1.1 Glossary
This document uses the following terms:
access point: A network access server (NAS) that is implementing [IEEE802.11-2012], connecting wireless devices to form a wireless network.
basic service set (BSS): A collection of devices controlled by a single coordination function that joined a common IEEE 802.11 wireless network, as defined in [IEEE802.11-2007] section 3.7.
basic service set identifier (BSSID): A 48-bit structure that is used to identify an entity such as the access point in a wireless network. This is typically a MAC address.
frame check sequence (FCS): The extra sequence of numbers added to a frame in a communication protocol for the purpose of error detection and correction.
information element (IE): A unit of information transmitted as part of the management frames in the IEEE 802.11 [IEEE802.11-2012] protocol. Wireless devices, such as access points, communicate descriptive information about themselves in the form of one or more IEs in their management frames.
initiator: A device that initiates a qWave-WD or qWave session.
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4): An Internet protocol that has 32-bit source and destination addresses. IPv4 is the predecessor of IPv6.
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6): A revised version of the Internet Protocol (IP) designed to address growth on the Internet. Improvements include a 128-bit IP address size, expanded routing capabilities, and support for authentication and privacy.
Inter-Process Communication (IPC): A set of techniques used to exchange data among two or more threads in one or more processes. These processes can also run on one or more computers connected by a network.
ISO/OSI reference model: The International Organization for Standardization Open Systems Interconnection (ISO/OSI) reference model is a layered architecture (plan) that standardizes levels of service and types of interaction for computers that are exchanging information through a communications network. Also called the OSI reference model.
MAC Management Protocol Data Unit (MMPDU): A term used in the context of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 802.11 [IEEE802.11-2007] technologies to identify a unit of data used for management purposes that is received from the LLC sub-layer.
MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU): A term used in the context of IEEE 802.11 [IEEE802.11-2007] technologies to identify each fragment of an MSDU or MMPDU. MSDUs and MMPDUs are fragmented to increase the probability of successful transmission.
MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU): A term used in the context of IEEE 802.11 [IEEE802.11-2007] technologies to identify a unit of data that is received from the LLC sub-layer.
network byte order: The order in which the bytes of a multiple-byte number are transmitted on a network, most significant byte first (in big-endian storage). This may or may not match the order in which numbers are normally stored in memory for a particular processor.
network socket: An endpoint of a bidirectional process-to-process communication flow across an IP based network, such as the Internet. A socket is an interface between an application process or thread and the TCP/IP protocol stack provided by the operating system.
Quality of Service (QoS): A set of technologies that do network traffic manipulation, such as packet marking and reshaping.
qWave-WD: The Quality Windows Audio/Video Experience (qWave): Wireless Diagnostics Protocol.
received signal strength indication (RSSI): A measurement of the power present in a received signal in a wireless network environment. The range of values in a particular network environment depends on the hardware being used.
service set identifier (SSID): A structure that contains a unique identifier that is used to differentiate one wireless network from another.
session: A context for managing communication over qWave-WD among devices. This is equivalent to a TCP connection.
session layer: The fifth layer in the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) architectural model as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The session layer is used for establishing a communication session, implementing security, and performing authentication. The session layer responds to service requests from the presentation layer and issues service requests to the transport layer.
sink: A device that is the target of a qWave-WDsession.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): A protocol used with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet. TCP handles keeping track of the individual units of data (called packets) that a message is divided into for efficient routing through the Internet.
wireless band: An IEEE 802.11 [IEEE802.11-2007] protocol family. For example, 802.11a is a wireless band.
wireless channel: Each discrete division in a wireless band spectrum.
wireless diagnostics (WD): Information that enables applications to diagnose the state of a wireless network, including various wireless network-related statistical counters as well as standard wireless connection parameters.
wireless radio: The method for transmitting and receiving data over the air.
MAY, SHOULD, MUST, SHOULD NOT, MUST NOT: These terms (in all caps) are used as defined in [RFC2119]. All statements of optional behavior use either MAY, SHOULD, or SHOULD NOT.