ACL (Access Control
List)
An access
control list (ACL) is a table that tells a computer
operating system which access rights each user has
to a particular system object, such as a file
directory or individual file. Each object has a
security attribute that identifies its access
control list. The list has an entry for each system
user with access privileges. The most common
privileges include the ability to read a file (or
all the files in a directory), to write to the file
or files, and to execute the file (if it is an
executable file, or program). Microsoft Windows
NT/2000, Novell's NetWare, Digital's OpenVMS, and
Unix-based systems are among the operating systems
that use access control lists. The list is
implemented differently by each operating system.
In Windows NT/2000, an access control list (ACL) is
associated with each system object. Each ACL has one
or more access control entries (ACEs) consisting of
the name of a user or group of users. The user can
also be a role name, such as "programmer," or
"tester." For each of these users, groups, or roles,
the access privileges are stated in a string of bits
called an access mask. Generally, the system
administrator or the object owner creates the access
control list for an object.
Aggregate
To gather, assemble or collect. "To aggregate
data" means to gather separate sets of data. As a
noun, "aggregate data" is data that has been
collected from two or more sources.
API
Abbreviation of application program interface, a
set of routines, protocols, and tools for building
software applications. A good API makes it easier to
develop a program by providing all the building
blocks. A programmer puts the blocks together.
Most operating environments, such as MS-Windows,
provide an API so that programmers can write
applications consistent with the operating
environment. Although APIs are designed for
programmers, they are ultimately good for users
because they guarantee that all programs using a
common API will have similar interfaces. This makes
it easier for users to learn new programs.
Attribute
A file access classification which permits a file
to be retrieved or erased. Typical attributes are
read/write, read only, archive and hidden.
Bad Sector
A segment of disk storage that can't be read or
written due to a physical problem in the disk. Bad
sectors on hard disks are marked by the operating
system and bypassed. If data are recorded in a
sector that goes bad, file recovery software and
occasionally special hardware must be used to
restore it.
Benchmark
A benchmark is a performance test of hardware
and/or software. There are various programs which
test the raw power of a single machine, interaction
in a single client/server system (one
server/multiple clients) and transactions per second
in a transaction processing system.
BIOS
Basic Input Output System. An essential set of
routines in a PC, stored on a chip and providing an
interface between the operating system and the
hardware. The BIOS supports all peripheral
technologies and internal services such as the
realtime clock (time and date).
BIOS Int 13
Routine
A DOS interrupt that is used to activate disk
functions, such as seek, read, write and format.
Bit
BInary digiT. A
bit is the smallest element of computer storage.
It's a single digit in a binary number (0 or 1). The
bit is physically a transistor or capacitor in a
memory cell, a magnetic domain on disk or tape, a
reflective spot on optical media or a high or low
voltage pulsing through a circuit. Groups of bits
comprise storage units in the computer, referred to
as "characters", "bytes" or "words".
Boot
Cause the computer to start executing
instructions. PCs contain built-in instructions in a
ROM or flash memory chip which are automatically
executed on computer startup. These instructions
search for the operating system, load it and then
pass control to it. The derivation of "boot" is
"bootstrap," since bootstraps help you get your
boots on; booting the computer helps it get its
first instructions.
Boot Sector
Reserved sectors on disk which are used to load
the operating system. On startup, the computer looks
for the master boot record (MBR), which is typically
the first sector in the first partition of the disk.
The MBR contains a program that reads the partition
table, which points to the first sector that
contains the operating system. That sector contains
another small program which causes the computer to
boot the operating system.
Boot Time
Boot Time is the time between seeing the Windows
Splash Screen until you see the completed Windows
Desktop (or similar startup time on other operating
systems).
Bottleneck
A lessening of throughput. "Bottleneck" often
refers to overloaded networks; this is caused by the
inability of the hardware and transmission lines to
support the traffic.
Build
A version of a program, generally one still in
testing. Although a version number is usually given
to a released product, a build number is sometimes
used instead.
Byte
Binary
Table. The
common unit of computer storage. A byte is composed
of eight binary digits (bits). A ninth bit may be
used in the memory circuits as a parity bit for
error checking. The term was originally coined to
mean the smallest addressable group of bits in a
computer. A byte holds the equivalent of a single
character, such as the letter "A", a dollar sign or
decimal point. For numbers, a byte can hold a single
decimal digit (0 to 9), two numeric digits (packed
decimal) or a number from 0 to 255 (binary numbers).
C/H/S
Cylinder/Head/Sector.
