cDc-0015.txt

 
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       _   _                                                 _   _
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      [ x x ]           cDc communications, inc.            [ x x ]
       \   /                  presents...                    \   /
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        (U)                                                   (U)
                  Frankie's YELLOW PAGES ... Volume I
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             The third file from the Cow's Information Series
             (C.I.S.), FYPs is a testament to the fun-filled
             world created by those zany Bell technicians...
             Herein, the serious phreak will find a complete
             encyclopedia of Bell System terms and acronyms.

               Courtesy of High Priest and Scribe, F. Gibe

                    >> A CULT Publication .. 1987 <<
                    -cDc- CULT OF THE DEAD COW -cDc-

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    ABD      See Average Business Day
    ~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Access Arrangement
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Another name for a protective connecting arrangement. Access ar-
    rangement is normally used in reference to the interconnection
    of customer-provided data modems or automatic calling units in
    which data access arrangement (DAA) service includes the provision
    of a DAA with appropriate loop conditioning (including adjustments
    for loop loss) to meet data requirements. Got that?

    ACD          See Automatic Call Distributor
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ACH           See Attempts per Circuit per Hour
    ~~~           ...also See Abbreviation for CB Achievement Test.

    Actual Work Time (AWT)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The average time an operator requires to handle a call. This 
    corresponds to the expected value (mean value) of the holding
    time distribution used in the ol' Erlang C model. Bob the Cow
    enjoys the Erlang C model. Very much, in fact. Moo.

    Adaptive Transversal Equalizer
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A transversal filter that automatically adjusts its characteristics
    to compensate for linear distortion. Adaptive equalizers are par-
    ticularly important in data modems where their use has permitted
    voiceband data rates to be increased from about 3000 bits/per/sec
    to about 10,000 bps. This ain't no run-of-the-mill transversal
    filter, let me assure you.

    Address
    ~~~~~~~
    (1) Where fascist pig postal people deliver their letters.
    (2) A sequence of #'s that identifies the phone to which a call
        is directed. An address is usually 7 to 10 digits, depending
        on whether the destination is in- or outside the NPA where
        the call originated. Also called a Destination Code (or,
        far more technically, a p-h-o-n-e n-u-m-b-e-r).
    (3) Digital info. (a combo. of bits) that identifies a location
        in a storage device or equipment unit (ie, a computer, etc.).

    Address Signals
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Signals used to convey call destination info., such as telephone
    station codes, c.o. codes, and area codes. Some forms of address
    signals are called pulses; dial pulses, MF pulses, etc.

    Administration
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    In operating companies, dial or network administration is a number
    of related functions with the aim of ensuring the overall provision
    of service by a switching system. This includes assignment of lines
    and trunks to switching terminals, collection of traffic data,
    analysis of troubles and customer gripes, and requests for 
    additions and modifications to switching systems.

    AFT          See Analog Facility Terminal
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    
    AIC          See Automatic Intercept Center
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    AIS          See Automatic Intercept System
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Alerting (Alerting Signal)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    This is a signal sent to a customer, PBX, or switch to indicate an
    incoming call. A common form is the signal that rings a bell in
    your average telephone, usually arousing the customer from
    sleep, the shower, the climax of Pudenda-Around-the-Globe, etc.

    All-Number Calling (ANC)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The system of telephone numbering that uses all numbers and 
    replaces the 2-letter plus 5-number (2L + 5N) numbering plan.
    ANC offers more usable combo's of numbers than the old 2L+5N
    numbering plan and has just about become nationally standard.

    Alternate Routing
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A way to selectively distribute traffic over a number of routes
    which ultimately lead to the same destination. Sometimes called
    Call Detouring.

    AM
    ~~
    Amplitude Modulation; that is, when an EM wave is transmitted
    (such as radio waves), that wave is given an "identity" by
    modulating its amplitude (i.e., its 'heigth', in very rough
    terms).

    AMA          See Automatic Message Accounting
    ~~~          ...also See American Medical Association

    American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A 7-bit code for providing as many as 128 different characters. An
    eighth bit can be added as a parity check to detect data errors.

    Analog Facility Terminal (AFT)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A voice-frequency facility terminal that performs signaling and
    transmission functions and includes analog channel banks. It
    interfaces between an analog carrier system and a switching system,
    a metallic facility, a digital facility terminal, or another
    analog facility terminal.

    Analog Signal
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A signal that varies in a continuous manner, such as voice or
    music. An analog signal may be contrasted with a digital signal
    which represents only distinct states. The signal put out by
    a data set has both analog and digital characteristics.

