Multiplay Glossary

Version October 2006

(c) Juniper Networks

1xEV-DO See EV-DO.

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Collaboration of several standardisation
bodies, focusing on the development of the 3G UMTS mobile standards.
3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2) Collaboration of several standardisation
bodies, focusing on the development of the 3G CDMA2000 mobile standards.
AAA (Authentication, Authorisation, and Accounting) Broad feature set across network
infrastructure and backend systems to ensure users gain access to the services they are
entitled to, and that they are billed accordingly. See also RADIUS and Diameter.
AAAA See AAA (The 4th A refers to the management of end-user IP addresses).
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) The most popular broadband access
technology in the world, holding more than 60% of the market. ADSL provides up to 8 Mbps
downlink capacity for 1.5 km copper loops. See also ADSL2.
ADSL2, ADSL2+ (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line 2 plus) ADSL2, ADSL2+ & ADSL-
Reach Extended is an enhancement to the ADSL standard, enabling service providers to
upgrade to provide higher speed offerings to an extended service area. ADSL2+ allows for up
to 24 Mbps downlink capacity for approximately 1.5 km copper loops.
AN (Access Node) Generic term for a device which aggregates multiple subscribers, such
as a DSLAM or OLT. AN is the term used by DSL Forum.
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Organization which defines standards for
the United States. ANSI television standards have been adopted by some other countries,
notably Canada, Mexico, and some Latin American countries. See also ETSI and ATSC.
API (Application Programming Interface) Clearly defined and documented interface to
which other parties can develop code and interact with a system. Open API refers to APIs that
are published, allowing 3rd party vendors and service providers to develop applications that
make use of the system.
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) In broadband networks designed around multiplay,
Service Providers can increase ARPU by introducing value added services without having to
upgrade the network infrastructure.
ASG (Advanced Services Gateway) Web services gateway allowing application servers to
exchange information with a policy server. The ASG allows for large scale policy
management and policy enforcement tailored to specific application needs without any human
interaction.
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Telecommunication standard for data transport. In
first generation broadband networks, ATM was used for aggregation between the DSLAMs
and the BRASes, however Ethernet is now becoming the dominant aggregation technology.
ATM is also used for carrying the traffic on a DSL connection.
ATSC (Advanced Television Standards Committee) The organization which defines
broadcast television standards in the United States. These standards have been adopted by
some other countries including Canada, Mexico and some Latin American countries. See also
DVB.
AUC (authentication center) Function in the GSM network which authenticate each SIM
card to connect to GSM and GPRS services, typically when the phone is turned on.
Auto-sensing BSR function allowing IP interfaces to be created on the fly with the
appropriate policies. This function allows for zero-touch provisioning of the BSR when

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 1

subscribers start to use a new service, or when new subscribers get connected on the
network. Service provisioning for an existing customer can be done in the subscriber
database alone, heavily reducing operational costs.
AVC (Advanced Video Coding) Video codec standard allowing for very high data
compression, used in the MPEG4 standard. Also called MPEG4 AVC, MPEG4 Part 10, and
H.264.
Bandwidth Link speed, measured in bits per second. Access speeds in today's broadband
networks can reach 24 Mbps using ADSL and ADSL2+ and up to 1Gbps using Ethernet
technologies. IP core links operate at 2.5, 10 or (emerging) 40 Gbps.
BGF (Border Gateway Function) IMS function used for SIP media routing, host the mobile
IP home agent and measure network performance.
Bot ([Software Ro]bot) Broadband connected PC turned into zoombie by maliscious code.
The bot is remotely controlled to send spam, take part of denial of service attacks and other
hacker activities. Bots can be mitigated by Dynamic Threat Mitigation technologies.
Botnet Network of bots controlled by a hacker. There are data showing that some of these
networks include over 400,000 bots. See also bot and DDoS attack.
BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) See BSR. BNG is the term used in DSL Forum
standards.
bps (bits per second) Unit for bandwidth measurement. kbps refers to kilo (1,000) bits per
second. Mbps equals Mega (1 million) and Gbps equals Giga (1 billion) bits per second.
BRAS (Broadband Remote Access Server) First generation broadband routers, connecting
DSLAM over ATM aggregation networks mainly for fixed Internet access. The term RAS
stems from the narrowband world, when an access server was used to terminate dial-up PPP
connections, and route traffic onto the Internet. BRAS has now evolved to Broadband
Servives Router, see BSR.
Broadband When first introduced, broadband referred to fixed high speed internet access
using either DSL, cable modem or FTTH technologies. The term broadband is also used for
high speed mobile and wireless access technologies, like UMTS, HSDPA and WiMAX 802.16.
BSR (Broadband Services Router) Broadband router playing a key role in connecting
subscribers to IP services while ensuring quality, availability and ease of operation. The BSR
is an evolution from the BRAS used in ATM-based aggregation networks, now optimised for
the scale and quality requirements of multiplay networks, including IPTV. Today's leading
BSRs can scale up to 320 Gbps systems capacity and provide personalised services for up to
128,000 concurrent users on a single platform.
Bulk provisioning The ability to provision all customer VLANs or ATM VCs when the BSR is
commissioned. This feature allows for simplified operation as the network operator only has to
configure the CVLAN or customer VCs once and for all.
CAC (Call Admission Control) Group of features allowing for an assured user experience.
During the set up of the service, resources are being allocated to ensure quality and other
parameters can be met. If the resources can't be allocated to set up the connection, the end
user is notified. The use of the term CAC originally referred to voice service and has now
been extended to other services like IPTV or VPN access services where an assured quality
of experience is considered to be critical.
Captive Portal Web portal to which the subscriber automatically is directed when he opens
up a browser. Captive portals can be used for customer service self provisioning, and for
security containment and virus mitigation. See also Service Creation System.
CBR (Constant Bit Rate) A scheme whereby the streaming content (television) is delivered
using a fixed amount of bandwidth. Although many encoding schemes including MPEG2 and
MPEG4 intrinsically are VBR, many carriers use CBR for IPTV and VOD traffic to simplify
network planning and design. See also VBR.
CGM (Consumer Generated Media) On-line Media produced by users as opposed to being
produced by the media industry. CGM includes production of content through new

