Network administration

Terms related to managing computer networks, including definitions about LANS or WANS and words and phrases about network design, troubleshooting, security and backups.

visitor-based networking (visitor-based network) - Visitor-based networking (VBN) is a computer network with high-speed internet access provided by an organization for temporary use by visitors, guests or other users in a public area.
VLAN (virtual LAN) - A virtual LAN (VLAN) is a logical overlay network that groups together a subset of devices that share a physical LAN, isolating the traffic for each group.
WAN (wide area network) - A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically distributed private telecommunications network that interconnects multiple local area networks (LANs).
WAN optimization (WAN acceleration) - WAN optimization -- also known as WAN acceleration -- is a collection of technologies and techniques used to improve the efficiency of data transfer across a wide area network (WAN) between organizations' centralized data centers and their remote locations.
What are managed network services? - Managed network services are networking applications, functions and services that a managed service provider (MSP) remotely operates, monitors and maintains for an enterprise.
What are port numbers and how do they work? - A port number is a way to identify a specific process to which an internet or other network message is to be forwarded when it arrives at a server.
What are the Uptime Institute's data center tier standards? - Data center tiers are a system created by Uptime Institute LLC to describe the availability of infrastructure resources in a facility.
What is a cloud-native network function (CNF)? - A cloud-native network function (CNF) is a service that performs network duties in software, as opposed to purpose-built hardware.
What is a command prompt? - A command prompt is the input field in a text-based user interface screen for an operating system (OS) or program.
What is a configuration management database? - A configuration management database (CMDB) is a file -- usually in the form of a standardized database -- that contains all relevant information about the hardware and software components used in an organization's IT services and the relationships among those components.
What is a content delivery network? - A content delivery network (CDN), also called a content distribution network, is a group of geographically distributed and interconnected servers.
What is a domain controller? - A domain controller is a server that processes requests for authentication from users and computers within a computer domain.
What is a H.323 gatekeeper? - A gatekeeper is a management tool for H.
What is a network management system? - A network management system (NMS) is an application or set of applications that enable network engineers to manage a network's independent components inside a larger network management framework and perform several key functions.
What is a network node? - A network node is a connection point in a communications network.
What is a network packet? - A network packet is a basic unit of data that is transferred over a computer network, typically a packet-switched network, such as the internet.
What is a northbound interface/southbound interface? - A northbound interface (NBI) is an application programming interface (API) or protocol that allows a lower-level network component to communicate with a higher-level or more central component; conversely, a southbound interface (SBI) allows a higher-level component to send commands to lower-level network components.
What is a personal area network (PAN)? - A personal area network (PAN) is a small network that interconnects technology devices within a limited range of just a few meters.
What is a private cloud? Definition and examples - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers advantages similar to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
What is a programmable network (network programmability)? - A programmable network is one in which software that operates independently of network hardware handles the behavior of network devices and flow control.
What is a proxy server? Definition and use cases - A proxy server is an intermediary between a user and the internet.
What is a remote desktop and how does it work? - A remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
What is a server? - A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client.
What is a service mesh? - A service mesh is a dedicated infrastructure layer that controls service-to-service communication within a distributed application.
What is a software-defined data center (SDDC)? - A software-defined data center (SDDC) is a server management concept in which all infrastructure elements -- networking, storage and compute -- are virtualized and delivered as a service.
What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? Definition, Benefits & How It Works - A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that creates a safe, encrypted online connection.
What is a web server? - A web server is software and hardware that uses HTTP and other protocols to respond to client requests made over the World Wide Web.
What is a wireless mesh network (mesh WiFi)? - A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a mesh network created through the connection of wireless access point (wireless AP) nodes installed at each network user's location.
What is acceptable use policy (AUP)? - An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a document stipulating constraints and practices that a user must agree to for access to or use of a corporate network, the internet or other computing resources.
What is an attack surface? Examples and best practices - An attack surface is the total number of possible entry points and attack vectors an organization or system has that are susceptible to unauthorized access.
What is an SDN controller (software-defined networking controller)? - A software-defined networking controller is an application in SDN architecture that manages Flow control for improved network management and application performance.
