Glossary

A

AM

Application Manager

A server within a network that is responsible for establishing and managing subscriber sessions associated with a specific application.

API

Application Programming Interface

An interface with commands, possibly routines and/or macros, provided by an operating system or an add-on for an operating system (that support network use, for example). Application programs can use this interface to tell the operating system to perform specific actions.

B

BIOS

Basic Input-Output System

Firmware on the CPU blade that is executed prior to executing an OS.

B-RAS BRAS

Broadband Remote Access Server

Routes traffic to and from broadband remote access devices such as DSL multiplexers. The locations where policy management and DQoS functions occur. Also see BNG.

C

CMOS

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor

CMOS semiconductors use both NMOS (negative polarity) and PMOS (positive polarity) circuits. Since only one of the circuit types is on at any given time, CMOS chips require less power than chips using just one type of transistor.

CMP

Configuration Management Platform

A centralized management interface to create policies, maintain policy libraries, configure, provision, and manage multiple distributed MPE policy server devices, and deploy policy rules to MPE devices. The CMP has a web-based interface.

CMTS

Cable Modem Termination System

An edge device connecting to subscribers' cable modems in a broadband network. A CMTS device can function as a PCEF device; see PCEF.

Equipment used by cable companies to provide high speed data services to cable subscribers.

COPS-PR

Common open policy servers protocol for support of policy provisioning

D

DB

Database

DNS

Domain Name System

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

DQoS

Dynamic Quality of Service

A COPS-based protocol that is part of the Packet Cable standards used to communicate between a CMS and a CMTS for setting up voice calls. An MPE device can be inserted between these two entities to apply additional policy rules as sessions are established.

F

FABR

Full Address Based Resolution

Provides an enhanced DSR routing capability to enable network operators to resolve the designated Diameter server addresses based on individual user identity addresses in the incoming Diameter request messages.

FIPS

Federal Information Processing Standard

Full Address Based Resolution

See FABR.

G

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.

HIDS

Host Intrusion Detection System

HP

Hewlett-Packard

I

IP

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.

M

MIB

Management Information Database

A database of network management information that is used and maintained by the SNMP protocol.

MPE

Multimedia Policy Engine

A high-performance, high-availability platform for operators to deliver and manage differentiated services over high-speed data networks. The MPE includes a protocol-independent policy rules engine that provides authorization for services based on policy conditions such as subscriber information, application information, time of day, and edge resource utilization.

MPS

Messages Per Second

A measure of a message processor’s performance capacity. A message is any Diameter message (Request or Answer) which is received and processed by a message processor.

MRA

Multi-Protocol Routing Agent - Scales the Policy Management infrastructure by distributing the PCRF load across multiple Policy Server devices.

MSC

Mobile Switching Center

An intelligent switching system in GSM networks. This system establishes connections between mobile communications subscribers.

The primary service delivery node for GSM/CDMA, responsible for routing voice calls and SMS as well as other services (such as conference calls, FAX and circuit switched data).

MTA

Mail Transfer Agent (or Message Transfer Agent)

Email server software that transfers electronic mail messages from one computer to another.

Multimedia Policy Engine

See MPE.

Multiprotocol Routing Agent

See MRA.

N

NTP

Network Time Protocol

NTP daemon

Network Time Protocol daemon – NTP process that runs in the background.

NW-CMP

Network Configuration Management Platform

The NW-CMP server configures Network tier objects. Examples of Network tier objects are policies, network elements, and configuration templates.

O

OID

Object Identifier

An identifier for a managed object in a Management Information Base (MIB) hierarchy. This can be depicted as a tree, the levels of which are assigned by different organizations. Top level MIB OIDs belong to different standard organizations. Vendors define private branches that include managed objects for their own products.

OM

Operational Measurement

P

PCMM

PacketCable MultiMedia

PDU

Protocol Data Unit

Perl

An object-oriented, event-driven programming language.

Q

QBus Platform

See QP.

QP

QBus Platform

Software that provides an execution environment for Java-based applications, providing common interfaces into databases, event logging, SNMP, and cluster state.

R

RBAR

Range Based Address Resolution

A DSR enhanced routing application which allows you to route Diameter end-to-end transactions based on Application ID, Command Code, Routing Entity Type, and Routing Entity address ranges.

S

S-CMP

System Configuration Management Platform

The S-CMP servers configure System tier objects. System tier objects are MPE and MRA devices.

Simple Network Management Protocol

See SNMP.

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.

SOAP

Simple Object Access Protocol

SPC

Service Provisioning over COPS (Common Open Policy Service protocol)

SW

Software

Switch

T

TCP

Transmission Control Protocol

A connection-oriented protocol used by applications on networked hosts to connect to one another and to exchange streams of data in a reliable and in-order manner.

U

UDP

User Datagram Protocol

V

VIP

Virtual IP Address

Virtual IP is a layer-3 concept employed to provide HA at a host level. A VIP enables two or more IP hosts to operate in an active/standby HA manner. From the perspective of the IP network, these IP hosts appear as a single host.