User manual

Cobalt Qube 3 User Manual 265

Name server

A program that constitutes the server half of the DNS client-server

mechanism. A name server contains information about a segment of the

DNS database and makes it available to a client called a resolver. A resolver

is often just a library routine that creates queries and sends them across a

network to a name server.

NAT

See Network Address Translation (NAT).

Netmask

See subnet mask.

Network Address Translation (NAT)

A 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 routable address

space. Also known as Network Address Translator.

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

A protocol built on top of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) that

synchronizes the time of a local computer client or server to radio clocks and

atomic clocks located on the Internet. This protocol is capable of

synchronizing distributed clocks within milliseconds over long time periods.

Some conﬁgurations include cryptographic authentication to prevent

accidental or malicious protocol attacks.

NTP

See Network Time Protocol (NTP).

Packet

The unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on the

Internet or any other packet-switched network. The packet includes a header

containing control information and (usually) user data. Packets are most

often used to refer to network layer units of data.

PCI

See Peripheral Component Interface (PCI).