Chapter 2: Network Infrastructure and Documentation key terms

MSA (master service agreement)

A contract that defines terms of future contracts.

MLA (master license agreement)

A contract that grants a license from a creator, developer, or producer, such as a software producer, to a third party for the purposes of marketing, sublicensing, or distributing the product to consumers as a stand-alone product or as part of another product.

patch

A correction, improvement, or enhancement to part of a software application, often distributed at no charge by software vendors to fix a bug in their code or to add slightly more functionality.

VoIP PBX (private branch exchange)

A dedicated telephone switch or a virtual switching device that connects and manages calls within a private organization, and manages call connections that exit the network through a VoIP gateway.

KVM (keyboard, video, and mouse) switch

A device that connects the equipment in a rack to a single console to provide a central control portal for all devices on the rack.

VoIP gateway

A device that converts signals from a campus's analog phone equipment into IP data that can travel over the Internet, or that converts VoIP data from an internal IP network to travel over a phone company's analog telephone lines.

MOU (memorandum of understanding)

A document presenting the intentions of two or more parties to enter into a binding agreement, or contract. It is usually not a legally binding document (although there are exceptions), does not grant extensive rights to either party, provides no legal recourse, and is not intended to provide a thorough coverage of the agreement to come.

RFP (request for proposal)

A document requesting that vendors submit a proposal for a product or service that a company wants to purchase.

SOW (statement of work)

A document that details the work that must be completed for a particular project, including specifics such as tasks, deliverables, standards, payment schedule, and work timeline. It is legally binding, meaning it can be enforced in a court of law.

rack diagram

A drawing that shows the devices stacked in a rack system and is typically drawn to scale.

fiber-optic cable

A form of cable that contains one or several glass or plastic fibers in its core. Data is transmitted via a pulsing light sent from a laser or LED (light-emitting diode) through the central fiber or fibers.

EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance)

A former trade organization composed of representatives from electronics manufacturing firms across the United States that sets standards for electronic equipment and lobbies for legislation favorable to the growth of the computer and electronics industries. It was dissolved in 2011 and its responsibilities transferred to ECA (Electronic Components, Assemblies, Equipment & Supplies Association), but the standards brand name, ___, will continue to be used.

network diagram

A graphical representation of a network's devices and connections.

wiring schematic

A graphical representation of a network's wired infrastructure.

IDF (intermediate distribution frame)

A junction point between the MDF and concentrations of fewer connections— for example, those that terminate in a data closet.

SLA (service-level agreement)

A legally binding contract or part of a contract that defines, in plain language and in measurable terms, the aspects of a service provided to a customer. Specific details might include contract duration, guaranteed uptime, problem management, performance benchmarks, and termination options.

structured cabling

A method for uniform, enterprise-wide, multivendor cabling systems specified by the TIA/EIA 568 Commercial Building Wiring Standard. It is based on a hierarchical design using a high-speed backbone.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

A point-to-point connection over which data may follow any number of different paths.

punchdown tool

A pointed tool used to insert twisted-pair wire into receptors in a punchdown block to complete a circuit.

Nmap

A scanning tool designed to assess large networks quickly and provide comprehensive, customized information about a network and its hosts.

upgrade

A significant change to an application's existing code, typically designed to improve functionality or add new features while also correcting bugs and vulnerabilities.

TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)

A subgroup of the former EIA that focuses on standards for information technology, wireless, satellite, fiber optics, and telephone equipment. EIA was dissolved in 2011 and its responsibilities transferred to ECA (Electronic Components, Assemblies, Equipment & Supplies Association), but the standards brand name, EIA, will continue to be used. Probably the best known standards to come from the TIA/EIA alliance are its guidelines for how network cable should be installed in commercial buildings, known as the "TIA/EIA 568-B Series."

STP (shielded twisted pair)

A type of copper-based cable containing twisted-pair wires that are not only individually insulated, but are also surrounded by a shielding made of a metallic substance such as foil.

UTP (unshielded twisted pair)

A type of copper-based cable that consists of one or more insulated twisted-pair wires encased in a plastic sheath, which does not contain additional shielding for the twisted pairs.

crosstalk

A type of interference caused by signals traveling on nearby wire pairs infringing on another pair's signal.

EMI (electromagnetic interference)

A type of interference that can be caused by motors, power lines, televisions, copiers, fluorescent lights, or other sources of electrical activity.

110 block

A type of punchdown block designed to terminate Cat 5 or better twisted-pair wires and typically used to handle data connections rather than telephone connections. The numeral refers to the model number of the earliest blocks.

66 block

A type of punchdown block designed to terminate telephone connections. The numeral refers to the model number of the earliest blocks.

patch panel

A wall- or rack-mounted panel where cables converge in one location.

wiki

A website that can be edited by users.

MDF (main distribution frame or main distribution facility)

Also known as the main cross connect, the centralized point of interconnection between an organization's LAN or WAN and a service provider's facility.

VoIP endpoint

An end user device or application that gives the user access to VoIP services on a network.

plenum

The area above the ceiling tile or below the subfloor in a building.

entrance facility

The location where an incoming network service (whether phone, Internet, or long-distance service) enters a building and connects with the building's backbone cabling.

demarc (demarcation point)

The point of division between a telecommunications service carrier's network and a building's internal network.

licensing restrictions

The portion of a software license that limits what a product can be used for.

system life cycle

The process of designing, implementing, and maintaining an entire network.

inventory management

The process of monitoring and maintaining all the assets that make up a network.

patch management

The process of monitoring the release of new patches, testing them for use on networked devices, and installing them.

rollback

The process of reverting to a previous version of a software application after attempting to patch or upgrade it.

VoIP (Voice over IP)

The provision of telephone service over a packet-switched network running the TCP/IP protocol suite.