Glossary and conventions

A camera vendor, an access control engineer and a developer can use the same word differently. These definitions explain how terms are used throughout the wiki.

Sources and scopeSource record 25 August 2026

Technical source record: 25 August 2026. Check the linked documentation for current product requirements.

Core cross domain terms only; protocol specific glossaries remain on protocol pages.

Verification and testing

On this page

Core terms#

Term	Meaning in this library
Actuation	A request or signal capable of changing a physical or security relevant state.
API	A defined software interface. “REST API” does not by itself specify authentication, schema, or delivery semantics.
Command	An expression of requested intent; not proof of acceptance or physical completion.
Conformance	Evidence that an implementation satisfied a named test/claim for a specific standard edition, profile, role, and version.
Controller	A component that evaluates logic and/or drives field outputs. Context must say camera, access, industrial, or other controller.
Credential	Data or an artefact presented in an authentication process; not automatically a person or authorisation.
Device identity	Identity of hardware/software in a protocol or trust system. It is distinct from operator, user, credential, and workload identity.
Event	An immutable report that something was observed or decided at a time; delivery may be repeated, delayed, reordered, or lost.
Fail safe	Failure leads toward the defined safer condition. This is a hazard decision, not synonymous with electrically unlocked.
Fail secure	Failure preserves the defined security condition. It does not override life safety and egress requirements.
Gateway	A boundary component translating transport, protocol, data model, trust, or policy. State what it translates.
Integration	A designed exchange between systems, including ownership, semantics, security, failure and lifecycle.
Interoperability	Two implementations perform the intended use case together. It is narrower than “both support protocol X.”
Metadata	Data describing or accompanying other data, such as video analytics objects or provenance. It can itself be sensitive.
Observation	Data received without an intended control effect. Subscription setup or acknowledgement may still create a control path.
Profile	A selected, testable set of requirements from one or more specifications. Profile names are not protocol versions.
Restore	A report that a previously active condition is no longer active; not deletion or negation of the original event.
State	The current model of a property, usually reconstructed from snapshots, events, polling, and local assumptions.
Supervision	Detection of path/device/circuit conditions such as open, short, substitution, loss, or timeout.
Trust boundary	A point where identity, administration, exposure, or assurance changes and policy must be enforced.
VMS / VSaaS	Video management system / video surveillance as a service. Deployment model does not determine interface openness.

Protocol and layer conventions#

Ethernet, RS485, RS232, radio, and dry contacts are media/electrical or physical interfaces, not interchangeable application protocols.
TCP, UDP, TLS, HTTP, RTP, MQTT, OSDP, and ONVIF occupy different layers or define different sets of behaviour. Avoid “runs over IP” as a complete architecture description.
A registered port is a default or service convention, not evidence that traffic is present, authentic, or safe.
“Secure” is qualified: confidentiality, integrity, peer authentication, user authorisation, replay resistance, key management, secure update, and audit are separate properties.

Naming and files#

Files and folders use lowercase ASCII kebab-case.
Acronyms are expanded on first use in prose unless universally clear in the immediate context.
Dates use ISO YYYY-MM-DD; times should include an offset or Z and identify source clock.
Byte and bit positions start at zero only when the source convention is stated.
Network examples use RFC 5737 IPv4, RFC 3849 IPv6, .example, or loopback space.
Secrets use descriptive placeholders such as ${DEVICE_TOKEN}; never plausible sample secrets.

Requirement language#

Uppercase MUST, SHOULD, MAY, and related terms are used only in attributed summaries of a normative document that defines those terms. Knowledge base advice uses “require,” “prefer,” “consider,” and “avoid,” with rationale.

Status language#

Label	Meaning
current	Final and supported in the stated ecosystem
release candidate	Not final; details and conformance availability may change
legacy	Deployed and relevant, but generally not preferred for new design
deprecated	Publisher has announced withdrawal/end of support or replacement
historical	Retained to understand installed systems, not current implementation guidance
mixed	Depends materially on edition, profile, product, or deployment mode

See the metadata schema for controlled values.

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