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technologies that are accessible and affordable such as digital video, blogging, podcasting
and digital photography.
CSCF (Call Session Control Function) The Call Session Control Function is the core
control component in the IMS architecture, comprising the following functions:
• The Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF) is the first point of contact for IMS subscribers. It is
responsible for security of the messages between the network and the user and allocating
resources for the media flows.
• The Interrogating-CSCF (I-CSCF) is the first point of contact from a peering network. It is
responsible for querying the HSS to determine the S-CSCF for a subscriber and may also
provide topology hiding.
• The Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF) is the central resource in IMS. It is responsible for
processing registrations to record the location of each user, user authentication, and call
processing. The operation of the S-CSCF is controlled by policies stored in the HSS.
C-VLAN (Customer VLAN) VLAN structure in an Ethernet broadband aggregation network
based on one subscriber per VLAN. This model has many similarities to the ATM VC model
used in single play broadband networks, and share many of its benefits like traceability, data
integrity and security while allowing for simple introduction of new services.
Churn Subscribers terminating their contracts with a service provider. As acquisition cost for
new broadband subscribers are relatively high in comparison to the average monthly revenue
per user, it is important for service providers to strive to reduce churn by offering high quality
of experience at a reasonable price.
CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System) Access node and termination device for data
traffic in HFC cable networks. The CMTS has a similar role to the DSLAM in DSL networks.
CO (Central Office) Location in the network where the service provider switch voice and
broadband traffic onto the core network.
COPS (Common Open Policy Service) Protocol used to exchange information between
policy servers and network devices. See also Service Creation System.
CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) Equipment which resides on the customer site and
interfaces with the service provider network. In residential broadband networks the CPE is the
residential gateway. See also RG.
Customer Loyalty Marketing term measuring customer's willingness to continue to
subscribe to the service and their willingness to subscribe to additional services from the
same provider.
DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) Satellite broadcast service intended for residential
reception using a satellite dish.
DC (Data Center) Hosting environment for on-line applications. The term is widely used both
in service provider networking and enterprise networking. High speed data networks and the
ubiquitous reach of the Internet has allowed for large consolidation of DCs.
DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service Attack) An attack launched from many
distributed hosts to starve out bandwidth or server processing resources at the victim. DDoS
attacks being sent from 10 000 hosts simultaneously result in more than a 1 Gbps traffic
being sent to the victim. In a report from September 2005, a majority of the service providers
reported an average of 10 or more DDoS attacks per month with severe customer impact.
See also bot.
Delay Packet delay is typically measured in milliseconds. Streaming applications like voice,
video and gaming are sensitive to delay, e.g. voice networks should be designed to allow for
less than 150 ms mouth to ear-delay. Delay is caused by a number of reasons: buffer delay in
gateways, serialisation delays when packets are translated into bits to be sent to the wire,
propagation delay through the wire and packet processing delay in the network nodes. A
transatlantic fibre cable will add approximately 100 ms delay, and the processing delay of a
Juniper backbone router is less than 0.1 ms.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 3

