Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

n. The artwork of artists who use computers to create or distribute their efforts.

cybercafe or cyber cafè

n. 1. A coffee shop or restaurant that offers access to PCs or other terminals that are connected to the Internet, usually for a per-hour or per-minute fee. Users are encouraged to buy beverages or food to drink or eat while accessing the Internet. 2. A virtual cafè on the Internet, generally used for social purposes. Users interact with each other by means of a chat program or by posting messages to one another through a bulletin board system, such as in a newsgroup or on a Web site.

cybercash

n. See e-money.

cyberchat n. See IRC.

cybercop

n. A person who investigates criminal acts committed on line, especially fraud and harassment.

cyberculture

n. The behavior, beliefs, customs, and etiquette that characterize groups of individuals who communicate or socialize over computer networks, such as the Internet. The cyberculture of one group can be vastly different from the cyberculture of another.

Cyberdog

n. Apple’s Internet suite for Web browsing and e-mail, based on OpenDoc for easy integration with other applications. See also OpenDoc.

cyberlawyer

n. 1. An attorney whose practice involves the law related to computers and online communication, including elements of communications law, intellectual property rights, privacy and security issues, and other specialties. 2. An attorney who advertises or distributes information over the Internet and the World Wide Web.

cyberlife

n. In the gaming world, a technology that mimics biological DNA. See also digital DNA.

cybernaut

n. One who spends copious time on line, exploring the Internet. Also called: Internaut. See also cyberspace.

cybernetics

n. The study of control systems, such as the nervous system, in living organisms and the development of equivalent systems in electronic and mechanical devices. Cybernetics compares similarities and differences between living and nonliving systems (whether those systems comprise individuals, groups, or societies) and is based on theories of communication and control that can be applied to either living or nonliving systems or both. See also bionics.

cyberpunk

n. 1. A genre of near-future science fiction in which conflict and action take place in virtual-reality environments maintained on global computer networks in a worldwide culture of dystopian alienation. The prototypical cyberpunk novel is William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1982). 2. A category of popular culture that resembles the ethos of cyberpunk fiction. 3. A person or fictional character who resembles the heroes of cyberpunk fiction.

cybersex

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

n. Communication via electronic means, such as e-mail, chat, or newsgroups, for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification. See also chat1 (definition 1), newsgroup.

cyberspace

n. 1. The advanced shared virtual-reality network imagined by William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer (1982). 2. The universe of environments, such as the Internet, in which persons interact by means of connected computers. A defining characteristic of cyberspace is that communication is independent of physical distance.

cyberspeak

n. Terminology and language (often jargon, slang, and acronyms) relating to the Internet (computer-connected) environment, that is, cyberspace. See also cyberspace.

cybersquatter

n. A person who registers company names and other trademarks as Internet domain names in order to force the named companies or owners of the trademarks to buy them at an inflated price.

cyberwidow

n. The spouse of a person who spends inordinate amounts of time on the Internet.

cybrarian

n. Software used at some libraries that allows one to query a database through the use of an interactive search engine.

D: DAC—dynamic Web page

DAC

n. See digital-to-analog converter.

daemon

n. A program associated with UNIX systems that performs a housekeeping or maintenance utility function without being called by the user. A daemon sits in the background and is activated only when needed, for example, to correct an error from which another program cannot recover.

daisy chain1

n. A set of devices connected in series. In order to eliminate conflicting requests to use the channel (bus) to which all the devices are connected, each device is given a different priority. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) and the newer USB (Universal Serial Bus) both support daisy-chained devices. See also SCSI, USB.

daisy chain2

vb. To connect a series of devices, one to another, like daisies in a chain of flowers.

DAP

n. See Directory Access Protocol.

DARPA

n. See Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

DARPANET

n. Short for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. See ARPANET.

data bank

n. Any substantial collection of data.

