Penn Technical Terminology

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AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting): Penn's project to heighten information security on campus, which included the revision of the Critical Host Policy and the recommendation towards the implementation of MIT Kerberos.

Advisor In Touch: An academic advising system for use by authorized faculty and academic advisors at Penn. Advisor In Touch gives faculty and academic advisors immediate, online access to student information to help them to advise students in course selection and curriculum requirements, as well as to discuss related academic matters and career goals.

BEN (Business Enterprise Network): a suite of upgrades and additions to Penn's financial management systems. BEN also integrates grant-related reporting and management systems being developed by the University’s Electronic Research Administration (PennERA) Project.

BEN Helps: The enhanced support service for users of the
University's administrative financial and business applications. Callers
dial 6-HELP (215.746.4357) to reach trained Financial Support Providers (FSPs) for answers to their BEN Financials questions. Callers can also get help with BEN Reports or contact the Travel Office.

BEN Financials: Part of the new Business Enterprise Network (BEN), BEN Financials is the core financial system, comprised of purchasing (BEN Buys) accounts payable (BEN Pays), and general ledger (BEN Balances). The upgraded BEN Financials operate in a graphical environment and feature web-based purchasing, offering users an improved set of tools for greater productivity and enhanced access to information within the University and from suppliers.

BEN Reports: A web-based application that allows users to run predefined reports against the Data Warehouse as well as link to other University applications (such as FinMIS, or Position Inventory) via the web.

Computing Resource Center (CRC): An ISC service center that provides software distribution to the Penn Community and also provides primary support services for some members of the Penn Community, including students living off campus and in Sansom Place.

Data Warehouse: The Warehouse allows faculty, staff, experienced system developers, and institutional researchers to perform direct queries on administrative University data.

FirstCall: The ISC telephone help desk, which provides primary support services for some members of the Penn Community, including students living off campus and in Sansom Place.

Franklin: The Penn Libraries' online catalog listing over 85 percent of the Libraries' holdings and accessed via Telnet (library.upenn.edu) or via a Web browser (www.library.upenn.edu).

FSP (Financial Support Provider): Individuals trained to provide first-level support for users of BEN Financials. Users call BEN Helps (x6-HELP or 215.746.4357) to reach their FSP.

GRAM (Grant Reporting and Management System): Part of BEN Reports, and provides project year-to-date balances on active grants with links to supporting transactional and employee payment detail. Principal Investigators may view summarized balances for all of their current grants on one screen, and then drill down to balances by category, and further into detail. Principal Investigators of program projects may view balances for the entire project, while those with sub-awards may view only their portion. Business administrators may select a Principal Investigator, and then view all current grants for that investigator. Expenditures are grouped into categories customarily used in reporting to project sponsors.

Information Systems and Computing (ISC): The central computing division on campus, which provides computing infrastructure -- including PennNet and many of Penn's central business systems. It provides data administration and security services and also offers services for local providers of computing support. With the Penn Community, it develops hardware and software standards.

Internet 2: A project intended to facilitate and coordinate the development, deployment, operation and technology transfer of advanced, network-based applications and network services to further U.S. leadership in research and higher education and accelerate the availability of new services and applications on the Internet.

IT Roundtable: It is a group comprised of senior technology officers from all 12 Schools and major centers, along with some faculty and student participation. The focus of IT Roundtable is information technology strategy. Its primary role is as an orientation and communication vehicle for the community of IT Directors (supporting strategic local IT planning).

JInitiator Web Client: A special piece of software that, along with the MarkView Web Client, must be installed on a user's desktop in order to use BEN Financials. The JInitiator Web Client is available for download at: http://www.upenn.edu/computing/software/provider/ben. Pennkey authentication is required. Installation instructions can be found at: http://www.finance.upenn.edu/comptroller/ben/desktop/index.shtml. Note: If the user is only using BEN Financials to browse and select items from the electronic catalogs in the Penn Marketplace and create electronic requisitions, the JInitiator and MarkView Web Clients are not required.

Kerberos: Penn's chosen network authentication protocol, which was developed by MIT, that is currently being deployed incrementally through the PennKey Program. It is designed to provide strong authentication for client/server applications by using secret-key cryptography.

LSP (Local Support Provider): Staff at the University who provide computing support to others in the Penn Community.

MacNet: A listserv (macnet-list@lists.upenn.edu) and a group that meets to discuss technical issues facing Apple administrators, support providers and end users on campus.

