Windows Glossary “Windows Dictionary” (N)

name
The identifier of your computer on the network.

name resolution
The process of having software translate between names that are easy for users to work with and numerical IP addresses, which are difficult for users but necessary for TCP/IP communications. Name resolution can be provided by software components such as DNS or WINS.

name server (NS) resource record
A resource record used in a zone to designate the DNS domain names for authoritative DNS servers for the zone.

named pipe
A portion of memory that can be used by one process to pass information to another process, so that the output of one is the input of the other. The second process can be local (on the same computer as the first) or remote (on a networked computer).

namespace
A set of unique names for resources or items used in a shared computing environment.

For Microsoft Management Console (MMC), the namespace is represented by the console tree, which displays all of the snap-ins and resources that are accessible to a console.

For Domain Name System (DNS), namespace is the vertical or hierarchical structure of the domain name tree. For example, each domain label, such as host1 or example, used in a fully qualified domain name, such as host1.example.microsoft.com, indicates a branch in the domain namespace tree.

native mode
The condition in which all domain controllers in the domain have been upgraded to Windows 2000 and an administrator has enabled native mode operation (through Active Directory Users and Computers).

NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI)
A network protocol native to Microsoft Networking. It is usually used in small, department-size local area networks (LANs) of 1 to 200 clients. It can use Token Ring source routing as its only method of routing. It is the Microsoft implementation of the NetBIOS standard.

NetWare Core Protocol (NCP)
The file-sharing protocol that governs communications about resource (such as disk and printer), bindery, and NDS operations between server and client computers on a Novell NetWare network. Requests from client computers are transmitted by the IPX protocol. Servers respond according to NCP guidelines.

network
A group of computers and other devices, such as printers and scanners, connected by a communications link, enabling all the devices to interact with each other. Networks can be small or large, permanently connected through wires or cables, or temporarily connected through phone lines or wireless transmissions. The largest network is the Internet, which is a worldwide group of networks.

network adapter
A device that connects your computer to a network. This device is sometimes called an adapter card or network interface card.

network administrator
A person responsible for planning, configuring, and managing the day-to-day operation of the network. Network administrator is also called a system administrator.

network basic input/output system (NetBIOS)
An application programming interface (API) that can be used by programs on a local area network (LAN). NetBIOS provides programs with a uniform set of commands for requesting the lower-level services required to manage names, conduct sessions, and send datagrams between nodes on a network.

network card driver
A device driver that works directly with the network card, acting as an intermediary between the card and the protocol driver. With AppleTalk network integration, the AppleTalk Protocol stack on the server is implemented as a protocol driver and is bound to one or more network card drivers.

Network Connections
A component you can use to gain access to network resources and functionality, whether you are physically at the network location or in a remote location. By using the Network Connections folder you can create, configure, store, and monitor connections.

Network DDE service
A service that provides network transport and security for DDE conversations.

network media
The type of physical wiring and lower-layer protocols used for transmitting and receiving packets; for example, Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring.

Network Name resource
The name of a device that exists on a network and is supported as a cluster resource by a Resource DLL provided with Windows.

Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
A member of the TCP/IP suite of protocols used to distribute network news messages to NNTP servers and clients (newsreaders) on the Internet. NNTP is designed so that news articles are stored on a server in a central database, thus enabling a user to select specific items to read.

network number
In the Macintosh environment, the routing address or range of addresses assigned to the physical network that AppleTalk Phase 2 routers use to direct information to the appropriate network. Network number is also called network range and cable range.

network partition
A state in which one or more of the nodes in a cluster cannot communicate with the other cluster nodes.

network place
A folder on a Web server. You can view files and folders on Web servers just as you would view files and folders on network servers. However, when you save a file to a network place, the file is saved on a Web server, not on your computer's hard disk. You can create network places by using the Add Network Place Wizard, which is located in My Network Places. Network places are available only on Web servers that support Web Extender Client (WEC), FrontPage extensions, and Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV) protocols.

