N

 

NAK (Negative Acknowledgement): A message sent to indicate the rejection of received data.

NAP (Network Access Point) - See Peering Point .

NCP (Network Control Protocol): PPP set of control protocols handling the encapsulation of data coming from network layer protocols; e.g., IP, IPX, and AppleTalk, in the PPP frame. The IP version is called IPCP.

NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications): An organization headquartered at the University of Illinois. Researchers there created among other things, the Mosaic browser and one of the early web servers called httpd. http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu

NERC (North American Electric Reliability Council): NERC operates as a voluntary organization to promote bulk electric system reliability and security - one dependent on reciprocity, peer pressure, and the mutual self-interest of all those involved. Through this model, NERC has helped to make the North American electric system the most reliable system in the world.  In promoting electric system reliability and security, NERC:

• establishes operating policies and planning standards to ensure electric system reliability.
• reviews the reliability of existing and planned generation and transmission systems.
• critiques past electric system disturbances for lessons learned and monitors the present for compliance and conformance to its policies.
• educates others about how bulk electric systems operate.
• maintains liaisons with the federal, state, and provincial governments in the United States and Canada and electricity supply industry organizations in both countries.
• serves as the electric industry's primary point of contact with the federal government on issues relating to national security and terrorism.

.NET: is Microsoft's platform for XML Web services. XML Web services allow applications to communicate and share data over the Internet, regardless of operating system or programming language. The platform includes a comprehensive family of products, built on XML and Internet industry standards, that provide for each aspect of developing, managing, using, and experiencing XML Web services.

NetBEUI: (NetBios Extended User Interface) A network, transport, and session layer protocol.  NetBEUI was originally designed by IBM for their LAN Manager server and later extended by Microsoft and Novell. NetBEUI is the best performance and security choice for communication within a single LAN. Because, like NetBIOS, it does not support the routing of messages to other networks. See NetBIOS.

NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System): An applications programming interface (API) which activates network operations on IBM PC compatibles running under Microsoft's DOS. See NetBEUI.

Net Capability: The maximum load-carrying ability of the equipment, exclusive of station use, under specified conditions for a given time interval, independent of the characteristics of the load. (Capability is determined by design characteristics, physical conditions, adequacy of prime mover, energy supply, and operating limitations such as cooling and circulating water supply and temperature, headwater and tailwater elevations, and electrical use.)  [DOE Glossary of Electricity Terms]

Net Generation: Gross generation minus plant use from all electric utility owned plants. The energy required for pumping at a pumped-storage plant is regarded as plant use and must be deducted from the gross generation.  [DOE Glossary of Electricity Terms]

Netiquette: Short for Internet etiquette, it is almost an unwritten group of ideas of how people should interact with one another on the Internet. For example, netiquette says that you should not send spam.

Netizen: A person who is on the Internet. This term is normally reserved for those who follow good netiquette.

Netscape Communicator (Navigator): One of the most popular web browsers available. It was written in part by one of the original authors of Mosaic, Marc Andreessen who is one of the founders of Netscape Communications.

Network - The connection of two or more devices which communicate using network protocols such as NAP (Network Access Point): See Peering Point.

Network Address Translation (NAT): A NAT operates on a router connecting two networks together; one of these networks (designated as inside) is addressed with either private or obsolete addresses that need to be converted into legal addresses before packets are forwarded onto the other network (designated as outside). The translation operates in conjunction with routing, so that NAT can simply be enabled on a customer-side Internet access router when translation is desired. The goal of NAT is to provide functionality as if the private network had globally unique addresses and the NAT device was not present.

Network Layer: Layer 3 in the OSI model; the logical network entity that services the transport layer; responsible for ensuring that data passed to it from the transport layer is routed and delivered through the network. 

Network constraints - Maximum admissible and minimum necessary generation of the power in the particular node or in the particular area, or the maximum admissible transmission of power through the given network section, including that concerning the power exchange with the foreign countries, taking into account the on-going operating conditions found in the PPS

Network Disturbance - An event that trips-out from synchronous operation a part of a power system which generates or sinks the electric energy in volumes that do not exceed a certain percentage, such as 5%, of the total ongoing generation.

Network Layer - Layer 3 in the OSI model ; the logical network entity that services the transport layer; responsible for ensuring that data passed to it from the transport layer is routed and delivered through the network. 

Network Topology: The physical and logical relationship of nodes on a network (e.g., star, ring, bus etc.).

Network Worm: A program or command file that uses a computer network as a means for adversely affecting a system's integrity, reliability or availability, A network worm may attack from one system to another by establishing a network connection. It is usually a self-contained program that does not need to attach itself to a host file to infiltrate network after network.

Network: The connection of two or more devices which communicate using network protocols such as TCP/IP.

Network-Level Firewall: A firewall in which traffic is examined at the network protocol packet level.

Newbie: A new or inexperienced user of the Internet.

Newsgroup: A discussion group that communicates through a server where the messages are stored. The most common source for newsgroups is Usenet although private newsgroup servers are available and are used in an intranet setting.

Newsreader: A client application that accesses a newsgroup server and allows the user to read the articles contained therein.

NFS: Network File System is a distributed file system protocol originally developed by Sun Microsystems and defined in RFC3010. See also FTP, HTTP.

NIC (Network Interface Card): An electronic device, internal or external to a station, that contains circuitry to enable the station to be connected to a network.

NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration. NIST's mission is to develop and promote measurement, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. http://www.nist.gov

NNTP: Network News Transport Protocol is the protocol that a newsreader uses to communicate with the news server.

Node: an addressable communication device on a network.

Noncoincidental Peak Load: The sum of two or more peakloads on individual systems that do not occur in the same time interval. Meaningful only when considering loads within a limited period of time, such as a day, week, month, a heating or cooling season, and usually for not more than 1 year.  [DOE Glossary of Electricity Terms]

Non-Firm Power: Power or power-producing capacity supplied or available under a commitment having limited or no assured availability.  [DOE Glossary of Electricity Terms]

Non-Repudiation: Security service that prevents an entity involved in a data exchange from denying that it participated in the exchange.

Non-utility Power Producer: A corporation, person, agency, authority, or other legal entity or instrumentality that owns electric generating capacity and is not an electric utility. Nonutility power producers include qualifying cogenerators, qualifying small power producers, and other nonutility generators (including independent power producers) without a designated franchised service area, and which do not file forms listed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 18, Part 141.  [DOE Glossary of Electricity Terms]

Normal Network Operating Condition of the Power System - Operating conditions of the power system where the values of the system parameters remain within the admissible limits.

NSAPI: is the Netscape Server API, a mechanism for extending the functionality of the Netscape servers. Through the provided API, programmers can create loadable binary modules to add or replace elements such as authentication, authorization, error logging, or content generation. More information on the NSAPI can be found at NSAPI Programmer's Guide and as part of the DevCon proceedings. Google Directory.

Nyquist theorem: A theorem that states that the number of samples needed to adequately represent an analog signal is equal to twice the highest frequency of the original signal.