Operating System

Operating System terms

1. .adm (1) Also see Acquisition Decision Memorandum (2) Advanced Development Model.
2. .adml An XML-based file used to describe the language-specific portions of Group Policy settings.
3. .admx An XML-based file used to describe the language-neutral portions of Group Policy settings.
4. 1.2.840.113556.1.4.1851 The object identifier that is assigned to Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM).
5. AAM annual arithmetic mean.
6. access control The mechanisms for limiting access to certain information based on a user's identity and membership in various predefined groups.
7. Access Control Entry (ACE) In Windows-based systems, an entry in an access control list (ACL) containing the security ID (SID) for a user or group and an access mask that specifies…
8. access control list (ACL) (ACL) In Windows-based systems, a list of access control entries (ACE) that apply to an entire object, a set of the object's properties, or an individual…
9. Access Control Server A component of Cisco Identity Based Networking Services (IBNS) architecture that improves network access security for Cisco network devices.
10. access token A data structure that contains authorization information for a user or group. A system uses an access token to control access to securable objects and to…
11. account federation server The federation server that is located in the corporate network of the account partner organization.
12. account federation server proxy The federation server proxy that is located in the perimeter network of the account partner organization.
13. account partner A federation partner that is trusted by the Federation Service to provide security tokens to its users (that is, users in the account partner…
14. ACE See definition for access control entry (ACE)
15. ACL See definition for access control list (ACL)
16. ACS (1) Airspace Control System. (2) Attitude Control System. (3) AEGIS Combat System. (4) Assistant Chief of Staff. 6
17. Active Directory The directory service for Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003.
18. Active Directory (AD) A structure supported by Windows 2000 that lets any object on a network be tracked and located.
19. Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) A stand-alone directory service that is designed specifically for use with directory-enabled applications.
20. Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) instance For Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM), a single copy of the ADAM directory service, along with its associated directory store, assigned Lightweight…
21. Active Directory Domain Services The Microsoft Windows based directory service. Active Directory stores information about objects on a network and makes this information available to…
22. Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard The tool that is used to install and remove Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
23. Active Directory Federation Services A component that provides Web single-sign-on (SSO) technologies. AD FS provides SSO by securely sharing digital identity and entitlement rights across…
24. Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services A stand-alone directory service that is designed specifically for use with directory-enabled applications.
25. Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services instance A single copy of the ADLDS directory service that includes its associated directory store and its application event log.
26. Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) A client-side product based on the Component Object Model (COM). ADSI defines a directory service model and a set of COM interfaces that enable Windows NT…
27. active partition A partition from which a computer starts up. The active partition must be a primary partition on a basic disk.
28. active volume The volume from which the computer starts up. The active volume must be a simple volume on a dynamic disk.
29. AD DS The Microsoft Windows based directory service. Active Directory stores information about objects on a network and makes this information available to…
30. AD FS A component that provides Web single-sign-on (SSO) technologies. AD FS provides SSO by securely sharing digital identity and entitlement rights across…
31. AD FS Web Agent An installable role service of AD FS that is used to create an AD FS-enabled Web server.
32. AD FS-enabled Web server A Web server that is configured with the appropriate AD FS Web Agent software—either the claims-aware agent or the Windows token–based…
33. AD LDS A lightweight directory service that is designed specifically for use with directory-enabled applications.
34. AD LDS instance A single copy of the ADLDS directory service that includes its associated directory store and its application event log.
35. AD/AM A special directory service that is an add-on to WS03 and that is designed to run as a pure lightweight application protocol (LDAP) directory.
36. ADAM See definition for: Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM)
37. ADAM instance See definition for: Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) instance
38. ADAMSync An ADAM administration tool that synchronizes objects from Active Directory to an Active Directory Application Mode instance.
39. Admin Approval Mode A security feature of Windows that allows administrators to perform normal day-to-day tasks while running with a standard user token.
40. administrative task An operation that can only be performed by an administrator, not a standard user.
41. Administrative templates A collection of ADMX files that provide Group Policy setting information for the items that appear under the Administrative Templates folder in the…
42. Administrator Administrator means the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor, and such authorized representatives as may be designated to…
43. Administrator account On Windows-based computers, a user account that is a member of the computer’s local Administrators group or a member of a group that is a member of…
44. administrator role separation The ability to delegate local administrative permissions for a read-only domain controller (RODC) to any domain user without granting that user any user…
45. ADMX files One .admx and .adml file, joined by a common name, that are used to describe Group Policy settings in Group Policy management tools.
46. ADSI Air Force Defense Systems Integrator.
47. Advanced Group Policy Management An extension to the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) that provides change control and enhanced management for Group Policy objects (GPOs).
48. Advertisement In Systems Management Server, a notification sent by the site server to the client access points (CAPs) specifying that a software distribution program is…
49. AGPM An extension to the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) that provides change control and enhanced management for Group Policy objects (GPOs).
50. AGPM Service A Windows service that enables Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) clients to manage deployed and archived Group Policy objects (GPOs) and enforces…
51. AGPM Service Account The account under which the AGPM Service runs.
52. AIS automated information system
53. Answer File A file that automates Windows Setup. This file enables the configuration of Windows settings, the addition and removal of components, and many Windows…
54. anti-hammering A type of software or hardware methods that increase the difficulty and cost of a key search attack on a PIN or password.
