µ-Law

PCM and companding standard used in North America and Japan to compress and expand the amplitude range of a signal before and after transmission. See A-Law

64 CCC

64 Kbps Clear Channel Capability

A-Law

PCM and companding standard used in Europe to compress and expand the amplitude range of a signal before and after transmission. See µ-Law.

AAA

Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting. A suite of network security services providing the framework to set up access control.

Access Link

A link that connects a SP or SCP to its serving STP or STP pair. Provides ACCESS into the signaling network.

ACK

Positive acknowledgment to a message

Address Element

The information in an AIB that follows the header, down to the data field. An AIB can have one or more Address Elements. AEs correspond to Span, Channel, and SS7 Link.

Address Information Block

AIB. A standardized block that allows address data to be inserted in a standard way into API messages.

Adjacent Point Code

The point code of the node adjacent to \"own node\" (SS7)

Advanced Intelligent Network

AIN. Also referred to as IN. Network that can affect the routing of the call and the originator or receiver of the call can inject intelligence and affect the flow of their call. Generally implemented using SS7 protocol. See SS7.

AF

See Atomic Function.

AIB

See Address Information Block.

AIN

See Advanced Intelligent Network.

ANI

See Automatic Number Identification.

ANSI

American National Standards Institute. ANSI administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system for thetelecommunications industry. More details on these standards may beviewed at www.ansi.org.

Application Programming Interface

API. Software application that carries out low level services performed by the Excel platform. It is comprised of standard software interrupts, calls, and data formats used by the application programs.

ARQ

Admission Request

AS

See Application Server.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode

Atomic Function

AF. A predefined PPL software routine that performs a single, simple task, such as \"Transmit Line Signaling\" or \"Allocate Digit Buffer.\" It is composed of standard software interrupts, calls, and data formats used by applications. Each AF has two values named \"Arguments.\" AFs 1-50 are generic, and apply to all PPL components. AFs 51 and above apply to specific components. An AF is called \"Atomic\" because it is the smallest useful unit in PPL.

Automatic Call Distributor

Automatically distributes the incoming or outgoing calls for a business.

Automatic Number Identification

ANI. This feature allows a host to request the call originating number (calling party number) from networks that support Automatic Number Identification such as AT&T MultiQuest.

B-ISDN

Broadband ISDN

B Channel

Bearer channel, 64Kbps (ISDN) The channel that carries the actual payload (as opposed to D-channels, which carry signaling data that helps route the payload).

B8ZS

Bipolar with 8-Zero Substitution. Coding method used with Clear Channel signaling to allow true 64Kbps channel data transmission speeds. See also ZBTSI.

Base Station

Radio and control equipment located at a cell site within a cellular network. It may include receivers, transmitters, transceivers, antennas (transmit/receive), and any required support equipment.

Basic Rate Interface

BRI. 2B+1D, 144 Kbps Available for customer use, interface for personal/small business use (ISDN), (2x64Kbps)+(1x16Kbps).

Binary 8 zero substitution

A line coding method.

Bit 7 zero suppression

A line coding method that provides for the elimination of non-significant zeros from a numeral.

BLA

Blocking Acknowldgment message

BOC

Bell Operating Company

Bong Tone

Tone commonly used to indicate additional action is required by the caller, such as dialing more digits (for example, entry of personal ID number).

BOOTP

Boot protocol for TCP/IP

bps

Bits Per Second

BRA

Basic Rate Access - 2B, 1D (ISDN)

BRI

See Basic Rate Interface.

Cadence

Pattern of tones and silence, such as a busy signal.

Call Control

Setting up, monitoring, and tearing down calls.

Call Control Instructions

Specific use of data bytes in an EXS API message to specify instructions used to control Inseize and Outseize for a channel. See Application Programming Interface.

Call Detail Record

CDR. An electronic record of a call containing all data used for billing.

Call Progress Tone

A tone sent to the caller indicating the progress of the call. Examples include dial tone, busy tone, ringback tone, and comfort noise (digital cellular).

Call Signaling Channel

Reliable channel used to convey call setup messages following Q.931.

CAS

See Channel Associated Signaling.

CCITT

Comité Consultatif Internationale de Telephonique et Telegraphique (now ITU)

CCR

Continuity Check Request message (ISUP)

CCS

See Common Channel Signaling.

CDMA

Code Division Multiple Access

CDR

See Call Detail Record.

Centralized Multipoint Conference

A call in which all participating terminals communicate in a point-to-point fashion with an MCU.

CEPT

Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications administrations

Channel Associated Signaling

CAS. Signaling in which the signals necessary to switch a given circuit are transmitted via the circuit itself or via a signaling channel permanently associated with it.