non-Plug and Play
A device, such as a printer, modem, or game controller, that requires manual configuration of hardware settings before it can be used. Non-Plug and Play devices are becoming increasingly rare as manufacturers stop producing them in favor of Plug and Play devices. Non-Plug and Play typically applies to older pieces of equipment.

nonauthoritative restore
A restore of a backup copy of a Windows domain controller in which the objects in the restored directory are not treated as authoritative. The restored objects are updated with changes held in other replicas of the restored domain.

noncontainer object
An object that cannot logically contain other objects. For example, a file is a noncontainer object.

nonhubbed mode
A mode in which the ATM ARP/MARS does not forward multicast and broadcast traffic for multicast group clients. In this mode, the service returns a dynamic listing of ATM hosts currently registered for the multicast group address to requesting clients. Clients then use this list to initiate and establish their own point-to-multipoint virtual connections with each of the members in the multicast list.


nonpaged memory
Memory that cannot be paged to disk. Paging is the moving of infrequently used parts of a program's working memory from RAM to another storage medium, usually the hard disk.

nonpaged pool
Operating system memory that is never paged to disk. Paging is the moving of infrequently used parts of a program's working memory from RAM to another storage medium, usually the hard disk. In Task Manager, the amount of memory used by a process, in kilobytes.

normal backup
A backup that copies all selected files and marks each file as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared). With normal backups, you need only the most recent copy of the backup file or tape to restore all of the files. You usually perform a normal backup the first time you create a backup set.

notification area
The area on the taskbar to the right of the taskbar buttons. The notification area displays the time and can also contain shortcuts that provide quick access to programs, such as Volume Control and Power Options. Other shortcuts can appear temporarily, providing information about the status of activities. For example, the printer shortcut icon appears after a document has been sent to the printer and disappears when printing is complete.

notify list
A list maintained by the primary master for a zone of other DNS servers that should be notified when zone changes occur. The notify list is made up of IP addresses for DNS servers configured as secondary masters for the zone. When the listed servers are notified of a change to the zone, they will initiate a zone transfer with another DNS server and update the zone.

Novell Directory Services (NDS)
On networks running Novell NetWare 4.0, a distributed database that maintains information about every resource on the network and provides access to these resources.

Nslookup
A command-line tool used to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure.

NTDS-DSA object
An object that represents the configuration of the Active Directory service running on a specific domain controller. For example, the NTDS-DSA object holds the setting that determines whether or not the Active Directory service provides global catalog services. NTDS-DSA objects are created and deleted in the course of running the Active Directory Installation Wizard (dcpromo.exe).

An NTDS-DSA object is stored in the Configuration directory partition and is always a child of the Server object representing the domain controller where this particular Active Directory service is running. For example, if the distinguished name of an NTDS-DSA object is:
CN=NTDS Settings,CN=RESKIT1,CN=Servers,
CN=Washington,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=reskit,DC=com

then the distinguished name of the corresponding Server object is:

CN=RESKIT1,CN=Servers,CN=Washington,CN=Sites,
CN=Configuration,DC=reskit,DC=com

NTFS file system
An advanced file system that provides performance, security, reliability, and advanced features that are not found in any version of FAT. For example, NTFS guarantees volume consistency by using standard transaction logging and recovery techniques. If a system fails, NTFS uses its log file and checkpoint information to restore the consistency of the file system. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, NTFS also provides advanced features such as file and folder permissions, encryption, disk quotas, and compression.

NTLM
A security package that provides authentication between clients and servers.

NTLM authentication protocol
A challenge/response authentication protocol. The NTLM authentication protocol was the default for network authentication in Windows NT version 4.0 and earlier. The protocol continues to be supported in Windows 2000 but no longer is the default.

null modem cable
Special cabling that eliminates the modem's need for asynchronous communications between two computers over short distances. A null modem cable emulates modem communication.
See also: modem (modulator/demodulator)

NWLink
An implementation of the Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX), Sequenced Packet Exchange (SPX), and NetBIOS protocols used in Novell networks. NWLink is a standard network protocol that supports routing and can support NetWare client-server applications, where NetWare-aware Sockets-based applications communicate with IPX/SPX Sockets-based applications.