Chapter 2

MSA (master service agreement)

A contract that defines terms of future contracts between parties, such as payment terms or arbitration arrangements.

wiring schematic

A graphical representation of a network's wired infrastructure.

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.

wiki

A website that can be edited by users.

SOW (statement of work)

Documents in detail the work that must be completed for a particular project, and includes specifics such as tasks, deliverables, standards, payment schedule, and work timeline. Is legally binding, meaning it can be enforced in a court of law.

MOU (memorandum of understanding)

Documents the intentions of two or more parties to enter into a binding agreement, or contract, and is sometimes used between an informal handshake and the legally binding signatures on contracts. Can be helpful in pushing along contract negotiations and in defining specific concerns of each party, but it is usually not a legally binding document, does not grant extensive rights to either party, provides no legal recourse, and is not intended to provide thorough coverage of the agreement to come.

network diagrams

Graphical representations of a network's devices and connections. These diagrams may show physical layout, logical topology, IP address reserves, names of major network devices, and types of transmission media.

Nmap

Originally designed as a command-line utility, but as since been expanded for compatibility on several other OSes. It's now available in a GUI form called Zenmap.

RFP (request for proposal)

Request to vendors to submit a proposal for a product or service your company wants to purchase. Key parts include why your company requires the product or service, how the product or service will be used, how and when the proposals will be evaluated, and a list of items a vendor should include in its proposal.

System Life Cycle

The process of designing, implementing, and maintaining an entire network. A major part of this process is the removal and disposal of outdated assest, and the addition of compatible, updated devices.

rack diagram

These drawings show the devices stacked in a rack system and are typically drawn to scale.

Patch

a correction, improvement, or enhancement to software. It corrects a bug, closes a vulnerability, or adds minor enhancements to only part of the software, leaving most of the code untouched.

Inventory Management for hardware

configuration files, model number, serial number, location on the network, and technical support contact

MLA (master license agreement)

grants a license from a creator, developer, or producer, such as 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.

upgrade

is a major change to a software package that enhances the functionality and features of the software while also correcting bugs and vulnerabilities

installation

new software, such as CRM (customer relationship management) software for sales reps or a financial software package for accountants, must be installed on the relevant devices and incorporated with network resources

inventory management

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

network mapping

the process of discovering and identifying the devices on 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 software after attempting to patch or upgrade it

inventory management for software

version number, vendor, licensing, and technical support contact