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L2F Protocol
Layer 2 Forwarding Protocol. Protocol that supports the creation of secure virtual
private dial-up networks over the Internet.
L2TP session
Communications transactions between the LAC and the LNS that support tunneling
of a single PPP connection. There is a one-to-one relationship among the PPP
connection, L2TP session, and L2TP call.
LAA
Longest Available Agent. The agent that has been continuously in the Available state
for the longest time. The ICM can examine services or skill groups from different
peripherals and route a call to the service or group with the longest available agent.
(This feature is not supported on Rockwell ACDs.)
label
A short fixed-length label that tells switching nodes how the data (packets or cells)
should be forwarded.
label controlled switch
The label switch controller and the controlled ATM switch that it controls, viewed
together as a unit.
label imposition
The act of putting the first label on a packet.
label swapping
Routing algorithm used by APPN in which each router that a message passes through
on its way to its destination independently determines the best path to the next router.
label switch
A node that forwards units of data (packets or cells) on the basis of labels.
LAC
L2TP access concentrator. A node that acts as one side of an L2TP tunnel endpoint
and is a peer to the L2TP network server (LNS). The LAC sits between an LNS and
a remote system and forwards packets to and from each. Packets sent from the LAC
to the LNS require tunneling with the L2TP protocol as defined in this document. The
connection from the LAC to the remote system is either local or a PPP link.
laddr
local address. Address of a host on a protected interface.
lambda
The 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. Lambda is used as the symbol for wavelength
in lightwave systems.

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LAN
local-area network. High-speed, low-error data network covering a relatively small
geographic area (up to a few thousand meters). LANs connect workstations,
peripherals, terminals, and other devices in a single building or other geographically
limited area. LAN standards specify cabling and signaling at the physical and data
link layers of the OSI model. Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring are widely used LAN
technologies. Compare with MAN and WAN.
LAN emulation
See LANE.
LAN Emulation Client
See LEC.
LAN Emulation Configuration Server
See LECS.
LAN Emulation Server
See LES.
LAN Manager
Distributed NOS, developed by Microsoft, that supports a variety of protocols and
platforms. See also NOS.
LAN Manager for UNIX
See LM/X.
LAN Network Manager
See LNM.
LAN Server
Server-based NOS developed by IBM and derived from LNM. See also LNM.
LAN switch
High-speed switch that forwards packets between data-link segments. Most LAN
switches forward traffic based on MAC addresses. This variety of LAN switch is
sometimes called a frame switch. LAN switches often are categorized according to
the method they use to forward traffic: cut-through packet switching or
store-and-forward packet switching. Multilayer switches are an intelligent subset of
LAN switches. Compare with multilayer switch. See also cut-through packet
switching and store and forward packet switching.
LANE
LAN emulation. Technology that allows an ATM network to function as a LAN
backbone. The ATM network must provide multicast and broadcast support, address
mapping (MAC-to-ATM), SVC management, and a usable packet format. LANE also
defines Ethernet and Token Ring ELANs. See also ELAN.
LANE UNI
LANE User-Network Interface.
LAPB
Link Access Procedure, Balanced. Data link layer protocol in the X.25 protocol stack.
LAPB is a bit-oriented protocol derived from HDLC. See also HDLC and X.25.
LAPD
Link Access Procedure on the D channel. ISDN data link layer protocol for the
D channel. LAPD was derived from the LAPB protocol and is designed primarily to
satisfy the signaling requirements of ISDN basic access. Defined by ITU-T
Recommendations Q.920 and Q.921.

