Browse Definitions by Alphabet

software redundant array of independent disk (software RAID) - Software RAID, also known as virtual RAID, is a form of RAID (software redundant array of independent disk) performed on an internal server.
software testing - Software testing is the process of assessing the functionality of a software program.
software toolchain - A software toolchain is a set of software development tools used simultaneously to complete complex software development tasks or to deliver a software product.
software-defined perimeter (SDP) - A software-defined perimeter, or SDP, is a security technique that controls access to resources based on identity and forms a virtual boundary around networked resources.
software-defined storage (SDS) - Software-defined storage (SDS) is a software program that manages data storage resources and functionality and has no dependencies on the underlying physical storage hardware.
solar power - Solar power is a renewable form of energy harvested from the sun for the purpose of producing electricity or thermal energy (heat).
solid - A solid is a state of matter that retains its shape and density when not confined.
solid-state - Solid-state is a common descriptor used to refer to electronic components, devices and systems based entirely on semiconductor materials such as silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide.
solid-state drive (SSD) capacity - Solid-state drive (SSD) capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be stored on a solid-state drive.
solid-state storage - Solid-state storage is a type of computer storage media that stores data electronically and has no moving parts.
solid-state storage garbage collection - Solid-state storage garbage collection, or SSD garbage collection, is an automated process by which a solid-state drive (SSD) improves write performance.
solution selling - Solution selling refers to the philosophy or practice of uncovering a customer's pain points and then providing products and services that address the underlying business problem.
sound card - A sound card is a computer component responsible for generating and recording audio.
sound wave - A sound wave is the pattern of disturbance caused by the movement of energy traveling through a medium (such as air, water or any other liquid or solid matter) as it propagates away from the source of the sound.
source code - Source code is the fundamental component of a computer program that is created by a programmer, often written in the form of functions, descriptions, definitions, calls, methods and other operational statements.
spam filter - A spam filter is a program used to detect unsolicited, unwanted and virus-infected emails and prevent those messages from getting to a user's inbox.
spambot - A spambot is an automated system that sends unwanted, unsolicited messages to users, known as spam.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) - Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 network protocol used to prevent looping within a network topology.
spatial computing - Spatial computing broadly characterizes the processes and tools used to capture, process and interact with three-dimensional (3D) data.
spatial data - Spatial data is any type of data that directly or indirectly references a specific geographical area or location.
spatial intelligence - Spatial intelligence is the concept of being able to successfully perceive and derive insight from visual data.
spear phishing - Spear phishing is a malicious email spoofing attack that targets a specific organization or individual, seeking unauthorized access to sensitive information.
spectrum analyzer - A spectrum analyzer is a device that measures and displays signal amplitude (strength) as it varies by frequency within its frequency range (spectrum).
spectrum efficiency - Spectrum efficiency describes the amount of data transmitted over a given spectrum or bandwidth with minimum transmission errors.
speculative risk - Speculative risk is a type of risk the risk-taker takes on voluntarily and will result in some degree of profit or loss.
speech analytics - Speech analytics is the process of analyzing voice recordings or live customer calls to contact centers with speech recognition software to find useful information and provide quality assurance.
SPI model - The SPI model is an abbreviation of the most common cloud computing service models: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
spike testing - Spike testing is a type of performance testing in which an application receives a sudden and extreme increase or decrease in load.
Spine-leaf (spine-leaf architecture) - Spine-leaf, or leaf-spine, is a two-layer network topology composed of spine and leaf switches.
split horizon - Split horizon is a method used by distance vector protocols to prevent network routing loops.
Splunk - Splunk Inc. is a San Francisco-based multinational company whose software platform indexes machine data, and makes it searchable so it can be turned into actionable intelligence.
SPML (Services Provisioning Markup Language) - Services Provisioning Markup Language (SPML) is an open source XML-based standard that facilitates the exchange of account provisioning information among applications, services and organizations.
spoliation - Spoliation is the destruction, alteration, or mutilation of evidence that may pertain to legal action.
spoof - Spoof was a game involving trickery and nonsense that was invented by an English comedian, Arthur Roberts, prior to 1884, when it is recorded as having been "revived.
Spring Framework (Spring) - The Spring Framework (Spring) is an open source software development framework that provides infrastructure support for building Java-based applications on any deployment platform.
SQL injection (SQLi) - A SQL injection (SQLi) is a technique that attackers use to gain unauthorized access to a web application database by adding a string of malicious code to a database query.
square meter (meter squared) - The square meter, also called the meter squared, is the International System of Units (SI) unit of area.
SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol or Secure RTP) - SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol or Secure RTP) is an extension to RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) that incorporates enhanced security features.