Channel Bank

A device typically used in T1 applications. It converts analog voice into digital code, such as PCM, and combines 24 such signals into a single DS-1 signal (such as TDM, and vise versa.

CI

See Controlled Introduction.

CIC

See Circuit Identification Codes.

Circuit Identification Codes

CICs. Identify the voice circuits controlled by SS7 Signaling Links.

Clear Channel

Signaling technique where the full channel bandwidth is used for data transmission, while the framing and control bits (signaling) use a separate channel. No control or signaling is performed on this path. See B8ZS and ZBTSI.

CLEC

Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. A telecommunications carrier that typically competes with larger, more established carriers.

Client

In SIP, an application program that sends SIP requests (See also Session Initiation Protocol). Clients may or may not interact directly with a person. Users agents and proxies contain clients (and servers).

Cluster

A grouping of nodes in a network (as defined by point code), usually grouped by geographical region.

CODEC

Coder/Decoder. A CODEC converts voice signals from their analog form to digital signal acceptable to modern digital transmission systems.

Combined Link Set

A \"soft\" grouping of link sets, defined as being part of the same route to a destination, limited to 32 actual links.

Common Channel Signaling

CCS. Network architecture using SS7 protocol for the exchange of information between telecommunications nodes and networks on an out-of-band basis.

Controlled Introduction

CI. A software and/or hardware release to a limited amount of customers.

Converged Services Administrator

CSA. GUI-based tool used to configure, provision and monitor a Excel platform related to, for example, SIP, H.323, and VDAC Resouce Attributes.

Converged Services Platform

An Internet Protocol enhanced service node that supports the deployment of voice and data services in circuit, packet, and converged networks. The Converged Services Platform (CSP) features an open and multi-functional platform design that enables developers to quickly create and deliver new revenue-generating services for both legacy and next-generation networks.

CSA

See Converged Services Administrator.

D Channel

Data channel. One of two fundamental components of an ISDN interface, it provides a path (16Kbps for BRI, 64Kbps for PRI) for carrying control signals and call data in a packet-switched mode.

D4

A bit framing standard for traditional time-division multiplexing, which standard describes user channels multiplexed onto a trunk that has been segmented (framed) into 24 bytes of 8 bits each. Note: The multiplexing function is performed in the D-4 framing structure by interleaving bits of consecutive bytes as they are presented from individual circuits into each D-4 frame.

DCE

Data Communications Equipment. According to the RS-232-C standard, DCE devices are typically modems or printers. See DTE.

Decentralized Multipoint Conference

A conference in which the participating terminals multicast to all other participating terminals without an MCU.

Demultiplex

A process that recovers distinct individual channels from a multiplexed signal.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Controlled Protocol

Dial Peer

An addressable call endpoint. In Voice over IP (VoIP), there are two types of dial peers: Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) and VoIP.

DNIS

Directory Number Information Service

DNS

Domain Name Server (or Service). Used to convert H.323 IDs, URLs, and e-mail IDs to IP addresses. DNS is also used to help find remote gatekeepers and to reverse-map raw IP addresses to host names of administrative domains.

DPC

Destination Point Code

DS-0

Digital Signal level 0. DS-0 is a 64 Kbps channel

DS-3

Digital Signal level 3. DS-3 is 44.378 Mbps (672 - 64 Kbps VF channels)

DSP

Digital Signal Processor

DSX

Digital Signal cross(X) - connect patch panel - manual patch panel that primarily serves as a test access point for DS-1 signals

DTE

Data Terminal Equipment. According to the RS-232-C standard, DTE devices are typically personal computers or data terminals. See DCE.

Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency

DTMF. Method by which the digits (0-9) and symbols (* and #) are generated from a handset, represented by two tones, one high and one low frequency (touchtone dialing).

E.164

Address format for ISDN networks. The international public telecom-munications numbering plan. A standard set by ITU-T for addressing telephone numbers. See ITU Recommendation E.164 (1991).

E1

A digital communications link - voice, data, and video at a 2.048 Mbps rate; 30B/2D or 31B/1D (ISDN); non-North American version of T1.

Ear & Mouth

Interface signaling commonly used to interconnect switching signaling systems with transmission signaling systems.

End Office

The switch that connects end users to the network. Also known as a \"Central Office.\"

Endpoint

An H.323 terminal or gateway, or MCU. An endpoint can call and be called. It generates and/or terminates the information stream.

ESF

Extended Super Frame

Ethernet

The protocol used in most local area PC networks. Typically, most Ethernet networks support data transmission speeds up to 10 Mbps, but 100 Mbps is also possible.