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LAPM
Link Access Procedure for Modems. ARQ used by modems implementing the V.42
protocol for error correction. See also ARQ and V.42.
laser
light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Analog transmission device
in which a suitable active material is excited by an external stimulus to produce a
narrow beam of coherent light that can be modulated into pulses to carry data.
Networks based on laser technology are sometimes run over SONET.
LAT
local-area transport. A network virtual terminal protocol developed by Digital
Equipment Corporation.
LATA
local access and transport area. Geographic telephone dialing area serviced by a
single local telephone company. Calls within LATAs are called local calls. There are
more than 100 LATAs in the United States.
latency
1. Delay between the time a device requests access to a network and the time it is
granted permission to transmit.
2. Delay between the time a device receives a frame and the time that frame is
forwarded out the destination port.
Layer 2 Tunnel Protocol (L2TP)
An Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards track protocol defined in RFC
2661 that provides tunneling of PPP. Based upon the best features of L2F and PPTP,
L2TP provides an industry-wide interoperable method of implementing VPDN.
Layer 3 Switching
Emerging Layer 3 switching technology that integrates routing with switching to
yield very high routing throughput rates in the millions-of-packets- per-second range.
The movement to Layer 3 switching is designed to address the downsides of the
current generation of Layer 2 switches, which functionally are equivalent to bridges.
These downsides for a large, flat network include being subject to broadcast storms,
spanning tree loops, and address limitations.
LBR
label bit rate. Service category defined by this document for label VC traffic. Link
and per-VC bandwidth sharing can be controlled by relative bandwidth configuration
at the edge and each switch along a label VC. No ATM traffic-related parameters are
specified.
LC-ATM interface
label-controlled ATM interface. An MPLS interface in which labels are carried in the
VPI or VCI fields of the ATM cells and in which VC connections are established
under the control of MPLS software.
LCD
liquid crystal display. An alphanumeric display on computers and fax devices using
liquid crystal sealed between two pieces of glass.
LCI
logical channel identifier. See also VCN.
LCN
logical channel number. See alsoVCN.

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LCP
link control protocol. Protocol that establishes, configures, and tests data-link
connections for use by PPP. See also PPP.
LCV
line code violation. Occurrence of a BPV or EXZ error event.
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. Protocol that provides access for
management and browser applications that provide read/write interactive access to
the X.500 Directory.
LDCELP
low-delay CELP. CELP voice compression algorithm providing 16 kbps, or 4:1
compression. Standardized in ITU-T Recommendation G.728.
LDIF
LDAP Data Interchange Format. An LDAP server interchange format in which each
record’s field value is on a separate line and records are separated by an empty line.
LDP
label distribution protocol. A standard protocol between MPLS-enabled routers to
negotiate the labels (addresses) used to forward packets. This protocol is not
supported in Cisco IOS Release 12.0. The Cisco proprietary version of this protocol
is the Tag Distribution Protocol (TDP).
LE_ARP
LAN Emulation Address Resolution Protocol. Protocol that provides the ATM
address that corresponds to a MAC address.
leaf internetwork
In a star topology, an internetwork whose sole access to other internetworks in the
star is through a core router.
leaky bucket
In ATM, a metaphor for the GCRA, which is used for conformance checking of cell
flows from a user or a network. The hole in the bucket represents the sustained rate
at which cells can be accommodated, and the bucket depth represents the tolerance
for cell bursts over a period of time. See also GCRA.
learning bridge
Bridge that performs MAC address learning to reduce traffic on the network.
Learning bridges manage a database of MAC addresses and the interfaces associated
with each address. See also MAC address learning.
leased line
Transmission line reserved by a communications carrier for the private use of a
customer. A leased line is a type of dedicated line. See also dedicated line.
LEC
1. local exchange carrier. A telephone company that provides customer access to the
world-wide public switched network through one of its central offices.
2. LAN Emulation Client. Entity in an end system that performs data forwarding,
address resolution, and other control functions for a single ES within a single ELAN.
An LEC also provides a standard LAN service interface to any higher-layer entity that
interfaces to the LEC. Each LEC is identified by a unique ATM address, and is
associated with one or more MAC addresses reachable through that ATM address.
See also ELAN and LES.