Cache
A cache is either a reserved section of main
memory or an independent high-speed storage device.
Two types of caching are commonly used in personal
computers: disk caching and memory caching.
A memory cache, sometimes called a "cache store"
or "RAM cache", is a portion of memory made of
high-speed static RAM (SRAM) rather than the slower
and cheaper dynamic RAM (DRAM) which is used for
main memory. Memory caching is effective because
most programs access the same data or instructions
over and over. By keeping as much of this
information as possible in SRAM, the computer can
avoid accessing slower DRAM.
Disk caching works under the same principle as
memory caching, but rather than using high-speed
SRAM, a disk cache uses conventional main memory.
The most recently accessed data from the disk (as
well as adjacent sectors) is stored in a memory
buffer; when a program needs to access data from the
disk, it first checks the disk cache to see if the
data is there. Disk caching can dramatically improve
the performance of applications, because accessing a
byte of data in RAM can be thousands of times faster
than accessing a byte on a hard disk.
A cache is used to speed up data transfer and may
be either temporary or permanent. Memory and disk
caches are in every computer to speed up instruction
execution and data retrieval and updating. The
contents of these temporary caches are constantly
changing.
CHKDSK,
CHKDSK /F
A DOS utility program which looks for lost
clusters on the hard disk, and also reports the
current amount of free memory and disk space.
Although CHKDSK is still available on the Windows
95/98 distribution disk, it has been replaced by
ScanDisk.
Improperly closed files (for example, from
rebooting from a frozen application) generate lost
clusters, which are unidentifiable files. These are
usually temporary files that are not worth
recovering. To reclaim these lost clusters, run
CHKDSK with the /F switch, which will convert lost
clusters to FILE0000.CHK files, which you can then
examine and/or delete.
Cluster
Also called an "allocation unit," a cluster is
some number of disk sectors which are treated as a
unit. This is the smallest unit of storage that the
operating system can manage.
CMOS
Complementary MOS.
CMOS is the most widely used type of integrated
circuit for digital processors and memories.
CMOS memory is a small, battery-backed memory
bank in a computer which holds configuration
settings.
Compress
To transform (data) to minimize the space
required for storage or transmission:
compressed the file so that it could be downloaded
efficiently.
Compression
Compression is the reduction in size of data in
order to save space or transmission time. For data
transmission, compression can be performed on just
the data content or on the entire transmission unit
(including header data) depending on a number of
factors.
Contiguous
Adjacent or touching. Contrast with
"fragmentation".
CPU
Central Processing
Unit. A CPU is the computing part
of the computer. It's also called the "processor".
Computer professionals (particularly those
involved with mainframes and minicomputers) often
refer to the entire computer as a CPU, in which case
"CPU" refers to the processor, memory (RAM) and I/O
architecture (channels or buses).
Cycle
A set of events that is repeated. For example, in
a polling system, all of the attached terminals are
tested in one cycle.
Cycle Time
The time interval between the start of one cycle
and the start of the next cycle.
Cylinder
The aggregate (collection) of all tracks that
reside in the same location on every disk surface.
On multiple-platter disks, the cylinder is the sum
total of every track with the same track number on
every surface. On a floppy disk, a cylinder
comprises the top and corresponding bottom track.
When storing data, the operating system fills an
entire cylinder before moving to the next cylinder.
The access arm remains stationary until all the
tracks in the cylinder have been read or written.
Data Caching
Temporary storage of new write data or
high-demand read data in solid state memory, for the
purpose of accelerating performance. After the
cached data is either written to disk or determined
to be of low demand, it is overwritten with newly
cached data
Data Recovery
Restoration of physically damaged or corrupt data
on a disk or tape. Disks and tapes can become
corrupted due to hardware failure, bad software and
viruses, as well as from power failures that occur
while the magnetic media is being written.
Deadlock
Condition
A stalemate that occurs when two elements in a
process are each waiting for the other to respond.
For example, in a network, if one user is working on
file A and needs file B to continue, but another
user is working on file B and needs file A to
continue, each one waits for the other. Both are
temporarily locked out. The software must be able to
deal with this scenario. Also known as "deadly
embrace".
Defrag, Defragment, Defragmentation
To reorganize a disk by putting files into
contiguous order. Because the operating system
stores new data in whatever free space is available,
data files become scattered across the disk as they
are updated. This causes the read/write head to move
around all over the disk to read back the data. A
defragmenter (such as Diskeeper) rewrites the files
and stores them in adjacent sectors. A defragmented
disk can speed up backup procedures and facilitate
restoration of backed up files.
