Windows Server Definitions

This glossary explains the meaning of key words and phrases that information technology (IT) and business professionals use when discussing Microsoft Windows Server and related software products. You can find additional definitions by visiting WhatIs.com or using the search box below.

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  • A

    Active Directory functional levels

    Active Directory functional levels are controls that specify which advanced Active Directory domain features can be used in an enterprise domain.

  • Active Directory tree

    An Active Directory (AD) tree is a collection of domains within a Microsoft Active Directory network.

  • Azure DevOps

    Azure DevOps -- rebranded from Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) in 2018 -- is a software-as-a service (SaaS) platform from Microsoft designed to provide a comprehensive toolchain for developing and deploying software projects.

  • What is Active Directory Domain (AD Domain)?

    An Active Directory domain (AD domain) is a collection of objects within a Microsoft Active Directory network. An object can be a single user or a group, or it can be a hardware component, such as a computer or printer. Each domain holds a database containing object identity information.

  • B

    built-in administrator account

    In the Windows operating system, the built-in administrator account -- the first account created when the OS was installed -- has the highest permissions of any profile on the computer system.

  • What is a batch file?

    A batch file is a script file that stores commands to be executed in a serial order.

  • C

    canonical name (CNAME)

    A canonical name (CNAME) is a type of Domain Name System (DNS) database record that indicates that a domain name is the nickname or alias for another domain name.

  • client-server network

    A client-server network is a distributed communications architecture in which a centralized server receives and responds to requests for services and data from multiple clients.

  • command-line interface (CLI)

    A command-line interface (CLI) is a text-based user interface (UI) used to run programs, manage computer files and interact with the computer.

  • Ctrl-Alt-Delete

    On a personal computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system, Control+Alt+Delete is the combination of the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and Del key that a user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system.

  • What is C (programming language)?

    The C programming language is a procedural and general-purpose language that provides low-level access to system memory.

  • D

    Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM)

    Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) is a Safe Mode boot option for Windows Server domain controllers.

  • dynamic link library (DLL)

    A dynamic link library (DLL) is a collection of small programs that larger programs can load when needed to complete specific tasks.

  • What is a domain controller?

    A domain controller is a server that processes requests for authentication from users and computers within a computer domain.

  • What is defragmentation?

    Defragmentation, also known as 'defragging' or 'defrag,' is the process of rearranging the data on a storage medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), to ensure efficient storage and access.

  • E

    Exchange Management Console (EMC)

    The Exchange Management Console (EMC), introduced by Microsoft in 2007, is an administrative tool with a graphical user interface (GUI) that's used to manage the components and resources of Microsoft Exchange Server.

  • Exchange Online

    Exchange Online is the hosted version of Microsoft's Exchange Server messaging platform that organizations can obtain as a stand-alone service or via an Office 365 subscription.

  • Exchange Web Services (EWS)

    Microsoft Exchange Web Services (EWS) is an application program interface (API) that lets applications access items in a Microsoft Exchange email mailbox, such as calendars, contacts, and messages.

  • F

    failover cluster

    In computing, a failover cluster refers to a group of independent servers that work together to maintain high availability of applications and services.

  • G

    global catalog (Active Directory)

    A global catalog is a data storage source containing partial representations of objects found in a multi-domain Active Directory Domain Services forest.

  • Group Policy

    Group Policy is a management feature in Microsoft's Active Directory (AD) that enables network and system administrators to configure and assign user and computer settings in an AD environment.

  • Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

    Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in that provides a graphical user interface that enables Active Directory (AD) administrators to manage Group Policy Objects (GPOs) from one console.

  • GUID (global unique identifier)

    A GUID (globally unique identifier) is a 128-bit text string that represents an identification (ID).

  • What is Group Policy Object (GPO) and why is it important?

    Microsoft’s Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of Group Policy settings that defines what a system will look like and how it will behave for a defined group of users.

  • H

    hotfix

    A hotfix is code -- sometimes called a patch -- that fixes a bug in a product.