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LECS
LAN Emulation Configuration Server. Entity that assigns individual LANE clients to
particular ELANs by directing them to the LES that corresponds to the ELAN. There
is logically one LECS per administrative domain, and this serves all ELANs within
that domain. See also ELAN.
LED
light emitting diode. Semiconductor device that emits light produced by converting
electrical energy. Status lights on hardware devices are typically LEDs.
LEN node
low-entry networking node. In SNA, a PU 2.1 that supports LU protocols, but whose
CP cannot communicate with other nodes. Because there is no CP-to-CP session
between a LEN node and its NN, the LEN node must have a statically defined image
of the APPN network.
LES
LAN Emulation Server. Entity that implements the control function for a particular
ELAN. There is only one logical LES per ELAN, and it is identified by a unique ATM
address. See also ELAN.
Level 1 router
Device that routes traffic within a single DECnet or OSI area.
Level 2 router
Device that routes traffic between DECnet or OSI areas. All Level 2 routers must
form a contiguous network.
LFI
low-speed link features.
LFIB
label forwarding information base. A data structure and way of managing forwarding
in which destinations and incoming labels are associated with outgoing interfaces and
labels.
LFSR
linear feedback shift register. Mechanism for generating a sequence of binary bits.
The register consists of a series of cells that are set by an initialization vector that is,
most often, the secret key. The behavior of the register is regulated by a clock. At each
clocking instant, the contents of the cells of the register are shifted right by one
position, and the exclusive-or of a subset of the cell contents is placed in the leftmost
cell. One bit of output usually is derived during this update procedure.
LGN
logical group node. The node that represents its peer group in the peer group’s parent
peer group. See also parent peer group and peer group.
license
Purchased right to transmit RF waves over a given BTA for typically periods of 10
years. The license tightly governs the design parameters of an RF system and its use.
RF licenses typically are purchased from the FCC on an auction basis.
The FCC provides licenses to ensure maximum competition in a free market
(although this is not always obvious in the way the FCC manages the auctions) and
spectral efficiency, which is another way of stating efficient use of the RF spectrum.
light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
See laser.

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light emitting diode

See LED.
limited resource link
Resource defined by a device operator to remain active only when being used.
limited-route explorer packet
See spanning explorer packet.
line
1. In SNA, a connection to the network.
2. See link.
line card
Any I/O card that can be inserted in a modular chassis.
line code type
One of a number of coding schemes used on serial lines to maintain data integrity and
reliability. The line code type used is determined by the carrier service provider. See
also AMI, B8ZS, and HDB3.
line code violation
See LCV.
line conditioning
Use of equipment on leased voice-grade channels to improve analog characteristics,
thereby allowing higher transmission rates.
line driver
Inexpensive amplifier and signal converter that conditions digital signals to ensure
reliable transmissions over extended distances.
line of sight
Characteristic of certain transmission systems, such as laser, microwave, and infrared
systems, in which no obstructions in a direct path between transmitter and receiver
can exist.
line printer daemon
See LPD.
line turnaround
Time required to change data transmission direction on a telephone line.
line-terminating equipment
See LTE.
link
1. Network communications channel consisting of a circuit or transmission path and
all related equipment between a sender and a receiver. Most often used to refer to a
WAN connection. Sometimes referred to as a line or a transmission link.
2. In the context of a transmission network, a link is a point-to-point connection
between adjacent nodes, such as two Cisco ONS 15900s. There can be more than one
link between adjacent nodes.
link layer
See data-link layer.

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link-by-link encryption
Stepwise protection of data that flows between two points in a network, provided by
encrypting data separately on each network link, that is, by encrypting data when it
leaves a host or subnetwork relay and decrypting when it arrives at the next host or
relay. Each link can use a different key or even a different algorithm.
link-layer address
See MAC address.
link-state advertisement
See LSA.
link-state packet
See LSA.
link-state routing algorithm
Routing algorithm in which each router broadcasts or multicasts information
regarding the cost of reaching each of its neighbors to all nodes in the internetwork.
Link state algorithms create a consistent view of the network and therefore are not
prone to routing loops; however, they achieve this at the cost of relatively greater
computational difficulty and more widespread traffic (compared with distance vector
routing algorithms). Compare with distance vector routing algorithm. See also
Dijkstra’s algorithm.
LIS
logical IP subnet. A group of IP nodes (such as hosts and routers) that connects to a
single ATM network and belongs to the same IP subnet.
listserv
Automated mailing list distribution system originally designed for the Bitnet/EARN
network. Allows users to add or delete themselves from mailing lists without (other)
human intervention.
little-endian
Method of storing or transmitting data in which the least significant bit or byte is
presented first. Compare with big-endian.
LLAP
LocalTalk Link Access Protocol. Link-level protocol that manages node-to-node
delivery of data on a LocalTalk network. LLAP manages bus access, provides a
node-addressing mechanism, and controls data transmission and reception, ensuring
packet length and integrity. See also LocalTalk.
LLC
Logical Link Control. The higher of the two data link layer sublayers defined by the
IEEE. The LLC sublayer handles error control, flow control, framing, and
MAC-sublayer addressing. The most prevalent LLC protocol is IEEE 802.2, which
includes both connectionless and connection-oriented variants. See also data-link
layer and MAC.
LLC2
Logical Link Control, type 2. Connection-oriented OSI LLC-sublayer protocol. See
also LLC.
LM/X
LAN Manager for UNIX. Monitors LAN devices in UNIX environments.