ETSI

European Telecommunications Standards Institute

event

In PPL, a condition that, when met, drives a state machine (PPL Component) from one state to another, by invoking an associated Primitive. In PPL files, an Event is marked by an arrow and text.

EXNET

Excel's open architecture, proprietary, 1.3 Gbps fiber optic network using a packet-based protocol.

Extended Super Frame

A T-carrier bit framing technique in which framing requiring less frequent synchronization than the original T-carrier superframe format is provided for D-4 formatting and for on-line, real-time testing of circuit capability and operating condition. Note: Less-frequent synchronization frees overhead bits for use in testing and monitoring.

FDMA

Frequency Division Multiple Access

FG

Feature Group

Flag

Message delimiter (SS7 bit pattern - 01111110)

Flash

Quick depress and release of the phone plunger of a handset to signal the PBX or Centrex of instructions to follow (e.g., Call Transfer).

Frame

A group of data bits in a specific format, with a flag at each end to indicate the beginning and the end of the frame.

Framing

Error control procedure for digital communication channels providing definable bit patterns to allow the receiver to identify the start of each frame of data and the signaling data.

FRMR

Frame Reject Response

FSK

Frequency Shift Keying

FSN

Forward Sequence Number

FSNC

Forward Sequence Number of last message signal unit accepted by remote Level 2

FTP

File Transfer Protocol

GA

See General Availability.

Gatekeeper

An H.323 entity on the network that provides address translation and controls access to the network for H.323 terminals and other end points. The gatekeeper may also provide other services to the endpoints such as bandwidth management and locating gateways.

Gateway

A device that translates calls between an IP network and another network, typically the PSTN.

General Availability

GA. A software and/or hardware release available to all customers.

Graphical User Interface

GUI. Any user interface that uses primarily graphics rather than characters.

H.245 Logical Channel

A channel carrying information streams between two H.323 endpoints. An unreliable channel is used for audio, audio control, video, and video control. A reliable channel is used for data and H.245.

H.323

ITU-T standard defines a set of call control, channel setup, and codec specifications for transmitting real-time voice and video over networks that do not offer guaranteed service or quality of service.

H.323 Entity

Any H.323 component, including terminals, Gateways, Gatekeepers, MCs, MPs, and MCUs.

H.323 RAS

Registration, admission, and status. The RAS signaling function per-forms registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status and disen-gage procedures between the VoIP gateway and the gatekeeper.

Handshaking

The initial exchange between two data communications systems prior to and during data transmission to ensure proper data transmission.

High-Level Data Link Control

HDLC. A bit oriented communication protocol where control codes differ according to their bit positions and pattern.

Host

A computer, attached to the Excel platform through an RS-232 or Ethernet link, from which you run the telecommunications application that controls the Excel platform.

Hot Swappable

Equipment that can be removed or inserted while the system is running and has little or no effect on normal operations.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The protocol used by web servers and client browsers to communication.

Hz

Hertz

ICB

See Information Control Block.

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEFT

Internet Engineering Task Force. Group that sets the technical standards that help maintain the Internet.

IMG

See Integrated Media Gateway.

IMSI

International Mobile Subscriber Identification

In-Band Signaling

Signaling that uses tones within the voice frequency band that are carried along the same circuit as the voice path.

Information Control Blocks

ICB. A standardized block that allows control data to be inserted in a standard way into API messages.

Information Elements

Name for the data fields within an ISDN Layer 3 message. See Integrated Services Digital Network.

inseize

Incoming call setup during real time call processing on a specific channel.

Integrated Media Gateway

Excel's IMG product family provides a flexible platform designed to provide a gateway environment for voice, signaling, and media. The IMG integrates media server and signaling server capabilities with a scalable gateway platform.

Integrated Services Digital Network

ISDN. Network architecture based on digital transmission, switching, and common channel signaling. Basic configurations include 2B+D called a Basic Rate Interface, and 23+D called a Primary Rate Interface. Outside North America, PRI is 30B+D.

Integrated Services Digital Network User Part

ISUP. The call control part of the SS7 signaling protocol.

Interworking

Interworking is a software feature within the Excel platform call control layer that enables protocol conversion by analyzing and converting Network Signaling (NS) Layer 3 information.

IP

Internet Protocol. Part of the TCP/IP family of protocols used to route messages and tracks the addresses of nodes.

IP Address

A 32-bit address, used in IP routing, which includes a Network address identifier assigned by a central authority and a Host ID (an end station identifier assigned by a LAN administrator).

IPDC

Internet Protocol Device Control. Controls connections and signaling information in environments where the service control logic is separated from the network access device. This protocol suite was defined by a consortium of companies and has been proposed as a standard to the ITU.

