IS TEST #4 TEXTBOOK

Serverless

A cloud computing model that allows a software developer to create systems without having to think about servers, and often without needing to think about specific software products like databases. Amazon's Lambda and Google's Cloud Firestore are example of serverless products, where a software developer simply writes code to execute on Amazon or Google's computers, without worrying about allocating servers, installing operating systems, or buying additional software products (or, in the case of Cloud Firestore, databases) to support the effort. The cloud vendor does all of this behind the scenes, leaving the developer free to focus just on programming the application.

routers

A computing device that connects networks and exchanges data between them.

Cryptocurrencies

A digital asset where a secure form of mathematics (cryptography) is used to handle transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies usually take advantage of a technology known as a blockchain.

blockchain

A distributed and decentralized ledger that records and verifies transactions and ownership, making it difficult to tamper with or shut down.

Web hosting service

A firm that provides hardware and services to run the Web sites of others.

utility computing

A form of cloud computing where a firm develops its own software, and then runs it over the Internet on a service provider's computers.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A form of cloud computing where a firm subscribes to a third-party software and receives a service that is delivered online.

distributed computing

A form of computing where systems in different locations communicate and collaborate to complete a task

server farm

A massive network of computer servers running software to coordinate their collective use. Server farms provide the infrastructure backbone to SaaS and hardware cloud efforts, as well as many large-scale Internet services.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A negotiated agreement between the customer and the vendor. The SLA may specify the levels of availability, serviceability, performance, operation, or other commitment requirements.

server

A program that fulfills the requests of a client

Service-oriented architecture (SOA)

A robust set of Web services built around an organization's processes and procedures

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

A security standard that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. Websites that use SSL will begin with https (note the 's' at the end).

data warehouse

A set of databases designed to support decision making in an organization.

EDI (electronic data interchange)

A set of standards for exchanging messages containing formatted data between computer applications

client

A software program that makes requests of a server program

instance

A software-based copy using a predefined model of the object being created. For example, an instance of a Windows computer creates a virtual software representation that works and acts exactly like the computer hardware and software it is modeled after.

virtual machine

A software-based representation of a physical computer, complete with operating system and any attendant software that are part of the model being instantiated. You can use a virtual machine like a physical machine, and install software, create files, etc. Virtual machines can also be subject to viruses, security vulnerabilities, and other weaknesses of physical computing, although a cloud computing provider can take some measures to prevent attacks and provide backup and redundancy.

Bluetooth

A standard for the short-range (30 feet or less) wireless interconnection of mobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Eliminates cables.

Amdahl's Law

A system's speed is determined by its slowest component.

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

A tagging language that can be used to identify data fields made available for use by other applications. Most APIs and Web services send messages where the data exchanged is wrapped in identifying XML tags

NAT (Network Address Translation)

A technique often used to conserve IP addresses by maps devices on a private network to single Internet-connected device that acts on their behalf.

cache

A temporary storage space used to speed computing tasks.

noSQL

A term used for non-tabular databases that are structured differently than relational tables.

Wi-Fi

A term used to brand wireless local-area networking devices. Devices typically connect to an antenna-equipped base station or hotspot, which is then connected to the Internet. Wi-Fi devices use standards known as IEEE 802.11, and various versions of this standard (e.g., b, g, n) may operate in different frequency bands and have access ranges.

Virtualization

A type of software that allows a single computer (or cluster of connected computers) to function as if it were several different computers, each running its own operating system and software. Virtualization software underpins most cloud computing efforts, and can make computing more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable.

containers

A type of virtualization that allows for shared operating systems for more resource savings and faster execution. However, containers still isolate applications so they execute and move to different computing hardware, just like conventional virtualization.

packets (or datagrams)

A unit of data forwarded by a network. All Internet transmissions—URLs, Web pages, e-mails—are divided into one or more packets.

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

A value used to identify a device that is connected to the Internet. IP addresses are usually expressed as four numbers (from 0 to 255), separated by periods.

Cybersquatting

Acquiring a domain name that refers to a firm, individual, product, or trademark, with the goal of exploiting it for financial gain. The practice is illegal in many nations, and ICANN has a dispute resolution mechanism that in some circumstances can strip cybersquatters of registered domains.

Bitcoin

An open-source, decentralized payment system (sometimes controversially referred to as a digital, virtual, or cryptocurrency) that operates in a peer-to-peer environment, without bank or central authority.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An organization or firm that provides access to the Internet.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Application transfer protocol that allows Web browsers and Web servers to communicate with each other.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

Application transfer protocol that is used to copy files from one computer to another.

Fiber to the Home (FTTH)

Broadband service provided via light-transmitting fiber-optic cables.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

Broadband technology that uses the wires of a local telephone network.

broadband

Broadly refers to high-speed Internet connections and is often applied to "last-mile" technologies.

hybrid clouds

Cloud computing architectures that combine on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services, such as those provided by AWS or Microsoft Azure. A hybrid cloud might "turn on" public cloud resources as needed, if an organization's existing infrastructure can't meet surging demand.

cloudbursting

Describes the use of cloud computing to provide excess capacity during periods of spiking demand. Cloudbursting is a scalability solution that is usually provided as an overflow service, kicking in as needed.

load balancing

Distributing a computing or networking workload across multiple systems to avoid congestion and slow performance.

protocol

Enables communication by defining the format of data and rules for exchange.

wireless spectrum

Frequencies used for wireless communication. Most mobile cell phone services have to license spectrum. Some technologies (such as Wi-Fi) use unlicensed public spectrum.

