IT Glossary

The ability of a computer to load and execute one of multiple operating systems stored on different partitions or disks at boot time.

Commonly used in Operating Systems

A networking method where data is sent from one sender to multiple recipients simultaneously.

Commonly used in Networking

An address in computer networking used to deliver a packet of information to a group of destination computers simultaneously in a single transmission from the source.

Commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications

A way of using standard DNS programming interfaces, protocols, and packets with a small change so that machines can use DNS programming interfaces to resolve names within the local network.

Commonly used in Networking

The network routing process used to send Internet Protocol (IP) packets to a group of interested receivers.

Commonly used in Networking

The practice of writing software that efficiently utilizes multiple CPU cores at the same time to improve performance. This involves understanding parallelism and concurrency concepts.

Commonly used in Software Development, Parallel Computing

The practice of connecting a host or a network to more than one network. This is often used for redundancy and reliability.

Commonly used in Networking

The use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way.

Commonly used in General IT, Media

Software or hardware that compresses and decompresses digital media files such as songs or videos.

Commonly used in General IT, Multimedia

The process of combining text, audio, images, animation, video, or interactive content forms and making them accessible through a computer or electronic device.

Commonly used in Media, Web Development

A standard way to send messages that include multimedia content over mobile networks.

Commonly used in Mobile Communications

The use of multiple biological characteristics, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, to verify identity for security purposes.

Commonly used in Security, Biometrics

Refers to the interaction with a computer or device using multiple modes of input/output, such as speech, touch, and gesture recognition.

Commonly used in General IT, AI

Occurs when electromagnetic waves travel from a transmitter to a receiver via multiple paths due to reflection, refraction, or diffraction. Crucial in wireless communication system design.

Commonly used in Telecommunications

A framework that supports discovering services provided by nearby devices, supporting the creation of sessions and sharing of data among these devices.

Commonly used in Networking, Mobile Development

A method by which multiple analog or digital signals are combined into one signal over a shared medium.

Commonly used in Telecommunications

The use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system.

Commonly used in Hardware, Computing

A form of parallel processing in which several programs are run at the same time on a uniprocessor.

Commonly used in Operating Systems

The capability of an optical disc to be written in more than one session, allowing data to be added at different times.

Commonly used in Data Storage

A CD that allows data to be recorded in multiple sessions, enabling additional data to be added at later times without affecting the existing data.

Commonly used in Data Storage, General IT

In web development, particularly with content management systems, a multisite configuration allows a single installation of the software to serve multiple websites, each with its own unique content and domain name.

Commonly used in Web Development, Content Management

A feedback system that gathers performance data from multiple sources, such as peers, subordinates, and supervisors, often used in performance management systems.

Commonly used in IT Management, Human Resources

A technology used to capture image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum. Used in satellite imaging, medical imaging, and quality control in various industries.

Commonly used in AI, General IT

Devices that capture image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. Used in various applications, including remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Commonly used in AI, General IT

The ability of an operating system to execute multiple tasks simultaneously on a single processor.

Commonly used in General IT

A programming approach that allows multiple threads to exist within the context of a single process, enabling parallel execution of tasks.

Commonly used in Software Development

Multithreading is a programming technique that allows multiple threads of execution to run concurrently within a single process, enabling efficient utilization of CPU resources and improved performance.

Commonly used in Software Development

The ability of a database management system to execute multiple threads concurrently, improving performance and efficiency in handling database operations.

Commonly used in Databases, Software Development

A process in programming that ensures that two or more concurrent threads do not simultaneously execute some particular program segment known as critical section.

Commonly used in Software Development

Also known as n-tier architecture, a client-server architecture in which presentation, application processing, and data management functions are physically separated.

Commonly used in Software Development, Web Development

A technique for testing a hypothesis in which multiple variables are modified. The goal is to determine which combination of variations performs the best out of all possible combinations.

Commonly used in Web Development, Marketing

The process of combining hardware or software products from multiple vendors into a single system to achieve a specific functionality or workflow.

Commonly used in General IT, Networking

A method of software testing which involves modifying software’s source code in small ways to test whether the existing test cases can detect these modifications.

Commonly used in Software Testing

A security process in which both the client and the server verify each other’s identity.

Commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

A property of concurrency control, which is instituted for the purpose of preventing race conditions; it is the requirement that one thread of execution never enter its critical section at the same time that another concurrent thread of execution enters its own critical section.

Commonly used in Software Development, Operating Systems

An algorithm used in computer science to avoid race conditions by ensuring that multiple program threads do not simultaneously execute some particular program segment known as critical sections.

Commonly used in Software Development, Security

A phenomenon where a change in the electric current in one conductor induces a voltage in another conductor through electromagnetic induction. Relevant in wireless charging and power transfer.

Commonly used in Electronics

An agreement between two webmasters to provide a hyperlink within their own website to each other’s web site. Generally done to provide readers with quick access to related sites, and to increase search engine rankings through reciprocal links.

Commonly used in Web Development, SEO

A mode of Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security where both the client and the server authenticate each other using digital certificates to ensure both parties are trusted entities in a secure communication.

Commonly used in Security, Networking

A security protocol that requires both the client and server in a communication to authenticate each other’s identities via TLS/SSL certificates, ensuring a secure connection.

Commonly used in Cybersecurity, Networking

A concurrency control method commonly used in database management systems to provide concurrent access to the database and in programming languages to implement transactional memory.

Commonly used in Databases, Software Development

A development technique in which a new product is developed with sufficient features to satisfy early adopters.

Commonly used in Software Development, Business Strategy

A software architectural pattern that facilitates the separation of the development of the graphical user interface (the view) from the development of the business logic or back-end logic (the model) so that the view is not dependent on any specific model platform.

Commonly used in Software Development

In the context of neural networks and artificial intelligence, myelin is often used metaphorically to describe the insulation or enhancement of neural connections. The term originates from the biological myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers and increases signal transmission speed.

Commonly used in AI, Neural Networks

A storage engine for MySQL. MyISAM was the default storage engine for the MySQL relational database management system versions prior to 5.5.

Commonly used in Databases

Often referred to in the context of Mylar diagrams used in software architecture to represent relationships between different components or systems.

Commonly used in Software Development

Pertaining to electric phenomena produced by muscle action or to the electric potentials associated with muscles. Relevant in the development of prosthetic devices and medical research.

Commonly used in Health IT, General IT

An early social networking website launched in 2003 that allows users to create personal profiles, share photos, music, and videos, and interact with friends.

Commonly used in Social Media

An open-source relational database management system.

Commonly used in General IT, Database

An integrated development environment for MySQL, providing data modeling, SQL development, and comprehensive administration tools for server configuration, user administration, and much more.

Commonly used in Databases, Software Development