IT Glossary

API First Design is a strategy in software development where the API is considered the first step in the development process, prioritizing its design and specification before the implementation of the software itself, to ensure a well-structured and scalable application.

Commonly used in Software Development, Web Development

An API Gateway is a management tool that sits between a client and a collection of backend services, acting as a reverse proxy to accept all application programming interface (API) calls, aggregate the various services required to fulfill them, and return the appropriate result.

Commonly used in Cloud Computing, Networking

A set of tools and services that allow developers to connect and integrate different APIs and services, facilitating the development of new applications and services by combining functionalities.

Commonly used in API Management, Software Development

API Management involves the processes of creating, publishing, documenting, and analyzing APIs in a secure and scalable environment, facilitating the monitoring and control of the APIs exposed to both internal and external developers.

Commonly used in Web Development, Networking

A web application that combines data or functionality from two or more sources via their APIs, creating a new service that was not offered by the individual sources alone.

Commonly used in Web Development, Integration

API Middleware refers to software that mediates between two or more software applications or layers to facilitate their interaction, often used to manage requests, data formatting, and communication between components of distributed systems.

Commonly used in Software Development, Networking

The process of creating a simulated version of an API that mimics the behavior of the real API, used for testing, development, and training purposes without relying on the actual API backend.

Commonly used in Software Development, Testing

API Orchestration refers to the process of integrating multiple APIs to coordinate their interactions and create a seamless workflow, enabling the development of complex applications and services from modular, reusable components.

Commonly used in Web Development, Integration

A server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers, allowing for API management features like security, rate limiting, and analytics without modifying the backend service.

Commonly used in Web Development, API Management

The practice of limiting the number of API requests that can be made by a user, application, or IP address in a given time period, typically to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage of web services.

Commonly used in API Management, Web Development

A virtual environment that mimics the characteristics of the production environment and is used for testing APIs in isolation from other systems, allowing developers to simulate responses, test integrations, and debug in a controlled setting.

Commonly used in Software Development, Testing

The process of evaluating the security of APIs by identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring that they can communicate securely, and protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.

Commonly used in Cybersecurity, Software Development

API Testing involves directly testing APIs to verify they meet expectations for functionality, reliability, performance, and security, often as part of the software development lifecycle.

Commonly used in Software Development, QA

API Throttling is a technique used to control the amount of incoming requests to a server, protecting the API from being overwhelmed by too many requests and ensuring equitable distribution of server resources among all users.

Commonly used in Web Development, Networking

The practice of managing multiple versions of APIs to ensure backward compatibility, smooth transitions for consumers during updates, and the orderly deprecation of outdated interfaces.

Commonly used in API Management, Web Development

API Versioning involves managing changes to an API without disrupting existing clients by introducing versions, allowing developers to make improvements and add features while ensuring backward compatibility for users of the API.

Commonly used in Web Development, API Management

An applet is a small application designed to run within another application or webpage, often used to provide interactive features such as calculators or games.

Commonly used in Web Development

A low-level interface between two application programs or between an application and the operating system or hardware, defining how data structures or computational routines are accessed.

Commonly used in Software Development, Systems Programming

The process of rationalizing and reducing the number of applications within an organization to streamline operations, reduce costs, and simplify IT infrastructure.

Commonly used in IT Management, Strategic Planning

Application Containerization involves encapsulating or packaging software code along with its dependencies so that it can run uniformly and consistently on any infrastructure, promoting efficiency and scalability in deployment.

Commonly used in Cloud Computing, DevOps

The process of identifying and understanding the dependencies and relationships between applications and components within an IT environment, crucial for change impact analysis, troubleshooting, and planning.

Commonly used in Software Development, IT Management

The process of identifying and documenting the relationships and dependencies between applications, services, and underlying infrastructure within an IT environment, critical for change management and troubleshooting.

Commonly used in IT Management, Systems Administration

Designs and creates software apps for various operating systems or for specific usage requirements.

Commonly used in Software Development

A process that involves identifying and documenting the functionality, structure, and interdependencies of applications within an IT environment, often used for system modernization or migration projects.

Commonly used in IT Management, Software Engineering

A software library designed to support the development of web applications, web services, and web resources, providing a standard way to build and deploy applications.

Commonly used in Software Development, Web Development

An Application Gateway is a type of gateway that provides application-level traffic filtering and routing, enhancing security by isolating traffic between networks or segments and often including features like load balancing and content filtering.

