gloss_O

O

Object

In the context of network management, an object is a numeric value that represents some aspect of a managed device. An object identifier is a sequence of numbers separated by periods, which uniquely defines the object within a MIB. See MIB.

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).

OLE is Microsoft's specification for application-to-application exchange and communication. It is more powerful and easier to use than Microsoft's older Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) API.

octet.

An eight-bit byte. Internet RFCs refer to octets rather than bytes, presumably because some mainframes and minicomputers have 16-bit or 32-bit bytes.

Open Data-Link Interface (ODI).

ODI is Novell's specification for generic network interface card device drivers. ODI enables you to simultaneously load multiple protocol stacks, such as IPX and IP.

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).

The OSPF routing protocol for TCP/IP routers takes into account network loading and bandwidth when moving packets from their sources to their destinations. OSPF improves on the Routing Information Protocol (RIP), but it is not as widely implemented.

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI).

The OSI model is the seven-layer, modular protocol stack defined by ISO for data communications between computers. Its layers are: Physical, Data-link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.

open systems.

In open systems, no single manufacturer controls the specifications for the architecture. The specifications are in the public domain, and developers can legally write to them. Open systems are crucial for interoperability.

optical drives.

Optical drives use lasers to read and write information from their surface. Because of their slow access times, optical drives are used for archiving and other activities that are not particularly time-sensitive. Several types of optical drives are available. CD-ROMs, or compact disk read-only memory, can be remastered. Information can be written to WORM, or write once, read many, disks only once; they cannot be erased. Data can be written to and removed from erasable optical disks.

OS/2.

OS/2 is IBM's 32-bit multithreaded, multitasking, single-user operating system that can run applications created for it, DOS, and Windows.

outsourcing.

Outsourcing is the process of subcontracting network operations and support to an organization outside your company.