List of information technology initialisms

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The table below lists information technology initialisms and acronyms in common and current usage. These acronyms are used to discuss LAN, internet, WAN, routing and switching protocols, and their applicable organizations. [1] [2] [3] The table contains only current, common, non-proprietary initialisms that are specific to information technology. Most of these initialisms appear in IT career certification exams such as CompTIA A+.

AbbreviationMeaningPrimary Applicability [4] Normative Reference
ACK AcknowledgementTransport and other layers TCP/IP, for example. RFC 793
ACL Access control listSecurity, application layer Access control list, Cisco overview
ADSL Asymmetric digital subscriber lineTelecom ITU-T G.992.5 Annex M, for example
AES Advanced Encryption StandardSecurity U.S. FIPS PUB 197
ANSI American National Standards InstituteOrganization ANSI
API Application Programming InterfaceSoftware API
ARP Address Resolution ProtocolLink layerRFC 1122
ATM Asynchronous Transfer ModeTelecom ATM cell description
BGP Border Gateway Protocol (routing protocol)Application layer, RoutersRFC 4271
BSS Basic service set (Wi-Fi)Wireless IEEE Std 802.11-2007
CAT Category (e.g. CAT-5 cable)Physical layer ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1-2001
CCITT (obs.) Standards organization that has been replaced by ITU-TOrganization ITU-T
CHAP Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (PPP)Security, telecomRFC 1994
CIDR Classless Inter-Domain RoutingArchitectureRFC 1518 RFC 1519
CIR Committed Information Rate (Frame Relay)TelecomRFC 1490 RFC 1973 RFC 2427
CLI Command line interpreterHardware Catalyst 6500 Series Command Reference, 7.6, for example
CPE Customer premises equipmentTelecom Telecom Glossary
CPU Central processing UnitMicroprocessor Wikipedia
CRC Cyclic redundancy checkLink and other layers24 References here.
CRC-16-CCITT Cyclic redundancy check (X.25, HDLC)Link layers Reference on CRC page.
CRT Cathode Ray TubeTelevision set, Computer Monitor Cathode ray tube
CSMA/CA Carrier sense multiple access / collision avoidanceWireless IEEE Std 802.11 Downloads
CSMA/CD Carrier sense multiple access / collision detectionPhysical layer IEEE Std 802.3TM-2002
CSU/DSU Channel service unit / data service unitTelecom Telecom Glossary
CMOS Complementary metal-oxide semiconductorUtility CMOS
DAM Database activity monitoringSecurity Database activity monitoring
DAM Digital asset managementInternet Layer Digital asset management
DCE Data communications equipmentTelecom Telecom Glossary
DEC (obs.) Digital Equipment CorporationOrganization Digital Equipment Corporation formally Purchased by Compaq in 1998. Merged with Hewlett-Packard 2002.
DES Data Encryption Standard (obs. See AES)Security Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) FIPS-46-3
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration ProtocolApplication layer, Internet LayerRFC 2131 and others
DIMM Dual In-line Memory ModuleHardware DIMM
DNS Domain Name SystemApplication layerOver 30 RFCs here.
DRAM Dynamic random-access memoryHardware Dynamic random-access memory
DSL Digital subscriber lineTelecom Telecom Glossary
DSLAM Digital subscriber line access multiplexerTelecom Telecom Glossary (proposed)
DTE Data Terminal EquipmentTelecom Telecom Glossary
DMI Desktop Management InterfaceUtility Desktop Management Interface
EHA Ethernet Hardware Address (MAC address)Link layer IEEE Std 802 IEEE OUI Assignments
EIA Electronics Industry AllianceOrganization EIA
EIGRP Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing ProtocolInternet Layer Cisco Doc ID: 16406
EMAC Ethernet Media Access ControlLink Layer
EOF End Of Frame (HDLC, etc.)Link layer HDLC framing
ESS Extended service set (Wi-Fi group)Wireless IEEE Std 802.11-2007
FCC Federal Communications Commission (US)Organization US FCC
FCS Frame check sequence (Ethernet)Link layer Ethernet Frame IEEE Std 802.3
FDDI Fiber Distributed Data InterfaceLink layer American National Standards Institute X3T9.5 (now X3T12), ISO/IEC 9314-x
FTP File Transfer ProtocolApplication layerRFC 959 and others