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database

n. A file composed of records, each containing fields together with a set of operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and other functions. Acronym: DB.

database administrator

n. One who manages a database. The administrator determines the content, internal structure, and access strategy for a database, defines security and integrity, and monitors performance. Acronym: DBA. Also called: database manager.

database machine

n. 1. A peripheral that executes database tasks, thereby relieving the main computer from performing them. 2. A database server that performs only database tasks.

database management system

n. A software interface between the database and the user. A database management system handles user requests for database actions and allows for control of security and data integrity requirements. Acronym: DBMS. Also called: database manager.

database manager

n. See database administrator, database management system.

database publishing

n. The use of desktop publishing or Internet technology to produce reports containing information obtained from a database.

database server

n. A network node, or station, dedicated to storing and providing access to a shared database. Also called: database machine.

database structure

n. A general description of the format of records in a database, including the number of fields, specifications regarding the type of data that can be entered in each field, and the field names used.

datacom

n. Short for data communications. See communications.

data communications n. See communications.

data conferencing

n. Simultaneous data communication among geographically separated participants in a meeting. Data conferencing involves whiteboards and other software that enable a single set of files at one location to be accessed and modified by all participants. See also desktop conferencing, whiteboard. Compare video conferencing.

data-driven attack

n. A form of attack in which malicious code is hidden in a program or other innocuous data. When the data is executed, the virus or other destructive code is activated. A data-driven attack is typically used to bypass a firewall or other security measures.

data encryption n. See encryption.

data encryption key

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

n. A sequence of secret information, such as a string of decimal numbers or binary digits, that is used to encrypt and decrypt data. Acronym: DEK. See also decryption, encryption, key (definition 3).

data encryption standard n. See DES.

datagram

n. One packet, or unit, of information, along with relevant delivery information such as the destination address, that is sent through a packet-switching network. See also packet switching.

data link

n. A connection between any two devices capable of sending and receiving information, such as a computer and a printer or a main computer and a terminal. Sometimes the term is extended to include equipment, such as a modem, that enables transmission and receiving. Such devices follow protocols that govern data transmission. See also communications protocol, data-link layer, DCE, DTE.

Data Link Connection Identifier

n. A virtual circuit on frame relay networks that permanently identifies the path to a particular destination. See also frame relay, virtual circuit.

data-link layer

n. The second of seven layers in the ISO/OSI reference model for standardizing computer-to- computer communications. The data-link layer is one layer above the physical layer. Its concern is packaging and addressing data and managing the flow of transmissions. It is the lowest of the three layers (data-link, network, and transport) involved in actually moving data between devices. See also ISO/OSI reference model.

data migration

n. 1. The process of moving data from one repository or source, such as a database, to another, usually via automated scripts or programs. Often data migration involves transferring data from one type of computer system to another. 2. In supercomputing applications, the process of storing large amounts of data off line while making them appear to be on line as disk-resident files.

data mining

n. The process of identifying commercially useful patterns, problems, or relationships in a database, a Web server, or other computer repository through the use of advanced statistical tools. Some Web sites use data mining to monitor the efficiency of site navigation and to determine changes in the Web site’s design based on how consumers are using the site.

data model

n. A collection of related object types, operators, and integrity rules that form the abstract entity supported by a database management system (DBMS). Thus, one speaks of a relational DBMS, a network DBMS, and so on, depending on the type of data model a DBMS supports. In general, a DBMS supports only one data model as a practical rather than a theoretical restriction.

data network

n. A network designed for transferring data encoded as digital signals, as opposed to a voice network, which transmits analog signals.

Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification n. See DOCSIS.

data-overrun error

n. An error that occurs when more data is being acquired than can be processed. See also bps.

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

data packet n. See packet.

data path

n. The route that a signal follows as it travels through a computer network.

data rate

n. The speed at which a circuit or communications line can transfer information, usually measured in bits per second (bps).

Data Service Unit n. See DDS.

data set

n. 1. A collection of related information made up of separate elements that can be treated as a unit in data handling. 2. In communications, a modem. See also modem.