What is an SSID (service set identifier)? - An SSID (service set identifier) is a sequence of characters that uniquely names a Wi-Fi network.
What is application allowlisting? - Application allowlisting, previously known as 'application whitelisting,' is the practice of specifying an index of approved software applications or executable files that are permitted to be present and active on a computer system.
What is authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA)? - Authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) is a security framework for controlling and tracking user access within a computer network.
What is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)? - BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol that enables the internet's global routing system.
What is Cisco ISE? - Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a security policy management platform that provides secure network access to end users and devices.
What is cloud networking? - Cloud networking is a type of IT infrastructure in which the cloud hosts some or all of an organization's networking resources.
What is coexistence testing? - Coexistence testing, similar to compatibility testing, measures the ability of multiple devices to interact in a single environment with limited bandwidth.
What is configuration management? A comprehensive guide - Configuration management, or CM, is a governance and systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources, services and applications across an enterprise.
What is COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled)? - COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) is a mobile device management model that allows employees to use corporate-owned mobile devices for specific types of personal use.
What is desktop management and how does it work? - Desktop management is a comprehensive approach to managing all the computers within an organization.
What is Desktop Management Interface (DMI)? - The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is a standard industry framework for managing and tracking components on one or more personal computers, laptops or servers, usually from a centralized console.
What is device as a service (DaaS)? - The device as a service (DaaS) model offers PCs, smartphones and other mobile computing devices as a paid service.
What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)? - DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used to dynamically assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to any device on a network so it can communicate.
What is employee monitoring? - Employee monitoring is when businesses monitor employees to improve productivity and protect corporate resources.
What is Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)? - An enterprise service bus (ESB) is a software platform used to distribute work among connected components of an application.
What is fault management? - Fault management is the component of network management that detects, isolates and fixes problems.
What is FCAPS (fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security)? - FCAPS (fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security) is a network management framework and model created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
What is green networking? - Green networking is the practice of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products to minimize resource use whenever possible.
What is HAProxy? - HAProxy is a high-performance, open source load balancer and reverse proxy for TCP and HTTP applications.
What is health IT (health information technology)? - Health IT (health information technology) is the area of IT involving the design, development, creation, use and maintenance of information systems for the healthcare industry.
What is high availability (HA)? Definition and guide - High availability (HA) is the ability of a system to operate continuously for a designated period of time even if components within the system fail.
What is ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)? - ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer error-reporting protocol that's used to communicate data transmission problems.
What is IT/OT convergence? Everything you need to know - IT/OT convergence is the integration of information technology (IT) systems with operational technology (OT) systems.
What is LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)? - LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a software protocol used for locating data about organizations, individuals and other resources, such as files and devices, on public and corporate networks.
What is Microsoft Azure and how does it work? - Microsoft Azure, formerly known as Windows Azure, is Microsoft's public cloud computing platform.
What is multiplexing and how does it work? - Multiplexing, or 'muxing,' is a way of sending multiple signals or streams of information over a communications link at the same time in the form of a single, complex signal.
What is NetOps? Everything you need to know - NetOps, also referred to as NetOps 2.
What is network analytics? - Network analytics is the application of big data principles and tools to the data used to manage and secure data networks.
What is network as a service (NaaS)? - Network as a service (NaaS) is a cloud model for delivering various network services virtually on a subscription basis.
What is network automation? - Network automation is a process that uses intelligent software to automate the management, configuration, deployment, testing and operation of both physical and virtual devices.
What is network availability? - Network availability is how long a network system is in uptime over a specific time interval.
What is network bandwidth and how is it measured? - Network bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given time.
What is network configuration management (NCM)? - Network configuration management (NCM) is the process of organizing and maintaining information about all the components in a computer network.
What is network monitoring? - Network monitoring, also frequently called network management, is the practice of consistently overseeing a computer network for any failures or deficiencies to ensure continued network performance.
What is network scanning? How to, types and best practices - Network scanning is a procedure for identifying active devices on a network by employing a feature or features in the network protocol to signal to devices and await a response.
What is network security? Definition and best practices - Network security encompasses all the steps taken to protect the integrity of a computer network and the data within it.
What is network topology? - A network topology is the physical and logical arrangement of nodes and connections in a network.