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LMDS
Local Multipoint Distribution Service; a relatively low power license for
broadcasting voice, video, and data. There are typically two licenses granted in three
frequencies, each to separate entities within a BTA. These licenses are known as
Block A or Block B licenses. Block A licenses operate from 27.5 to 28.35 GHz, 29.10
to 29.25 GHz, and 31.075 to 31.225 GHz for a total of 1.159 MHz of bandwidth.
Block B licenses operate from 31.00 to 31.075 GHz and 31.225 to 31.300 for a total
of 150 MHz of bandwidth. LMDS systems have a typical maximum transmission
range of approximately 3 miles as opposed to the transmission range of an MMDS
system, which is typically 25 miles. This difference in range is primarily a function
of physics and FCC allocated output power rates.
LMI
Local Management Interface. Set of enhancements to the basic Frame Relay
specification. LMI includes support for a keepalive mechanism, which verifies that
data is flowing; a multicast mechanism, which provides the network server with its
local DLCI and the multicast DLCI; global addressing, which gives DLCIs global
rather than local significance in Frame Relay networks; and a status mechanism,
which provides an on-going status report on the DLCIs known to the switch. Known
as LMT in ANSI terminology.
LMT
See LMT in the “Cisco Systems Terms and Acronyms” section.
LNM
LAN Network Manager. SRB and Token Ring management package provided by
IBM. Typically running on a PC, it monitors SRB and Token Ring devices, and can
pass alerts up to NetView.
LNNI
LAN Emulation Network-to-Network Interface. Supports communication between
the server components within a single ELAN. Phase 1 LANE protocols do not allow
for the standard support of multiple LESs or BUSs within an ELAN. Phase 2
addresses these limitations.
LNS
L2TP network server. A node that acts as one side of an L2TP tunnel endpoint and is
a peer to the L2TP access concentrator (LAC). The LNS is the logical termination
point of a PPP session that is being tunneled from the remote system by the LAC.
Analogous to the Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F) home gateway (HGW).
load balancing
In routing, the capability of a router to distribute traffic over all its network ports that
are the same distance from the destination address. Good load-balancing algorithms
use both line speed and reliability information. Load balancing increases the use of
network segments, thus increasing effective network bandwidth.
local access and transport area
See LATA.
local acknowledgment
Method whereby an intermediate network node, such as a router, responds to
acknowledgments for a remote end host. Use of local acknowledgments reduces
network overhead and, therefore, the risk of time-outs. Also known as local
termination.
local address
See laddr.

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local adjacency
See local adjacency in the “Cisco Systems Terms and Acronyms” section.
local area network
See LAN.
local bridge
Bridge that directly interconnects networks in the same geographic area.
local exchange carrier
See LEC.
local explorer packet
Packet generated by an end system in an SRB network to find a host connected to the
local ring. If the local explorer packet fails to find a local host, the end system
produces either a spanning explorer packet or an all-routes explorer packet. See also
all-routes explorer packet, explorer packet, and spanning explorer packet.
local loop
Line from the premises of a telephone subscriber to the telephone company CO.
Local Management Interface
See LMDS.
local termination
See local acknowledgment.
local traffic filtering
Process by which a bridge filters out (drops) frames whose source and destination
MAC addresses are located on the same interface on the bridge, thus preventing
unnecessary traffic from being forwarded across the bridge. Defined in the
IEEE 802.1 standard. See also IEEE 802.1.
LocalTalk
Apple Computer’s proprietary baseband protocol that operates at the data link and
physical layers of the OSI reference model. LocalTalk uses CSMA/CD and supports
transmissions at speeds of 230.4 kbps.
LocalTalk Link Access Protocol
See LLAP.
location server
A SIP redirect or proxy server uses a location service to get information about the
location of a caller. Location services are offered by location servers.
LOCD
loss of cell delineation. A SONET port status indicator that activates when an LOCD
defect occurs and does not clear for an interval of time equal to the alarm integration
period, which is typically 2.5 seconds.
Lock-and-key
Lock-and-key is a traffic filtering security feature that dynamically filters IP protocol
traffic.
LOF
loss of frame. LOF is a generic term with various meanings depending on the signal
standards domain in which it’s being used.

