Aspect
An aspect of a web request is a specific entity that is involved in that request. Some examples of aspects are:
- The device hardware being used to make the request.
- The operating system running on that device.
- The physical location of the device.
- The ISP that is being used to service the request.
- The cell tower that services the request (if the device is a mobile using its network data access)
- etc.
Each aspect can have one or more associated properties. For example, the device hardware aspect has properties such as:
- Type of device (smart phone, computer, smart TV, games console, etc.).
- Screen size in pixels.
- Screen size in inches.
- etc.
Cloud service
A service accessed via a web request. It is used to send data, receive data, carry out processing, or all of the above.
A cloud service can be used in much the same way as a local service running on the same machine, with the extra step of a web request being required.
Data tier
The data tier is a term that encapsulates the properties and capabilities that a user has access to.
Currently active tiers are:
- Lite
- Enterprise
- Premium (V3 only)
- TAC (V4 only)
For on-premise solutions, the data tier is defined by the data file that is used. Different files contain values for different sets of properties. In addition, the lite (free) file is updated far less frequently and is not made available via our Distributor automatic update service.
For cloud, the data tier is defined by the License Key that is used when generating a Resource Key. In this case, the data tier only affects the properties that are available.
Distributor
The 51Degrees Distributor is a cloud-based web service that distributes data files for 51Degrees services. In order to access it, you will need to have a License Key that defines the products that you are allowed to access.
Native code
Native code refers to code written in C/C++. This is done to maximize performance, as many more optimizations can be made in lower level languages than compared to high level languages such as C# or Java.
Resource Key
A Resource Key is used by the 51Degrees cloud service as a shorthand for various parameters that can be sent as part of a request. For example, the properties that the user wishes to be populated in the response and any License Keys that allow access to more properties or a greater request allowance.
Web request
A web request is a message sent from a client device to a server where a web site is hosted. This message will usually be a simple request for a particular web page or other resource. However, it also contains a lot of additional information (evidence) that can be used to infer details about different contexts within which the request takes place (aspects).
Web server
A network connected machine designed to serve content to external devices, or carry out tasks. Most commonly, a web server is the host of a website.