Appendix: Terminology

Abstract

This Annex summarizes the definitions of themost important technical terms introduced in this book. For other terms please consult the index and look up the corresponding chapter. Note that a number of the terms introduced in this book are used in a different, often more loose, meaning elsewhere! The reason for this is that we are travelling at the intersection of Telecommunication Networks and Computer Networks. Some terms have a TelecommunicationNetworks origin; some have aComputer Networks origin. Sometimes a term coined by one of the communities was taken up and used by the other community—however, with a slightly different meaning. This terminology section therefore intends to clarify in which sense a particular term is used in this book. Vice versa, the same functionality is sometimes named differently in the two types of network and in different technologies, and a generic term is not agreed. In such a case, this book defines a generic name which allows one to reference a particular functionality without reference to a particular technology. Terms with a book-specific meaning are put in Arial in this Appendix.