A SONET port status indicator that activates when an LOF defect occurs and does not
clear for an interval of time equal to the alarm integration period, which is typically
2.5 seconds.

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logic bomb
Malicious logic that activates when specified conditions are met. Usually intended to
cause denial of service or otherwise damage system resources.
logical address
See network address.
logical channel
Nondedicated, packet-switched communications path between two or more network
nodes. Packet switching allows many logical channels to exist simultaneously on a
single physical channel.
loop
Route where packets never reach their destination, but simply cycle repeatedly
through a constant series of network nodes.
loop start
A method of signaling where a DC closure is applied to a phone line (loop), and the
start of DC current flow indicates a change from on-hook to off-hook.
loopback test
Test in which signals are sent and then directed back toward their source from some
point along the communications path. Loopback tests often are used to test network
interface usability.
loop-start trunk
A two-wire central-office trunk or dial-tone line that recognizes offhook status when
a telephone switch hook puts a 1000-ohm short across the tip and ring as the handset
is lifted. Also called POTS line and plain-service line.
LOP
loss of pointer. Failure state in the SONET signal where a receiving network cannot
identify/lock on the pointer value of the H1 and H2 bytes to show the location of SPE.
LOS
1. loss of signal. A loss of signal occurs when n consecutive zeros is detected on an
incoming signal.
2. line of sight. Refers to the fact that there must be a clear, unobstructed path between
the transmitters and receivers. This is essential for our LMDS products and enhances
general performance in every RF deployment as opposed to partial or completely
obstructed data paths. The opposite to LOS is NLOS, or Non Line of Sight.
loss of frame
See LOF.
loss of pointer
See LOP.
loss of signal
See LOS.
lossy
Characteristic of a network that is prone to lose packets when it becomes highly
loaded.
low-entry networking node
See LEN node.
LPD
line printer daemon. Protocol used to send print jobs between UNIX systems.

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LR
long reach. The distance specification for optical systems that operate effectively
from 20 to 100 km (12.5 to 62 mi).
LSA
link-state advertisement. Broadcast packet used by link-state protocols that contains
information about neighbors and path costs. LSAs are used by the receiving routers
to maintain their routing tables. Sometimes called an LSP.
LSB
least significant bit. Bit zero, the bit of a binary number giving the number of ones,
the last or rightmost bit when the number is written in the usual way.
LSC
1. label switch controller. Controller that creates cross-connects in an ATM switch so
that labeled packets are forwarded through the switch, formerly referred to as Tag
Switch Controller (TSC).
2. link state control. SS7 MTP 2 function that provides the overall coordination of a
session.
LSP
link-state packet. See also LSA.
LSP tunnel
label switched path tunnel. A configured connection between two routers that uses
MPLS to carry the packets.
LSR
label switch router. The role of an LSR is to forward packets in an MPLS network by
looking only at the fixed-length label.
LSSU
link status signal unit. SS7 message that carries one or two octets (8-bit bytes) of link
status information between signalling points at either end of a link. It is used to
control link alignment and to provide the status of a signalling point (such as a local
processor outage) to the remote signalling point.
LTE
line-terminating equipment. Network elements that originate and/or terminate line
(OC-n) signals. LTEs originate, access, modify, and/or terminate the transport
overhead.
LU
logical unit. Primary component of SNA, an NAU that enables end users to
communicate with each other and to gain access to SNA network resources.
LU 6.2
logical unit 6.2. In SNA, an LU that provides peer-to-peer communication between
programs in a distributed computing environment. APPC runs on LU 6.2 devices. See
also APPC.
LUNI
LAN Emulation User-to-Network Interface. The ATM Forum standard for LAN
emulation on ATM networks. Defines the interface between the LEC and the LAN
Emulation Server components. See also BUS, LES, and LECS.

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LVC
label switched controlled virtual circuit. A virtual circuit (VC) established under the
control of MPLS. An LVC is neither a PVC nor an SVC. The LVC must traverse only
a single hop in a label-switched path (LSP) but the LVC can traverse several ATM
hops only if the LVC exists within a VP tunnel.

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