ISA

Industry Standard Architecture

ISDN

See Integrated Services Digital Network.

ISO

International Standards Organization

ISP

Internet Service Provider

ISUP

See Integrated Services Digital Network User Part.

ITU

International Telecommunications Union (UN)

ITU-T

International Telephone Union – Telecommunications sector (UN)

IVR

See Integrated Voice Response.

JATE

Japan Approvals Institute for Telecommunications Equipment

LAN

Local Area Network

LAP

Link Access Procedure

LAPB

Link Access Protocol (Procedure) – B channel (ISDN)

LAPD

Link Access Protocol (Procedure) – D channel (ISDN)

LATA

See Local Access Transport Area.

Layer 3

Protocol layer of the CSP.

Layer 4

Call processing layer of the CSP.

Layer 5

Application layer of the CSP.

Line Length

Options for line length when configuring a T-1 span on a Excel platform are as follows.0 - 133 Feet134 - 166 Feet167 - 299 Feet300 - 533 Feet534 - 655 FeetG.703 ITU-T

LINK

Connection between nodes, physical connectivity

Link Set

Link that connects to the same node

Local Access Transport Area

LATA. Geographic area serviced by a Local Exchange Carrier. See LEC.

Local Exchange Carrier

LEC. A Central Office that provides telephone service within one Local Access Transport Area. See Local Access Transport Area.

Long Distance Tandem Switching

Using a switch to connect one trunk to another.

Loop Start

Supervisory signaling commonly used to seize a line, for example by taking your phone off hook, forming a –48 VDC loop with the local central office.

Loopback

A type of diagnostic test in which the transmitted signal is returned to the sending device after passing through a data communications link or network.

LS

See Loop Start.

LSB

Least Significant Bit

Matrix Controller Series 3

The Matrix Controller Series 3 card is based on Motorola’s 750 PowerPC processor (68750). It is often referred to as the Matrix Controller.

MCU

See Multipoint Control Unit.

Megaco/H.248

Part of the IETF standards (RFC 2705). The IETF and the ITU have decided to endorse and jointly mandate a single standard, known in the IETF as Megaco and known in the ITU as H.248. Megaco/H.248 is a master-slave protocol, where external call controllers execute commands that the media gateways must follow. Megaco/H.248 represents an enhancement of MGCP because it supports multiple gateways, thousands of ports on a gateway, and connection-oriented media such as TDM and ATM.

Message Transfer Part

MTP. Message Transfer Part of the SS7 signaling protocol.

MF

Multi-Frequency

MGCP

Media Gateway Control Protocol. The IETF combined IPDC and SGCP to form the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). The Media Gateway Control (Megaco) working group is responsible for MGCP. As of late 2001, MGCP was still a working document and not yet a standard.

Mobile Telephone Switching Office

MTSO. A switch in a mobile telephone network that contains the monitoring and relay functions for switching calls between the cellular and landline networks.

MODEM

MOdulator/DEModulator

MPU

MicroProcessor Unit

MSB

Most Significant Bit

MTP

See Message Transfer Part.

MTP1

Message Transfer Part level 1 - physical level

MTP2

Message Transfer Part level 2 - data link level

MTP3

Message Transfer Part level 3 - network level

MTSO

See Mobile Telephone Switching Office.

Multi-Vendor Integration Protocol

A family of standards designed to let telephony products from different vendors inter-operate within a single computer or group of computers.

Multicast

A process of transmitting Protocol Data Units from one source to many destinations. The actual mechanism (that is, IP multicast, multi-unicast, and so forth) for this process might be different for LAN technologies.

Multiple Control Units

In H.323 terminology, an MCU consists of a required Multipoint Controller (MC) and an optional Multipoint Processor or Processors (MP). The MC is a conference controller. The MC handles the negotiation between all terminals to determine the common capabilities and conference resources, such as multicasting. The MP is typically a DSP and is responsible for performing the actual conferencing algorithm.

Multipoint-unicast

A process of transferring Protocol Data Units (PDUs) where an end-point sends more than one copy of a media stream to different end-points. This might be necessary in networks which do not support multicast.

Multipoint Conference

A conference between three or more terminals, which may be on a LAN or Circuit Switched Network.

N+1

Notation that describes line card redundancy, where N is the number of installed line cards of a single card type and 1 is an additional line card of that type designated as a standby card. For example, if you have three T-ONE cards and one additional standby T-ONE card installed, the system provides redundancy by activating the standby card if any of the three active T-ONE cards fail.

NACK

Negative acknowledgement to a message.

NFAS

See Non Facility Associated Signaling.