Defragmenter, Defragger
Also referred to as an "optimizer program," a
defragmenter (such as Diskeeper) is a software
utility which defragments a disk. Windows comes with
a built-in defragmenter which is based on Executive
Software's Diskeeper Lite utility.
Disk Fragment
A disk fragment is a piece of a file. When a file
is written to a hard drive, it is often written in
multiple fragments because there is no contiguous
space available large enough to store the file.
Disk
Fragmentation
A condition wherein data is stored in
non-contiguous areas on disk. As files are updated,
new data are stored in available free space, which
may or may not be contiguous. Fragmented files cause
extra head movement, which slows disk accesses. A
defragmenter program such as Diskeeper is used to
rewrite and reorder the files.
Disk Head (Read/Write Head)
A device which reads (senses) and writes
(records) data on a magnetic disk (hard disk or
floppy disk, for example) or tape. When writing, the
surface of the disk or tape is moved past the
read/write head. By discharging electrical impulses
at the appropriate times, bits are recorded as tiny,
magnetized spots of positive or negative polarity.
When reading, the surface is moved past the
read/write head, and the bits that are present
induce an electrical current across the gap.
Disk Track
The storage channel on a disk or tape. On
magnetic disks (hard disks, floppy disks, etc.),
tracks are concentric (having a common center)
circles.
Disk Volume
A physical storage unit, such as a hard disk,
floppy disk, CD-ROM, for example.
Diskeeper
Diskeeper is the first defragmenter to quantify
the effects of fragmentation on performance of both
Windows workstations and servers. Diskeeper enables
system administrators to be proactive in maintaining
system performance. Diskeeper even alerts system
administrators when it encounters potential data
corruption with an e-mail detailing the exact
machine and the problems found.
Disk-Intensive
Characterizing a process that requires a lot of
reading from and writing to the disk.
DOS
Disk Operating
System. A single-user operating
system (OS). It was the first OS for the PC, and is
the underlying control program for Windows 3.1, 95,
98 and ME. Windows NT, 2000, XP and later versions
emulate DOS in order to support existing DOS
applications.
The DOS version that Microsoft developed for IBM
was PC-DOS, and the version that all other vendors
used was MS-DOS. For the most part (with the
exception of DOS 6), PC-DOS and MS-DOS commands and
system functions are the same.
Enterprise
The entire organization (including its
subsidiaries). It implies a large corporation or
government agency, but it may also refer to a
company of any size with many systems and users to
manage. However, no matter the size of the
organization, "enterprise" generally means "the
entire company". The terms "enterprise", "company",
"corporation" and "organization" are used
synonymously.
ESD
Electronic Software
Dstribution. Distributing new
software and upgrades via the Internet or over a
network instead of by way of individual
installations on each machine.
Extent
The contiguous area on a disk containing a file
or a portion of a file. Consists of one or more
clusters.
FAT
File Allocation
Table. The original file system
used in DOS, Windows and OS/2. The FAT keeps track
of where data are stored on disk. The directory
list, which contains file name, extension, date,
etc., points to the FAT entry where the file starts.
If a file is larger than one cluster, the first FAT
entry points to the next FAT entry where the second
cluster of the file is stored, and so on all the way
to the end of the file. If a cluster becomes
damaged, its FAT entry is marked as such and that
cluster is not used again.
FAT32
FAT32 is the 32-bit version of the FAT file
system, used on most PCs today. It supports larger
disk partitions and file sizes, and has more
safeguards than the earlier version of FAT (FAT16).
File Corruption
Alteration of data or programs due to hardware or
software failure, viruses or power failure.
File System
1) In a computer, a file system (sometimes
written filesystem) is the way in which files are
named and where they are placed logically for
storage and retrieval. The DOS, Windows, OS/2,
Macintosh, and UNIX-based operating systems all have
file systems in which files are placed somewhere in
a hierarchical (tree) structure. A file is placed in
a directory (folder in Windows) or subdirectory at
the desired place in the tree structure.
File systems specify conventions for naming files.
These conventions include the maximum number of
characters in a name, which characters can be used,
and, in some systems, how long the file name suffix
can be. A file system also includes a format for
specifying the path to a file through the structure
of directories.
2) Sometimes the term refers to the part of an
operating system or an added-on program that
supports a file system as defined in (1). Examples
of such add-on file systems include the Network File
System (NFS) and the Andrew file system (AFS).
3) In the specialized lingo of storage
professionals, a file system is the hardware used
for nonvolatile storage , the software application
that controls the hardware, and the architecture of
both the hardware and software.
