AbstractionAbstraction involves changing the interface of an object and exposing it in a more useful or appropriate form.
access control list (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…
access key rotationA method to increase security by changing the AWS access key ID. This method enables you to retire an old key at your discretion.
access policy languageA language for writing documents (that is, policies) that specify who can access a particular AWS resource and under what conditions.
AccountAn account consists of an email address and a password, used to log into a mail server to retrieve or send mail.
account activityA web page showing your month-to-date AWS usage and costs. The account activity page is located at http://aws.amazon.com/account-activity.
ActionCase, cause, suit or controversy disputed or contested before a court.
Adaptive AlgorithmAn algorithm that can "learn" and change its behavior by comparing the results of its actions with the goals that it is designed to achieve.
Adaptive EnterpriseA marketing term used extensively by HP. An adaptive enterprise matches supply and demand of IT resources in real time, so the business can quickly manage…
administrative suspensionAuto Scaling might suspend processes for Auto Scaling group that repeatedly fail to launch instances.
affordableCloud computing services are purchased subscription style, with users paying only for what they use.
Aggregator FrameworkA software framework used to build services that collect and aggregate data. WS MDS Services (such as the Index and Trigger services) are built on the…
aggregator servicesServices that are built on the Aggregator Framework, such as the WS MDS Index Service and Trigger Service.
aggregator sourceA Java class that implements an interface (defined as part of the Aggregator Framework) to collect XML-formatted data.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)The capacity of a computer or system to perform tasks commonly associated with the higher intellectual processes characteristic of humans.
AlgorithmA detailed formula or set of steps for solving a particular problem. To be an algorithm, a set of rules must be unambiguous and have a clear stopping…
allowAn allow results from a statement that has effect=allow, assuming any stated conditions are met. Example: Allow requests received before 1:00 p.m.
Amazon CloudWatchA web service that enables you to monitor and manage various metrics, and configure alarm actions based on data from those metrics. See Also http://aws.
Amazon EBS-backed AMIInstances launched from this type of AMI use an Amazon EBS volume as their root device.
Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)A service that provides block level storage volumes for use with EC2 instances. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/ebs.
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)A web service that enables you to launch and manage Linux/UNIX and Windows server instances in Amazon's data centers. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/ec2.
Amazon Elastic MapReduceA web service that makes it easy to process large amounts of data efficiently. Amazon EMR uses Hadoop processing combined with several AWS products to do…
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)An encrypted machine image stored in Amazon Elastic Block Store or Amazon Simple Storage Service. AMIs are like a template of a computer's root drive.
Amazon Resource Name (ARN)A standardized way to refer to an AWS resource. For example: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:user/division_abc/subdivision_xyz/Bob.
Amazon S3-Backed AMIInstances launched from this type of AMI use the instance store as their root device.
Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS)A web service that enables applications, end-users, and devices to instantly send and receive notifications from the cloud. See Also http://aws.amazon.
Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS)Reliable and scalable hosted queues for storing messages as they travel between computers. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/sqs.
Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)Storage for the internet. You can use it to store and retrieve any amount of data at any time, from anywhere on the web. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/s3.
Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)A web service that enables you to create a virtual network for your AWS resources. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/vpc.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)An infrastructure web services platform in the cloud for companies of all sizes. See Also http://aws.amazon.com.
AMI (Amazon Machine Image)An AMI is a packaged environment that contains a configured Linux operating system...
Apache AxisThe SOAP engine implementation used within the Globus Toolkit. See the Apache Axis website for details.
Apache CommonsSee http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/ for more details.
arrayAn Array is a single server type used for horizontal scaling. It may be a single worker slave task plugged into our Grid system to scale based on the…
authenticationThe process of validating the credentials of a person, computer process, or device.
Auto ScalingA web service designed to launch or terminate instances automatically based on user-defined policies, schedules, and health checks. See Also http://aws.
Auto Scaling groupA representation of multiple Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud instances that share similar characteristics, and that are treated as a logical grouping for the…
autoconfGNU Open Source package used to automatically configure the source code package.
automakeGNU Open Source used to automatically generate Makefile in files.
AutomationThe replacement of manual operations by computerized methods. Automation can both improve efficiency and reduce errors brought on by manual intervention.
Autonomic1. Of, relating to, or controlled by the autonomic nervous system. 2. Acting or occurring involuntarily; automatic: an autonomic reflex.
Autonomic ComputingAn approach to self-managed computing systems with a minimum of human interference.
Autonomic Nervous System(AW-toh-NAH-mik NER-vus SIS-tem) The part of the nervous system that controls muscles of internal organs (such as the heart, blood vessels, lungs…
Availability ZoneA distinct location within a region that is insulated from failures in other Availability Zones, and provides inexpensive, low-latency network…
AWS (Amazon Web Services)AWS is short for Amazon Web Services. In addition to selling books and variety of other consumer products, Amazon also offers a variety of web services…
AWS CloudFormationA service for writing or changing templates that create and delete related AWS resources together as a unit. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/cloudformation.
AWS Consolidated BillingA billing option that lets you get a single bill for multiple AWS accounts. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/consolidated-billing.
AWS Identity and Access ManagementA web service that enables Amazon Web Services customers to manage users and user permissions within AWS. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/iam.
AWS Management ConsoleA graphical interface to manage compute, storage, and other cloud resources. See Also http://aws.amazon.com/console.