Data Center & Infrastructure Glossary of Terms

Data Center Infrastructure

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Common Terms & Acronyms

Access Node Control Protocol (ANCP)

A Layer 2 TCP protocol that facilitates communication between an access node, such as a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), and a Layer 3 subscriber-aware controller, such as a broadband remote access server (BRAS) or network-attached storage (NAS).

Access Point (AP)

A hardware device that acts as a communication hub for wireless device users to connect to a wired local area network (LAN).

Active Optical Cable (AOC)

A high-performance, low power consumption cable that uses the same electrical inputs as a traditional copper cable, but with optical fiber between the connectors and electrical-tooptical conversion on the cable ends.

Application and Threat Intelligence (ATI)

Threat intelligence data, gathered and distributed in real time, containing up-to-the-moment network security and application security information that can be utilized by network infrastructure.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM)

Area of information technology (IT) that ensures software application programs perform as expected by measuring and monitoring service-level agreements to provide end users with a high quality of experience.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The simulation of human intelligence by machines or computer systems.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

A communication protocol that encodes data into cells using asynchronous time-division multiplexing. It is used in telecommunications networks to carry integrated voice, data and video data.

Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG)

Electronic test equipment used to generate electrical waveforms. An AWG is often used in the design and troubleshooting of electronic circuits.

Base Station Controller (BSC)

A mobile network element that provides control functions to one or more base transceiver stations (BTS). The BSC is responsible for radio network management, hand-off functions and cell configuration data.

Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

The BTS connects user equipment (UE), such as mobile devices, to the mobile network. Commonly referred to as a cellphone tower, it is a fixed radio transceiver that sends and receives radio signals to mobile devices and converts them to digital signals to transmit over the internet.

Bidirectional (BIDI)

Often used in optical communications to describe a single strand of optical fiber that can transmit data in both directions.

Bit Error Ratio (BER)

The measure of the percentage of bits received with errors, due to noise or interference, divided by the number of bits transmitted. The BER is calculated by comparing the transmitted sequence of bits to the received bits and counting the number of errors.