OSI Model Definition
The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model was created by the ISO to help standardize communication between computer systems. It divides communications into seven different layers, which each include multiple hardware standards, protocols, or other types of services.
The seven layers of the OSI model include:
The Physical layer
The Data Link layer
The Network layer
The Transport layer
The Session layer
The Presentation layer
The Application layer
When one ...
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TCP Definition
TCP Definition
Stands for "Transmission Control Protocol." TCP is a fundamental protocol within the Internet protocol suite — a collection of standards that allow systems to communicate over the Internet. It is categorized as a "transport layer" protocol since it creates and maintains connections between hosts.
TCP compliments the Internet protocol (IP), which defines IP addresses used to identify systems on the Internet. The Internet protocol provides instructions for transferring data while t...
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Username Definition
Username Definition
A username is a name that uniquely identifies someone on a computer system. For example, a computer may be setup with multiple accounts, with different usernames for each account. Many websites allow users to choose a username so that they can customize their settings or set up an online account. For example, your bank may allow you to choose a username for accessing your banking information. You may need to choose a username in order to post messages to a certain message boa...
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Email Definition
Email Definition
Email, short for "electronic mail," is one of the most widely used features of the Internet, along with the web. It allows you to send and receive messages to and from anyone with an email address, anywhere in the world.
Email uses multiple protocols within the TCP/IP suite. For example, SMTP is used to send messages, while the POP or IMAP protocols are used to retrieve messages from a mail server. When you configure an email account, you must define your email address, passwor...
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MAC Address Definition
MAC Address Definition
Stands for "Media Access Control Address," and no, it is not related Apple Macintosh computers. A MAC address is a hardware identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network. The MAC address is manufactured into every network card, such as an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi card, and therefore cannot be changed.
Because there are millions of networkable devices in existence, and each device needs to have a unique MAC address, there must be a very wide range o...
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Server Definition
Server Definition
A server is a computer that provides data to other computers. It may serve data to systems on a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) over the Internet.
Many types of servers exist, including web servers, mail servers, and file servers. Each type runs software specific to the purpose of the server. For example, a Web server may run Apache HTTP Server or Microsoft IIS, which both provide access to websites over the Internet. A mail server may run a program like ...
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Golden Master Definition
Golden Master Definition
A golden master, or GM, is the final version of a software program that is sent to manufacturing and is used to make retail copies of the software. The golden master follows several other stages in the software development process including the alpha, beta, and release candidate stages. The final release candidate (RC) becomes the "release to manufacturing" (RTM) version, which is also called the golden master.
The term "golden master" has been used by Apple for many ye...
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Social Media Definition
Social Media Definition
Social media is a collection of Internet-based communities that allow users to interact with each other online. This includes web forums, wikis, and user-generated content (UGC) websites. However, the term is most often used to describe popular social networking websites, which include the following:
Facebook - an online community that allows individual users to create personal profiles, share photos and videos, and post on each other's profile pages, or "Timelines."
...
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Rootkit Definition
Rootkit
A rootkit is a software program designed to provide a user with administrator access to a computer without being detected. Rootkits are are considered one of the most serious types of malware since they may be used to gain unauthorized access to remote systems and perform malicious operations.
The name "rootkit" includes the word "root," because the goal of a rootkit is to gain root access to a computer. By logging in as the root user of a system, a hacker can perform nearly any opera...
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SAN Definition
SAN Definition
Stands for "Storage Area Network." A SAN is a network of storage devices that can be accessed by multiple computers. Each computer on the network can access hard drives in the SAN as if they were local disks connected directly to the computer. This allows individual hard drives to be used by multiple computers, making it easy to share information between different machines.
While a single server can provide a shared hard drive to multiple machines, large networks may require more...
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