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Protocol used for RG, PCs and other
devices to dynamically receive an IP address when connecting to a network. The address is
supplied by a DHCP server, which can be located centrally or located in the BSR. See also
PPP.
Diameter Next generation Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) protocol. The
Diameter protocol is defined as the AAA protocol in the IMS architecture and provides a range
of performance and security enhancements to the RADIUS protocol.
DMT (Discrete Multi-Tone) The most popular physical layer encoding scheme in DSL, used
by ADSL and VDSL2. The usable frequency range is separated into 256 – 512 frequency
bands (or channels) of 4.3125 kHz each. These channels are grouped together as
appropriate to deliver various services including POTS, ISDN, and data
(upstream/downstream).
DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) Technical specifications for
data communication over cable TV networks. DOCSIS 3.0 and above are common for both
Europe and the United States. DOCSIS 3.0 also incorporates support for IPv6 and allows for
greater bandwidth, up to 200 Mbps to a single user.
DOS (Denial of Service attack) An attack attempting to block resources at the victim so the
users can't get access to the service. See also DDoS.
DPI (Digital Program Insertion) The ability to insert local content into an existing stream.
DPI may fully replace the incoming content, such as by inserting local advertisement.
Alternatively, DPI may augment the existing content, such as by adding the channel logo or
adding scrolling information at the bottom of the screen.
DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) The ability of a device to look at the contents of a packet
beyond the Layer 2 (Ethernet/ATM), Layer 3 (IP), and Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) headers. DPI is
critical for network security because it enables IDP functionality.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) Technology system to describe, identify, protect,
monitor and track all forms of rights usages including trading of rights and management of
rights holders.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Broadband technology utilising the local copper loop to
access subscribers. There are a broad set of flavors, e.g. ADSL2+, SHDSL and VDSL,
allowing for up to 100 Megabit per second bandwidth.
DSL Forum Standardisation consortium of 200 companies, aiming at enhancing the
standards of broadband networks based on DSL.
DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Multiplexer) Aggregation and termination device for DSL
connections. In traditional broadband networks, DSLAMs backhaul user data to a BRAS over
an ATM-based access network using one VC per customer. In today's multiplay deployments,
the DSLAM typically aggregates traffic on Gigabit Ethernet links to a BSR. The functionality of
the DSLAM has also been enhanced to allow for efficient multicast for IPTV. See also
IPDSLAM and L2C.
DTA (Digital Turnaround) Processing digital streaming content without converting it to
analog. DTA converts the physical layer of a received video signal from e.g. satellite to IPTV,
and in the process it may also decrypt and re-encrypt the received signal; perform rate
shaping (also referred to as transrating or grooming); or convert the encoding format (from
MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, for example).
DTH (Direct to Home) See DBS.
DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) Digital technology used to provide a greater number of
channels (SDTV) and/or better quality of picture (HDTV) and sound (AC3, Dolby Digital)
through a conventional antenna. The technology used is ATSC in North America, ISDB-T in
Japan, and DVB-T in Europe and Australia.
DTTV (Digital Terrestrial TV) See DTT.
DTV (Digital Television) Generic term for using digital technologies such as MPEG2 and
MPEG4 for broadcasting television over broadband (IP), satellite, cable or terrestrial networks.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 4