Commonly used in Networking, Security

Application Insights is a feature of Azure Monitor, providing comprehensive application performance management (APM) and monitoring capabilities, including the tracking of application usage, performance, and errors.

Commonly used in Cloud Computing, DevOps

The Application Layer is the top layer of both the OSI and TCP/IP models, providing protocols that allow software to send and receive information and present meaningful data to users.

Commonly used in Networking

A cyber attack targeting the application layer of the OSI model, aiming to exploit vulnerabilities in software applications, such as web servers and application protocols, to gain unauthorized access or disrupt services.

Commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security

A type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack targeting the top layer of the OSI model, aiming to exhaust the resources of a target application or server, often by overwhelming it with a flood of seemingly legitimate requests.

Commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Encryption that is applied directly to data by the application that generates or processes it, rather than relying on encryption at the transport layer or within the database.

Commonly used in Security, Data Protection

An Application Layer Firewall operates at the highest level of the OSI model to provide network security by monitoring and potentially blocking the data packets transmitted to and from an application to protect against attacks at the application level.

Commonly used in Security, Networking

A firewall operating at the OSI application layer that inspects all incoming and outgoing traffic to an application or service, providing a high level of security by filtering traffic based on content rather than IP addresses or ports.

Commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security

An Application Layer Protocol defines the standards and methods used for communication between applications over a network, specifying how data is structured and transmitted so that services can interoperate effectively.

Commonly used in Networking, Software Development

A TLS extension that allows the application layer to negotiate which protocol should be performed over a secure connection, facilitating the choice of HTTP/2, SPDY, or HTTP/1.1, for example.

Commonly used in Networking, Security

Techniques and technologies used to improve the performance and efficiency of data flow at the application layer of the OSI model, often involving content caching, load balancing, and data compression.

Commonly used in Networking, Performance Optimization

ALM encompasses the continuous process of managing the life of an application through governance, development, and maintenance, supporting continuous integration and deployment practices.

Commonly used in Software Development, IT Management

A discipline that aims to enhance software application performance through design, development, testing, and deployment practices, ensuring applications meet performance criteria and provide a good user experience.

Commonly used in Software Engineering, DevOps

A standard for measuring the performance of an application based on user satisfaction or response times, providing a simple, uniform approach to reporting and tracking performance over time.

Commonly used in Software Development, Performance

APM is the monitoring and management of performance and availability of software applications, aiming to detect, diagnose complex application performance problems to maintain an expected level of service.

Commonly used in IT Management, Development

APM refers to the practice of using tools and techniques to monitor, manage, and analyze the performance and availability of software applications, aiming to detect, diagnose, and resolve performance issues.

Commonly used in IT Management, DevOps

The analysis of a software application to identify the parts of the program responsible for its performance characteristics, especially areas that could be optimized for better efficiency or speed.

Commonly used in Software Development, Performance Analysis

The practice of managing an organization’s software applications and software-based services to ensure alignment with business strategies and objectives.

Commonly used in IT Management, Business Strategy

The process of analyzing and optimizing the set of software applications used by an organization to ensure they provide maximum value, are cost-effective, and align with business objectives, often involving the consolidation or retirement of redundant or outdated applications.

Commonly used in IT Management, Strategic Planning

The process of planning and creating the endpoints, data structures, and protocols for APIs, focusing on making them efficient, easy to use, and secure, while ensuring they meet the needs of both the developers who will use them and the applications they will serve.

Commonly used in Software Development, Web Services

The economic value and business models that emerge from the use and exchange of APIs, enabling companies to extend services, reach new customers, and innovate by leveraging external and internal APIs.

Commonly used in Business Strategy, Digital Transformation

An API Key is a unique identifier used to authenticate a user, developer, or calling program to an API, often part of the API security mechanisms to control access and track API usage.

Commonly used in Software Development, Security

The process of creating, publishing, maintaining, and securing APIs in a scalable environment, often involving the use of API gateways, documentation tools, and analytics to manage the lifecycle of APIs.

Commonly used in Web Development, API Strategy

An Application Programming Model defines the methods and data structures that developers should use to build applications on a specific platform or system, guiding the creation of consistent and efficient software.

Commonly used in Software Development

The use of tools and processes to automate the deployment of applications across various stages of the development lifecycle, ensuring consistent and reliable releases.

Commonly used in DevOps, Continuous Delivery