Glossary
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loop avoidance
If multiple connections between switches are created for
redundancy, network loops can occur. STP is used to stop network loops and
allow redundancy.
LSA
link-state advertisement: Contained inside of link-state packets
(LSPs), these advertisements are usually multicast packets, containing infor-
mation about neighbors and path costs, that are employed by link-state pro-
tocols. Receiving routers use LSAs to maintain their link-state databases and,
ultimately, routing tables.
LUNI
LAN Emulation User-to-Network Interface: Defining the interface
between the LAN Emulation Client (LEC) and the LAN Emulation Server,
LUNI is the ATM Forum's standard for LAN Emulation on ATM networks.
See also: LES and LECS.
LZW algorithm
A data compression process named for its inventors,
Lempel, Ziv, and Welch. The algorithm works by finding longer and longer
strings of data to compress with shorter representations.
MAC
Media Access Control: The lower sublayer in the data link layer, it is
responsible for hardware addressing, media access, and error detection of
frames. See also: data link layer and LLC.
MAC address
A data-link layer hardware address that every port or
device needs in order to connect to a LAN segment. These addresses are used
by various devices in the network for accurate location of logical addresses.
MAC addresses are defined by the IEEE standard and their length is six char-
acters, typically using the burned-in address (BIA) of the local LAN inter-
face. Variously called hardware address, physical address, burned-in
address, or MAC-layer address.
MacIP
In AppleTalk, the network layer protocol encapsulating IP packets
in Datagram Delivery Protocol (DDP) packets. MacIP also supplies substi-
tute ARP services.
MAN
metropolitan area network: Any network that encompasses a met-
ropolitan area; that is, an area typically larger than a LAN but smaller than
a WAN. See also: LAN.
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