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Frequently Asked Terminologies from Internet world

URL

Abbreviation of

niform

esource

ocator,

the globaladdressof documentsand other resourceson the World Wide Web. The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies theIP addressor thedomain namewhere the resource is located.For example, the two URLs below point to two different files at the domain

pcwebopedia.com.

The firstspecifies an executable file that should be fetched using theFTP protocol;the second specifies aWeb page that should be fetched using theHTTP protocol:

RAID

Short for

edundant

rray of

ndependent (or

nexpensive)

isks,

a category of disk drivesthat employ twoor more drives in combination for fault toleranceand performance. RAID disk drives are used frequently onserversbut aren't generally necessary for personal computers

OSI

pronounced as separate letters) Short for

pen

ystem

nterconnection

, anISO standardfor worldwide communications that defines a networking framework for implementingprotocolsin seven layers. Control ispassed from one layer to the next, starting at the application layer in one station, proceeding to the bottomlayer, over thechannelto the next station and back up the hierarchy.At one time, most vendors agreed to support OSI in one form or another, but OSI was too loosely definedand proprietary standards were too entrenched. Except for the OSI-compliantX.400andX.500e-mail and directory standards, which are widely used, what was once thought to become the universalcommunications standard now serves as the teaching model for all other protocols.Most of the functionality in the OSI model exists in all communications systems, although two or three OSIlayers may be incorporated into one.OSI is also referred to as the

OSI Reference Model

or just the

OSI Model.

VPN

wires to connect nodes. For example, there are a number of systems that enable you to create networksusing theInternetas the medium for transporting data. These systems useencryptionand other security mechanisms to ensure that onlyauthorizedusers can access the network and that the data cannot beintercepted.

OEM

(pronounced as separate letters) Short for

riginal

quipment

anufacturer,

which is a misleading term for acompany that has a special relationship withcomputer producers. OEMs buy computers in bulk andcustomize them for a particular application. They then sell the customized computer under their own name.The term is really a misnomer because OEMs are not the

original

manufacturers -- they are the customizers

SSL

pronounced as separate letters) Short for

ecure

ockets

ayer,

aprotocoldeveloped byNetscapefor transmitting private documents via theInternet.SSL works by using a privatekeytoencryptdata that's transferred over the SSL connection. BothNetscape Navigator andInternet Explorer support SSL, and manyWeb sitesuse the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. Byconvention,URLsthat require an SSL connection start with

https:

instead of

http

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API

Abbreviation of

pplication

rogram

nterface

, a set of routines, protocols,and tools for buildingsoftware applications.A good API makes it easier to develop aprogramby providing all the building blocks. A programmer puts the blocks together

NAT

Short for

etwork

ddress

ranslation,

anInternetstandard that enables alocal-area network (LAN)to use one set of IP addressesfor internal traffic and a second set of addresses for external traffic. A

NAT box

located where the LAN meets the Internet makes all necessary IP address translations

SIP

Short for

ingle

n-line

ackage,

a type of housing for electronic components in which the connectingpins protrude from one side

ODBC

pronounced as separate letters) Short for

pen

ata

ase

onnectivity

, astandarddatabase access method developed by the SQL Access group in 1992. The goal of ODBC is to make it possible to access anydatafrom anyapplication, regardless of whichdatabase management system (DBMS)is handling the data. ODBC manages this by inserting a middle layer, called a database

driver

,between an application and theDBMS. The purpose of this layer is to translate the application's dataqueriesintocommandsthat the DBMS understands.

SMTP

pronounced as separate letters) Short for

imple

ail

ransfer

rotocol,

aprotocolfor sendinge-mail messages betweenservers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over theInternetuse SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with ane-mail clientusing either POPor IMAP. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server. This is why you need to specify both the POP or IMAP server and the SMTP server when youconfigureyour e-mailapplication

Routers

Adevicethat forwards datapacketsalongnetworks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly twoLANsor WANsor a LAN and itsISP’snetwork. Routers are located atgateways, the places where two or more networks connect

IP Address

Anidentifier for a computer or deviceon aTCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IPprotocolroute messages based on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numericaddress written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example,1.160.10.240 could be an IP address

TCP/IP

for

ransmission

ontrol

rotocol/

nternet

rotocol,

the suite of communications protocolsused to connecthostson theInternet. TCP/IP uses severalprotocols, the two main ones beingTCPandIP.TCP/IP is built into theUNIXoperating systemand is used by the Internet, making it thede facto standardfor transmitting

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dataover networks.Evennetwork operating systemsthat have their own protocols, such asNetware, also supportTCP/IP.

ISCSI

Short for

nternet

SCSI

, anIP-based standard for linking data storage devices over a network andtransferring data by carryingSCSIcommands over IP networks. iSCSI supports aGigabit Ethernetinterface at thephysical layer,which allows systems supporting iSCSI interfaces to connect directly to standardGigabit Ethernet switches and/or IProuters. When anoperating systemreceives a request it generates the SCSI command and then sends an IPpacketover anEthernet The Five Generations of ComputersThe history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computingdevices.Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development thatfundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, morepowerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that ledto the current devices that we use today.

First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry andmagnetic drumsfor memory,and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great dealof electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. First generation computersrelied onmachine languageto perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Inputwas based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.The UNIVAC andENIACcomputers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC wasthe first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

Transistorsreplaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor wasinvented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 50s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficientand more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great dealof heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.Second-generation computers moved from crypticbinarymachine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words.High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOLandFORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum tomagnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits

The development of theintegrated circuitwas the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistorswere miniaturized and placed onsiliconchips, calledsemiconductors,which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers throughkeyboards andmonitorsandinterfacedwith anoperating system, which allowed the device to run many different

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