI) if the PVC Connection Type is "Channel"; the VPI alone is used if the type is "Path," In a combined identification, the two are displayed as VPI or VCI.
The logical connection address on the ATM switch port where the physical NNI or UNI circuit terminates. The permanent virtual circuit (PVC) may be assigned one VPI per physical circuit. The VPI is accompanied by the virtual circuit identifier (VCI) if the PVC Connection Type is "Channel"; the VPI alone is used if the type is "Path." In a combined identification, the two are displayed as VPI or VCI.
A collection place for tasks associated with a service request. There are two types of work queues: child (individual) and parent (group). A child work queue is, typically, set up for one person. A parent work queue is most often set up for a group, department, or someone responsible for managing task assignments.