What is network virtualization? Everything you need to know - Network virtualization is a method of combining the available resources in a network to consolidate multiple physical networks, divide a network into segments or create software networks between VMs.
What is network-attached storage (NAS)? A complete guide - Network-attached storage (NAS) is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity.
What is NFV MANO (network functions virtualization management and orchestration)? - NFV MANO (network functions virtualization management and orchestration), or just MANO, is an architectural framework used to manage and orchestrate virtual network functions (VNFs) and other software components.
What is nslookup? - Nslookup is the name of a program that lets users enter a hostname and find out the corresponding Internet Protocol address or Domain Name System record.
What is open networking? - Open networking describes a network that uses open standards and commodity hardware.
What is PaaS? Platform as a service definition and guide - Platform as a service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet.
What is ping and how does it work? - Ping (Packet Internet Groper) is a basic internet program that enables a user to test and verify if a particular destination Internet Protocol (IP) address is reachable and can respond to network requests.
What is port address translation (PAT)? - Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 addresses to a single public Internet Protocol address by using network ports.
What is promiscuous mode in networking? - In computer networking, promiscuous mode is a mode of operation in which a network device, such as a network interface card (NIC) or an adapter on a host system, can intercept and read in its entirety each network packet that arrives instead of just the packets addressed to the host.
What is PUE (power usage effectiveness)? - Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data center.
What is reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS)? - Reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) are related operational activities that must be considered when designing, manufacturing, purchasing and using a computer product or component.
What is remote desktop protocol (RDP)? - Remote desktop protocol (RDP) is a secure network communications protocol developed by Microsoft.
What is Routing Information Protocol (RIP)? - Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance vector protocol that uses hop count as its primary metric.
What is SaaS (software as a service)? - Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a cloud provider hosts applications and makes them available to end users over the internet.
What is SD-WAN (software-defined WAN)? Ultimate guide - Software-defined WAN is a technology that uses software-defined networking concepts to distribute network traffic across a wide area network, or WAN.
What is server sprawl and how to prevent it? - Server sprawl is when multiple underutilized servers take up more space and consume more resources than can be justified by their workload.
What is short message service center (SMSC)? - The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations.
What is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)? - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application-layer protocol for monitoring and managing network devices on a local area network or wide area network.
What is SIP trunking (Session Initiation Protocol trunking)? - Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking is a service a communications service provider offers that uses the protocol to provision voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia connectivity between an on-premises phone system and the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
What is software-defined networking (SDN)? - Software-defined networking (SDN) is a networking approach in which software is used to easily configure and centrally manage IT networks.
What is SSH (Secure Shell) and How Does It Work? - SSH (Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell) is a network protocol that gives users -- particularly systems administrators -- a secure way to access a computer over an unsecured network.
What is TCP/IP? - TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet.
What is Telnet? - Telnet is a network protocol used to remotely access a computer for a text-based communication channel between two machines.
What is the data link layer in the OSI model? - The data link layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles how data moves in and out of a physical link in a network.
What is the OSI model? The 7 layers of OSI explained - The OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection model) is a multilayered reference model that shows how computer systems and applications communicate over a network.
What is the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol? How does it work? - The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a client-server communication protocol used for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports and other resources on a network.
What is Wi-Fi Piggybacking? - Piggybacking, in the context of Wi-Fi, is the use of a wireless connection to gain access to the internet without proper authority.
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) - Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Windows server role that can plan, manage and deploy updates, service packs, patches and hotfixes for Windows servers, client operating systems (OSes) and other Microsoft software.
wireless ad hoc network (WANET) - A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) is a type of local area network (LAN) that is built spontaneously to enable two or more wireless devices to be connected to each other without requiring typical network infrastructure equipment, such as a wireless router or access point.
wireless distribution system (WDS) - A wireless distribution system (WDS) is a method of interconnecting access points (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) without requiring that they connect through a wired backbone.
Wireshark - Wireshark is a widely used network protocol analyzer that lets users capture and view the details of network traffic in real time.
Zabbix - Zabbix is an open source monitoring software tool for diverse IT components, including networks, servers, virtual machines (VMs) and cloud services.