NIC

Network Interface Card

NIU

Network Interface Unit - point where customer equipment ends and network equipment begins. Test address facility for network technicians. a.k.a. – smart jack

NOC

Network Operation Center

Non Facility Associated Signaling

NFAS. Signaling which allows a D-Channel to carry call information for the 23 B-Channels on that span plus 9 more spans.

NPDI

Network Protocol Data Intelligence. Also called \"Interworking,\" it is a software product that operates within Excel’s Call Control (Layer 4) and Services (Layer 5) call processing layers. NPDI is meant to enhance Excel’s call processing product offering by allowing call processing layers (specifically Layers 4 and 5) to perform advanced analysis, generation, and conversion of Network Signaling (NS) Layer 3 information.

OA&M

Operations, Administration, and Maintenance

OCR

Optical Character Recognition

OCTET

A sequence of eight bits.

OOS

Out of Service

OSI

Open System Interconnection model

Out-of-Band Signaling

Signaling that is separate from the channel carrying the information (voice, data, etc.). Also signaling within the same channel as the intelligence, but out of the specific bandwidth used to carry the intelligence.

Outseize

Outgoing call setup during real-time call processing on a specific channel.

PABX

Private Automatic Branch Exchange

PAD

Packet Assembler/Disassembler

PBX

See Private Branch Exchange.

PCI

Peripheral Component Interconnect

PCM

See Pulse Code Modulation.

PCM Expansion Bus

PEB. A digital voice bus from Dialogic, Inc. for sending voice across different voice processing cards and components within the same PC.

Personal Communication Services

Wide range of individualized communication services that allow people or devices to communicate regardless of where they are. 3 variants PCS - CDMA, PCS - TDMA (GSM based), PCS Up-banded DAMPS

PHS

Personal Handyphone System

PIM

Personal Information Manager

Plain Old Telephone Service

POTS. Basic telephone service supplying stan-dard single line telephones, telephone lines, and access to the PSTN.

Point Code

A number that addresses a node in a SS7 network.

Poll Messages

Status messages sent from the Excel platform to the host indicating the state of the matrices.

Port

The point in the Excel platform where a DS0 connects to a network. Also known as a \"socket.\"

POTS

See Plain Old Telephone Service.

PPL

See Programmable Protocol Language.

PPL Component

A programmable software component that uses PPL state machines that can be modified with the PPL Tool.

PPL Event

A condition that, when met, drives a state machine from one state to another. A condition that drives a Component out of its current state by invoking an associated primitive.

PPL Object

A system object that is controlled by a PPL state machine such as a channel, an ISDN D channel, or an SS7 link. Allows externally programmed custom protocols in Excel’s switching software, via GUI.

PPP

Point-to-Point Protocol

PRA

Primary Rate Access – 23B, 1D (ISDN)

Predictive Dialing

Automated method of making many outgoing calls without people, and then quickly passing answered calls to an operator, along with relevant database information.

Primary Rate Interface

PRI. One of two basic ISDN interface configurations providing 23 (30 outside of North America) Bearer channels (64 Kbps data) and 1 Data signaling channel (16 Kbps control and signaling data). Commonly refered to as ISDN PRI or 23B+D interface (30B+D outside of North America).

Primitive Table

Group of one or more Atomic Functions that allow multiple actions (tests) to be initiated in response to a PPL event for a channel. See Programmable Protocol Language.

Private Branch Exchange

PBX. Small version of the central office switch, but privately owned and controlled, typically providing voice processing, automated attendant, and direct inward dialing (DID).

Programmable Protocol Language

PPL. Excel feature allowing support of custom protocols, designed through a graphical interface tool. Protocol is defined by associating a State Event Table with a Primitive Table. See State Machine.

Protocol Data Units

PDU. Used by bridges to transfer connectivity informa-tion.

Proxy Server

For the purposes of a Excel platform, a proxy server is a SIP device which receives invitations and other requests, and forwards them to other SIP devices. It then receives the responses to the requests it forwarded and forwards them back to the sender of the initial request.

PSTN

Public Switched Telephone Network

Pulse Code Modulation

PCM. Common technique of encoding analog voice into a digital bit stream where samples are taken 8000 times per second.