Flagship
The best or most important product, idea,
building, etc. that an organization owns or
produces.
Fragment
A fragment is a piece of a file. When a file is
written to a hard drive, it is often written in
multiple fragments because there is no contiguous
space available large enough to store the file.
Fragmentation
A condition wherein data is stored in
non-contiguous areas on disk. As files are updated,
new data are stored in available free space, which
may or may not be contiguous. Fragmented files cause
extra head movement, which slows disk accesses. A
defragmenter program such as Diskeeper is used to
rewrite and reorder the files.
FRS
File Record
Segment. An MFT (Master
File Table) file
record. This metadata file is an index of all the
files on the volume. It contains the attributes of
each file and the root of any indexes.
Gigabyte
One billion bytes. Also known as GB, Gbyte, gig
and G-byte.
GUI
Graphical User
Interface. A graphical user
interface that incorporates movable windows, icons
and a mouse.
Hard Coded
Unchangeable. Hard-coded features are built into
the hardware or software in such a way that they
cannot be modified.
Head
Read/Write Head. A device which reads (senses)
and writes (records) data on a magnetic disk (hard
disk or floppy disk, for example) or tape. When
writing, the surface of the disk or tape is moved
past the read/write head. By discharging electrical
impulses at the appropriate times, bits are recorded
as tiny, magnetized spots of positive or negative
polarity. When reading, the surface is moved past
the read/write head, and the bits that are present
induce an electrical current across the gap.
Hive
A section of the registry stored in a file on the
computer's hard disk. Hives are located on a
specified volume or in the user profiles.
Hook
Programming instructions that provide breakpoints
for future expansion. Hooks may be changed to call
some outside routine or function, or may be placed
where additional processing is added.
Host
A computer which acts as a source of information
or signals. The term can refer to nearly any type of
computer, such as a centralized mainframe which is a
host to its terminals, a server which is acting as a
host to its clients, or a desktop PC which is acting
as a host to its peripherals. In network
architectures, a client station (the user's machine)
is considered to be a host, because it's a source of
information to the network (in contrast to a device
such as a router or switch which directs traffic).
IDC
International Data
Corporation, Framingham, MA
(www.idcresearch.com). A major market research,
analysis and consulting firm in the information
field. Founded in 1964, it provides annual briefings
and in-depth reports on all aspects of the industry.
Interrupt
A signal that gets the attention of the CPU and
is usually generated when I/O is required. Software
interrupts are generated by a program requiring disk
input or output. Hardware interrupts are generated
when a key is pressed or when the mouse is moved.
When an interrupt occurs, control is transferred to
the operating system, which determines the action to
be taken. Interrupts are prioritized, and the higher
the priority, the faster it will be serviced.
I/O
Input/Output.
Transferring data between the CPU and a peripheral
device. Every transfer of data is an output from one
device and an input into another.
I/O Express
I/O Express is Executive Software's Automatic
Data Caching utility for Open VMS.
I/O Wait Monitor Utility
A utility available from Executive Software used
to determine I/O bottlenecks on an Open VMS system.
IT
Information Technology.
Processing information by use of a computer, and
currently used to refer to the information
processing industry, coming after other titles such
as electronic data processing (EDP), management
information systems (MIS) and information systems
(IS).
Kernel
The fundamental part of a program, usually an
operating system, that resides in memory at all
times and provides the basic services. It is that
part of the operating system which is closest to the
machine and may activate the hardware directly or
interface to another software layer that drives the
hardware.
Kernel Mode Trap
A kernel mode trap is the famous "blue screen of
death". This "blue screen of death" is a display
image containing white text on a blue background,
which is generated by Windows operating systems when
the system has suddenly terminated with an error.
The system is locked up, and has to be restarted.
The blue screen may include hexadecimal values from
a core dump (a display or printout of the contents
of memory) that may help determine what caused the
crash.
License Compliance Tracking
License compliance is employing software or
hardware according to the license as granted by the
copyright owner of that product. Examples of
violation of software license and copyright include
counterfeiting, corporate copying and hard disk
loading. License compliance tracking software, such
as Executive Software's Sitekeeper, makes license
compliance easy to manage and takes the worry out of
staying legal.
Lost Cluster
Disk records that have lost their identification
with a file name. This can happen when a file is
closed improperly, for example when the computer is
turned off without quitting the application first.
Megabyte
One million bytes, or more precisely 1,048,576
bytes. Also known as meg, MB, Mbyte and M-byte.
