Table Of Contents

Glossary

A
active logs	These database log files contain data that has not yet written into the database. It is important to keep active log files until they become redundant. See also redundant logs and removable logs.
agent	A watchdog agent is a daemon process that is used to monitor, stop, start and restart BAC component processes such as the RDU, JRun, and the SNMP agent.
alert	A syslog or SNMP message notifying an operator or administrator of a network problem.
API	Application programming interface. Specification of function-call conventions that defines an interface to a service.
audit logs	A log file containing a summary of major changes in the RDU database. This includes changes to system defaults, technology defaults, DHCP criteria, and classes of service.

B
bandwidth	Difference between the highest and lowest frequencies available for network signals. The term is also used to describe the rated throughput capacity of a given network medium or protocol.
BACC	An integrated solution for data-over-cable service providers to configure and manage broadband modems, and enable and administer subscriber self-registration and activation. BACC is a scalable product capable of supporting millions of devices.
broadband	Transmission system that multiplexes multiple independent signals onto one cable. In Telecommunications terminology; any channel having a bandwidth greater than a voice-grade channel (4 kHz). In LAN terminology; a co-axial cable on which analog signaling is used.
Broadband Access Center for Cable	See BACC.

C
cable modem termination system	See CMTS.
caching	Form of replication in which information learned during a previous transaction is used to process later transactions.
client-class	A Network Registrar feature that provides differentiated services to users that are connected to a common network. The client-class is used in the BACC DHCP criteria to provide differentiated DHCP services to devices.
CMTS	Cable modem termination system. A CMTS is a component that exchanges digital signals with cable modems on a cable network. The CMTS is usually located in the cable provider's local office.
CMTS shared secret	See shared secret.
configuration file	A file containing configuration parameters for the device to be provisioned.
configuration generation	The process of combining a set of attributes to be delivered to a device using either DHCP, TFTP, or SNMP.
CPE	Customer premises equipment. Terminating equipment, such as telephones, computers, and modems, supplied and installed at a customer location.
customer premises equipment	See CPE.

D
device provisioning engine	See DPE.
DOCSIS Shared Secret	Shared secret for communication between DOCSIS devices in a BACC deployment.
Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification	See DOCSIS.
DOCSIS	Data over cable service interface specification. DOCSIS defines functionality in cable modems involved in high-speed data distribution over cable television system networks.
DPE	Device provisioning engine. The DPE caches device information to ensure BACC scalability and handles configuration requests including downloading configuration files to devices.
DSTB	Digital set-top box. A device that enables a television to become a user interface to the Internet and to receive and decode digital television signals.
Dynamic Configuration File	A dynamically created configuration file that uses template files to provide greater flexibility and security in the provisioning process.

F
FQDN	Fully qualified domain name. FQDN is the full name of a system, rather than just its hostname. For example, cisco is a hostname and www.cisco.com is an FQDN.
fully qualified domain name	See FQDN.

I
IP address	An IP address is a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packets across the Internet.

K
Key Distribution Center	See KDC.
KDC	A key distribution center that implements limited Kerberos functionality. Used in the provisioning of PacketCable MTAs.

M
MAC address	Standardized data link layer address that is required for every port or device that connects to a LAN. Other devices in the network use these addresses to locate specific ports in the network and to create and update routing tables and data structures. MAC addresses are 6 bytes long and are controlled by IEEE, Also known as hardware address, MAC-layer address, or physical address. Compare with network address.
Media Terminal Adapter	See MTA.
MSO	Multiple system operator. A company that operates more than one cable TV or broadband system.
MTA	Equipment at the customer end of a broadband (packetcable) network.
multiple service operator	See MSO.

N
NAT	Network address translation. Mechanism for reducing the need for globally unique IP addresses. NAT allows an organization with addresses that are not globally unique to connect to the Internet by translating those addresses into globally routeable address space. This is also known as Network Address Translation.
network address translation	See NAT.
network administrator	Person responsible for operation, maintenance, and management of a network. See also network operator.
network operator	Person who routinely monitors and controls a network, performing such tasks as reviewing and responding to alarms, monitoring throughput, configuring new circuits, and resolving problems. See also network administrator.
Network Time Protocol	See NTP.
NR	Cisco Network Registrar. A software product that provides IP addresses, configuration parameters, and DNS names to DOCSIS cable modems and PCs, based on network and service policies.
NTP	Network Time Protocol (NTP). The NTP is a protocol designed to synchronize server clocks over a network.

P
provisioning API	A series of BACC functions that programs can use to make the operating system perform various functions.
provisioning groups	Groupings of DPE and DHCP servers, based on either network topology or geography.
publishing	Publishing provisioning information to an external datastore in real time. Publishing plug-ins must be developed to write data to a datastore.

R
RDU	Regional distribution unit. The RDU is the primary server in the BACC provisioning system. It manages generation of device configurations, processes all API requests, and manages the BACC system.
realm	The logical network served by a single Kerberos database and a set of Key Distribution Centers.
realm names	By convention, realm names are generally all uppercase letters, to differentiate the realm from the Internet domain. See realm.
redundancy	In internetworking, the duplication of devices, services, or connections so that, in the event of a failure, the redundant devices, services, or connections can perform the work of those that failed.
redundant logs	Database log files become redundant once its data has been written into the database. See also active logs and removable logs.
removable logs	Database log files become removable after either being backed up, or when the complete database that contains data for this log file has been backed up. See also active logs and redundant logs.

S
selection tags	Selection tags associated with Network Registrar scopes. These define the clients and client-classes associated with a scope.
shared secret	A character string used to provide secure communication between two servers or devices.
static configuration files	These files are used as a configuration file for a device. For example, a static configuration file called gold.cm would identify the gold DOCSIS class of service. BACC treats this file type like any other binary file.

T
template files	Text files that contain DOCSIS or PacketCable MTA options and values that, when used in conjunction with a DOCSIS or PacketCable MTA class of service, provide dynamic file generation.
TFTP	Trivial File Transfer Protocol. Simplified version of file transfer protocol (FTP) that allows files to be transferred from one computer to another over a network.
TLV	Type-Length-Value. A tuple within a DOCSIS or PacketCable configuration file.
trivial file transfer protocol	See TFTP.
tuple	In programming languages, a tuple is an ordered set of values. Common uses for the tuple as a data type are: for passing a string of parameters from one program to another, or to represent a set of value attributes in a relational database.
Type Length Value	See TLV.

U
uBr	Universal Broadband Router (such as the Cisco 7246 or 7223), which is the Cisco router implementation of a DOCSIS CMTS.

V
Voice over IP	See VoIP.
VoIP	Voice over IP. VoIP is the ability to make telephone calls and send faxes over IP-based data networks with a suitable quality of service (QoS) and superior cost/benefit.

X
XGCP	A Gateway Control Protocol used to pass data between networks. This includes that M (for Media) GCP and S (Simple) GCP.

Posted: Thu Feb 2 12:44:28 PST 2006
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