Action Tracking – A cookie-based method to track actions and page visits that recipients perform after they have read your email message and followed the links to the target website.
Administration Hub (HUB) – A component of the LISTSERV Maestro program that allows the administrator to create user accounts, and assign and change settings for the entire application.
AOL Rich Text Formatting – A message formatting style specific to the America Online email client. Combines HTML elements with text elements. Users must have an AOL email client to properly view this format. This setting is obsolete because recent versions of the AOL email client accept HTML emails and have actually stopped accepting the AOL Rick Text format.
Bounce – An Email message that is returned as undeliverable
Bounce Server – An optional dedicated LISTSERV server used exclusively to process bounced email.
Click-Through Event – A trackable occurrence available with text and HTML email messages that records each time a URL contained in the message is clicked.
Client System – A computer used to access the Maestro HUB or LUI components.
Column – A vertical set of data, as in a table or spreadsheet.
Content Template – Used to automatically define a job’s content, and allows a user to create professional-looking HTML messages without any HTML coding. An email job’s content definition can be based on these ready-to-use message templates that contain placeholders that, when selected in the template designer, will let you fill in predefined areas with your own text or images. In addition, all text, including any changes you may make down the road, will be entered into both the HTML and the text part of your message so you only need to enter the text once. Each placeholder can represent one or several instances of plain text or HTML, or a linked or inline binary. When using the template designer, you can also preview each placeholder, providing a full picture of what the template will look like when it is finished.
Data Warehouse – Maestro’s Data Warehouse stores and manages recipient profiles and target groups stored within LISTSERV Maestro.
Database – A large collection of data organized with inter-related data tables for rapid search and retrieval, managed as an entity by a DBMS.
Database Driver – A program installed on a workstation or server to allow programs on that system to interact with a DBMS.
Database Plugin – A feature that allows LISTSERV Maestro to connect to a driver for a particular DBMS.
Database Server – A single server running a DBMS to manage one or more databases.
Database Server Name – Upon installation, LISTSERV Maestro will automatically create a Database Server Name for the system database. This name is viewable through the Administration Hub under Connection Settings for LISTSERV Hosted Lists, and must be entered into LISTSERV's site configuration file.
Datasets -- A recipient dataset is a collection of data organized into fields and pertaining to recipients. The fields making up a dataset can have different types of properties that determine the kind of data within them, such as text, numbers, menu selections, dates, and so on. The data administrator designs the datasets within a recipient warehouse, defining each field and the type of data it holds. The recipient dataset also contains mailing lists created by the data administrator that use the recipient data for job definition. The data is shared across all mailing lists that are created within the dataset. Individual lists within the dataset are allowed to have additional fields of data that pertain just to those lists.
DBMS – Database Management System (DBMS) is a software product for the management of databases. Examples are: DB2, MySQL, Oracle, MS SQL Server.
Delimiter – The character or symbol that is used to separate one item from another. In text files imported into databases, commas are often used as delimiters. A delimiter is the same as a separator character.
DISTRIBUTE Job – A DISTRIBUTE job is a specially-formatted message sent to LISTSERV from LISTSERV Maestro. The DISTRIBUTE job contains an email message and recipient data.
Drop-In – A drop-in allows for content to be pulled from some source and inserted into a message sent by LISTSERV Maestro. For instance, an unsubscribe banner could be automatically added to an outgoing message.
DSN – Data Source Name (DSN) is required in the setup of ODBC in order to specify the connection information for a database server. Database clients use the information contained within the DSN to locate and log on to a database.
Email Job – In LISTSERV Maestro an email job is the creation of a customized list of recipients matched with a customized email message that is scheduled for delivery and then sent out.
Email Merge – Placing variables that are extracted from a database into an email message template. This operation permits individual personalization of otherwise bulk email messages.
