As specified by the TIA/EIA, a fully functional premise cabling system is the result of multiple subsystems working together as a single network.

Backbone wiring encompasses all wiring between telecommunications closets, equipment rooms, and entrance facilities, including all cables, mechanical cable terminations, and intermediate and main cross-connects.
Backbone wiring runs between telecommunications closets, equipment rooms and entrance facilities on the same floor, from floor to floor, and even between buildings.

Horizontal wiring encompasses all cable from a work-area wallplate or network connection to the telecommunications closet. The outlets, cable, and cross connects in the closet are all part of the horizontal wiring, which gets its name because the cable typically runs horizontally above ceiling or along the floor.

Work area includes all cable components between a horizontal-wiring wallplate or LAN outlet and LAN outlet and end-user telecom devices, such as telephones, data terminals, computers, modems, etc.
Work area components can include connectors, cables, adapters, terminators, and more.

Telecommunications closet is a room or cabinet that holds distribution frames, cross-connects, and other hardware needed to connect horizontal wiring to backbone wiring.
Each building must have at least one wiring closet.

Equipment room houses building telecommunications systems such as PBXs, servers, and the mechanical terminations of the telecom wiring system.
Considered different than a wiring closet because of the complexity of the components it contains, an equipment room nonetheless may take the place of a building's wiring closet or it may be a separate entity.
Cabling administration: Unlike the other five components wiring systems, cabling administration is not a place. It is a thing, a process that includes all aspects of premise wiring related to documenting and managing the system, testing the system, as well as the architectural plans for the system.