Q.701

ITU-TSS Publication on Functional Description of the Message Transfer Part

Q.702

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Data Link (MTP)

Q.703

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Link (MTP)

Q.704

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Network Functions and Messages (MTP)

Q.705

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Network Structure (MTP)

Q.706

ITU-TSS Publication on MTP Signaling Performance

Q.707

ITU-TSS Publication on Testing and Maintenance (MTP)

Q.708

ITU-TSS Publication on Numbering of International Signaling Point Codes (MTP)

Q.709

ITU-TSS Publication on Hypothetical Signaling Reference Connection (MTP)

Q.710

ITU-TSS Publication on Simplified MTP Version for Small Systems

Q.711

ITU-TSS Publication on Functional Description of SCCP

Q.712

ITU-TSS Publication on Definitions and Functions of SCCP Messages

Q.713

ITU-TSS Publication on SCCP Formats and Codes

Q.714

ITU-TSS Publication on SCCP Procedures

Q.715

ITU-TSS Publication on SCCP Performance

Q.721

ITU-TSS Publication on Functional Description of TUP

Q.722

ITU-TSS Publication on General Function of Telephone Messages and Signals (TUP)

Q.723

ITU-TSS Publication on Formats and Codes (TUP)

Q.724

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Procedures (TUP)

Q.725

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Performance in the Telephone Applications (TUP)

Q.730

ITU-TSS Publication on ISDN Supplementary Services

Q.731

ITU-TSS Publication on Stage 3 Description for Number ID Supplementary Services using SS7

Q.733

ITU-TSS Publication on Stage 3 Description for Call Completion Supplementary Services

Q.741

ITU-TSS Publication on SS7 Data User Part

Q.761

ITU-TSS Publication on Functional Description of ISUP

Q.762

ITU-TSS Publication on General Function of Messages and Signals (ISUP)

Q.763

ITU-TSS Publication on Formats and Codes (ISUP)

Q.764

ITU-TSS Publication on Signaling Procedures (ISUP)

Q.766

ITU-TSS Publication on Performance Objectives in the ISDN Application (ISUP)

Q.767

ITU-TSS Publication on Applications of the ISUP for International ISDN Interconnections (ISUP)

Q.771

Functional Description of TCAP

Q.772

ITU-TSS Publication on Transaction Capabilities Information Element Definitions (TCAP)

Q.773

ITU-TSS Publication on TCAP Formats and Encoding

Q.774

ITU-TSS Publication on TCAP Procedures

Q.775

ITU-TSS Publication on SS7 Test Specification General Description (TCAP)

Q.780

ITU-TSS Publication on SS7 Test Specification - General Description

Q.781

ITU-TSS Publication on MTP Level 2 Test Specification

Q.782

ITU-TSS Publication on MTP Level 3 Test Specification

Q.783

ITU-TSS Publication on TUP Test Specification

Q.784

ITU-TSS Publication on ISUP Basic Call Test Specification

Q.785

IITU-TSS Publication on SUP Protocol Test Specification for Supplementary Services

Q.791

IITU-TSS Publication on Monitoring and Measurements for SS7 Networks

Q.795

ITU-TSS Publication on Operations, Maintenance, and Administration Part

Q.931

Call signaling protocol for setup and termination of calls.

QAM

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

QCELP

Qualcomm Code Excited Linear Prediction

QoS

Quality of Service, which refers to the measure of service quality pro-vided to the user. Guarantees network bandwidth and availability for applications.

QPSK

Quaternary Phase Shift Keying

Radius

Remote Access Dial-In User Service

RAM

Random Access Memory

RAN

See Recorded Announcements.

RARP

See Reverse Address Resolution Protocol.

RAS

The Registration, Admission, and Status messages communicated between two H.323 entities for example between an Endpoint and a Gatekeeper.

RAS Channel

An unreliable channel used to convey the Registration, Admissions and Status messages and bandwidth changes between two H.323 entities. A set of messages used between a gateway and a gatekeeper. Defined in the ITU-T Recommendation H.225.0 [3].

RBOC

Regional Bell Operating Company

Recorded Announcements

RAN. Recorded messages provided to callers for various reasons.

RED ALARM

In T-1, a red alarm is generated for a locally detected failure when synchronization is lost for more than 2.5 seconds

Redirect Server

A SIP device that responds to invitations and other requests by informing the request originator of an alternate address to which the request should be sent.

Redundant I/O Card

An I/O card that supports redundancy and has external connections. It sits behind whichever line card is originally designated as \"active.\" Compare to \"Standard I/O card\" and \"Standby I/O card.\"

Reliable Transmission

Connection-oriented data transmission that guarantees sequenced, error-free, flow-controlled transmission of messages to the receiver.

Request For Service

RFS. A Status Message indicating that some entity is requesting service from the Excel platform.

Reverse Address Resolution Protocol

TCP/IP protocol controls the translation of the Data Link Control (DLC) address to the Internet Protocol (IP) address.

RFS

See Request For Service.

Robbed Bit Signaling

Signaling method used with T1 connections where bits are \"robbed\" from voice data. Increases possibility of transmission and detection errors, and reduces voice quality.

