Glossary
IT field services terms, explained.
41 plain definitions of the words you meet when you send engineers to sites you cannot visit, with how each one is used in practice.
A
- Asset tagging(Asset labeling, Asset tags, Equipment tagging)
- Asset tagging is attaching a unique identifier, such as a barcode or QR label, to each piece of IT equipment and recording it in an asset register so the item can be tracked, audited and retired.
B
- Break-fix(break/fix, break and fix, hardware break-fix)
- Break-fix is a support model in which IT equipment is repaired or replaced after it fails, with each incident handled and billed as it occurs rather than under an ongoing monitoring or maintenance arrangement.
C
- Cabinet and U space (rack unit)(rack unit, U, 1U, 2U, 42U, rack space, server rack)
- A rack unit, written U, is a vertical measure of 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) used for equipment in 19 inch racks and cabinets, so a 42U cabinet offers 42 units of mounting height.
- Cable management(Rack cabling, Cable dressing)
- Cable management is the planned routing, securing, labeling and documenting of power and data cables in racks, cabinets and rooms, so equipment stays accessible, airflow is clear and each cable can be traced.
- Cabling certification testing(Cable certification, Cabling certification, Cable testing)
- Cabling certification testing is the measurement of installed copper or fiber links with a calibrated field tester against a named standard, such as TIA or ISO/IEC, producing recorded pass or fail results for each link.
- Cage(Colocation cage, Data center cage)
- A cage is a fenced and lockable area on a colocation data center floor that holds one customer's racks and equipment, separated from other tenants by wire mesh or panel walls.
- Cat6A(Category 6A, Cat 6A, Augmented Category 6)
- Cat6A, or augmented Category 6, is twisted pair copper cabling specified up to 500 MHz that supports 10GBASE-T Ethernet over the full 100 meter distance, with better crosstalk performance than Cat6.
- Change window(Maintenance window, Change freeze window)
- A change window, also called a maintenance window, is an agreed period during which planned changes to IT systems or sites may be made, chosen to limit the impact of any disruption on users.
- Closeout report(Completion report, Job completion report, Project closeout)
- A closeout report is the document delivered at the end of a job that records what work was done, the results, the changes made to equipment and documentation, and any items that remain open for sign-off.
- Colocation(colo, colocation data center)
- Colocation is an arrangement in which a company places its own servers and network equipment in a third-party data center and rents the space, power, cooling and connectivity rather than building its own facility.
- Cross-connect(cross connect, XC, xconnect)
- A cross-connect is a direct physical cable link between two parties, or two points, inside the same data center, used to connect networks, carriers or customer equipment without traveling over the public internet.
D
- Data center decommissioning(DC decommissioning, Server decommissioning)
- Data center decommissioning is the planned and documented process of taking IT equipment out of service, disconnecting power and cabling, sanitizing or destroying data, removing the hardware and updating asset records.
- DCIM (data center infrastructure management)(DCIM, data center infrastructure management, DCIM software)
- DCIM, or data center infrastructure management, is software and practice that combines information about IT equipment and facility systems, such as power and cooling, so operators can monitor, plan and manage a data center.
- Demarcation point(Demarc, Demarcation)
- A demarcation point, or demarc, is the physical point where a service provider's network ends and the customer's own wiring and equipment begin, and it marks who is responsible for faults on each side.
- Dispatch(Field dispatch, Engineer dispatch, Field service dispatch)
- Dispatch is the process of receiving a service request, choosing a suitable engineer, sending them with the right tools and parts to the site, and tracking the visit until the ticket is closed.
E
- Ekahau(Ekahau AI Pro, Ekahau Sidekick)
- Ekahau is a vendor of WiFi planning, site survey and troubleshooting tools, including the AI Pro design software and the Sidekick measurement device, widely used by network engineers to design and verify wireless networks.
- EOL and EOSL(EOL, EOSL, End of life, End of service life)
- EOL (end of life) is when a vendor stops selling a product, and EOSL (end of service life) is when the vendor stops providing support, patches or repairs for it, though vendors define both dates differently.
H
- Heat map (WiFi heat map)(heatmap, WiFi heatmap, wireless heat map, coverage map)
- A WiFi heat map is a color-coded floor plan that shows how a wireless measure, such as signal strength, interference or data rate, varies across a building, either from survey measurements or from a predictive model.
I
- IMAC (install, move, add, change)(IMAC, install move add change, MAC, IMACD)
- IMAC stands for install, move, add and change, the routine hands-on IT work of deploying new equipment, relocating it, expanding it and modifying existing setups, usually delivered as a series of small, scheduled tasks.
- IMACD(IMAC with disposal, IMAC-D, Install, move, add, change, dispose)
- IMACD stands for install, move, add, change and dispose, an extension of IMAC that adds the safe retirement of old equipment, including data sanitization, removal and updated asset records.