Dual Edge Broadband infrastructure with two IP edge routers serving different purposes, e.g.
one for video distribution, and one for Internet access and VoIP. See also Single Edge.
Dual Play Delivery of dual services, e.g. Internet and VoIP.
DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) The digital television system used in most of Europe and
some other parts of the world. There are multiple DVB standards including terrestrial (DVB-T),
satellite (DVB-S), cable (DVB-C), and mobile (DVB-H). Most satellite systems use DVB-S.
DVR (Digital Video Recording) Function allowing users to pause, rewind, fast forward or
record broadcasted IPTV content. The DVR works in conjunction with the electronic program
guide (EPG) for convenient selection of programs to record.
EAS (Emergency Alert System) System for using public communication infrastructure such
as mobile, radio and television to notify the population of an existing or impending emergency.
EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile) Initiative to drive the use of Ethernet in the access network.
EFM is defined in IEEE 802.3ah, which has been incorporated into the IEEE 802.3 standard.
Ethernet Technology initially intended for use in the Local Area Network. Ethernet is today
also used in many carrier environments e.g. in aggregation networks. Link speeds include
10/100 Mbps, Gbps and 10 Gbps.
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) Organization which defines
standards for many European countries. ETSI television standards have been adopted by
some other countries including some Asian, most Middle Eastern, and some Latin American
countries. See also ANSI and DVB.
EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) 3G mobile standard defined by 3GPP2, and adopted by
many CMTS-based mobile operators. 3G networks allow for higher bandwidth than its 2G
CMTS successor. EV-DO supports up to 2.5 Mbps in Rev0 and 3.1 Mbps in RevA.
Flat rate Billing model where the subscriber pays a fixed amount for the service independent
of usage.
FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence) Technologies enabling a common network and services
infrastructure to deliver a common set services to both mobile and fixed users. See also IMS.
FTTC (Fiber to the curb) Broadband access infrastructure deploying fiber all the way to the
curb of multi-tenant houses.
FTTH (Fiber to the home) Broadband access infrastructure where fiber is deployed all the
way down to the individual home, allowing for very high access speeds using e.g. PON or
Ethernet technologies.
FTTN (Fiber to the neighborhood) Broadband access infrastructure where fiber is extended
closer to the homes to achieve shorter local loop and enabling the use of DSL technologies
with higher bit rates, like VDSL.
FTTP (Fiber to the premise) See FTTH. (The term FTTP is broader since it includes both
homes and businesses.)
FTTS (Fiber to the subscriber) See FTTH
Gbps (Gigabits per second) See bps.
GPON (Gigabit PON) See PON.
H.323 Protocol suite for audio-visual content over IP networks. H.323 is used in many
enterprise IP PBXs and hybrid PBX solutions.
H.248 ITU signalling protocol between media gateway and softswitch in a carrier VoIP
network. H.248 is the standardized version of Megaco.
H.264 Advanced Video Coding standard used in MPEG4. See also MPEG.
HDTV (High Definition Television) HDTV is at least twice the resolution of SDTV. Current
HDTV standards are defined as 1080 active interlaced or progressive lines, or 720
progressive lines, using a 16:9 aspect ratio. See also SDTV and MPEG2/MPEG4.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 5

HDWRR (Hierarchical Deficit Weighted Round Robin) QOS feature in the BSR enabling
Service Providers to simplify QOS engineering of the aggregation network. The result is fair
and accurate distribution of bandwidth to assure user experience. See also BSR and WRR.
HE (Head End) See VHE.
HLR (Home Location Register) A central database that contains details of each mobile
phone subscriber that is authorised to use services provided by the GSM and or WCDMA
network. The HLR stores details of the SIM cards and their associated telephony numbers,
call divert settings, current subscriber location etc.
HomePNA Home networking technology utilizing coax or telephone twisted pair copper wire
for distribution of multimedia content inside the home.
HomePlug AV (Home Plug Audio/Video) Home networking technology utilizing power
wiring for distribution of multimedia content inside the home.
HSA, HSD, HSIA (High-speed Access, High Speed Data, High-Speed Internet Access)
Equivalent terms describing network access at speeds of at least 128 Kbps.
HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) Enhancement to the UMTS standard,
somtimes referred to as 3.5G, allowing for up to 14.4 Mbps downlink capacity. See also
UMTS.
HSS (Home Subscriber Server) The HSS is the subscriber database defined in the IMS
architecture, similar to HLR and authorization centre (AUC) in the GSM and WCDMA
networks.
I-CSCF (Interrogating Call Session Control Function) See CSCF.
IDP (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) Security system that protects against any known
maliscious code as well as unknown attacks. IDPs are deployed in-line and can take
immediate action when an attack or intrusion attempt has been detected.
IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) Standardisation organisation for defining IP and
Internet standards.
IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) IP protocol which manages the subscriber
join and leaves across the access network to the first IP multicast router in the network,
typically the BSR. IGMP v3 adds security and enhance the performance compared to IGMPv2.
IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Layered architecture for delivery of multimedia services for
both person-to-person and person-to-content communication. IMS is defined by 3GPP (UMTS
networks, release 5) and 3GPP2 (CDMA2000 networks) and TISPAN (fixed networks).
Infranet Juniper Networks Agile, Open and Customizable Architecture for multiplay service
delivery.
Intermediate agent Data field in the PPPoE protocol often used to identify the end-user local
loop.
IP-DSLAM Packet-based DSLAM with Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet uplinks for multiplay
deployments. See also DSLAM.
IPG (Interactive Program Guide) See EPG.
IPoA (IP over ATM) Technology where IP packets are carried over ATM VCs.
IPoE (IP over Ethernet) Technology where IP packets are carried over Ethernet without the
use of PPP encapsulation.
IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) See IDP.
IPsphere Forum The IPsphere Forum is an industry forum where some of the world's
leading IP service providers and vendors are defining new business models for IP services.
The aim is to enhance the commercial framework for IP services to provide a win-win
scenario for all stakeholders.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 6