GBIC Gigabit interface converterHardware Seagate Specification
gbps Gigabit per secondPhysical layer Gigabit per second
GEPOF Gigabit Ethernet (over) Plastic Optical FiberPhysical layerIEEE P802.3bv
GMAC Gigabit Ethernet Media Access ControlLink Layer
HDLC High-level Data Link ControlLink layer ISO 13239
HTTP HyperText Transfer ProtocolApplication layer W3C Change History for HTTP
HTTPS HyperText Transfer Protocol SecureTransport and other layers SSL 3.0 Specification
IaaS Infrastructure as a serviceCloud Services IaaS Microsoft Docs
IANA Internet Assigned Number AuthorityOrganization IANA
ICaaS Integration Capability as a ServiceOrganization ICaaS
ICMP Internet Control Message ProtocolInternet LayerRFC 792
IDF Intermediate distribution framePhysical layer Structured cabling or Telecom Glossary
IDS Intrusion Detection SystemSecurityWikipedia
IEEE Institute for Electrical and Electronic EngineersOrganization IEEE
IETF Internet Engineering Task ForceOrganization IETF
IMAP Internet Message Access ProtocolApplication layerRFC 3501
IP Internet ProtocolInternet LayerRFC 791 RFC 1606
IPS Intrusion prevention systemSecurity "NIST - Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)". 2007-02. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
IS-IS Intermediate System to Intermediate System (routing protocol)Internet Layer ISO/IEC 10589:2002
ISDN Integrated Services Digital NetworkTelecom IEC Area 716-xx
ISP Internet service providerTelecom Telecom Glossary
ITU-T International Telecommunication UnionOrganization http://www.itu.int
kbps Kilobit per secondPhysical layer Kilobit per second
LACP Link Aggregation Control ProtocolData link layer
LAN Local area networkLink and other layers Telecom Glossary
LAPB Link Access Procedure, Balanced (x.25)Telecom ITU-T Recommendation X.222
LAPFLink-access procedure for Frame Relay TelecomRFC 1490
LLC Logical link controlLink layer Telecom Glossary
MAC Media access controlLink layer IEEE Std 802.3 and 802.11, for example
MAM Media access management (related to Digital asset management)Internet layerWikipedia
MAN Metropolitan area networkTelecom Telecom Glossary
Mbps Megabits per secondPhysical layer Megabit_per_second
MCMultiple choiceIT Professional Certification About certification exams
MDF Main distribution framePhysical layer Glossary See also Structured cabling
MIB Management information base (SNMP)Application layerRFC 3418
MII Media-independent InterfaceLink layer
MoCA Multimedia over Coax AllianceOrganization Multimedia over Coax Alliance
MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switchingnetwork technology
MTU Maximum Transmission UnitMultiple layers
NAC Network access controlLink and other layers IEEE 802.1x
NAS Network-attached storageHardware / Storage Computer data storage
NAT Network Address TranslationInternet Layer Cisco Internet Protocol Journal: A look Inside Network Address Translators
NBMA Non-Broadcast Multiple Access (e.g. Frame Relay ATM)TelecomSee ATM, Frame Relay and X.25, for examples.
NIC Network Interface CardPhysical layer Telecom Glossary
NRZ Non-return-to-zeroPhysical layer Federal Standard 1037C
NRZI Non-return to zero invertedPhysical layer Federal Standard 1037C
NVRAM Non-volatile RAMHardwareSample vendor data here
OSI Open System Interconnect (joint ISO and ITU standard)Organization ISO/IEC 9594-5:2005 Open Systems Interconnection Protocol Specifications
OSPF Open Shortest Path First (routing protocol)Internet LayerRFC 2238
OUI Organization Unique IdentifierLink and other layers IEEE OUI Assignments
PAP Password authentication protocolSecurityRFC 1334
PAT Port address translationInternet LayerRFC 1918
PaaS Platform as a serviceCloud Computing/Service Platform as a service
PC Personal computer (host)Hardware
PIM Personal information managerSoftware category
PCM Pulse-code modulationPhysical layer ITU-T G.711
PDU Protocol data unit (such as segment, packet, frame, etc.)Multiple layers Fed Std 1037C
POP3 Post Office Protocol, version 3Application layerRFC 1939
POP Point of presenceTelecom Telecom Glossary
POST Power-on self testHardware Cisco Catalyst 2800 User Guide, for example
POTS Plain old telephone serviceTelecom Telecom Glossary
PPP Point-to-point ProtocolTelecomRFC 1661