    ANC          See All-Number Calling
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ANI          See (gasp!) Automatic Number Identification
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Answer Delay
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Just what you think it is: the time from the beginning of a phone's
    ringing to the moment the receiving end answers. Answer delay
    patterns are one of the traffic indicators your friendly non-ess
    CO looks at when trying to nab boxers (since boxing, from the CO's
    frame of reference, is just a longer-than-normal, unsuccessful
    answer delay).

    Area Transfer
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The process of assigning a group of customers to a new wire center.

    ASCII          See American Standard Code for Info. Interchange
    ~~~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Attempts per Circuit per Hour (ACH)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    An indication of calling pressure. See also CCH.

    Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A system for automatically providing even distribution of incoming
    calls to operator or attendant positions; calls are served in the
    order of arrival and are routed to positions in the order of
    their availability for handling the call.

    Automatic Intercept Center (AIC)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A centrally located set of equipment that is a part of an Automatic
    Intercept System and provides arrangements, having stored program
    control, whereby the caller is automatically advised, by means of
    either recorded or electronically assembled announcements, of the
    situation that prevents completion of connection to the 
    called number.

    Automatic Intercept System (AIS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A type of Traffic Service System consisting of one or more 
    automatic intercept centers and a centralized intercept bureau for
    handling intercept calls.

    Automatic Message Accounting (AMA)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The automatic (the key word IS automatic...) collection, recording,
    and processing of info. relating to calls for billing purposes.

    Automatic Number Identification (ANI)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The automatic identification of a calling station, usually for
    automatic message accounting (and thus, in the end, for billing).
    ANI, to you neophytes, is one of the scourges of ess. It's the
    magic that makes using Bell Calling Cards unwise...et cetera.

    Automatic Ringdown
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A technique for supervision alerting on a nondial trunk in which
    the application of a 2-second burst of ringing at the originating
    end results in a supervisory signal at the terminating manual
    PBX. See Ringdown.

    Automatic Voice Network (AUTOVON)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A private voiceband nerwork serving the Dept. of Defense. AUTOVON
    uses automatic switching and handles both voice and data traffic.
    It is worldwide; the continental U.S. portion is known as CONUS
    AUTOVON.

    AUTOVON          See Automatic Voice Network, above.
    ~~~~~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Average Business Day (ABD)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Refers to the average of the parameter in question over the
    business days during the period considered; for example, busy-
    hour traffic, phreak traffic, etc. Business days include Mondays
    through Fridays but exclude holidays (in case you were curious).

    AWT          See Actual Work Time
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Balance
    ~~~~~~~
    (1) To distribute traffic over the line terminals at a CO as 
        uniformly as possible. Without load balancing, a portion of
        the switching equipment may become overloaded even though the
        total capacity of the system has not been exceeded.
    (2) To adjust the impedance of circuits and balance networks to
        achieve specified return loss objectives at junctions of 2-
        wire and 4-wire circuits.

    Balance Network
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    An adjustable impedance used to terminate one port of a hybrid
    such that the hybrid characteristics approach the ideal when used
    to provide 2 to 4-wire conversion.

    Baseband 
    ~~~~~~~~
    The frequency band occupied by one or more info. signals that
    either modulate a carrier or are transmitted at baseband freq.
    over a suitable medium.

    Baud
    ~~~~
    A unit of digital signaling rate. The signaling rate in bauds is
    equal to the reciprocal of the length in seconds of the signal
    element when all signal elements have equal length.  If sig. 
    elements are not of equal length, as in "stop-start" character
    asynchronous operation, the signaling rate in bauds is expressed
    as the reciprocal of the length of the shortest signal element.
    The information rate in bits per second may be greater than the
    baud rate because one signal element can represent more than one
    bit. So, okay?

    BCS          See Business Communications Systems
    ~~~          See Business Customer Services

    Bell System Practice
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A document in a comprehensive series prepared to spread detailed
    technical info. and operating methods within the Bell System. 
    Certain series of BSPs cover manufacturing, installation, 
    computer crime/prevention (ha!), and equipment performance
    requirements; these things are mainly of interest to Western
    Electric. Other series are instructions for engineering, operation,
    and maintenance, and repair of the telephone 'plant'; these are
    mainly of interest to operating companies. Other BSPs are prepared
    for the instruction and training of telephone company personnel
    (the Being a Bitch BSP for TSOs, etc.). 
    Most BSPs are edited by Western Electric. Bell Labs prepares
    certain BSPs and is responsible for the accuracy of technical
    content of all BSPs. AT&T authorizes the preparation and release
    of all Bell System Practices.

    Bell System Repair Specification (BSRS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A Bell System document that specifies detailed repair procedures
    for apparatus- and equipment-coded units. These docs. are not for
    standard field maintenance purposes, but rather for detailed
    major repairs usually performed at a Western Electric serv. center.