IPTV (IP television) TV service delivered over an IP network. IPTV allows for an interactive
and more personalized TV experience, with features such as time shifted TV, TV of yesterday,
consumer created content and more.
IPv4 (IP version 4) The world's dominating protocol suite for data communication. IPv4 is
the protocol stack used for today's Internet services.
IPv6 (IP version 6) Next version of the IP protocol suit, probably best know for its much
larger addressing space than its predecessor, IPv4. Apart from more addresses, IPv6 also
brings greater managability, enhanced security, routing and operational functionality. IPv6 is
implemented in several commercial networks around the globe, with Japan leading the way.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) Service Provider focused on delivering Internet services,
such as Internet access, IP transit and Internet related application services like web and e-
mail.
ISSU (In Service Software Upgrade) Function to allow upgrade of network nodes without
taken them out of service.
ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Standardisation body for
telecommunications and radio.
Jitter Delay variation, typically measured in milliseconds. Streaming applications like voice
and video telephony are jitter sensitive, and buffers are used to even out jitter, adding to the
overall delay budget. Jitter can arise due to serialisation delay on slow links, or can be caused
by software-based network nodes with variation of processing power. ASIC-based routers
with separate forwarding and control planes cause negligeble jitter.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator) Traffic measurement of network attributes like delay, jitter
and loss against thresholds to monitor network performance.
L2C (Layer 2 Control) Protocol for simplified operation of multiplay access networks. L2C
enables topology discovery, and provides information about DSL sync rate changes, OAM,
and multicast forwarding information.
Lag Unexpected and unwanted behavior in on-line gaming, e.g. when the game freezes, a
character 'ghosts' or vanishes, or when there is a delayed reaction to the gamer's action.
Gaming performance can be measured in lags/minute. Lag is typically caused by packet loss,
peak in delay, resource congestion on the hosting server or by CPU constraints on the
gaming device.
Latency See delay.
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) Directory for storing service definitions and
subscriber data. LDAP is used in many broadband networks around the globe.
LLU (Local Loop Unbundle) Market deregulation to allow alternate and emerging service
providers to compete with incumbents in providing access to subscribers using the local
copper network.
Long tail A new economic model describing the value in content that never makes it to the
top hit lists. The on-line world empowers the users with new search and evaluation tools to
learn about content and the pool of content is much larger than can be offered by the local
shop. The result is changed end user behavior impacting network design as well as business
models for IP services.
LSP (Label Switched Path) MPLS path across an IP/MPLS network.
Mbps (Megabits per second) See bps.
MGW (Media Gateway) Switching device for packetized voice. In a softswitch NGN layered
architecture, the role of the MGW is to encode and switch user payload traffic.
Megaco See H.248.
MEN (Metro Ethernet Network) A term used by the Metro Ethernet Forum to describe the
use of Ethernet as the transport protocol in the metro network.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 7

MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol) IETF standard VoIP protocol for personal
communication services comprising call agents, signalling gateway(s) and media gateway(s).
Middleware Middleware is a computing technology enabling application integration in
distributed environments. In IPTV applications, the middleware software manages the user
interaction to different media resources and TV channels.
MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) Home networking technology utilizing coax wire for
distribution of multimedia content inside the home.
Modem (Mod(ulate) and dem(odulate)) Device that encodes digital information for transport
across an analog network by modulating an analog signal.
MOS (Mean Opinion Score) System to measure end-user perceived experienced
multimedia quality. The maximum attainable quality for voice is MOS 4.4, and ITU has defined
‘carrier class’ quality to be MOS > 4.0. See also R-value.
MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) Multimedia compression format standardised by a
working group of ISO/IEC. MPEG1 include the MP3 audio compression format, MPEG2 is the
standard used in digital broadcasting, and is part of both the ATSC and DVB specifications.
MPEG4 was developed to cover the complete multimedia workflow - from capture, authoring,
and editing, to encoding, distribution, playback and archiving. MPEG4 enables compression
of SDTV at 1-2 Mbps and HDTV at 6-10 Mbps and is the standard adopted for use in IMS.
MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) MPLS adds important attributes to today's IP
networks such as traffic engineering, fast reroute and resource segmentation to allow
multiservice networking. A broad suite of network based VPN solutions are also based on
MPLS.
MPTS (Multiple Program Transport Stream) Channel transport scheme used in most
satellite broadcast networks, grouping up to 14 channels in one MPTS. See also SPTS.
MSO (Multiservice Operator) Cable Operators are often referred to as MSOs.
Multicast Traffic sent from one source to a multiple receiver is referred to as multicast. See
also unicast.
Multiplay Flexible delivery of an array of personal communication and entertainment
services over broadband networks: mobile, Internet, TV, VOD, VoIP, gaming, etc.
MC-VLAN (Multicast VLAN) Shared VLAN in Carrier Ethernet Access networks for IPTV
broadcast services. Sometimes also referred to as M-VLAN.
nPVR (Network-based Personal Video Recorder) DVR services hosted and managed by a
service provider.
NRM (Network Resource Management) System to monitor and manage network bandwidth
usage to avoid congestion.
NMS (Network Management System) Software managing network resources including fault,
configuration, accounting and performance and security.
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) The body which defined the analog
television standard in the United States. NTSC is also used in some other countries. NTSC
requires 6 MHz for each television channel.
NVOD (Near Video On Demand) Type of VOD service, where the movie starts at regular
intervals allowing for content to be multicasted instead of unicasted, gaining bandwidth
efficiencies for popular movies.
OAM (Operation, Administration and Maintenance) Feature set enabling efficient
operation of carrier networks, such as tracing traffic and monitoring link availability.
ODN (Optical Distribution Network) Term used to describe a SONET/SDH or xWDM
distribution network.
OLT (Optical Line Terminator) The access node or aggregation device of a PON system.
This central office system terminates the PON signal.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 8

