Contention Definition
(1) Contention means competition for resources. The term is used especially in networks to describe the situation where two or more nodes attempt to transmit a message across the same wire at the same time.
(2) A type of network protocol that allows nodes to contend for network access. That is, two or more nodes may try to send messages across the network simultaneously. The contention protocol defines what happens when this occurs. The most widely used contention p...
Read More
Technical
Channel Definition
Channel Definition
(1) A transmission path .
(2) A set of properties that distinguishes one channel from another. For example, TV channels refer to particular frequencies at which radio waves are transmitted. IRC channels refer to specific discussions.
(3) In sales and marketing, the way in which a vendor communicates with and sells products to consumers.
(4) In a field-effect transistor, such as a MOSFE T, a channel is the semiconductor path on which current flows.
(5) For IBM ...
Read More
Virtual Reality Definition
Virtual Reality Definition
While the word "virtual" is typically overused in the computer world, it is aptly placed in the phrase "virtual reality." According to the American Heritage Dictionary, virtual means "existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or name." It can also mean "created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer or computer network." Therefore, virtual reality is best described as an illusion of reality created by a computer system.
A...
Read More
TRIM Definition
TRIM Definition
TRIM is a feature supported by modern solid state drives (SSDs) that helps improve drive performance. The word "TRIM" is typically capitalized, though it is not an acronym. Instead, TRIM is a command that the operating system uses to allocate free space on an SSD.
When you delete a file on an SSD, the data is often not deleted immediately, but instead is marked for deletion. This prevents certain areas of the flash memory from being written and erased too frequently, which ca...
Read More
Latency Definition
Latency Definition
In computing, "latency" describes some type of delay. It typically refers to delays in transmitting or processing data, which can be caused by a wide variety of reasons. Two examples of latency are network latency and disk latency, which are explained below.
1. Network latency
Network latency describes a delay that takes place during communication over a network (including the Internet). For example, a slow router may cause a delay of a few milliseconds when one sys...
Read More
Partition Definition
Partition Definition
A partition is a section of a storage device, such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive. It is treated by the operating system as a separate logical volume, which makes it function similar to a separate physical device.
A storage device may be formatted with one or more partitions. Some operating systems, such as Windows and Linux require multiple partitions, while others like macOS may only require one. Windows stores system files in a "System Partition" and user d...
Read More
Developer Definition
Developer Definition
In the IT world, a developer is a person who creates something with a computer. The term encompasses many types of content, such as software, websites, and written material. Therefore, developers are often referred to by more specific names. Some common examples include 1) software developers, 2) web developers, and 3) content developers.
1. A software developer is someone who creates software programs. Software developers often have more specific titles, such as pro...
Read More
NFS Definition
NFS Definition
Stands for "Network File System." NFS is a protocol used to access files over a network. It was developed by Sun Microsystems and introduced in 1989. The protocol is platform-independent, meaning it works across multiple operating systems and network configurations.
While "file system" makes up two-thirds of the NFS acronym, the Network File System is not an actual file system like NTFS or APFS. Instead, it is a protocol that provides standard commands for accessing files ...
Read More
Character Definition
Character Definition
A character is any letter, number, space, punctuation mark, or symbol that can be typed on a computer. The word "computer," for example, consists of eight characters. The phrase "Hi there." takes up nine characters. Each character requires one byte of space, so "computer" takes up 8 bytes. The list of characters that can be typed is defined by the ASCII and extended ASCII set. Some of the symbols available are pretty strange and may even make you say, "That's quite a charac...
Read More
Syntax Definition
Syntax Definition
Every spoken language has a general set of rules for how words and sentences should be structured. These rules are collectively known as the language syntax. In computer programming, syntax serves the same purpose, defining how declarations, functions, commands, and other statements should be arranged.
Many computer programming languages share similar syntax rules, while others have a unique syntax design. For example, C and Java use a similar syntax, while Perl has many ch...
Read More