MarkView Web Client: A special piece of software that, along with the JInitiator Web Client, must be installed on a user's desktop in order to use BEN Financials. The JInitiator Web Client is available for download at: http://www.upenn.edu/computing/software/provider/ben. PennKey authentication is required. Note: If the user is only using BEN Financials to browse and select items from the electronic catalogs in the Penn Marketplace and create electronic requisitions, the JInitiator and MarkView Web Clients are not required.

Newtork Planning Task Force (NPTF): The group's charge is to discuss and resolve issues surrounding the planning and funding of PennNet.

Network Policy Committee (NPC): The committee's charge is to develop and review network policies and to recommend policies for approval to IT Roundtable, and ultimately to the Vice President for Information Systems and Computing.

PARIS (Penn Automated Registration Information System): A telephony system, which is used by students to register for classes and receive grade information.

PennKey-Gina: An application that provides computer lab managers on campus with a tool to allow PennKey holders to authenticate using their PennKey and to obtain guest privileges on a Windows NT/2000/XP workstation. GINA stands for "Graphical Identification aNd Authorization" and describes an interface for the validation of logon credentials for NT/2000/XP workstations.

PCNet: A listserv (pcnet-list@lists.upenn.edu) and a group that meets to discuss technical issues facing Windows administrators, support providers and end users on campus.

Penn Community Project: An effort to provide improved biographic, demographic and affiliation information about people who are part of the University community. The information is retained in a single data store and made easily assessable using standardized database architecture and query tools.

Penn In Touch: An online system, which enables a student to register online and also provides information about his/her financial aid status, bursar bill, class schedule and transcript.

PENNback: An ISC sponsered service that provides backup and archive of data stored on network-attached personal computers and workstations.

PennCard: The official University of Pennsylvania photo identification card for students, faculty, staff, and other members of the University community. Holders use their PennCard to access a myriad of services at Penn and to gain entrance into secured buildings.

PennConnect DVD: An annual DVD available to the entire Penn Community which contains software used to connect to PennNet.

PennKey Authentication System: Based on Kerberos technology, the PennKey Authentication System, uses cryptographic technology to protect passwords traveling across the network. Pennkey provides more seamless access to computing resources by reducing the number of account names, passwords and logons needed.

PennLIN: Penn's Libraries Information Network, which includes Franklin, the online catalog, journal citation databases, OED, Lexis/Nexis, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, the Library Web, and other resources.

PennNames Project: The creation of a single, campus-wide database of usernames, and the development of tools and policies for maintaining the database, in order to unify the various namespaces on campus.

PennNet: The University's networking infrastructure.

PennTips: A University-wide collaboration of computing support providers sharing a single repository of technical, tracking, and client information in an effort to leverage support to the University of Pennsylvania community. The PennTIPS service links Help Desks across campus through the use of a single application (Remedy) while maintaining the autonomy of each helpdesk in serving its clients.

PennTrak: Penn's chosen online recruitment tool, administered through the Department of Career Planning and Placement.

PennWeb: All web pages in the upenn.edu domain.

Pobox: A host computer run by ISC for faculty and administrative e-mail, news, and World Wide Web services.

ProCD: A CD published by Technology Support Services which contains a collection of software utilities, updaters, drivers, and installers for LSPs.

Provider Desk: A help desk exclusively for Penn's Local Support Providers, manned by a team of senior technical staff.

SIG (Special Interest Group): A format (usually in the form of a list and meeting group) that allows people with the same interest to discuss topics pertinent to their work. For example, Penn has PAC-SIG for public lab administrators on campus and Web-SIG for web developers.

SPIKE: Wharton's intranet-based communications suite for Wharton students. SPIKE provides a single interface for using email, personal calendaring, class lists and discussion groups.

SRS (Student Records System): A data store maintained by the Registrar's office that contains comprehensive data about students including their course records and is accessed via Telnet.

SUG (Super User Group): A listserv (sug-list@lists.upenn.edu) and a group that meets to discuss broad technical issues affecting the University. The listserv also serves as a forum for IT staff to obtain technical advice and assistance from other IT professionals at Penn.

WebSec: A Penn-developed tool used by developers to create authenticated web applications, which require users to enter their PennKey and password.

To suggest an addition to this list, please e-mail learnit@isc.upenn.edu.