Opt 82 (Option 82) Data field of the DHCP protocol often used to identify the end-user local
loop.
OSS (Operational Support System) Software designed to operate a carrier business. The
OSS systems are tightly integrated with network management systems, service and end-user
databases.
P2P (Peer-to-peer) Distributed networking and computing technology utilizing the cpu and
memory resources of the broadband connected hosts to share information and computing
tasks. P2P technologies are used for distribution of movies, music and other content in
multiplay environments.
P2MP LSP (Point to Multi Point Label Switched Path) MPLS technology used to efficiently
distribute multicast information across core networks. In comparison to traditional multicast
routing protocol, P2MP LSPs add attributes like fast reroute, traffic engineering and the ability
to span multicast routing information across administrative boundaries.
PAL (Phase Alternating Line) A standard for providing color analog television service. PAL
is the most deployed analog system in the world.
PCMM (Packet Cable Multi-Media) Standard defined by CableLabs for delivering multiplay
and QOS-based services across the radio frequency (RF) portion of the cable network.
P-CSCF (Proxy Call Session Control Function) See CSCF.
PDF (Policy Decision Function) Policy server in the IMS architecture, which manages
media plane resources policies such as quality of service settings and bandwidth
management.
PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) Protocol used to exchange multicast routing
information in an IP network. There are different versions of PIM, including Dense (PIM-DM),
Sparse (PIM-SM) and Source Specific Mode (PIM-SSM). The latter often used in distributing
multicast routing information in walled garden multiplay networks. See also P2MP LSP.
PIP (Picture in Picture) TV function to show more than one channel simultaneously on the
screen.
PVR (Personal Video Recorder) See DVR.
Policing QOS feature enabling bandwidth to be rate limited to a defined level for a specific
service, group of services or an individual user. All traffic above the given bandwidth rate is
dropped by the policing router. See also shaping.
Policy Server Network function responsible for managing policies across network element
types and across network domains. In fixed broadband networks, the policy server provides
admission control for application by interacting with application control software, subscription
databases and the IP service delivery points in the network.
PON (Passive Optical Networks) Fiber access technologies for point to multipoint
topologies with all passive splitter between the RG and the access node. ATM PON (APON),
Broadband PON (BPON) and Gigabit PON (GPON) are defined by the Full Service Access
Network (FSAN) group, while Ethernet PON (EPON) is defined by the IEEE. See also FTTH.
PPP (Point-to-point Protocol) Stateful connection-oriented protocol to allow consumers to
connect to multiplay services. Used already in the dial-up world, and has been developed to
support multiplay networks. PPPoA and PPPoE are PPP versions running on top of ATM and
Ethernet respectively.
PPV (Pay Per View) Content that user is paying for on a per view basis.
PCSCF (Proxy Call Session Control Function) See CSCF.
Q-in-Q See Stacked VLAN.
QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) A physical layer technique for transmitting digital
information across a network. There are two common variants, QAM64 and QAM256.
QAM64 provides about 27 Mbps per channel, while QAM256 support about 38 Mbps per
channel. QAM is typically used on cable networks.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 9