  • I

    What is ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)?

    ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that was associated with the IBM AT motherboard.

  • L

    Linux Secure Boot

    Linux Secure Boot is a Hyper-V feature that Microsoft introduced in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. The feature allows specific Linux distributions to boot properly when running in Hyper-V generation 2 virtual machines.

  • Local Group Policy Editor

    Local Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that provides a user interface for managing local Group Policy settings on a Windows computer.

  • M

    Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

    Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is a server role in Active Directory that allows admins to manage and store information about resources from a network, as well as application data, in a distributed database.

  • Microsoft Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT)

    The Microsoft Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) is a free utility administrators can use to move Active Directory objects, such as computers, users and groups, from one Windows Server Active Directory domain or forest to another.

  • Microsoft Azure Key Vault

    Microsoft Azure Key Vault is a cloud-based security service offered by Microsoft as part of its Azure platform.

  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

    The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) is a certification that was offered by Microsoft for IT professionals who demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, and administering Windows server infrastructure, as well as other Microsoft technologies.

  • Microsoft Cloud Witness

    Microsoft Cloud Witness is a quorum witness for Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) that uses Microsoft Azure as the arbitration point.

  • Microsoft Hybrid Configuration Wizard

    The Microsoft Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW) is a tool provided by Microsoft to help organizations set up and configure a hybrid deployment between their on-premises Exchange Server and Exchange Online, which is part of Microsoft 365.

  • Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA)

    Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA) is a service used to watch and report on application and system health on a Windows computer.

  • Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES)

    Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) is a security feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and later Windows Server operating versions. NDES provides and manages certificates used to authenticate traffic and implement secure network communication with devices that might not otherwise possess valid domain credentials.

  • Microsoft Network Policy and Access Services (Microsoft NPAS)

    Microsoft Network Policy and Access Services (Microsoft NPAS) is a server role in Windows 2008 and Windows Server 2012 that allows administrators to provide local and remote network access.

  • Microsoft Remote Desktop Web Access (Microsoft RD Web Access)

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Web Access (Microsoft RD Web Access) is a Remote Desktop Services role in some versions of the Windows Server OS.

  • Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct

    Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct is a feature in Windows Server 2016 that uses local server storage to build highly available and scalable software-defined storage systems for Hyper-V virtual machines.

  • Microsoft System Center 2012

    Microsoft System Center 2012 is a bundled suite of systems management products that offers tools to monitor and automate virtualized environments, including private clouds based on Microsoft Hyper-V.

  • Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Management Pack (Microsoft SCOM Management Pack)

    A System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) Management Pack is a pre-fabricated rule set intended to extend and configure SCOM for specific services or applications.

  • Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification

    Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification is the name of a suite of entry-level certifications offered by Microsoft that signify fundamental technology knowledge in those who earn it.

  • Microsoft Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)

    Microsoft Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a service in Microsoft Windows operating systems (OSes) that allows download from and upload of files to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) web servers and Server Message Block (SMB) file servers.

  • Microsoft Windows Features on Demand

    Microsoft Windows Features on Demand is a feature that allows system administrators to add or remove roles and features in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, and later versions of the client and server operating system to alter the file size of those operating systems.

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2016

    Microsoft Windows Server 2016 is Microsoft's server operating system (OS).

  • Microsoft Windows Server LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel)

    Microsoft Windows Server LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) is one of the servicing options available for users of the Windows Server operating system (OS).

  • Microsoft Windows Update

    Microsoft Windows Update is a security service for Windows users that, once activated, automatically searches for and installs updates.

  • Monad Manifesto

    The Monad Manifesto is a document written by Jeffrey Snover in 2002 that outlined his idea for a new Windows systems administration tool named Monad, which was changed to Windows PowerShell.

  • What is Microsoft Azure File Service?

    Microsoft Azure Files -- sometimes known as Microsoft Azure File Service -- is a simple, secure, serverless, fully managed and cloud-based file sharing service for enterprise users.

  • What is Microsoft Outlook?