Data Set Ready n. See DSR.

data sharing

n. The use of a single file by more than one person or computer. Data sharing can be done by physically transferring a file from one computer to another, or, more commonly, by networking and computer-to-computer communications.

data signal

n. The information transmitted over a line or circuit. It consists of binary digits and can include actual information or messages and other elements such as control characters or error-checking codes.

data sink

n. 1. Any recording medium where data can be stored until needed. 2. In communications, the portion of a Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) device that receives transmitted data.

data source

n. 1. The originator of computer data, frequently an analog or digital data collection device. 2. In communications, the portion of a Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) device that sends data.

data stream

n. An undifferentiated, byte-by-byte flow of data.

data switch

n. A device in a computer system that routes incoming data to various locations.

Data Terminal Equipment n. See DTE.

Data Terminal Ready n. See DTR.

data traffic

n. The exchange of electronic messagesócontrol and dataóacross a network. Traffic capacity is measured in bandwidth; traffic speed is measured in bits per unit of time.

data transfer

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

n. The movement of information from one location to another, either within a computer (as from a disk drive to memory), between a computer and an external device (as between a file server and a computer on a network), or between separate computers.

data warehouse1

n. A database, frequently very large, that can access all of a company’s information. While the warehouse can be distributed over several computers and may contain several databases and information from numerous sources in a variety of formats, it should be accessible through a server. Thus, access to the warehouse is transparent to the user, who can use simple commands to retrieve and analyze all the information. The data warehouse also contains data about how the warehouse is organized, where the information can be found, and any connections between data. Frequently used for decision support within an organization, the data warehouse also allows the organization to organize its data, coordinate updates, and see relationships between information gathered from different parts of the organization. See also database, server (definition 1), transparent (definition 1).

data warehouse2

vb. To acquire, collect, manage, and disseminate information gathered from various sources into a single location; or to implement an informational database used to store sharable data. Data warehousing is a four-step process: gathering data; managing the data in a centralized location; providing access to the data along with tools for interpreting, analyzing, and reporting on the data; and producing reports on the data to be used for decision making.

date and time stamp n. See time stamp.

date stamp

n. See time stamp.

DAV connector

n. See digital audio/video connector.

DBA

n. See database administrator.

DB connector

n. Any of various connectors that facilitate parallel input and output. The initials DB (for data bus) are followed by a number that indicates the number of lines (wires) within the connector. For example, a DB-9 connector has nine pins and supports up to nine lines, each of which can connect to a pin on the connector.

DBMS

n. See database management system.

DBS

n. See direct broadcast satellite.

dbXML

n. Acronym for database XML. A native XML database server designed to manage large collections of XML documents. dbXML may be embedded in custom applications or run as a stand-alone database.

DCA

n. Acronym for Document Content Architecture. A formatting guideline used in IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA) that enables the exchange of text-only documents between differing types of computers. DCA provides for two types of document formatting: Revisable-Form-Text

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

DCA (RFTDCA), which allows for modification of formatting, and Final-Form-Text DCA (FFTDCA), which cannot be modified. See also DIA, SNA.

DCD

n. 1. Acronym for Data Carrier Detected. A signal in serial communications that is sent from a modem to its computer to indicate that the modem is ready for transmitting. Also called: RLSD. See also RS-232-C standard. 2. Acronym for Document Content Description. A specification governing the rules for defining the structure and content of XML documents. The specification was created by IBM and Microsoft in 1998 and was submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium for approval. See also XML.

DCE

n. Acronym for Data Communications Equipment. The term used in RS-232 and X.25 specifications for a device, such as a modem, that provides another device (known as the Data Terminal Equipment or DTE) with access to a communications line. A DCE is an intermediary device that often transforms input from a DTE before sending it to a recipient. See also RS-232-C standard, X series. Compare DTE.

D channel

n. Short for data channel. In the ISDN communications architecture, the channel dedicated to carrying control signals, such as packet-switching information; and user-related data, such as phone numbers. The basic ISDN connection, called the Basic Rate Interface (BRI), is composed of two B (bearer) channels, which carry as much as 64 Kbps of actual data each, and one D channel, which transmits at either 16 Kbps or 64 Kbps. The faster Primary Rate Interface (PRI) is composed of one 64-Kbps D channel and either 23 or 30 B channels operating at 64 Kbps. See also B channel, BRI, ISDN.

