Glossary¶
Technical Terms and Acronyms
A¶
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols and tools for building software applications and enabling communication between different systems.
AS (Autonomous System)
A collection of IP networks and routers under the control of a single organization that presents a common routing policy to the internet.
AS Path Prepending
A BGP technique used to influence routing decisions by artificially lengthening the AS path.
Azure AD (Azure Active Directory)
Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service.
B¶
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
The routing protocol used to exchange routing information between autonomous systems on the internet.
BIZ-Internet
Business-grade internet connectivity with SLA guarantees.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Policy allowing employees to use personal devices for work purposes.
C¶
CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker)
Security policy enforcement point between cloud service consumers and providers.
CCAI (Contact Center AI)
Google Cloud's AI platform for contact center operations.
Cloud Interconnect
Dedicated private connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and Google Cloud Platform.
Cloud OnRamp
Cisco SD-WAN feature that provides optimized connectivity to cloud services.
D¶
DIA (Direct Internet Access)
Internet connectivity directly from branch sites without backhauling through a central hub.
Dialogflow CX
Google Cloud's conversational AI platform for building chatbots and voice agents.
DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
Security strategy and tools to prevent sensitive data from leaving the organization.
DNS (Domain Name System)
System that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses.
DPI (Deep Packet Inspection)
Network packet filtering that examines packet data and headers for classification and security.
Duo MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
Cisco's cloud-based multi-factor authentication service.
E¶
ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path)
Routing strategy where packets can be forwarded using multiple equal-cost paths.
ExpressRoute
Microsoft Azure's dedicated private network connection service.
F¶
FTD (Firepower Threat Defense)
Cisco's next-generation firewall platform.
G¶
GCP (Google Cloud Platform)
Google's suite of cloud computing services.
I¶
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
Cloud computing model providing virtualized computing resources over the internet.
IAM (Identity and Access Management)
Security framework for managing digital identities and access permissions.
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security)
Protocol suite for securing IP communications through authentication and encryption.
ISE (Identity Services Engine)
Cisco's network access control and policy enforcement platform.
ISR (Integrated Services Router)
Cisco's branch router platform.
M¶
MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)
High-performance telecommunications network routing technique.
MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
Security process requiring multiple forms of verification for authentication.
N¶
NAT (Network Address Translation)
Method of remapping IP addresses by modifying network address information.
NOC (Network Operations Center)
Centralized location for monitoring and managing network infrastructure.
O¶
OMP (Overlay Management Protocol)
Cisco SD-WAN's control plane protocol for distributing routes and policies.
P¶
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
Cloud computing model providing a platform for customers to develop, run, and manage applications.
Private Endpoint
Azure service that provides private IP addresses for accessing Azure PaaS services.
Private Link
Azure service enabling private connectivity to services over Microsoft backbone network.
Pub/Sub (Publish/Subscribe)
Messaging service for exchanging event data among applications and services.
Q¶
QoS (Quality of Service)
Network management technique prioritizing certain types of traffic.
R¶
RTO (Recovery Time Objective)
Maximum acceptable time to restore a function after a disruption.
RPO (Recovery Point Objective)
Maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time.
S¶
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Cloud computing model where applications are hosted and provided over the internet.
SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
Network architecture combining WAN capabilities with security functions.
SD-Access
Cisco's software-defined access solution for campus networks.
SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network)
Virtual WAN architecture enabling intelligent traffic routing across multiple connection types.
SGT (Security Group Tag)
Cisco TrustSec technology for policy enforcement based on user/device roles.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Commitment between service provider and customer defining expected service level.
SNAT (Source Network Address Translation)
NAT variant modifying source IP address of packets.
SWG (Secure Web Gateway)
Security service protecting users from web-based threats.
T¶
TAM (Technical Account Manager)
Vendor representative providing technical guidance and support.
TLS (Transport Layer Security)
Cryptographic protocol for secure communication over networks.
TOC (Table of Contents)
Organized list of document sections and page numbers.
TrustSec
Cisco security architecture using SGT for policy enforcement.
U¶
UAT (User Acceptance Testing)
Testing phase where business users validate system meets requirements.
Umbrella
Cisco's cloud-delivered security platform providing DNS security and secure web gateway.
V¶
Vertex AI
Google Cloud's AI platform for building and deploying machine learning models.
Virtual WAN
Azure service providing optimized and automated branch connectivity.
VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)
Network partitioning technology creating separate broadcast domains.
vManage
Cisco SD-WAN centralized management platform.
VNF (Virtual Network Function)
Network function implemented in software running on virtual machines.
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)
Isolated cloud network environment within public cloud.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Encrypted connection over public networks providing secure remote access.
VWAN (Virtual WAN)
See Virtual WAN.
W¶
WAN (Wide Area Network)
Network connecting geographically distributed locations.
WxCC (Webex Contact Center)
Cisco's cloud-based contact center solution.
Z¶
Zero Trust
Security model requiring strict identity verification for all users and devices.
ZTP (Zero Touch Provisioning)
Automated device provisioning without manual configuration.
Common Measurement Units¶
Bandwidth:
- Kbps — Kilobits per second (1,000 bits/second)
- Mbps — Megabits per second (1,000,000 bits/second)
- Gbps — Gigabits per second (1,000,000,000 bits/second)
Latency:
- ms — Milliseconds (1/1000 of a second)
- μs — Microseconds (1/1,000,000 of a second)
Storage:
- GB — Gigabyte (1,000,000,000 bytes)
- TB — Terabyte (1,000,000,000,000 bytes)
- PB — Petabyte (1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes)
Port Numbers (Common)¶
- TCP 22 — SSH (Secure Shell)
- TCP 23 — Telnet
- TCP 80 — HTTP
- TCP 443 — HTTPS
- UDP 500 — IKE (IPsec)
- UDP 4500 — IPsec NAT Traversal
- TCP 179 — BGP
- UDP 123 — NTP (Network Time Protocol)
- UDP 53 — DNS
For technology-specific terminology, refer to official vendor documentation.