    Microsoft Outlook is an email, contacts and calendar program from Microsoft.

  • N

    NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification)

    Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) is a Microsoft Windows specification for how communication protocol programs (such as TCP/IP) and network device drivers should communicate with each other.

  • What is NTFS and how does it work?

    NTFS, which stands for NT file system and the New Technology File System, is the file system that many versions of the Windows and Windows Server operating systems (OSes) use for storing, organizing, and retrieving files on hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).

  • O

    Open Document Format (ODF)

    The Open Document Format (ODF) is a zip-compressed, Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based, open source file format for saving and exchanging text, spreadsheets, charts, graphics and presentations.

  • organizational unit (OU)

    An organizational unit (OU) can refer to different things depending on the context, such as an organizational group within a company that is intended to accomplish a specific business function.

  • P

    Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

    The Preboot Execution Environment or PXE (commonly pronounced as pixie) is a client-server environment that enables network computers to boot over the network interface card (NIC), instead of from a CD-ROM or hard disk.

  • R

    read-only

    Read-only is a file attribute which only allows a user to view a file, restricting any writing to the file.

  • remote code execution (RCE)

    Remote code execution (RCE) is when an attacker accesses a target computing device and makes changes remotely, no matter where the device is geographically located.

  • restore point

    A system restore point is a backup copy of important Windows operating system (OS) files and settings that can be used to recover the system to an earlier point of time in the event of system failure or instability.

  • Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP)

    Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) refers to all the group policies applied to a user and computer.

  • RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools)

    RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) refers to a set of tools from Microsoft that enable IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server from a computer that is running Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

  • S

    computer system

    A computer system consists of hardware components that have been carefully chosen so that they work well together and software components or programs that run in the computer.

  • service desk

    An IT service desk is a communications center that provides a single point of contact (SPOC) between a company, its customers, employees and business partners.

  • SharePoint Online

    Microsoft SharePoint Online is a collection of cloud- and web-based technologies that make it easy for organizations to store, share and manage digital information.

  • SMB 3.0 (Server Message Block 3.0)

    SMB 3 (Server Message Block 3.0) is a protocol that provides a way for a computer's client applications to read and write to files from a server in a computer network.

  • swap file (swap space or page file)

    A swap file is a system file that creates temporary storage space on a solid-state drive or hard disk when the system runs low on memory.

  • System Insights

    System Insights is a feature that debuted in Windows Server 2019 that processes data and uses predictive analytics to warn administrators of potential issues with Windows Server deployments.

  • System Restore (Windows)

    System Restore is a Microsoft Windows utility designed to protect and revert the operating system (OS) to a previous state.

  • T

    TCPView

    TCPView is a Windows network monitoring utility that shows a graphical representation of all currently active TCP and UDP endpoints on a system.

  • U

    USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB)

    USB 3.0 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transfer standard that is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices and is very commonly used for computer peripherals.

  • W

    What is wbadmin?

    Wbadmin is an elevated command prompt that allows administrators or backup operators to backup and restore an operating system (OS), volume, file, folder or application.

  • Windows CE

    Windows CE is a version of Microsoft's Windows operating system (OS) that is designed for mobile and other space-constrained devices with small footprints.

  • Windows event log

    The Windows event log is a detailed record of system, security and application notifications stored by the Windows operating system that is used by administrators to diagnose system problems and predict future issues.

  • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

    Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of specifications from Microsoft for consolidating the management of devices and applications in a network from Windows computing systems.

  • Windows NT

    Windows NT was a family of operating systems (OS) developed by Microsoft for personal computers and servers.

  • Windows Server Client Access License (CAL)

    A Windows Server Client Access License (CAL) is a license that gives a user or device the right to access services, such as printing or access to a file share, from a server running the Windows Server operating system (OS).

  • Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC)

    Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) enables several computers to host a service, and if one has a fault, the remaining computers automatically take over the hosting of the service.

  • WinZip

    WinZip is a software product used to archive, compress and encrypt files in a variety of archive formats for more efficient storage and distribution.