Encoding – Is the transformation of data into digital form. With text encoding, different character sets encode text files differently based on language and other variables. If a special character set was used to encode a text file, that same encoding scheme needs to be used to interpret the data correctly. LISTSERV
® Maestro allows for the selection of encoding based upon the original encoding scheme of the uploaded text file. For example, if special encoding was used to initially create (and save) the text file (
e.g. ISO-7 encoding for a file with Greek characters, or a Unicode encoding), the same encoding will have to be selected in LISTSERV
® Maestro so that the system interprets the uploaded data in the same way it was saved.
External System Database – Maestro is installed with a built-in internal MySQL database. An alternate external database may be installed and configured to take the place of the internal one.
Header – A special row of data that defines and labels the columns in a text file.
Host – Refers to a computer system on which one or more of the Maestro components resides. The “Hostname” is the name of host system (e.g., MAESTRO.EXAMPLE.ORG).
Hosted Lists -- Hosted lists contain data from the dataset. They can also have their own data fields that are not shared among lists in the dataset, but belong exclusively to the list. Lists that do have their own fields will also have their own web subscription forms generated when the list is created. All the fields that appear in the dataset and in a particular list can be used as merged fields for messages sent to that list.
Hosted LISTSERV List – On some platforms, it is possible for LISTSERV Maestro to create traditional LISTSERV lists and store the subscription data for these lists such that they are accessible from the LISTSERV Maestro subscription pages. These types of lists are referred to as Hosted LISTSERV Lists or HLLs because their data is “hosted” within LISTSERV Maestro’s system database.
Hosted Recipient Data – A collection of data organized in columns and rows related recipients and stored inside LISTSERV Maestro.
HTTP – Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the language used by web browsers and web servers to communicate with each other.
HTTPS – Secure HTTP. Similar to HTTP, but the communication is encrypted, making it more difficult for a third party to eavesdrop on the communication.
HUB – See “Administration Hub”.
Identity – A collection of several accounts that belong to one and the same "identity", usually a person. By collecting all accounts of one person into an identity, LISTSERV Maestro knows that these accounts all belong together. As a result, the user is then allowed to switch between the accounts in the identity without having to perform an actual logout and login. In other words, if a user logs in with one account that belongs to an identity, then this user can switch over to all other accounts in the same identity without having to first logout the old account and then login again with the new account.
Internal System Database – Maestro is installed with a built-in MySQL database. This internal database is automatically configured upon installation. An alternate external database may be installed and configured instead.
Java – The Java programming language and runtime environment are the technology on which LISTSERV Maestro is built.
JDBC – Java Database Connector (JDBC) allows Java applications such as LISTSERV Maestro to connect to database servers.
Job ID – A unique identifier assigned to each mailing sent through LISTSERV Maestro. May have a Job ID Prefix attached to it.
Keystore – In order for SSL to work, the client must have a set of “keys” that contain the digital signatures of trusted servers. These keystores allow for the client to verify the identity of a trusted server.
List Archive – A LISTSERV-managed archive containing all messages sent to a Hosted LISTSERV List.
LISTSERV® – An application that allows users to create and maintain email lists on their corporate networks or on the Internet. LISTSERV supports all types of email lists: newsletters (moderated and unmoderated), discussion groups, and direct marketing campaigns. List sizes can range from a few participants in a discussion group to several million in a newsletter. Every list and its archives can be maintained through a simple web interface, which can be fully customized to match a website profile. When used within LISTSERV Maestro, LISTSERV receives email jobs from LISTSERV Maestro and prepares them for delivery. It is also used to process bounced mail for LISTSERV Maestro mailings. Additionally, LISTSERV may act as an interface between LISTSERV Maestro and an external DBMS. When Hosted LISTSERV Lists (HLLs) are used, LISTSERV Maestro acts as the “DBMS back-end” to traditional LISTSERV lists and also provides an interface for management of subscriber data for the LISTSERV lists.
LISTSERV Maestro – The software suite comprised of the Administration Hub, Maestro User Interface, and Maestro Tracker.
Lookup Table – A set of values that is used for the values in a selection menu. Lookup tables are shared across a recipient warehouse so multiple datasets can use them
LUI – See “Maestro User Interface”.
Maestro Tracker (TRK) – A component of the LISTSERV Maestro program that receives and compiles tracking data from delivered email messages.