Metadata
Data that describes other data. "Metadata" may
refer to detailed compilations such as data
dictionaries and repositories that provide a fair
amount of information about each data element, and
may also refer to any descriptive item about data,
such as the content of an HTML meta tag or a title
field in a media file. Although commonly spelled as
one word, "meta-data" (with the hyphen) is the
proper, generic spelling, because the Metadata
company has trademarked the name.
MFT
Master File
Table. A list of files in an NTFS
volume, which contains the name, size, time and
date, etc. for each file.
MHz
MegaHertz.
One million cycles per second. It is used to measure
the transmission speed of electronic devices. A
gigahertz (GHz) means one billion times. When used
to refer to the computer's clock, it is used to
measure the speed of the CPU. For example, an 800MHz
machine processes data internally twice as fast as a
400MHz machine.
Mount
In computers, to mount is to make a group of
files in a file system structure accessible to a
user or user group. In some usages, it means to make
a device physically accessible. For instance, in
data storage, to mount is to place a data medium
(such as a tape cartridge) on a drive in a position
to operate. Macintosh calls it mounting when a user
inserts a disc into the machine.
In a Unix environment, the mount command attaches
discs, or directories logically rather than
physically. The Unix mount command makes a directory
accessible by attaching a root directory of one file
system to another directory, which makes all the
file systems usable as if they were subdirectories
of the file system they are attached to. Unix
recognizes devices by their location, as compared to
Windows, which recognizes them by their names (C:
drive, for example). Unix organizes directories in a
tree-like structure, in which directories are
attached by mounting them on the branches of the
tree. The file system location where the device is
attached is called a mount point.
Mounts may be local or remote. A local mount
connects disc drives on one machine so that they
behave as one logical system. A remote mount uses
Network File System (NFS) to connect to directories
on other machines so that they can be used as if
they were all part of the user's file system.
Nanosecond
One billionth of a second.
NSTL
National Software
Testing Lab,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An independent
organization that evaluates computer hardware and
software. It adheres to controlled testing methods
to ensure objective results, and publishes its
findings in Software Digest Ratings Report and PC
Digest.
NTFS
NT File System.
An optional file system for Windows NT, XP, 2000 and
later operating systems. NTFS is a more advanced
file system than FAT32.
NTLDR
Short for NT Loader. A program that is loaded
from the hard drive boot sector which displays the
Microsoft Windows NT startup menu and helps Windows
NT load.
NTLDR'S $DATA Attribute
This attribute contains the actual data for a
file.
Offline
Not connected. For example, all printers have a
switch that allows you to turn them offline. While
the printer is offline, you can perform certain
commands like advancing the paper (form feed), but
you cannot print documents sent from the computer.
The opposite of offline is online.
Online
Turned on and connected. For example, printers
are online when they are ready to receive data from
the computer. You can also turn a printer offline.
While the printer is offline, you can perform
certain tasks such as advancing the paper, but you
cannot send data to it. Most printers have an online
button you can press to turn the machine on- or
offline.
Users are considered online when they are connected
to a computer service through a modem. That is, they
are actually on the line.
Open VMS
Open VMS is an operating system that started out
on Digital Equipment Corporation's first produced
systems (such as the PDP). The migration through the
years was to VAX and Alpha systems. VMS has a file
system that supports fairly long names, is
hierarchical in directory structure and supports
multiple versions of the same file with the same
name.
OS, O/S
Operating System.
The master control program running the computer. The
OS is the first program loaded when the computer is
turned on. The applications "talk to" the operating
system for all user interface and file management
operations.
OpenVMS
A later version of the VMS operating system from
Compaq (originally Digital Equipment Corporation).
VMS was originally developed for Digital's VAX
systems and was later ported to the Alpha line.
OpenVMS Alpha
A family of RISC-based, 64-bit CPUs and computer
systems originally developed by Digital, acquired by
Compaq and then by Hewlett-Packard.
Page File, Paging File, pagefile.sys
See "Windows swap file".
Partition
A reserved part of disk or memory which is set
aside for some purpose. On a PC, new hard disks must
be partitioned using the Fdisk utility before they
can be formatted for the operating system. One can
create just one partition, creating one drive letter
for the entire disk (i.e., "C:"), or several
partitions sized to your requirements, such as
drives C:, D: and E: (all located on the same
physical disk, but acting, for all intents and
purposes, like three separate drives to the
operating system and user).
