Appendix B: Glossary

The following is a list of terms used in this manual and their description:

Browser: In the context of CIFS, browsing is the ability to list available network resources such as file servers and the shares exported by these servers. The software object which contains the browsing code is the browser.
CIFS: Common Internet Filesystem. This is a protocol which enables computers to share their filesystems. It fulfills the same purpose as NFS (Sun's Network File System), but is much more chaotic and complex. CIFS is also known under the older name SMB (Server Message Block).
DNS: Domain Name Service. This is the internet protocol responsible for mapping Internet Addresses to computer names. The Netbios Name Service fulfills the same purpose, but with a technically different implementation.
GUI: Graphic User Interface. An application which interacts with the user by means of graphical representations of data objects on the screen. It is usually manipulated by means of a mouse.
Netbios: A protocol responsible for data transport. It can be run over various underlying protocols, e.g. TCP/IP.
NFS: Network File System. This is the file sharing protocol most widely used among Unix machines.
Share: A network resource exported by a server. It usually corresponds directly to a directory on the server which has been exported for network access.
SMB: Server Message Block. Old name for CIFS. See CIFS
SSL: Secure Socket Layer. This is a data encryption and authentication protocol which can be added transparently to any application using TCP/IP for data transport. It has originally been intended for secure shopping malls, telebanking and the like.
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. This is the protocol suite used for most of the data transport on the internet.
VPN: Virtual Private Network. This is any technology which allows you to share network resources across an insecure channel confidentially. The insecure channel is usually the internet, because it's a cheap long distance transport medium. VPN products achieve the confidentiality by means of encryption techniques.
WINS: Windows Internet Name Service. This is the same as the Netbios Name Service, it's only the term used by Microsoft. Like DNS, this is a protocol for mapping Internet Addresses to computer names.