Glossary

A

AVP

Attribute-Value Pair

The Diameter protocol consists of a header followed by one or more attribute-value pairs (AVPs). An AVP includes a header and is used to encapsulate protocol-specific data (for example, routing information) as well as authentication, authorization or accounting information.

C

ComAgent

Communication Agent

A common infrastructure component delivered as part of a common plug-in, which provides services to enable communication of message between application processes on different servers.

CTF

Charging Trigger Function

D

DA-MP

Diameter Agent Message Processor

A DSR MP (Server Role = MP, Server Group Function = Diameter Signaling Router). A local application that can optionally be activated on the DA-MP. A computer or blade that is hosting a Diameter Signaling Router Application.

DCA

DOIC Capabilities Announcement

Diameter Custom Application

DNS

Domain Name Services

Domain Name System

A system for converting Internet host and domain names into IP addresses.

DRA

Destination Routing Address

Diameter Relay Agent

Diameter Routing Agent

A functional element in a 3G or 4G (such as LTE) wireless network that provides real-time routing capabilities to ensure that messages are routed among the correct elements in a network.

DSCP

Differentiated Service Code Point

Differentiated Services Code Point

Provides a framework and building blocks to enable deployment of scalable service discrimination in the internet. The differentiated services are realized by mapping the code point contained in a field in the IP packet header to a particular forwarding treatment or per-hop behavior (PHB). Differentiated services or DiffServ is a computer networking architecture that specifies a simple, scalable and coarse-grained mechanism for classifying and managing network traffic and providing quality of service (QoS) on modern IP networks.

G

GGA

Get-Gateway-Answer

A reply to a GGR. It contains session information for the subscriber present in the GGR.GGA includes the bindings for the subscriber such as, Access Point Name, PCEF FQDN, and Creation timestamp. The session information is aggregated in the GGA based on the PCRF to which is it assigned.

GGR

Get-Gateway-Request

A request for information for either an IMSI or an MSISDN. Only one subscriber (IMSI or MSISDN) is allowed to be queried per GGR. The GGR is generated by the GQC.

GLA

Gateway Location Application A DSR Application that provides a Diameter interface to subscriber data stored in the DSR’s Policy Session Binding Repository (pSBR). Subscriber data concerning binding and session information is populated in the pSBR-B by the Policy Diameter Routing Agent (Policy DRA). GLA provides methods for a Diameter node to query binding information stored in the pSBR-B. The query can be by either IMSI or MSISDN. GLA processes Diameter Requests and generates Diameter Answers.

GQC

Gateway Query Client also known as Diameter Node

GQS

Gateway Query Server also known as DSR

GTA

Global Title Address

GUI

Graphical User Interface

The term given to that set of items and facilities which provides you with a graphic means for manipulating screen data rather than being limited to character based commands.

H

HA: High Availability; High Availability refers to a system or component that operates on a continuous basis by utilizing redundant connectivity, thereby circumventing unplanned outages.

I

IDIH: Integrated Diameter Intelligence Hub
IP: Intelligent Peripheral; Internet Protocol - IP specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme. The network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite widely used on Ethernet networks, defined in STD 5, RFC 791. IP is a connectionless, best-effort packet switching protocol. It provides packet routing, fragmentation and re-assembly through the data link layer.

K

KPI: Key Performance Indicator

L

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol

A protocol for providing and receiving directory information in a TCP/IP network.

M

MAP

Mated Application Part

Mobile Application Part

An application part in SS7 signaling for mobile communications systems.

MD-IWF

MAP-Diameter Interworking SS7 Application, which translates MAP messages into Diameter messages

MEAL

Measurements, Events, Alarms, and Logs

MP

Measurement Platform

Message Processor - The role of the Message Processor is to provide the application messaging protocol interfaces and processing. However, these servers also have OAM components. All Message Processors replicate from their Signaling OAM's database and generate faults to a Fault Management System.

N

NAS

Network Access Server

A single point of access or gateway to a remote resource. NAS systems are usually associated with AAA servers.

NOAM

Network Operations, Administration, and Maintenance

NOAMP

Network Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning

O

OCS

Online Charging System

A system allowing a Communications Service Provider to charge customers in real time based on service usage.

P

PCRF: Policy and Charging Rules Function; The ability to dynamically control access, services, network capacity, and charges in a network.; Maintains rules regarding a subscriber’s use of network resources. Responds to CCR and AAR messages. Periodically sends RAR messages. All policy sessions for a given subscriber, originating anywhere in the network, must be processed by the same PCRF.; In the Policy Management system, PCRF is located in the MPE device.; Software node designated in real-time to determine policy rules in a multimedia network.
Policy DRA: Policy Diameter Relay Agent. A scalable, geo-diverse DSR application that creates a binding between a subscriber and a PCRF, and routes all policy messages for a given subscriber to the PCRF that currently hosts that subscriber’s policy rules. Policy DRA is capable of performing Topology Hiding to hide the PCRF from the Policy Client.
PRT: Peer Route Table or Peer Routing Table

R

RADIUS

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service

A client/server protocol and associated software that enables remote access servers to communicate with a central server to authorize their access to the requested service. The MPE device functions with RADIUS servers to authenticate messages received from remote gateways. See also Diameter.

S

SBR

Subsystem Backup Routing

SFTP

SSH File Transfer Protocol (sometimes also called Secure File Transfer Protocol)

A client-server protocol that allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and from another computer over a TCP/IP network over any reliable data stream. It is typically used with version two of the SSH protocol.

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol.

An industry-wide standard protocol used for network management. The SNMP agent maintains data variables that represent aspects of the network. These variables are called managed objects and are stored in a management information base (MIB). The SNMP protocol arranges managed objects into groups.

SOAM

System Operations, Administration, and Maintenance

SS7

Signaling System #7

A communications protocol that allows signaling points in a network to send messages to each other so that voice and data connections can be set up between these signaling points. These messages are sent over its own network and not over the revenue producing voice and data paths. The EAGLE is an STP, which is a device that routes these messages through the network.

T

TSA

Target Set Address

An externally routable IP address that the IPFE presents to application clients. The IPFE distributes traffic sent to a target set address across a set of application servers.

U

UDR

User Data Repository

A logical entity containing user data.

User-Data-Request

A user-identity and service indication sent by a Diameter client to a Diameter server in order to request user data.