PDC
Primary Domain
Controller. A Windows NT service
which manages security for its local domain. Every
domain has one PDC, which contains a database of
usernames, passwords and permissions. A domain in a
local area network (LAN) is a subnetwork comprised
of a group of clients and servers under the control
of one security database.
Peripheral Device
Any hardware device connected to a computer, such
as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner,
disk, etc.
Platter
One of the disks in a hard disk drive; each
platter provides a top and bottom recording surface.
Proactive
Taking action by causing change rather than only
reacting to change when it happens.
PushInstall
A proprietary feature of several of Executive
Software's products, this powerful market-proven
technology completely eliminates the time and cost
of manual installation or uninstalls, keeping a
site's technology current with fast, two-click
central control. With no learning curve,
administrators can easily and rapidly install or
uninstall software, updates, upgrades and patches,
which are logo-compliant for Windows 2000 and XP, or
are Microsoft-Installer compliant, on selected
machines throughout a site from a central location.
PushInstaller can even be used to install Windows XP
itself.
RAID
Redundant Array
of Independent Disks.
A disk subsystem used to increase performance and/or
provide fault tolerance (the ability to continue
non-stop when a hardware failure occurs). RAID is a
set of two or more ordinary hard disks and a
specialized disk controller that contains the RAID
functionality. In the late 1980s, RAID meant an
array of "inexpensive" disks (compared to large
computer disks or Single Large Expensive Disks). As
hard disks became cheaper, the RAID Advisory Board
changed the name to mean "independent".
RAM
Random Access
Memory. A group of memory chips,
typically of the dynamic RAM (DRAM) type,
functioning as the computer's primary workspace. RAM
chips require power to maintain their content, which
is why you must save your data onto disk before you
turning the computer off.
Realtime
Indicating an immediate response. It refers to
process control and embedded systems; for example,
space flight computers must respond instantly to
changing conditions. It also refers to fast
transaction processing systems as well as any
electronic operation fast enough to keep up with its
real-world counterpart (such as transmitting live
video).
Registry
In the Microsoft Windows operating systems
beginning with Windows 95, the registry is a single
place for keeping such information as what hardware
is attached, what system options have been selected,
how computer memory is set up, and what application
programs are to be present when the operating system
is started. The registry is somewhat similar to and
a replacement for the simpler INI (initialization)
and configuration files used in earlier Windows
(DOS-based) systems. INI files are still supported,
however, for compatibility with the 16-bit
applications written for earlier systems.
In general, the user updates the registry indirectly
using Control Panel tools, and various pieces of
software. When you install or uninstall application
programs, they also update the registry. In a
network environment, registry information can be
kept on a server so that system policies for
individuals and workgroups can be managed centrally
RC2, RC3 (as in Microsoft
Windows RC2 Build 2123)
Release Candidate.
A pre-release version of software.
RISC
Reduced Instruction
Set Computer. A
computer architecture that reduces chip complexity
by using simpler instructions.
ROI
Return on
Investment. The most widely used
single measure of a firm's operating efficiency. ROI
equals the ratio of net income to invested capital.
ROM
Read Only
Memory. A memory chip that
permanently stores instructions and data. ROM chips
are used to store control routines in PCs (ROM
BIOS), peripheral controllers and other electronic
equipment.
Root
The highest level in an index. The very top level
(Ex. C:\ is the root of the disk).
Sector
The smallest unit of storage read or written on a
disk.
Server
A computer system in a network shared by multiple
users. Stand-alone PCs and Macs can function as a
server to other users on the network, even though
they serve as a single workstation to one user
(called a "peer-to-peer" network). This is common in
small offices, but generally speaking, servers are
standalone stations.
The term "server" may refer to both the hardware
and software (the entire computer system) or just
the software that performs a particular service. For
example, "Web server" may refer to the Web server
software in a computer that also runs other
applications, or it may refer to a computer system
dedicated only to the Web server application. A
large Web site could have several dedicated Web
servers or one very large Web server.
Sitekeeper
Executive Software's Sitekeeper provides Hardware
and Software Inventory, Patch Management, Software License Management
and Software Deployment in a nimble, easy-to-use
package that runs right from the same machine you're
currently using to manage your network. No dedicated
servers, expensive database software or special
training required.
Solid State
An electronic component or circuit made of solid
materials, such as transistors, chips and bubble
memory. There is no mechanical action in a solid
state device, although a lot of electromagnetic
action takes place within. For data storage, solid
state devices are much faster and more reliable than
mechanical disks and tapes, but cost more.
Spindle
A rotating shaft in a disk drive. In a fixed
disk, the platters are attached to the spindle. In a