DCOM

n. Acronym for Distributed Component Object Model. The version of Microsoft’s Component Object Model (COM) specification that stipulates how components communicate over Windowsbased networks. It permits the distribution of different components for a single application across two or more networked computers, running an application distributed across a network so that the distribution of components is not apparent to the user, and remotely displaying an application. Also called: Distributed COM. See also COM (definition 2), component (definition 2).

DDE

n. Acronym for Dynamic Data Exchange. An interprocess communication method featured in Microsoft Windows and OS/2. DDE allows two or more programs that are running simultaneously to exchange data and commands. In Windows 3.1, DDE was largely supplanted by OLE, which is an extension of DDE. In Windows 95 and Windows NT, OLE and ActiveX are more commonly used. See also ActiveX, OLE.

DDoS

n. Acronym for distributed denial of service attack. A form of denial of service attack (DoS) originating from several computers that seeks to disrupt Web access by overwhelming a target with connection requests that cannot be completed. A DDoS attack involves cracking into a number of computers and planting programs that lie dormant until sent a signal to attack. At that point the computers send a steady stream of data packets to the targeted Web site, overwhelming the ability of the Web server to respond. Because the attack is coming from many computers, security features that might otherwise recognize the attack and stop accepting data packets from a single source are unable to shut down connections to all the attackers. See also DoS, packet, zombie.

DDS

n. Acronym for digital data service, a dedicated communications line that provides transmission at speeds up to 56 Kbps. DDS lines use a device known as a CSU/ DSU rather than a modem for

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

connecting two networks. The CSU, or Channel Service Unit, connects the network to the transmission line; the DSU, or Data Service Unit, converts data for transmission by the CSU and controls data flow.

dead-letter box

n. In e-mail or message systems, a file to which undeliverable messages are sent.

declarative markup language

n. In text processing, a system of text-formatting codes that indicates only that a unit of text is a certain part of a document. Document formatting is then done by another program, called a parser. SGML and HTML are examples of declarative markup languages. Acronym: DML. Also called: data manipulation language. See also HTML, SGML.

DECnet

n. A hardware, software, and protocol stack designed by Digital Equipment Corporation for its Digital Network Architecture (DNA).

decryption

n. The process of restoring encrypted data to its original form. See also data encryption key. Compare encryption.

deCSS

n. Decrypt CSS. A utility capable of cracking the CSS encryption system used on DVD discs. By decrypting the CSS code, DVD movies and other copyrighted material can be used with any DVD playback device without regard to license or region coding. The origin of deCSS can be traced to a number of individuals interested in creating a DVD player for the Linux OS. The term deCSS is sometimes used generically for any software capable of defeating CSS technology. See also CSS, region code.

dedicated server

n. A computeróusually quite powerfulóthat is used solely as a network server. See also server. Compare nondedicated server.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

n. The U.S. government agency that provided the original support for the development of the interconnected networks that later grew into the Internet. Acronym: DARPA. See also ARPANET.

deferral time

n. The length of time that nodes on a CSMA/CD network wait before trying to retransmit after a collision. See also CSMA/CD.

DEK

n. See data encryption key.

demand priority

n. A network access method in which hubs control network access; a feature of 100Base-VG Ethernet networks. With demand priority, nodes send requests to hubs and the hubs give permission to transmit based on priority levels assigned to the requests by the nodes. See also 100Base-VG.

demodulation

n. In communications, the means by which a modem converts data from modulated carrier frequencies (waves that have been modified in such a way that variations in amplitude and frequency represent meaningful information) over a telephone line. Data is converted to the digital form needed by a computer to which the modem is attached, with as little distortion as possible. Compare modulation (definition 1).

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

demon dialer

n. See war dialer.

denial of service attack n. See DoS.

denizen

n. A participant in a Usenet newsgroup.