ROM

Read Only Memory

Routing Table

For incoming calls, a routing table is a user-definable list of steps that are treatment instructions for an incoming call. Ideally, these steps should be addressed and the call treatment begun before the call is answered. A routing table should consist of a minimum of steps that include agent groups, voice response devices, announcements (delay and information) music on hold, intraflow and interflow steps, route dialing (machine-based call forwarding). A significant issue in the structure of routing tables is \"look-back\" capability, where no single, previously- interrogated resource is abandoned by the system. For outgoing calls, for a specific site, this table lists the long-distance routing choices for each location to be dialed. There may be only one choice (route) listed for some or all destinations or there may be several choices for some destinations.

RST

Route Set Test (SS7)

RSVP

Resource Reservation Protocol IETF specification. Allows applications to request dedicated bandwidth.

RTCP

Real-Time Transport Control Protocol.

RTP

Real-Time Transport Protocol. Supports transport of real-time data like interactive voice and video over packet-switched networks.

RTS

Route Test Signal

SCN

See Switched Circuit Network.

SCSA

See Signal Computing System Architecture.

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface

SDC

Synchronous Directive Channel

Service Resource

An Excel platform component that is not directly involved in switching calls. For example, the DSP-ONE card.

Service Switching Point

SSP. Also called a Signal Switching Point. A switch that can recognize, route, and connect Intelligent Network calls as directed by a Service Control Point (centralized database). SSP can also be a Subscriber Service Point. In this case it is the switch portion of a \"Combined Node\" (STP/SSP combination node).This node is unique in the network as it has 2 valid point codes.

Signal Computing System Architecture

SCSA. Architecture developed by Dialogic, Inc. that defines hardware and software standards allowing signal computing devices from different vendors to inter-operate.

Signal Transfer Point

STP. A node in the telephony network that normally does not handle voice. It acts as a message router, transferring signaling messages between switches.

Signaling Connection Control Part

SCCP. The signaling connection and control part of the SS7 signaling protocol. For example, performs Global Title Translations (GTT), Subsystem Management.

Signaling Method

Signaling methods used in Excel platform are: Clear Channel and Channel Associated Signaling.

Signaling System 7

SS7. A common channel signaling protocol providing supervision, alerting, and addressing services.

SIP

Session-Initiation Protocol. A signaling protocol used for establishing sessions in an IP network. A session could be a simple, two-way telephone call, or it could be a collaborative multi-media conference session.

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The TCP/IP protocol governing electronic mail transmissions and receptions.

SONET

Synchronous Optical NETwork

SP

Signaling Point

Span

Range of channels provided by T1 or E1 transmission service. A physical span is a group of channels taking up a single physical wire. A logical span is a group of channels taking up less than a single logical wire, or carried over more than one physical wire.

SS7

See Signaling System Number Seven.

SSP

SubSystem Prohibited. See also Service Switching Point.

SSSN

Secondary SubSystem Number

Standard I/O Card

An I/O card that does not support redundancy but has external connections. It sits behind its corresponding line card. Compare to \"Redundant I/O card\" and \"Standby I/O card.\"

Standby I/O Card

An I/O card that supports redundancy but has no external connections. A Standby I/O card sits behind whichever line card is originally designated as \"standby.\" Compare to \"Redundant I/O card\" and \"Standard I/O card.\"

State

The condition of a component at a given instant. The current \"context\" of a PPL object, such as Idle, Seizing, Answered. In PPL files, a State is represented by a circle.

State Event Table

Group of events (functions that pertain to a given state of a channel. See Programmable Protocol Language.

State Machine

A State Machine defines the events (functions) required to drive a channel from one state to another through a graphical interface tool. A State Machine is configured and managed using API Messages or the PPL Tool. Based on the occurrence of an Event, a State Machine drives each channel through its Protocol Tables. It creates one state from another, invoked by an event. Processing is complete when a \"normal\" state is reached. \"Wait\" and \"Stable\" are normal states.

Subnet Mask

The bits of an Internet Protocol (IP) address used for a subnetwork.

Switched Circuit Network

SCN. A public or private switched telecommunications network such as GSTN or ISDN. TCP: transmission control protocol, reliable network-ing layer on top of IP.

SwitchSite Administrator

SSA. Precurser to the Converged Services Administrator (CSA).

