Object-oriented technology The
art and science of manipulating data, like programming, in the
form of "objects", streamlining ways of identifying
and addressing business problems and creating applications. Its
applications are built up from objects containing both information
and the intelligence needed to process that data in a single unit;
particularly useful in workgroups where it lets a document contain
its own security and routing information. Standards are being
discussed by several bodies including the Object Management Group
with its Object Management Architecture. Dogged by acronyms and
competing methodologies, object technology is a growing phenomenon.
OC-1 Optical Carrier level 1 The
lowest optical transmission rate in the incipient Sonet standard
at 51.48Mbit/s.
OC-3 Optical Carrier level 3. The
second fastest optical rate in the incipient Sonet standard at
155.52Mbit/s.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Software
converting scanned images of documents into text files which can
be wordprocessed.
Octet A grouping of
eight bits in packet switched networks similar, but not identical
to, a byte.
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) Non-proprietary
programming SQL interface specified by Microsoft for database
connectivity. It offers access to a variety of PC, minicomputer
and mainframe systems, plus Apple networks.
ODLI (Open Data Link Interface) A
Novell technique similar in concept to Microsoft's NDIS, it enables
PC adapter cards to support ODLI and so run multiple protocols
to access various implementations of NetWare.
ODS Microsoft's Open
Data Services: the part of Wosa supporting access from Microsoft's
SQL Server to a wide range of data sources and formats, including
information from major mainframe databases.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The
maker of equipment marketed by another vendor, usually under the
name of the reseller. The OEM may make only certain components
or complete devices, which can then be configured with software
and/or hardware by the reseller.
OLE, OLE2 (Object Linking and Embedding) A
Microsoft specification for implementing object-oriented software
developments. An improved form of DDE, it adopts a layered approach
and allows a file or program to be embedded as an object in another
file. OLE2 (the most recent version) and ODBC drivers altered
without affecting core software software applications from different
vendors to be accessed seamlessly. More and more organizations
are adopting this set-up.
ONMA (Open Network Management Architecture)
IBM's network management architecture
comprised of Entry Points, Service Points and Focal Points - implemented
as NetView.
OS/2 An operating
system devised by Microsoft and IBM for PCs based on Intel's 80286
and 80386 microprocessors. It supports multi-tasking and programs
needing more than 640kbytes of memory, as well as program to program
communications. It is a building block on which to base distributed
processing. OS/2.2 is the current version. OS/2 EE (Extended Edition)
- IBM's extended version of the original OS/2 with enhanced communications
facilities.
OSF (Open Software Foundation) A
consortium of hardware manufacturers aimed at setting common standards
for open systems, including operating systems and networks. The
OSF has defined the Distributed Computing Environment.
OSI Basic Reference Model (Open Systems Interconnection
Reference Model) An architectural model
describing how communications can be achieved between different
vendors' systems. It is a logical structure for network operations
standardized within ISO and containing seven primary layers. It
enables any OSI compliant computer or device to communicate with
other OS 1-compliant equipment. The seven Layers, starting with
the lowest are the Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session,
Presentation and Applications.
OSN (Office Systems Node) An
IBM concept describing a set of functions and services provided
to connected nodes in an IBM office system. OSN has a central
role in a Document Interchange Architecture-defined office system.
Office systems with more limited IBM function sets are termed
Source or Recipient Nodes. A typical OSN is a host computer running
software as the IBM Distributed Office Support System (Dioss),
while an SRN is typically a text-processing PC. A user at a workstation,
through the use of commands defined in DIA, can request an OSN
to supply document library, document distribution, fiber transfer
and applications processing services. DIA enables an SNA network
to build an office systems network with multiple remote locations
sharing an OSN.
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) A
dynamic routing protocol based on a shortest path first algorithm,
better suited to larger networks than RIP.
Out-of-Band signaling An
extra signal transmitted alongside the information signal to monitor
and control the transmission. It uses a separate channel of the
LAN and allows network management devices to access LAN devices
even when the LAN itself is not functioning, so providing an additional
layer of resilience.
