Synonymous with communications processor. An auxiliary processor, usually in the form of a dedicated computer, that assumes responsibilities for managing the interface between a host computer and networks, terminals, and peripherals.The FEP, thereby, relieves the host main processing unit of those responsibilities, allowing it to concentrate on running applications software.The FEP can assume responsibility for such tasks as authentication, access privileges, code translation, compression, encryption, and priority management.The FEP traditionally takes the form of a mid-range computer that manages access to a mainframe computer, although those distinctions are less significant in a contemporary data processing context. In more contemporary terms, FEP and host responsibilities both tend to be distributed across multiple servers in one or more clusters. See also authentication, compression, and encryption.