N

name space
A set of OS rules that define the allowable length and format of a file name is referred to as the name space.

named pipes
Named pipes is a NOS service that establishes a guaranteed virtual communication connection between processes on different computers on the network. After a named pipe connection has been created, it remains available until one of the nodes closes it. Therefore, the time to establish the connection is spent only once for each session of multiple data transfers. See mail slots.

nanometer (nm)
A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, or 10 ^-9. See wavelength.

NetWare Core Protocol (NCP)
Unit 4: NCP is the proprietary protocol used by the NetWare OS to transmit information between clients and servers. NCP messages are transmitted by means of IPX.
Unit 7: The coding information used to request a service or process from a NetWare server is referred to as NCP. The server fulfills the request and responds with an NCP Reply.

NetWare Loadable Module (NLM)
NLMs are modular software components that expand the services provided by a NetWare kernel. They are loaded and unloaded on a server as necessary to free up memory and processor resources. NLMs also allow third-party vendors to develop products that run on NetWare.

Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS)
NetBIOS is a software system developed by Sytek and IBM that has become the de facto standard for application interface to LANs. It operates at the Session Layer of the OSI protocol stack. Applications can call NetBIOS routines to carry out functions such as data transfer across a LAN.

Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS)
Unit 6 and 8: The NDIS standard was developed by Microsoft and 3Com to provide a common interface between NIC drivers and networking protocols. The functionality of NDIS is comparable to ODI.
Unit 4: NDIS is a Microsoft-developed specification that enables multiple protocol support for a NIC.

Network File System (NFS)
An NFS is a file management system commonly used in UNIX-based computer systems.

network interface card (NIC)
A NIC is an expansion board that is inserted into a computer so the computer can be connected to a network. Most NICs are designed for a particular type of network, protocol, and media, although some can serve multiple networks.

Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP)
Part of the TCP/IP Application Layer, NNTP is the protocol that supports USENET newsgroups.

network operating system (NOS)
NOS is the software that manages server operations and provides services to clients. The NOS manages the interface between the network's underlying transport capabilities and the applications resident on the server.

noise
Noise is any condition, such as electrical interference, that destroys signal integrity. Noise can be caused by many electromagnetic sources, such as radio transmissions, electrical cables, electric motors, lighting dimmers, or bad cable connections.

Novell Directory Services (NDS)
NDS is a hierarchical database of information about users and network resources. NDS manages all network components through a single interface. NDS version 8 is available on other NOS platforms such as Microsoft, Sun Solaris, UNIX, and IBM.

NT File System (NTFS)
NTFS is one of the basic services of the Windows NT OS. NTFS is highly recoverable and secure because it is a transaction-based file system that logs all directory and file updates. In case of a system failure or power loss, the NTFS-logged information allows undo/redo operations to recover lost data.