Glossary of Terms

AES/EBU

Digital audio standard used to carry digital audio signals between devices

AES3

Official term for the audio standard referred to often as AES/EBU

BRI

Basic Rate Interface for ISDN services

DN

Directory Number for ISDN

DNS

The Domain Name System (DNS) is used to assign domain names to IP addresses over the World-Wide Web

Domain

A group of computers or devices on a network which are administered with common rules and procedures. Devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain

DSCP

The Differentiated Services Code Point is a field in an IP packet header for prioritizing data when traversing IP networks

Failover

Method of switching to an alternative backup audio stream if the primary connection is lost.

GUI

Graphical User Interface

IFB

Interrupted Foldback/Interruptible Foldback: an intercom circuit consisting of a mix-minus program feed sent to talent, which can be interrupted and replaced by a producer's or director's intercom microphone

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

ISP

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are companies that offer customers access to the internet

IP

Internet Protocol; used for sending data across packet-switched networks

LAN

Local Area Network; a group of computers and associated devices sharing a common communications link

Latency

Delay associated with IP networks and caused by algorithmic, transport and buffering delays

MIB

A management information base (MIB) is a database used for managing the entities in a communications network. This term is associated with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

Multicast

Efficient one to many streaming of IP audio using multicast IP addressing

Multi-unicast

A multi-unicast program (also known as multiple unicast) can transmit a single audio stream with common connection settings to a number of different destinations.

MSN

Multiple Subscriber Number for ISDN

Network Address Translation (NAT)

A system for forwarding data packets to different private IP network addresses that reside behind a single public IP address.

Packet

A formatted unit of data carried over packet-switched networks.

Port Address Translation (PAT)

Related to NAT; a feature of a network device that allows IP packets to be routed to specific ports of devices communicating between public and private IP networks

POTS

Plain old telephone system: copper phone network infrastructure

PSU

Power Supply Unit

QoS (Quality of Service)

Priority given to different users or data flows across managed IP networks. This generally requires a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with a Telco or ISP

RTP

A standardized packet format for sending audio and video data streams and ensures consistency in the delivery order of voice data packets

SDP

SDP defines the type of audio coding used within an RTP media stream. It works with a number of other protocols to establishes a device’s location, determines its availability, negotiates call features and participants and adjusts session management features

SIP

SIP is a common protocol which works with a myriad of other protocols to establish connections with other devices to provide interoperability

SLA

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) a contractual agreement between an ISP and a customer defining expected performance levels over a network

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol: Simple Network Management Protocol: a protocol used mostly in network management systems to monitor devices for conditions that warrant administrative attention.

SPID

Service Profile ID for identifying devices over ISDN networks

STL

Studio-to-transmitter link for program audio feeds

STS

Studio-to-studio audio link

TCP

TCP protocol ensures reliable in-order delivery of data packets between a sender and a receiver

TTL

Time-to-Live is the setting used in muliticast servers to ensure data packets have a finite life and don't cause congestion over networks.

UDP

User Datagram Protocol: the most commonly used protocol for sending internet audio and video streams. UDP packets include information which allows them to travel independently of previous or future packets in a data stream

Unicast

Broadcasting of a single stream of data between two points

VLAN

Virtual Local Area Network: partitioning of a single layer-2 network to create multiple distinct broadcast domains

WAN

Wide Area Network; a computer network spanning regions and/or countries to connect separate LANs