Ch2 Network Infrastructure & Documentation

Question 1

110 block

Answer 1

A type of punchdown block designed to terminate Cat 5 or better twisted-pair wires and typically used to handle data connections rather than telephone connections. The numeral 110 refers to the model number of the earliest blocks.

Question 2

66 block

Answer 2

A type of punchdown block designed to terminate telephone connections. The numeral 66 refers to the model number of the earliest blocks.

Question 3

crosstalk

Answer 3

A type of interference caused by signals traveling on nearby wire pairs infringing on another pair’s signal.

Question 4

demark (demarcation point)

Answer 4

The point of division between a telecommunications service carrier’s network and a building’s internal network.

Question 5

EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance)

Answer 5

A former trade organization composed of representatives from electronics manufacturing firms across the United States that sets standards for electronic equipment and lobbies for legislation favorable to the growth of the computer and electronics industries. EIA was dissolved in 2011 and its responsibilities transferred to ECA (Electronic Components, Assemblies, Equipment & Supplies Association), but the standards brand name, EIA, will continue to be used.

Question 6

EMI (electromagnetic interference)

Answer 6

A type of interference that can be caused by motors, power lines, televisions, copiers, fluorescent lights, or other sources of electrical activity.

Question 7

entrance facility

Answer 7

The location where an incoming network service (whether phone, Internet, or long-distance service) enters a building and connects with the building’s backbone cabling.

Question 8

fiber-optic cable

Answer 8

A form of cable that contains one or several glass or plastic fibers in its core. Data is transmitted via a pulsing light sent from a laser or LED (light-emitting diode) through the central fiber or fibers.

Question 9

IDF (intermediate distribution frame)

Answer 9

A junction point between the MDF and concentrations of fewer connections— for example, those that terminate in a data closet.

Question 10

inventory management

Answer 10

The process of monitoring and maintaining all the assets that make up a network.

Question 11

KVM (keyboard, video, and mouse) switch

Answer 11

A device that connects the equipment in a rack to a single console to provide a central control portal for all devices on the rack.

Question 12

licensing restrictions

Answer 12

The portion of a software license that limits what a product can be used for.

Question 13

MDF (main distribution frame or main distribution facility)

Answer 13

Also known as the main cross connect, the centralized point of interconnection between an organization’s LAN or WAN and a service provider’s facility.

Question 14

MLA (master license agreement)

Answer 14

A contract that grants a license from a creator, developer, or producer, such as a software producer, to a third party for the purposes of marketing, sublicensing, or distributing the product to consumers as a stand-alone product or as part of another product.

Question 15

MOU (memorandum of understanding)

Answer 15

A document presenting the intentions of two or more parties to enter into a binding agreement, or contract. The MOU is usually not a legally binding document (although there are exceptions), does not grant extensive rights to either party, provides no legal recourse, and is not intended to provide a thorough coverage of the agreement to come.

Question 16

MSA (master service agreement)

Answer 16

A contract that defines terms of future contracts.

Question 17

network diagram

Answer 17

A graphical representation of a network’s devices and connections.

Question 18

Nmap

Answer 18

A scanning tool designed to assess large networks quickly and provide comprehensive, customized information about a network and its hosts.

Question 19

patch

Answer 19

A correction, improvement, or enhancement to part of a software application, often distributed at no charge by software vendors to fix a bug in their code or to add slightly more functionality.

Question 20

patch management

Answer 20

The process of monitoring the release of new patches, testing them for use on networked devices, and installing them.

Question 21

patch panel

Answer 21

A wall- or rack-mounted panel where cables converge in one location.

Question 22

plenum

Answer 22

The area above the ceiling tile or below the subfloor in a building.

Question 23

punchdown tool

Answer 23

A pointed tool used to insert twisted-pair wire into receptors in a punchdown block to complete a circuit.

Question 24

PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

Answer 24

A point-to-point connection over which data may follow any number of different paths.

Question 25

rack diagram

Answer 25

A drawing that shows the devices stacked in a rack system and is typically drawn to scale.

Question 26

RFP (request for proposal)

Answer 26

A document requesting that vendors submit a proposal for a product or service that a company wants to purchase.

Question 27

rollback

Answer 27

The process of reverting to a previous version of a software application after attempting to patch or upgrade it.

Question 28

SLA (service-level agreement)

Answer 28

A legally binding contract or part of a contract that defines, in plain language and in measurable terms, the aspects of a service provided to a customer. Specific details might include contract duration, guaranteed uptime, problem management, performance benchmarks, and termination options.

Question 29

SOW (statement of work)

Answer 29

A document that details the work that must be completed for a particular project, including specifics such as tasks, deliverables, standards, payment schedule, and work timeline. An SOW is legally binding, meaning it can be enforced in a court of law.

Question 30

STP (shielded twisted pair)

Answer 30

A type of copper-based cable containing twisted-pair wires that are not only individually insulated, but are also surrounded by a shielding made of a metallic substance such as foil.

Question 31

structured cabling

Answer 31

A method for uniform, enterprise-wide, multivendor cabling systems specified by the TIA/EIA 568 Commercial Building Wiring Standard. Structured cabling is based on a hierarchical design using a high-speed backbone.

Question 32

system life cycle

Answer 32

The process of designing, implementing, and maintaining an entire network.

Question 33

TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)

Answer 33

A subgroup of the former EIA that focuses on standards for information technology, wireless, satellite, fiber optics, and telephone equipment. EIA was dissolved in 2011 and its responsibilities transferred to ECA (Electronic Components, Assemblies, Equipment & Supplies Association), but the standards brand name, EIA, will continue to be used. Probably the best known standards to come from the TIA/EIA alliance are its guidelines for how network cable should be installed in commercial buildings, known as the “TIA/EIA 568-B Series.”

Question 34

upgrade

Answer 34

A significant change to an application’s existing code, typically designed to improve functionality or add new features while also correcting bugs and vulnerabilities.

Question 35

UTP (unshielded twisted pair)

Answer 35

A type of copper-based cable that consists of one or more insulated twisted-pair wires encased in a plastic sheath, which does not contain additional shielding for the twisted pairs.

Question 36

VoIP (Voice over IP)

Answer 36

The provision of telephone service over a packet-switched network running the TCP/IP protocol suite.

Question 37

VoIP endpoint

Answer 37

An end user device or application that gives the user access to VoIP services on a network.

Question 38

VoIP gateway

Answer 38

A device that converts signals from a campus’s analog phone equipment into IP data that can travel over the Internet, or that converts VoIP data from an internal IP network to travel over a phone company’s analog telephone lines.

Question 39

VoIP PBX (private branch exchange)

Answer 39

A dedicated telephone switch or a virtual switching device that connects and manages calls within a private organization, and manages call connections that exit the network through a VoIP gateway.

Question 40

wiki

Answer 40

A website that can be edited by users.

Question 41

wiring schematic

Answer 41

A graphical representation of a network’s wired infrastructure.