Maestro User Interface (LUI) – A component of the LISTSERV Maestro program that allows regular users to create email jobs and tracking reports.
ODBC – Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is the means by which LISTSERV on Windows connects to databases. LISTSERV Maestro may also use an ODBC plugin for its database connectivity for read-only access to external recipient data.
Open-Up Event – A trackable occurrence available with HTML email messages that records each time a message is opened by a recipient. Tracking is dependent on the willingness of the recipients to be tracked; therefore, open-up counts are usually lower than the actual number of open-up events.
Port Number – A port number is a number assigned to a particular network service on a host. For example, SMTP usually uses port 25, while HTTP is usually port 80.
POSTMASTER – Used generally, a “postmaster” is someone responsible for the administration of an Email server. In LISTSERV, the POSTMASTER site configuration parameter specifies the email addresses of individuals who have administrative control over LISTSERV (and thus may create or delete lists, send DISTRIBUTE jobs, etc.).
Quote character – In a SQL statement: a character (usually the single quote) used to enclose string literals, to set them off from the rest of the SQL statement.
In a text file (CSV-file) containing data: a character or symbol used to surround the value of a column if the value contains the separator character in the actual data. This is necessary to ensure that the appearance of the separator character in the data is not interpreted as an actual separation. For example, if a comma (,) is used as the separator character in a database file, all the fields of data are separated by a comma. If the comma is also used within a field, the quote character must be used to surround the entire field. If the quote character is used within a field, it must be doubled, or “escaped.”
Recipient Profile – Data stored within LISTSERV Maestro particular to a unique recipient. Contains at least an Email address, but may also contain other user data such as name, mailing preferences, etc.
Recipient Warehouse – The repository for a group's data including lookup tables, datasets, hosted lists, and recipient data.
RFC – Request for Comments (RFC) are documents that explain the rules that email and other software products must follow in order to work cooperatively with each other on the Internet. Understanding the rules is often helpful for understanding and troubleshooting problems.
Select Statement – A SQL statement in form of a query that is issued to a database to retrieve data.
Separator Character – A character or symbol used to separate one item from another. In text files exported from databases, commas are often used as separator characters. A separator character is the same as a delimiter.
SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the protocol used by servers that send and receive email messages over the Internet. An SMTP server is a mail transfer agent (MTA) that uses the SMTP protocol to talk to other MTAs.
SMTP Worker Pool – Set on the LISTSERV Connection screen, this feature lets you specify a LISTSERV worker pool to use for specific delivery situations. You can specify different worker pools for standard deliveries and for test deliveries.
SQL – Structured Query Language (SQL) is a standardized query language for requesting information from a database.
SQL Statement – A statement written in SQL that is issued to a database to retrieve data or to create, insert, update, or delete data in the database.
SSL – Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is the means by which secure communications (such as HTTPS transactions) are encrypted.
System Database – The database in which the LISTSERV Maestro User Interface (LUI) stores its system data (e.g., tracking data, job data, hosted recipient data, etc.) When set up as an external system database, it may or may not be managed by the same DBMS server as additional User Databases.
Tablespace – The digital “space” within a database allotted to a particular user or set of tables.
Target Groups – Predefined recipient lists, complete with name and description, created by the data administrator. Target groups can simplify and streamline the use of data sources, including databases, uploaded text files, and email lists, to select recipients and recipient data to the point where end users do not need to know anything about how and where data is stored.
TCPGUI – The protocol used by Maestro to communicate with LISTSERV. The default port for TCPGUI is 2036.
Tracking URL – Defines the URL for the Maestro Tracker Server.
TRK – See “Maestro Tracker”.
Trusted Root Certificate – Certain “root” agencies serve as registration storehouses for digital “keys”. The root certificates (shipped with most web browsers) contain the digital signatures of the root agencies.
User Database – An external database from which LISTSERV Maestro retrieves recipient data. For example, LISTSERV Maestro can be used to send mailings to email addresses extracted directly from an organization’s customer database, unlike other products that
require you to store the recipient data in their own database. May or may not be on the same DBMS server as the External System Database.
