link interface module. A connection point for establishing port connections for network cables. Signals are translated to and from the physical link (optical or electrical), and sent through the LIC, through the backplane, and into the associated MSU3 card. Up to eight LIM cards plug into a single LIC, and the LIC plugs into the back side of the backplane. LIM cards are available to support DS3 and OC-3c link protocols. There are separate OC-3c LIM cards for single mode and multimode fiber cables. manager An SNMP application running on a network management workstation that provides a means for monitoring and managing devices on a network; the manager sends messages to and receives messages from the agent to accomplish this task.