54 AXIS 240Q - Glossary

Glossary
ActiveX - A control (or set of rules) used by a browser.
ActiveX controls are often downloaded and installed
automatically as required.
API - Application Programming Interface. The Axis API
can be used for integrating Axis products into other
applications.
ARP - Address Resolution Protocol. This is used to
associate an IP address to a hardware MAC address. A
request is broadcast on the local network to find out what
the MAC address is for the IP address.
ARTPEC - Axis Real Time Picture Encoder - used for
image compression.
BOOTP - A protocol that can automatically configure a
network device (give it an IP address).
CGI - Common Gateway Interface. A set of rules (or a
program) that allows a Web Server to communicate with
other programs.
Client/Server - Describes the network relationship
between two computer programs, in which one, the client,
makes a service request from another - the server.
DC-Iris - This special type of iris is electrically controlled
by the Axis camera, to automatically regulate the amount
of light allowed to enter.
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line. A means of transferring
data via standard phone lines.
Ethernet - A widely used networking standard.
ETRAX - Axis' own microprocessor.
Firewall - A virtual barrier between a LAN (Local Area
Network) and other networks, e.g. the Internet.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol. Used for the simple transfer
of files to and from an FTP-server.
Full-duplex - Transmission of data, e.g. audio, in two
directions simultaneously.
Half-duplex- A half-duplex link communicates in one
direction at a time only, much like a walkie-talkie. Two
way communication is possible, but not simultaneously.
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The set of rules for
exchanging files (text, images, sound, video, and other
files) on the World Wide Web.
HTTP-S (HTTPS) - An extension to the HTTP protocol to
support sending data securely over the World Wide Web.
Intranet - A private network limited to an organization or
corporation. Usually closed to external traffic.
IP - Internet Protocol. See TCP/IP.
IP address - A unique number used by a computer on the
network to allow it to be identified and found.
ISMA - Internet Streaming Media Alliance.
JPEG - A standard image format, used widely for
photographs. Also known as JPG.
LAN - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers
and associated devices that typically share common
resources within a limited geographical area.
Linux - A popular operating system that is “open source”
and practically free of charge.
Lux - A standard unit for light measurement.
Mbit/s - Megabits per second. A unit for measuring
speeds in networks. A LAN might run at 10 or 100 Mbit/s.
MPEG-4 - A video compression standard that makes good
use of bandwidth, and which can provide DVD-quality
video streams at less than 1 Mbit/s.
Multicast - A bandwidth-conserving technology that
reduces bandwidth usage by simultaneously delivering a
single stream of information to multiple network
recipients.
PEM - Privacy Enhanced Mail. An early standard for
securing electronic mail. The PEM-format is often used
for representing an HTTPS certificate or certificate
request.
Ping - A small utility used for sending data packets to
network resources to check that they are working and that
the network is intact.
Pre/post alarm image - The images from immediately
before and after an alarm.
Protocol - A special set of rules governing how two
entities will communicate. Protocols are found at many
levels of communication, and there are hardware
protocols and software protocols.
Router - A device that determines the next network point
to which a packet should be forwarded on its way to its
final destination. A router is often included as part of a
network switch (see below).
RTP- Real-Time Transfer Protocol. A transfer protocol
designed for the delivery of live content, e.g. MPEG-4.
Simplex - In simplex operation, a network cable or
communications channel can only send information in
one direction; it's a “one-way street”.
Subnet Mask - An IP address consists of two
components: the network address and the host address.
“Subnetting’ enables a network administrator to further
divide the host part of the address into two or more
subnets. The subnet mask identifies the subnet to which
an IP address belongs.
Switch - Whilst a simple hub transmits all data to all
devices connected to it, a switch only transmits the data
to the device it is specifically intended for.
SMTP - A common e-mail protocol.