T(X)

Timer (x) (that is, T10 = timer 10)

T1

Digital communications link - voice, data, and video at a 1.544 Mbps rate (24 64 Kbps channels)

T1.110

ANSI Publication on SS7 General Information

T1.111

ANSI Publication on Functional Description of MTP

T1.112

ANSI Publication on SCCP

T1.113

ISDN User Part (ISUP)

T1.113a

ANSI Publication on ISDN User Part (NxDS0 Multi-Rate Connection) (Supplement)

T1.114

ANSI Publication on TCAP

T1.115

ANSI Publication on Monitoring and Measurements for SS7 Networks

T1.116

ANSI Publication on OMAP

T1.118

ANSI Publication on Intermediate Signaling Network Identification (ISNI)

T1.226

ANSI Publication on Operation, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAMP) - Management of Functions for SS7 Network Interconnections

T1.609

ANSI Publication on Interworking between the ISDN User-to-Network Interwork Interface Protocol and the SS7 ISUP

T1.611

ANSI Publication on SS7 Supplementary Services for non-ISDN Subscribers

T1.631

ANSI Publication on High Probability of Completion (HPC) Network Capbility

T3

Digital communications link - 44.378 Mbps rate

Tandem Call Switching

Call processed by two or more switches.

TAPI

Telephony Application Program Interface

TCAP

See Transaction Capability Application Part.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. A networking protocol that provides communication across interconnected networks.

TDM

See Time Division Multiplexing.

TDMA

Time Division Multiple Access

Terminals

The endpoints on the LAN that provide real-time, two-way communication with another Terminal, Gateway, or MCU. A terminal must provide audio and may also provide video and/or data. Most H.323 terminals in the near future will be desktop computers running H.323 software. In the case of the Excel platform, an H.323 terminal will be an end user, using a standard POTS or ISDN phone.

TETRA

Trans-European Trunked Radio system

Time Division Multiplexing

TDM. Technique for digital transmission of a number of separate voice and data channels simultaneously over one communications medium, where each channel is allotted a time slot for data transmission.

Time Slot Interchange

TSI. A way of temporarily storing data bytes so they can be sent in a different order than they were received.

TLV

Tag-Length-Value block. A standardized block that allows data to inserted in a standard way into API messages.

Transaction Capabilities Application Part

TCAP. The transaction capabilities application part of the SS7 protocol. It is the top layer of the SS7 stack, equivalent to Layer 7 of the OSI model.

TSI

Time Slot Interchange

TUP

Telephone User Part

Universal Protocol Data Format

Universal Protocol Data Format. A predefined data format set used by a line card to communicate to the Layer 4 and above to represent information of the network-side of the line card. This set is independent of the network-side protocol.UPDF offers a \"super scale\" protocol format for signaling.

Unreliable Transmission

Connection-less transmission which provides best-effort delivery of data packets. Messages transmitted by the sender may be lost, duplicated, or received out of sequence.

UPDF

See Universal Protocol Data Format.

User Agent (UAC and UAS)

The User Agent is effectively the end system component for the call. Universal Agent Client (UAC) initiates the calls and the Universal Agent Server (UAS) answers the calls which allows peer-to-peer calls using a client/server protocol.

User Datagram Protocol

UPD. User Datagram Protocol. Unreliable networking layer that sits at the same level of networking stack as TCP. Part of the TCP/IP protocol suit, UDP is used for transferring IP datagrams between host computers, where each datagram is routed through the Internet based on the destination IP address.

V.35

Connection used for the transmission of high-speed data.

VDAC-ONE Card

Voice Data Access Concentrator Card. Performs two-way conversion between circuit-switched data and packet-switched Ethernet data required by packetized voice applications such as VoIP.

Vocoder

Voice coder.

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol. The delivery of voice information in digital form in discrete packets rather than in the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public-switched telephone network (PSTN).

VOX

Voice operated transmission

VPN

Virtual Private Network

VRAS

Voice Recorded Announcement System

WAN

Wide Area Network

Wink

Momentary interruption in a single frequency tone indicating the distant switch is ready to receive the digits just dialed.

WLL

Wireless Local Loop

WWW

World Wide Web

X.25

Packet Data Protocol (CCITT)

XoIP

More than one traffic type (voice, data, fax, or modem) over Internet Protocol.

YELLOW ALARM SIGNAL

A continuous 16-bit pattern of eight consecutive 1s followed by eight consecutive 0s - sent by the receiving equipment when synchronization to a transmitting DS-1 signal cannot be achieved.

Zero Byte Time Slot Interface

Coding method used with clear channel signaling to allow true 64 Kbps channel data transmission speeds. See B8ZS.

Zone

A collection of newer network components, such as terminals, gateways, gatekeepers, and multipoint control units (MCU) that interoperate with other standards-compliant endpoints and networks by virtue of an H.323 gateway. The collection of all these network components, which are managed by a single Gatekeeper, is referred to as an H.323 Zone. A zone includes at least one terminal, and can include gateways or multipoint control units (MCUs), or LAN segments connected using routers. A zone has only one gatekeeper.