QOE (Quality of Experience) Quality measurement term for multiplay applications. The term
is used to describe the quality at the end user level, such as system responsiveness, quality
of streaming data, availability targets etc. See also QOS.
QOS (Quality of Service) QOS is used to describe and design networks for delivery of
multiplay applications according to their individual quality requirements, including bandwidth,
packet loss, delay and jitter. For IPTV, a packet loss event causes an annoying glitch on the
screen. Packet loss performance for SDTV services should be less than one in 1 1/2 hour,
and 4 hours for HDTV according to DSL Forum WT-126. In 2006, we still witness badly
designed networks with more than one packet drop every minute.
Quad Play Delivery of four services: Internet, TV, Voice and Mobile is sometimes referred to
as Quad Play. See also multiplay.
RACF (Resource and Admission Control Function) IMS function which monitors network
resource utilization and network topology to estimate path bandwidth availability.
RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) Protocol for AAA related
information. RADIUS servers are used to store accounting information. See also Diameter.
RF (Radio Frequency) Refers to traditional terrestrial analog radio and television.
RG (Residential Gateway) Also referred to as Routed Gateway, however some RGs bridge
traffic rather than route. The RG serves as the border point between the service provider
network and the home network, and typically serves as DHCP server for home devices.
RKS (Record Keeping Server) Accounting server in the PCMM architectural framework for
QOS-enabled services in cable networks. See also RADIUS.
RT (Remote Terminal) A device which is subtended off of another device, e.g. DSLAMs are
sometimes subtended to allow for cost-efficient geographical reach.
RTP (Real Time Transport Protocol) Protocol for delivery of multimedia applications over
IP networks. RTP is used in many streaming applications such as VoIP.
R-value System to scientifically measure quality of multimedia applications. The maximum
attainable quality for voice is R94, and ITU has defined ‘carrier class’ quality to be R>80. See
also MOS.
SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) Layer 4 protocol for transporting multiple
parallel streams. Used in e.g. IMS and carrier VoIP networks to carry signalling and billing
data. See also UDP and TCP.
SDP (Service Delivery Point) Network device enforcing the end-user service. In a single
edge design, the SDP is the BSR. In multi-edge designs, there are multiple SDPs, requiring
more advanced NMS and OSS systems to deploy additional services and operate the
network.
SDTV (Standard Definition Television) Digital television which provides similar resolution
as traditional analog television.
Session Secure and assure end-user connection for personal communication or
entertainment services.
Shaping QOS feature enabling bandwidth to be shaped to a defined bandwidth level for a
specific service, group of services or for an individual user. Traffic above the given bandwidth
rate is queued to be forwarded as soon as there is free capacity available. See also policing.
SHDSL (Symmetric High-Speed Digital Subscriber Line) Broadband access technology
designed for corporate high-speed symmetric services. SHDSL systems may operate up to
5.7 Mbps.
SHE (Super Head End) See VHE (Video Head End).
Single Edge Multiplay architecture utilizing a BSR as a single point of IP service delivery.
The Single Edge architecture is access agnostic and allows for centralized intelligence for
carrier scale.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 10

Single Play Delivery of a single service. Initially, the broadband market was a single play
market focusing on providing fixed Internet Access.
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Protocol to initiate, manage and terminate interactive
multimedia sessions. SIP was first defined by IETF and was then selected by 3GPP as a
standard for IMS.
SOA (Service-oriented Architecture) An architecture for managing distributed resources
across different ownership domains. SOA provides a uniform way to offer, identify and utilize
assets to produce desired effects consistent with measurable preconditions and expectations.
Softswitch (Software based telephony switch) Voice softswitching enable centrally
managed call control while user payload is switched in distributed media gateways. Also
referred to as Media Gateway Controller.
SPTS (Single Program Transport Stream) Channel transport scheme typically used in
broadband deployments where one SPTS is associated with one IP multicast session. See
also MPTS.
Stacked VLAN VLAN switching feature, also referred to as tag-in-tag or Q-in-Q, enhancing
the scalability of VLANs. In broadband access networks customer VLANs are sometimes
stacked at every DSLAM, using the outer tag to identify the DSLAM and the inner to identify
the customer.
Straight Access Access architecture connecting the DSLAM directly to the BSR to limit
operational costs associated with the Ethernet access domain.
STB (Set-top-box) Consumer electronic device connected to the TV translating video, audio
and other content to TV-compliant format. STB can decrypt premium subscribed content,
often using a key stored on a smart card which the content aggregator provides to the
subscriber.
S-VLAN (Service VLAN) Shared VLAN per service, e.g. Internet, voice, and video utilizing
separate VLANs. S-VLANs are typically used in conjunction with a multi-edge architecture,
requiring a NMS system to control bandwidth and provision services. The term S-VLAN is
also used for stacked VLAN in C-VLAN deployments, identifying the outer VLAN structure.
Sync rate The bandwidth rate of a DSL connection. The DSLAM automatically synchronizes
with the DSL modem at the highest bandwidth possible. The sync rate information can be
passed to the BSR using L2C.
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) Layer 4 protocol used for most file transfers on the
Internet today. It provides a connection-oriented, full-duplex, point to point service between
hosts.
Threat Mitigation Solution enabling service providers to take a proactive approach to
broadband subscriber threats. The solution combines intrusion detection and prevention
systems, policy servers and BSR to mitigate attacks.
Tiered access Flexible Internet access service, allowing the end-user to access the Internet
at different speeds. Tiered access can be offered as a self managed service using a web
portal which connects to a policy manager.
TISPAN (Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks)
Standardization group within ETSI focusing on defining standards in Next Generation
Networks and adding fixed broadband access to the IMS architecture.
TR-101 (Technical Report 101) DSL Forum report outlining the architecture for migration to
Ethernet-based broadband aggregation networks for multiplay delivery.
Triple Play Delivery of three services: Internet access, voice and video. Triple play services
may be offered over a common infrastructure, or simply by offering a single bill for all three
services which are delivered by separate networks. Triple play networks are enhanced to
allow for flexible service bundles, service integration between end user terminals and fixed
and mobile access. See also Multiplay.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 11

