Technical data

Application layer
The top-most layer in the Internet architecture model where the user interacts
with an application such as Network File Service (NFS), File Transfer Protocol
(FTP), and mail.
application process
A part of a distributed application running on a single host.
application programming interface (API)
A standardized set of routines that makes system functions available to
programmers.
architecture
The structure of a system, a description of which can be used to recreate the system.
ARP
See address resolution protocol.
ASCII
See American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
assigned numbers
The numbers officially assigned as part of the Internet standards.
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)
The method for dynamic allocation of bandwidth using a fixed-size packet (called a
cell). Also known as fast packet.
asynchronous transmission
Themodeoftransmissioninwhichthetimeintervalsbetweencharacter
transmissions differ. Each character is surrounded by start and stop bits to allow
the receiving device to recognize the beginning and end of each character (also
called start-stop transmission).
ATM
See asynchronous transfer mode.
attribute
The controllable or observable part of an entity; a variable that network managers
and applications programmers can manipulate for optimal performance.
attribute group
A named collection of attributes grouped together, such as all information relating
to errors.
authentication
Verification of the identity of a person or process attempting to access a system.
authentication server
The software that searches the proxy database for valid user and group
identification for remote personal computer users and returns them to PC-NFS.
authority
A name server is said to have authority for a zone. That is, the name server has
complete information about a part of a domain space for which the name server is
considered to be the authority. A name server may be the authority for one or more
zones. Authority for a domain space may be delegated to one or more zones.
authoritative answer
In response to an
nslookup
or a resolver query, an answer is an authoritative
answer if a server queries the authority for the zone and returns the answer. A
Glossary–4