M
- Method of procedure (MOP)(MOP, method of procedures, MOP document)
- A method of procedure, or MOP, is a written, step-by-step plan for carrying out a specific change or maintenance task on critical equipment, including prerequisites, checks, expected results and a back-out plan.
- MTTR (mean time to repair or recover)(MTTR, mean time to repair, mean time to recovery, mean time to restore)
- MTTR is an average time measure for fixing failures, most often read as mean time to repair or mean time to recover, with exact meaning varying by organization, so any use needs a clear definition of start and stop points.
- Multimode fiber(MMF, multi-mode fiber, multimode fibre, 50/125 fiber)
- Multimode fiber is optical fiber with a larger core, commonly 50 or 62.5 micrometers, that carries many light paths and is mainly used for short links inside buildings, campuses and data centers.
O
- OM4 multimode fiber(OM4, OM4 fiber)
- OM4 is a laser optimized 50/125 micron multimode fiber with a minimum effective modal bandwidth of 4700 MHz·km at 850 nm, used for short high speed links inside buildings and data centers.
- OS2 single-mode fiber(OS2, OS2 fiber)
- OS2 is a 9/125 micron low water peak single-mode fiber grade used for long distance links, such as between buildings, across campuses and in carrier networks, where it supports distances of many kilometers.
- Out-of-band management(OOB, OOB management, Out of band)
- Out-of-band (OOB) management is a separate, dedicated access path to servers and network equipment, such as a management port or console server, that still works when the production network or the device's operating system is down.
P
- Patch panel(patch bay, patch field, copper patch panel, fiber patch panel)
- A patch panel is a mounted panel of ports that terminates permanent cabling on one side and lets short patch cords connect those ports to network equipment on the other, so connections can be changed without re-terminating cable.
- PDU(Power distribution unit, Rack PDU)
- A PDU (power distribution unit) is a device with multiple outlets that distributes electrical power from a single feed to servers and network equipment, most often as a strip mounted in a rack or cabinet.
- Predictive survey(predictive site survey, predictive WiFi design, predictive design, WiFi design)
- A predictive survey is a software-based WiFi design made from floor plans and building details, which models coverage and capacity and proposes access point placement before any equipment is installed.
R
- Rack and stack(rack & stack, racking and stacking, rack and cable)
- Rack and stack is the physical installation of servers, switches and other equipment into racks or cabinets, including mounting rails, power and network cabling, and labeling, before the equipment is configured.
- Remote hands(RH, remote hands support, remote hands services)
- Remote hands is an on-site service where a technician at a data center or remote site performs simple, instructed physical tasks, such as power cycling, checking cables or reading a display, for a customer who is not there.
S
- Single-mode fiber(SMF, single mode fibre, singlemode fiber, 9/125 fiber)
- Single-mode fiber is optical fiber with a very small core, about 8 to 10 micrometers, that carries a single light path, which allows high bandwidth links over long distances compared with multimode fiber.
- SLA (service level agreement)(SLA, service level agreement, service level)
- An SLA, or service level agreement, is a written agreement between a service provider and a customer that defines the service to be delivered, the measures used to judge it, and what happens if targets are missed.
- Smart hands(smart hands support, smart hands services)
- Smart hands is an on-site service in which a skilled technician at a data center or remote site diagnoses problems and performs technical work, going beyond the simple instructed tasks of remote hands.
- Spare parts staging(Parts staging, Spares staging, Parts depot)
- Spare parts staging is the practice of keeping replacement hardware, such as drives, power supplies, optics and cables, at or near the site in advance so that an engineer can swap a failed part without waiting for shipping.
- Staff augmentation(IT staff augmentation, Contract IT staffing)
- Staff augmentation is a model in which an outside provider supplies skilled contract engineers who work under the customer's direction for a set period, adding capacity or skills without the customer hiring permanent staff.
- Structured cabling(structured cabling system, SCS, premises cabling, network cabling)
- Structured cabling is a standards-based system of cables, connectors, panels and pathways that supports data, voice and other services across a building or campus, organized into defined subsystems rather than point to point runs.
T
- Time and materials(T&M, T and M)
- Time and materials (T&M) is a billing model in which the customer pays for the labor hours actually worked and the parts or expenses actually used, instead of a single fixed price agreed in advance.
V
- Validation survey(Post-install WiFi survey, Post-deployment survey, WiFi validation survey)
- A validation survey is a WiFi survey done after access points are installed, measuring real signal, interference and performance on site to confirm the network meets the agreed coverage and capacity requirements.
W
- WiFi site survey(wireless site survey, Wi-Fi survey, WLAN site survey, RF survey)
- A WiFi site survey is a structured assessment of a building's radio environment, done to plan, verify or troubleshoot wireless coverage, capacity and interference, usually with specialist software and measurement tools.
- Work order(Field work order, Job order, Service order)
- A work order is the written scope for one field job: the task, site, access, timing, limits and proof of completion, agreed before an engineer is booked and used afterwards to confirm the work was done.
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