GEO

Geosynchronous earth orbit satellites travel at roughly 22k miles above the earth's surface. This point keeps them fixed in orbit synched to a given point on the rotating earth's surface, but the distance produces a transmission latency of about half a second in each direction.

Internet backbone

High-speed data lines provided by many firms all across the world that interconnect and collectively form the core of the Internet.

coaxial cable

Insulated copper cable commonly used by cable television providers.

Domain Name System (DNS)

Internet directory service that allows devices and services to be named and discoverable. The DNS, for example, helps your browser locate the appropriate computers when entering an address like http://finance.google.com

JSON

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) - a popular data interchange format, JSON is a technology standard often used to format data when being sent or received via APIs

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Language used to compose Web pages.

Bandwidth

Network transmission speeds, typically expressed in some form of bits per second (bps).

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)

Nonprofit organization responsible for managing the internet's domain and numbering systems.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

Often used interchangeably with "Web address," URLs identify resources on the Internet along with the application protocol needed to retrieve it.

platforms

Products and services that allow for the development and integration of software products and other complementary goods. Windows, the iPhone, the Wii, and the standards that allow users to create Facebook apps are all platforms

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Protocol that operates instead of TCP in applications where delivery speed is important and quality can be sacrificed.

cloud computing

Replacing computing resources—either an organization's or individual's hardware or software—with services provided over the Internet.

IP (Internet Protocol)

Routing protocol that is in charge of forwarding packets on the Internet.

bursting

Shifting capacity to a cloud provider during periods of high demand. A firm that can take advantage of bursting to scale its information systems should never see its resources overtaxed since it can always rely on its partner to pick up any slack, as needed.

web services

Small pieces of code that are accessed via the application server which permit interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network

Application Server

Software that houses and serves business logic for use (and reuse) by multiple applications.

Open source software (OSS)

Software that is free and where anyone can look at and potentially modify the code.

colocation facility

Sometimes called a "colo," or carrier hotel; provides a place where the gear from multiple firms can come together and where the peering of Internet traffic can take place. Equipment connecting in colos could be high-speed lines from ISPs, telecom lines from large private data centers, or even servers hosted in a colo to be closer to high-speed Internet connections.

vertical niches

Sometimes referred to as vertical markets. Products and services designed to target a specific industry (e.g., pharmaceutical, legal, apparel retail).

sTLDs

Sponsored top-level domains run by private agencies or organizations with established rules restricting the eligibility of registrants (e.g., only those in the aerospace industry can use .aero, only education institutions have access to .edu).

SQL

Structured Query Language—the industry-standard language used to create and manipulate databases.

last mile

Technologies that connect end users to the Internet. The last-mile problem refers to the fact that these connections are usually the slowest part of the network.

fault-tolerance

The ability of a system to continue operation even if a component fails.

thin devices

Thin or thin client computing devices have very little computing power in the device itself, and instead perform the bulk of computing and storage over the network, "in the cloud." Smart speakers and television streaming sticks are all examples of thin clients. The term is also used to describe applications that run in a browser, but where most of the computing happens remotely (e.g., SaaS tools like Salesforce).

geographic TLDs

Top-level domains that are not two-level country codes, but that are associated with a geographical, geopolitical, ethnic, linguistic or cultural community. Examples include .cat (for Catalan), .paris, and .asia.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Transmission technologies that enable voice communications (phone calls) to take place over the Internet as well as private packet-switched networks.

ccTLDs

Two-character country code top-level domains. (e.g. ".uk" or ".ca")

black swans

Unpredicted, but highly impactful events. Scalable computing resources can help a firm deal with spiking impact from Black Swan events. The phrase entered the managerial lexicon from the 2007 book of the same name by Nassim Taleb.

virtual desktops

When a firm runs an instance of a PC's software on another machine and simply delivers the image of what's executing to the remote device. Using virtualization, a single server can run dozens of PCs, simplifying backup, upgrade, security, and administration.

peering

When separate ISPs link their networks to swap traffic on the Internet.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Where cloud providers offer services that include running the remote hardware, storage, and networking (i.e., the infrastructure), but client firms can choose software used (which may include operating systems, programming languages, databases, and other software packages). In this scenario the cloud firm usually manages the infrastructure (keeping the hardware and networking running), while the client has control over most other things (operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and perhaps even security and networking features like firewalls and security systems).

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Where cloud providers offer services that include the hardware, operating system, development tools, testing and hosting (i.e., the platform) that its customers use to build their own applications on the provider's infrastructure. In this scenario the cloud firm usually manages the platform (hosting, hardware, and supporting software), while the client has control over the creation and deployment of their application.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Works at both ends of most Internet communication to ensure a perfect copy of a message is sent.

APIs

programming hooks, or guidelines, published by firms that tell other programs how to get a service to perform a task such as send or receive data