55. app compat The concept of ensuring that older applications still run correctly under newer operating systems.
56. AppCompat database A database that contains a list of applications that may have potential compatibility problems and remedies.
57. application compatibility The concept of ensuring that older applications still run correctly under newer operating systems.
58. application compatibility database A database that contains a list of applications that may have potential compatibility problems and remedies.
59. Application Information Service A system service that facilitates starting applications that require one or more elevated privileges to run, such as Administrative Tasks.
60. application manifest An XML document that describes requirements for an application. The application manifest can be a separate file or embedded in the application’s .
61. Application Partition This partition has several features such as the ability to host several instances of the same application and COM+ components on the same physical…
62. Application partition (in Active Directory) In Windows Server 2003, Active Directory supports application directory partitions.
63. Application partition (in ADAM) Application directory partitions hold the data that is used by applications. Application partitions can be established during ADAM setup or at any time…
64. Application Verifier A graphical user interface (GUI) tool that aids IT managers and developers in testing applications on Microsoft® Windows® and the Windows Server…
65. AppVerifier A graphical user interface (GUI) tool that aids IT managers and developers in testing applications on Microsoft® Windows® and the Windows Server…
66. attribute An attribute is a characteristic of data that sets it apart from other data, such as location, length, or type.
67. Attributes Component describing object class properties.
68. Authenticated Internet Protocol A protocol extension to Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that supports additional authentication mechanisms and the combination of user and computer…
69. Authenticated IP A protocol extension to Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that supports additional authentication mechanisms and the combination of user and computer…
70. authentication The process of validating the credentials of a person, computer process, or device.
71. authentication method For BitLocker Drive Encryption, a combination of one or more of the following elements, identified by a globally unique identifier (GUID): personal…
72. Authentication Protocol The protocol by which an entity on a network proves its identity to a remote entity.
73. AuthIP A protocol extension to Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that supports additional authentication mechanisms and the combination of user and computer…
74. Authoritative For DNS, describes a DNS server hosting a zone, or a zone containing a name or record.
75. Authorization The issuance of approval, by a credit card issuer, merchant, or other affiliate, to complete a credit card transaction.
76. Authorization Policies Wizard A wizard that is available through TS Gateway Manager that enables you to quickly configure a Terminal Services connection authorization policy (TS CAP)…
77. Autounattend.xml The unattended answer file that is automatically detected by Windows Setup during operating system installation.
78. auxiliary AppCompat database An additional database that is associated with the AppCompat database. The Auxiliary AppCompat database can be modified on the system and is used…
79. Backup Domain Controller (BDC) In a Windows 2000 domain, backup domain controllers are not required; all domain controllers are peers, and all can perform maintenance on the directory.
80. BCD Black Canyon Dam (Emmett, ID).
81. binary large object A discrete packet of binary data that has an exceptionally large size, such as pictures or audio tracks stored as digital data, or any variable or table…
82. binding The ability of molecules to bind each other non-covalently because of the exact shape and chemical nature of parts of their surfaces.
83. BIOS boot order A list of all potential bootable devices listed in booting order. If the boot on the first device on the list does not yield a valid boot sector, the BIOS…
84. BitLocker disabled mode A mode in which the disk volume is still encrypted by BitLocker Drive Encryption, but security is effectively disabled because the full-volume encryption…
85. BitLocker Drive Encryption A hardware-based security feature that prevents unauthorized access to a computer by providing full-volume encryption and integrity checking of boot…
86. BitLocker enabled mode A mode in which BitLocker Drive Encryption is turned on and the data on the volume is transparently encrypted by BitLocker as it is written and decrypted…
87. BitLocker off mode A mode in which BitLocker Drive Encryption protection is turned off on a disk volume and the disk volume is not encrypted.
88. BLOB A discrete packet of binary data that has an exceptionally large size, such as pictures or audio tracks stored as digital data, or any variable or table…
89. Boot Configuration Data A data store that contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is started beginning with Windows Vista or Windows Server…
90. boot partition The partition that contains the Windows operating system and its support files.
91. Boot Sector The very first sector on a hard drive which contains the computer code (boot strap loader) necessary for the computer to start up and the partition table…
92. boundary network A logical portion of a network that can be accessed by computers that are in the restricted network or the secure network.
93. brute force attack An attack by a malicious user or malicious software on a computer or operating system to find a secret password or a symmetric encryption key by guessing…
94. buffer A zone of a specified distance around coverage features. Both constant- and variable-width buffers can be generated for a set of coverage features based…
95. built-in Administrator On Windows-based computers, a user account that is a member of the computer’s local Administrators group or a member of a group that is a member of…
96. built-in Administrator account On Windows-based computers, a user account that is a member of the computer’s local Administrators group or a member of a group that is a member of…
97. Cache A type a computer memory that temporarily stores frequently used information for quick access.
98. CEIP A Microsoft program that invites customers to provide Microsoft with more detailed information about how the software is used including the type and…
99. certificate Digital signature combining data verification and encryption key. See PKI Digital Signature.
100. Certificate Services A software service that issues certificates for a particular certification authority (CA).