Turbo button Bandwidth on-demand service which the subscriber can self provision using a
web portal.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) Connectionless layer 4 protocol used in many streaming
and on-line gaming applications.
UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) Technology which provides access to GSM and GPRS
mobile services over unlicensed spectrum technologies, including Bluetooth and 802.11. By
deploying UMA technology, service providers can enable subscribers to roam and handover
between cellular networks and unlicensed wireless networks.
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) 3G mobile standard defined by
3GPP, based on the W-CDMA air interface. 3G networks allow for higher bandwidth than its
2G successor. UMTS supports up to 1920 kbps.
Unicast Traffic sent from one source to a single receiver is referred to as unicast. See also
multicast.
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply/Source) A battery backup device which supplies
power to equipment in the event of a power outage.
Usage based Billing model where the subscriber pay according to differentiated tariffs for the
use of the service.
VBR (Variable Bit Rate) A scheme in which the amount of bandwidth required to deliver
streaming content (television) varies according to how quickly the content (screen) is
changing. All common encoding schemes including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and VC-1 are
intrinsically VBR. See also CBR.
VC-1, VC-9 See WMV9.
VDSL2 (Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line) DSL technology which improves the
bandwidth available at short distances, when compared to ADSL2 and its variants.
VHE (Video Head End) Location where broadcast content is prepared (modified,
compressed, encoded and/or stored) for distribution through the core, edge and access
network to the subscriber's set top box or PC. Also called Super Head-End (SHE).
VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) VLAN was initially used to scale LAN environments by
segmenting the LAN and route traffic between segments. In multiplay deployments, VLAN is
often used to segment traffic in the aggregation network, typically per customer (C-VLAN) or
per service (S-VLAN).
VoIP (Voice over IP) Voice technologies for person to person communication across an IP
infrastructure.
VoD (Video-on-Demand) Streaming video service upon request by the user.
V-OSS (Video Operations Services Software) Back-end software controlling content
ingestion, propagation, storage and bandwidth management for video applications.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) Technologies to segment a public network to serve separate
purposes, such as providing network services for different enterprises, or wholesale services
to other service providers. VPNs can be either Layer2 or Layer3.
VSA (Vendor Specific Attributes) Data field of the PPP authorisation protocol often used to
identify the end-user local loop.
VSO (Video Serving Office) Location from where cached video on demand content is
distributed to the subscribers.
VTA (Volume Tracking Application) Function in policy server to track usage of service per
user to allow for usage based billing.
Walled garden Content services made available to users that are connected to the content
aggregator's own broadband network. The services are secured by a 'walled garden' and
can't be accessed by users who reside on other networks.

Multiplay Glossary (c) Juniper Networks 12

WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) 3G air interface in the UMTS
standard, closely allied with the 2G GSM standard.
WiFi Ethernet wireless access technology based on the 802.11 standards. When
implemented for public services, they are referred to as WiFi hotspots.
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) Public Ethernet Wireless
technology defined by the IEEE 802.16 standards. Today used to complement DSL for
backhauling broadband access, and may in the future provide 4G mobile access to wireless
devices.
WMV9, WMP9, WM9 (Windows Media Video/Player 9) A compression technique
developed by Microsoft. This technique has also been adopted by the Society of Cable
Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), which refers to this algorithm as VC-1.
WLAN (Wireless LAN) See WiFi and WiMAX.
WRR (Weighted Round Robin) QOS feature for scheduling outgoing traffic onto a link. The
different queues are served in a round robin manner according to their configured weight.
xDSL See DSL.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) W3C standard for adding markup text describing
content inside documents and explain what roles that content plays. XML is used in web
applications as well as to configure network nodes.

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