Glossary
GL-4
Cisco Access Registrar 3.5 Concepts and Reference Guide
OL-2683-02
M
MIB Management Information Base—Database of network management information used and maintained
by a network management protocol such as SNMP. The value of a MIB object can be changed or
retrieved using SNMP commands. MIB objects are organized in a tree structure that includes public
and private branches.
MPLS Multi-Protocol Label Switching—
MPLS VPN MPLS-based Virtual Private Networks
MSO Multiple System Operators are typically cable companies that provide Internet access for regional
independent operators.
N
NAS Network Access Server is a device providing temporary, on-demand network access to users. This
access is point-to-point using PSTN or ISDN lines. A NAS operates as a client of RADIUS. The client
is responsible for passing user information to designated RADIUS servers.
In PPTP terminology, this is referred to as the PPTP Access Concentrator (PAC). In L2TP terminology,
the NAS is referred to as the L2TP Access Concentrator (LAC).
NCP Network Control Protocol is responsible for negotiating the protocol-specific particulars of the
point-to-point protocol (PPP) link.
Network Access
Identifier
In order to provide for the routing of RADIUS authentication and accounting requests, the UserID field
used in PPP and in the subsequent RADIUS authentication and accounting requests, known as the
Network Access Identifier (NAI), may contain structure. This structure provides a means by which the
RADIUS proxy locates the RADIUS server that is to receive the request. This same structure may also
be used to locate the tunnel end point when domain-based tunneling is used.
O
ODBC Open Database Connectivity—a standard set of application programming interface (API) function calls
(supported by Microsoft and in general use) that can be used to access data store in both relational and
non-relational database management systems (DBMSs).
ODBC Driver Processes ODBC function calls, submits SQL requests to specific data source, and returns results to
applications. ODBC drivers for specific types of data files, including database files, spreadsheet files,
and text fields, are available from Microsoft Corporation.