Glossary

agent	The agent is also known as the management agent. It is the implementation of a management protocol that exchanges management information with a management station. An agent is a program that runs on a system or device and reports the current information about the system/device to a manager or corresponding management application.
alarm	A group of states and state transitions. The states correspond to entities of an object type with attribute values that are specified by the network administrator. Whenever the monitored object type of a device or line changes into a state that the administrator has defined as an alarm state, the management platform reports the event by displaying a corresponding icon and changing the color of the alarm and device icons.
attribute	An attribute is part of an object type definition in an MIB module. It defines one characteristic in an object type. If an object type contains more than one instance, the attributes define the columns and the entities the rows in the object type table. The table entries are the instance values for the attribute. See also object type and object instance.
characteristic	This can be either an object type or a characteristic string. Both can belong to one characteristic group. A characteristic string is a characteristic (but not an object type) that is added to a characteristic group by the manufacturer or network administrator for the purpose of restricting the scope of polls and alarms. A characteristic string defines the menu and submenus that are available in the device overview under the objects button. It also defines the applications that are available in the device view under the applications button.
community string	A simple password that is shown in the network map when a device icon is added. The agent that runs on the device requires this password from the manager before information about the device is made available.
connection	The object instance that describes a (line) connection to a network management device.
connection instance	An object instance of a connection to a device. See object instance. Both ends of a line icon can be assigned to one device. This connection has two aspects. Firstly, it is a graphical representation of part of the physical network; secondly, it is an object type of the device (e.g. an object type for connection or junction information).
device	A network system, router, hub or other addressable equipment within the network, but not a line, tap or network map icon.
event report	Event reports indicate errors, state changes and similar important events in the system. They occur asynchronously (spontaneously), are command independent, object-oriented and are delivered to an arbitrary network management station within the network, according to the requester principle.
gateway	A gateway connects heterogeneous networks.
HTML	HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a standardized markup language that consists of a subset of the SGML Standard (Standard Generalized Markup Language). HTML documents can be exchanged between any computer systems using the standardized HTTP communications protocol.
HTTP	HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the communications protocol used between systems in the World Wide Web (WWW). HTTP enables documents to be exchanged between any computer systems / applications.
Internet	Communication architecture characterized by the user of TCP and IP, having developed from the ARPA network in the USA. Extensions are controlled by the IAB with the aid of the RFC process.
IP address	Representation of a connection point in the Internet: IPv4: 4 bytes (32 bits), IPv6: 16 bytes.
major trap number	The SNMP Standard (RFC 1157) defines seven trap categories with the numbers 0 to 6. These numbers are designated as major trap numbers.
management station	A system in the network on which a management application runs.
manufacturer-specific extensions	Additional SNMP management objects for a device that are supplied by a manufacturer for the agents of this device. They are also frequently known as manufacturer’s MIB.
MIB	MIB stands for "Management Information Base". This designates a data model that describes the network elements to be administered with network management (managed nodes), in an abstract form. This data model consists of the formal descriptions of object types (object classes) that are constructed according to the RFC 1157 conventions.
MIB-II	MIB-II is a standard MIB whose use is obligatory in the Internet. It offers an adequate data model for managing devices. MIB-II is standardized and is defined in RFC 1213. It is an extension of MIB-I (RFC 1156).
network management protocol	The protocol for exchanging management information.
network map	A collection of lines and icons that are arranged into a group of interconnected network maps. The corresponding network map background maps that display a network and its subnetworks are optional.
network map file	A text file that contains the configuration information for its network: the file names of background maps for network and subnetwork maps; the file names and positions of icons for systems, routers, hubs and lines; configuration information for polls, masks and alarms; characteristic groups. This file is also called the " Map Database" or "Map_db" file.
network map icon	An icon that displays a network map in a group of nested network maps. The icon is displayed in the next higher network map. Network map icons can also be user-defined.
object	In an MIB: an object type or attribute. On the graphical interface: device, line, tap, poll, mask or alarm, or a specific instance of this.
object instance	Represents the characteristics (attribute values) of a device. The entities are managed by the device agents. The object instance is specified by the instance identifier or index.
object identifier (OID)	A notation that designates the position of an object in an MIB tree. For example, 1.3.6.1.4.1.231.1.3.2 (iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprise.fj.1.3.2) specifies an RM600 system. There are also MIB names for the object identifier (e.g. cisco for a Cisco router).
object type	A class of object entities of the same type, that is defined by a formal description. There may be one or more entities on one device for an object type. The object type is in the form of a table if more than one instance is possible for an object type on one device. Each row of this table represents one object instance and the columns the attributes of the object type. Object class is another name for object type.
ping	A protocol with which the IP levels connectivity from one IP address to another is checked.
poll	Cyclic request for information about MIB object types. The network administrator can carry out configuration.
poll cycle	The poll cycle is the parameter that defines how often SNMP contacts an agent on a device in order to call up information from the MIB of this device.
protocol	A number of rules with which systems communicate with each other See also SNMP and ping.
RFC	Request for comments. The series of documents that describe the Internet protocol and related standards.
SNMP	SNMP stands for "Simple Network Management Protocol". SNMP is a standard protocol for network management in TCP/IP networks.
state	Alarm state: an element in an alarm definition (see alarm). MDC state: the Domain Table View window shows a code under the state entry. This code describes whether a local or remote Client Manager sends or receives a domain.
state transition	Alarm change of state that is activated by a trigger.
subnetwork	A physical network within an IP network.
subnetwork icon	An icon in a root or subnetwork map that represents a nested subnetwork map one level below the current network or subnetwork map.
tap	A tap represents the connection point between a device and the network in a network map. A tap can be created, configured and deleted, but it cannot be managed.
TCP/IP	TCP/IP stands for "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol", i.e. the Internet protocol. A number of rules that define how systems communicate with each other in an open (not manufacturer-bound) environment. This is normally a large communication infrastructure (Internet).
trap	Under SNMP, traps are problem reports that are sent automatically by an agent.
trigger	A trigger is a message that is sent by the poll or mask system to the alarm system. An alarm executes a state transition when a specific trigger is received.
URL	URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a character string which users enter in their Web browser to access a WWW document. The URL for the WWW contains the address of the required Website and consists of the following components: protocol, computer address (host domain name or IP address), port number if required, path and file name if required, and (optionally) details of a place within the document text.
variable	Under SNMP, a variable is the result of linking an object instance name with an assigned value.