# Glossary: terms around the Schleuse explained simply | IT-INTERDEV

> Key terms in plain words: Schleuse, stand-in word, key, zone, pseudonymisation, round-trip test and more.

Language: en · Source: https://it-interdev.de/en/glossary.html · Alternate (de): https://it-interdev.de/lexikon.html · Updated: 2026-10-05

Key terms, explained simply.

**Schleuse**: German for “lock” (as in a canal lock). A program between your text and the cloud AI. It replaces secrets before anything leaves. And it translates the answer back.

**Cloud AI**: An AI that runs on other people's computers on the internet. For example ChatGPT or Claude.

**Prompt**: The text you send to an AI. So your question and everything you paste with it.

**Language model (LLM)**: A program that understands and writes text. LLM stands for “large language model”.

**Stand-in word**: A word that replaces a real word. For example “Company Alpha” instead of “Müller GmbH”. It tells the AI what kind of thing is meant.

**Key**: The list of which stand-in word belongs to which real word. It stays with you. Without it nobody can turn the stand-in words back.

**Zone**: An area of your data with a protection level. There are green, yellow, red and blue. Rules may only get stricter, never looser.

**Two-key release**: For red and blue, two people must agree before anyone gets access. Like a safe with two locks.

**Pseudonymisation**: Real details are replaced by stand-in details. With the key the way back exists. This is how the Schleuse is classed legally.

**Anonymisation**: Real details are changed so that nobody can find the way back. The Schleuse does not do this, because you want to translate the answer back.

**Round-trip test**: A test: a text goes out and back. Exactly the original text must come out. Otherwise the request stops.

**Canary value**: A control word mixed into the text. It must come back unchanged in the answer. That shows whether the AI was careful.

**Check gate**: A control for the cloud's answer. It can accept or reject the answer.

**Quarantine**: A document that is not safe enough is not sent. It waits in quarantine.

**Local**: On your own equipment. Not on other people's computers on the internet.

**Mirror**: A copy of a whole file store in which the secrets are replaced by stand-in words. An AI can work on it.

**Relay server (gateway)**: A program between your tools and the cloud AI. It uses the same interface as well-known AI services. In the Schleuse it is built as an experiment.

**Log with a chain of checks**: A list of what happened. Each line contains the check value of the previous one. Anyone who changes something afterwards is noticed. The log contains no contents.

**Name detector**: A model that finds names of people, companies and places in texts. In our case: Presidio and GLiNER.

**Alpha version**: An early version for testing. The Schleuse is version 0.1 Alpha. It can still have errors.

**Pilot**: A test with a real team on a small scale. We are looking for pilot partners.