DES

n. Acronym for Data Encryption Standard. A specification for encryption of computer data developed by IBM and adopted by the U.S. government as a standard in 1976. DES uses a 56-bit key. See also encryption, key (definition 3).

desktop conferencing

n. The use of computers for simultaneous communication among geographically separated participants in a meeting. This communication may include input to and display from application programs as well as audio and video communication. See also data conferencing, teleconferencing, video conferencing.

DHCP

n. Acronym for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A TCP/IP protocol that enables a network connected to the Internet to assign a temporary IP address to a host automatically when the host connects to the network. See also IP address, TCP/ IP. Compare dynamic SLIP.

DHTML

n. See dynamic HTML.

DIA

n. Acronym for Document Interchange Architecture. A document exchange guideline used in IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA). DIA specifies methods of organizing and addressing documents for transmission between computers of different sizes and models. DIA is supported by IBM’s Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) and by Logical Unit (LU) 6.2, which establish the capabilities and types of interactions possible in an SNA environment. See also DCA, SNA.

dialog

n. 1. In computing, the exchange of human input and machine responses that forms a “conversation” between an interactive computer and the person using it. 2. The exchange of signals by computers communicating on a network.

dial-up access

n. Connection to a data communications network through a public switched telecommunication network.

dial-up networking

n. Connection to a remote network through use of a modem. Dial-up networking is typically used in reference to telecommuting, although the term is equally applicable to connecting to the Internet.

DIB

n. Acronym for Directory Information Base. A directory of user and resource names in an X.500 system. The DIB is maintained by a Directory Server Agent (DSA). Also called: white pages.

dictionary attack

Microsoft Internet & Networking Dictionary

n. Originally a method of guessing a user’s password or PIN by trying every word in the dictionary until successful. Currently used to identify any attack that tries known words or alphanumeric character strings to break a simple password.

Diffie-Hellman

n. Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol. A public-key cryptography method that allows two hosts to create and share a secret key. Diffie-Hellman is used for key management by virtual private networks (VPNs) operating on the IPSec standard. See also IPSec.

digerati

n. Cyberspace populace that can be roughly compared to literati. Digerati are people renowned as or claiming to be knowledgeable about topics and issues related to the digital revolution; more specifically, they are people “in the know” about the Internet and online activities.

digest

n. 1. An article in a moderated newsgroup that summarizes multiple posts submitted to the moderator. See also moderator, newsgroup. 2. A message in a mailing list that is sent to subscribers in place of the multiple individual posts that the digest contains. If the mailing list is moderated, the digest may be edited. See also moderated.

digicash

n. See e-money.

Digital

adj. 1. A reference to something based on digits (numbers) or their representation. 2. In computing, analogous in use, though not in meaning, to binary because the computers familiar to most people process information coded as different combinations of the binary digits (bits) 0 and 1. Compare analog.

digital audio/video connector

n. An interface on some high-end video cards or TV tuner cards that allows the simultaneous transmission of digital audio and video signals. Also called: DAV connector.

digital broadcast satellite

n. See direct broadcast satellite.

digital cash

n. See e-money.

digital certificate

n. 1. An assurance that software downloaded from the Internet comes from a reputable source. A digital certificate provides information about the softwareósuch as the identity of the author and the date on which the software was registered with a certificate authority (CA), as well as a measure of tamper-resistance. 2. A user identity card or “driver’s license” for cyberspace. Issued by a certificate authority (CA), a digital certificate is an electronic credential that authenticates a user on the Internet and intranets. Digital certificates ensure the legitimate online transfer of confidential information, money, or other sensitive materials by means of public encryption technology. A digital certificate holder has two keys (strings of numbers): a private key held only by the user, for “signing” outgoing messages and decrypting incoming messages; and a public key, for use by anyone, for encrypting data to send to a specific user. See also certificate authority, encryption, private key, public key.

digital communications

n. Exchange of communications in which all information is transmitted in binary-encoded (digital) form.