    Binder Group
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A group of cable pairs within a cable sheath that are twisted and
    bound together during cable construction.

    Bipolar Group
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A digital signal technique that uses either a positive or negative
    excursion (always alternating) for one state, and ground for
    the other state.

    BIS          See Business Info. Systems
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    BISCUS/FACS
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    See Business Info. System Customer Services/Facility Assignment
    and Control System (gasp...)

    Bit
    ~~~
    (1) An abbreviation of binary digit. A bit can be one of the two
        binary characters, 1 or 0.
    (2) Perfect indicative of 'byte'. HAHAHAHA. Ahem.
    (3) A unit of info. One bit of info. is sufficient to specify one
        of two equally likely possibilities.

    Bits per Second (b/s)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Digital info. rate expressed as the number of binary info. units
    transmitted per second. See Symbol. If a channel produces errors,
    the info. rate (as defined by Shannon) will be lower than the
    figure noted above, but this lower figure is rarely used. 
    Typically, a data channel is described as having a stated bit rate
    and a stated expected error rate.

    Blocking
    ~~~~~~~~
    The inability of the calling party to be connected to the called
    party because either a) all suitable trunk paths are busy or b)
    a path between a given inlet and any suitable free outlet of the
    switching network of a switching system is unavailable.

    Bridged Tap
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    A cable pair connected in parallel with a customer loop. The 
    connection (tap) may occur at the CO or at some point along
    a cable route.

    BSP          See Bell System Practice
    ~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    BSRS          See Bell System Repair Specification
    ~~~~          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    BTE           See Business Terminal Equipment
    ~~~           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Buried Service Wire
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A buried wire pair connecting the customer's premises to a pair
    in the distribution cable. Above many BSWs will be a warning
    sign, put in place by Mother Bell, to insure the safety of those
    in the general public who plan to dig around said wires. Hmm...

    Business Communications Systems (BCS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Systems, such as key telephones, pbx's, automatic call distrib-
    utors, and telephone answering systems, that are used to fill the
    communication needs of business customers and the discerning
    phreak. Because BCS has become a term used by other companies, the
    term is being replaced by Customer Switching Systems (CSS).

    Business Customer Services (BCS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    This term refers to a class of services generally used by business
    customers, including pbx service, key tele. service, automatic
    call distribution service, and tele. answering service.

    Business Information Systems (BIS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A collection of computer-based systems for performing voluminous
    business and administrative operations associated with the 
    provision of telephone service by operating companies. Just
    ask mom about this one...she'll know.

    Business Information System Customer Services-Facility Assignment
    and Control System (BISCUS/FACS)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    One of the BIS's developed at Bell Kitchens. BISCUS/FACS is used
    to assign cable facilities, cable terminations, telephone numbers,
    and CO line equipment to service orders.

    Business Office
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The part of the telephone company that a customer contacts
    regarding requests for service, subsequent changes in service,
    questions relating to billing, questions regarding Bell's
    liability for customers' coronaries caused from billing, and
    requests from phreaks disguised as Palestineans for an official
    Bell CO Tour. Yeah.

    Business Service
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Telecom. service used in a business environment, i.e., jungle.

    Business Terminal Equipment
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Refers to the terminal equipment used by business customers 
    including teletype machines, data sets, key telephone systems,
    pbx's, etc. 

    Busy Hour
    ~~~~~~~~~
    That hour during which the portion of the telephone network in
    question carries the most traffic. Traffic peaks caused by
    holidays or special events are not considered. Switching systems
    and trunk groups are normally sized for the busy hour load.

    Busy Hour, Bouncing
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The highest load may not occur at the same hour on all days, need-
    less to say. If the highest load is selected for each day without
    regard to the hour in which it occurs, the average of these loads
    is said to occur in the bouncing busy hour. Traffic measurements
    are usually made over the five working days of each week.

    Busy Hour, Fixed
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    (Okay, this is the last busy hour def. Bear with me. This stuff is
    great for social engineering. Really. Anyway, you never know.)
    When the hourly loads are averaged across days for each hour of the
    day, the max. of these averages defines the fixed busy hour, also
    called the time consistent busy hour. Traffic measurements are usu-
    ally made over the five working days of each week.

    Busy Tone
    ~~~~~~~~~
    An audible signal indicating a call can't be completed because
    the called line is busy. The tone is applied 60 times per minute.

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    Here ends Volume I. I think it's best to divide this several
    volume set into easily digestable morsels. Yum. This gives you
    an opportunity to understand fully all the info. before the next
    onslaught begins. So watch for Vol. II, coming soon to a bbs 
    near you.                                          -F. Gibe
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 (c)1987  cDc communications  by Franken Gibe                  0/0/87-15
 All Rights Smeared Across the Wall