1.1 Glossary

This document uses the following terms:

answerer: The responder to a call. The network access service (NAS) is typically the answerer. The network access client (NAC) and the NAS might choose to negotiate and use callback, in which case the answerer role is reversed for the callback itself, with the NAC being the answerer.

callback: A concept in which the originator of a call is called back by the responder. In dial-up communication (like ISDN/PSTN), the originator of the dial-up hangs up after indicating the interest to be called back. The responder then calls up the originator to establish the communication.

callback number: The number that is used to perform the callback operation by the answerer.

callback type: Specifies a type of callback. It can be 1.) no callback, 2.) callback to a user-specifiable number, or 3.) callback to a predefined number chosen by the answerer (based on some policy).

caller: The originator of a call. The network access client (NAC) is typically the caller. The NAC and NAS might choose to negotiate and use callback, in which case the caller role is reversed for the callback itself, with the NAS being the caller.

directory service (DS): A service that stores and organizes information about a computer network's users and network shares, and that allows network administrators to manage users' access to the shares. See also Active Directory.

network access client (NAC): An endpoint that establishes a call session to a NAS in order to perform network access.

network access server (NAS): A computer server that provides an access service for a user who is trying to access a network. A NAS operates as a client of RADIUS. The RADIUS client is responsible for passing user information to designated RADIUS servers and then acting on the response returned by the RADIUS server. Examples of a NAS include: a VPN server, Wireless Access Point, 802.1x-enabled switch, or Network Access Protection (NAP) server.

Unicode character: Unless otherwise specified, a 16-bit UTF-16 code unit.

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.