Freeware Definition Freeware (not to be confused with free software) is programming that is offered at no cost and is a common class of small applications available for downloading and use in most operating systems. Because it may be copyrighted, you may or may not be able to reuse it in programming you are developing. The least restrictive "no-cost" programs are uncopyrighted programs that are in the public domain. When reusing public domain software in your own programs, it's good to know the...

 Host DefintionA host (also known as "network host") is a computer or other device that communicates with other hosts on a network. Hosts on a network include clients and servers -- that send or receive data, services or applications.Hosts typically do not include intermediary network devices like switches and routers, which are instead often categorized as nodes. A node is also a broader term that includes anything connected to a network, while a host requires an IP address. In other words, all...

Packet-switched describes the type of network in which relatively small units of data called packets are routed through a network based on the destination address contained within each packet. Breaking communication down into packets allows the same data path to be shared among many users in the network. This type of communication between sender and receiver is known as connectionless (rather than dedicated). Most traffic over the Internet uses packet switching and the Internet is basically a co...

Message Definition (1) Using e-mail , a message is an individual piece of mail.(2) In computer systems in general, a message is an information unit that the system sends back to the user or system operator with information about the status of an operation, an error, or other condition. (3) Using some telecommunication or data access methods, a message can be the unit of information or data that is transmitted from one program or user to another. (4) In messaging , which is the f...

high-performance computing (HPC) High-performance computing (HPC) is the use of parallel processing for running advanced application programs efficiently, reliably and quickly. The term applies especially to systems that function above a teraflop or 1012 floating-point operations per second. The term HPC is occasionally used as a synonym for supercomputing, although technically a supercomputeris a system that performs at or near the currently highest operational rate for computers. So...

Pervasive Computing (ubiquitous computing) Pervasive computing (also called ubiquitous computing) is the growing trend towards embedding microprocessors in everyday objects so they can communicate information.  The words pervasive and ubiquitous mean "existing everywhere." Pervasive computing devices are completely connected and constantly available. Pervasive computing relies on the convergence of  wireless technologies, advanced electronics and the Internet. The goal of researchers working...

Parallel Processing Definition In computers, parallel processing is the processing of program instructions by dividing them among multiple processors with the objective of running a program in less time. In the earliest computers, only one program ran at a time. A computation-intensive program that took one hour to run and a tape copying program that took one hour to run would take a total of two hours to run. An early form of parallel processing allowed the interleaved execution of both progra...

What is Cluster Computing? Cluster computing or High-Performance computing frameworks is a form of computing in which bunch of computers (often called nodes) that are connected through a LAN (local area network) so that, they behave like a single machine. A computer cluster help to solve complex operations more efficiently with much faster processing speed, better data integrity than a single computer and they only used for mission-critical applications. The Clustering methods have ident...

Utility Computing Definition Utility computing is a service provisioning model in which a service provider makes computing resources and infrastructure management available to the customer as needed, and charges them for specific usage rather than a flat rate. Like other types of on-demand computing (such as grid computing), the utility model seeks to maximize the efficient use of resources and/or minimize associated costs. The word utility is used to make an analogy to oth...

Autonomic Computing Definition Autonomic computing is a self-managing computing model named after, and patterned on, the human body's autonomic nervous system. An autonomic computing system would control the functioning of computer applications and systems without input from the user, in the same way that the autonomic nervous system regulates body systems without conscious input from the individual. The goal of autonomic computing is to create systems that run themselves, cap...