PPTP Point-to-Point Tunneling ProtocolTelecomRFC 2637
PTT Public Telephone and TelegraphTelecom Telecom Glossary or Free Dictionary
PVST Per-VLAN Spanning TreeLink layer Cisco's introduction to Spanning Tree Protocol
RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial-In User ServiceSecurityRFC 2865
RAM Random Access MemoryPhysical layer Telecom Glossary
RARP Reverse ARPLink layerRFC 903
RIMM Rambus In-line Memory ModuleHardwareWikipedia
RFC Request for CommentsMultiple layers IETF's RFC Index
RIP Routing Information ProtocolInternet LayerRFC 2453, for RIP version 2
RLL Run-Length LimitedPhysical layer RLL is used in a wide range of encodings.
ROM Read-Only MemoryHardware Telecom Glossary
RSTP Rapid Spanning Tree ProtocolLink layer IEEE 802.1w - Rapid Reconfiguration of Spanning Tree
RTP Real-time Transport ProtocolApplication layerRFC 3550
SaaS Software as a serviceCloud Computing/Service Software as a service Microsoft Docs
SDLC Synchronous Data Link ControlLink layer Cisco Technology Handbook: SDLC and Derivatives
SDN Software-defined networkingArchitecture Software-defined networking
SFD Start-of-frame delimiter (Ethernet, HDLC, etc.)Link layer IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), or RFC 2687 (HDLC), for examples
SFP Small Form-factor PluggableHardware Seagate Specification
S-HTTP Secure HTTP (rarely used)Transport and other layersRFC 2660 See also https
SLARP Serial Line ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)Link and other layers Archived Cisco Serial Line Encapsulation extension
SLIP Serial Line Internet Protocol (obs.)TelecomRFC 1055
SIMM Single In-line Memory ModuleHardwareWikipedia
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer ProtocolApplication layerRFC 5321
SNA Systems Network Architecture (IBM)Multiple layers SNA Protocol Suite
SNAP SubNet Access ProtocolLink layer IEEE 802 Overview and Architecture
SNMP Simple Network Management ProtocolApplication layerRFC 1155, RFC 3410 thru RFC 3418 and others
SOF Start of frameLink layer IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), or RFC 2687 (HDLC), for examples
SRAM Static random access memoryHardware PC Guide's Definition
SSH Secure shellApplication layerRFC 4252
SSID Service set identifier (Wi-Fi)Wireless IEEE 802.11
STP Spanning Tree ProtocolLink layer Cisco's Introduction to Spanning Tree Protocol
SYN (TCP) SynchronizationLink and other layersRFC 793 and many others
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet ProtocolTransport layerRFC 793 and many others
TDM Time-division multiplexingPhysical layer Fed Std 1037C
TFTP Trivial File Transfer ProtocolApplication layerRFC 1350
TIA Telecommunications Industry AllianceOrganization Telecommunications Industry Association
TOFU Trust On First UseSecurity Improving SSH-style Host Authentication with Multi-Path Probing
UDP User Datagram ProtocolTransport layerRFC 768
URL Uniform Resource LocatorWeb address URL spec (1994)
USB Universal Serial BusPhysical and other layers USB 3.0 Specification
UTP Unshielded twisted pairPhysicalMany versions are defined by TIA, such as: TIA-568-B
VC Virtual circuitTransport and other layers Telecom Glossary
VLAN Virtual local area networkLink layer IEEE 802.1Q
VLSM Variable-length subnet maskingArchitectureRFC 1518 RFC 1519
VM Virtual machinevirtualization/emulation Virtual machine
VPN Virtual private networkApplication layer Virtual Private Network Consortium
W3C World Wide Web ConsortiumOrganization W3C
WAN Wide-area networkTelecom Telecom Glossary
WEP Wired Equivalent PrivacyWireless IEEE 802.11
Wi-Fi An implementation of IEEE wireless communication standard 802.11Wireless Wi-Fi Alliance
WLC Wireless LAN ControllerWireless Cisco
WPA Wi-Fi Protected AccessSecurity IEEE 802.11i
www World Wide WebArchitecture W3C Consortium

See also

References

  1. Lammle, Todd (2008). CCNA IOS Commands . Wiley Publishing, Inc. ISBN   978-1-58720-182-0.
  2. Odem, Wendell (2008). CCENT/CCNA ICND1 Official Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition. Cisco Press. ISBN   978-0-470-17560-6.
  3. CCNA Exploration 4.0 5.0 Routing Protocols and Concepts Student Lab Manual. Cisco Press.
  4. The ISO model is used for layer names.