General networking terms¶
- ACL (Access Control List)
A set of rules governing access to a particular object or system resource
- Active Directory / AD
Proprietary directory service offered by Microsoft, which allows for centralized management of users, devices, and other IT assets
- API (Application Programming Interface)
A software component that allows applications to share data and functionality
- ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)
Protocol that maps a dynamic IP address to a physical machine’s permanent MAC address in a local area network (LAN)
- CA (Certification Authority)
Trusted entity that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates
- CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol)
Protocol used by Cisco devices to allow neighboring networking devices to learn about each other
- CLI (Command-line Interface)
A text-based interface for applications and operating systems that allows a user to enter commands
- CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing)
An IP addressing method that improves the efficiency of allocating IP addresses
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
Network management protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses and other communication parameters to devices on an Internet protocol network
- DNS (Domain Name System)
A system by which computers and other devices on the Internet or Internet protocol networks are uniquely identified using names mapped to their IP addresses
- Endpoint
An entity (device, service, node, etc.) at the end of a network communication channel
- FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)
The complete address of a computer, host, or any other entity on the Internet
- Identity Provider (IdP)
A third-party entity and/or service that stores and manages identities and credentials for use by other websites, applications, or other digital resources
- LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
An open, cross-platform protocol used to access and maintain directory services for assets in an Internet protocol network
- LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol)
A vendor-neutral protocol used by devices on IEEE 802 networks to advertise their identity, capabilities, and other information
- MIB (Management Information Base)
A database that stores information used for managing a network
- Network interface
A (physical or software-based) point of connection between a network entity and the rest of the network
- NID (Network Infrastructure Device)
Any device, such as an access point, router, or switch, that provide the means for entities to communicate with each other over a network
- NTP (Network Time Protocol)
A networking protocol used to synchronize device clocks over the Internet
- Open port
A TCP or UDP port that has been configured to accept packets
- OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier)
A unique 24-bit number in a MAC address that identifies the vendor or the manufacturer of the device
- PDU (Protocol Data Unit)
An individual unit of information exchanged by entities on a network using the same protocol
- PostgreSQL
An open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that supports both SQL and JSON querying
- RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)
A client-server AAA (authentication, authorization, accounting) protocol used to manage remote user access to network resources
- Web server banner
A text-based greeting message, which includes information like open ports, services, and version numbers, returned by a web host
- SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
An IP network protocol used to collect data related to state and/or behavior from devices on a network
- SNMP trap
A PDU that can be sent by an SNMP-enabled device without needing to be polled
- Software agent
A persistent piece of software that performs certain actions and/or interacts with its environment on behalf of a user or another program
- SSH (Secure Shell Protocol)
A network communication protocol that allows network services to be used securely over an unsecured network
- SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
A protocol for establishing secure connections between networked devices
- Syslog
A cross-platform network logging protocol used to send and/or receive alerts between different devices on a network
- TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
A connection-oriented protocol that enables the bidirectional exchange of messages between devices on the same network
- TSIG (Transaction Signature)
A protocol that secures DNS packets and allows a Domain Name System to authenticate updates to the DNS database
- Virtual appliance
A pre-configured virtual machine image with pre-installed software meant to serve a specific function