SS7 attack - An SS7 attack is a security exploit that takes advantage of a weakness in the design of SS7 (Signaling System 7) to enable data theft, eavesdropping, text interception and location tracking.
SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method) - SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method) is a widely used computer application development method in the United Kingdom, where its use is often specified as a requirement for government computing projects.
SSAE 16 - The Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No.
SSD (solid-state drive) - An SSD, or solid-state drive, is a type of storage device used in computers.
SSD caching - SSD caching, also known as 'flash caching' or 'flash memory caching,' is the temporary storage of frequently-accessed data on NAND flash memory chips in a solid-state drive (SSD) to improve the drive's input/output (I/O) performance and allow data requests to be met with improved speed.
SSD form factor - An SSD form factor is the size, configuration or physical arrangement of solid state storage media.
SSD TRIM - SSD TRIM is a command for the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface that enables an operating system (OS) to inform a NAND flash solid-state drive (SSD) which data blocks it can erase because they are no longer in use.
SSD write cycle - An SSD write cycle is the process of programming data to a NAND flash memory chip in a solid-state storage device.
stack overflow - A stack overflow is a type of buffer overflow error that occurs when a computer program tries to use more memory space in the call stack than has been allocated to that stack.
stack pointer - A stack pointer is a small register that stores the memory address of the last data element added to the stack or, in some cases, the first available address in the stack.
stacked ranking (stack ranking) - Stacked ranking (stack ranking) is an employee evaluation method that slots a certain percentage of employees into each of several levels of performance.
staging environment - A staging environment (stage) is a nearly exact replica of a production environment for software testing.
stakeholder - A stakeholder is a person, group or organization with a vested interest, or stake, in the decision-making and activities of a business, organization or project.
standard business reporting (SBR) - Standard business reporting (SBR) is a group of frameworks adopted by governments to promote standardization in reporting business data.
standard temperature and pressure (STP) - Standard temperature and pressure (STP) refers to the nominal conditions in the atmosphere at sea level.
standing wave ratio (SWR) - Standing wave ratio (SWR) is the ratio of the maximum magnitude or amplitude of a standing wave to its minimum magnitude.
star network - A star network is a local area network (LAN) topology in which all nodes -- personal computers (PCs), workstations or other devices -- are directly connected to a common central computer that is often referred to as a hub.
star schema - A star schema is a database organizational structure optimized for use in a data warehouse or business intelligence that uses a single large fact table to store transactional or measured data, and one or more smaller dimensional tables that store attributes about the data.
Starlab space station - Starlab is a commercial space station set to be deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) by 2030.
Starlink - Starlink is a satellite internet constellation system that aims to deliver global internet coverage.
startup culture - A startup culture is a workplace environment that values creative problem-solving, open communication and a flat hierarchy.
state diagram (state machine diagram or statechart diagram) - A state diagram (also known as a state machine or statechart diagram) is an illustration of all the possible behavioral states a software system component may exhibit and the various state changes it's predicted to undergo over the course of its operations.
state management - Application state management is the process of maintaining knowledge of an application's inputs across multiple related data flows that form a complete business transaction -- or a session -- to understand the condition of the app at any given moment.
stateful app - A stateful app is a program that saves client data from the activities of one session for use in the next session.
stateful inspection - Stateful inspection, also known as dynamic packet filtering, is a firewall technology that monitors the state of active connections and uses this information to determine which network packets to allow through the firewall.
stateless app - A stateless app is an application program that does not save client data generated in one session for use in the next session with that client.
statement of work (SOW) - A statement of work (SOW), in project management, is a document in which a contracting officer or chief procurement officer (CPO) specifies the objectives and deliverables for a particular project or service contract.
states of digital data - A state of digital data is a way to describe the current functionality of a data file.
static analysis (static code analysis) - Static analysis, also called static code analysis, is a method of computer program debugging that is done by examining the code without executing the program.
static IP address - A static IP address is a 32 bit number that is assigned to a computer to be its address on the internet.
static testing - Static testing is a software testing method that examines a program -- along with any associated documents -- but does not require the program to be executed.
statistical analysis - Statistical analysis is the collection and interpretation of data in order to uncover patterns and trends.
statistical mean, median, mode and range - The terms mean, median, mode, and range describe properties of statistical distributions.
statistical noise - Statistical noise is unexplained variability within a data sample.
steering committee - A steering committee comprises a group of high-ranking IT professionals who provide guidance and strategic direction to an organization or organizational segment.
steganography - Steganography is the technique of hiding data within an ordinary, nonsecret file or message to avoid detection; the hidden data is then extracted at its destination.
STEMinism - STEMinism is a portmanteau that combines the acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) with feminism.
stemming - Stemming is the process of reducing a word to its stem that affixes to suffixes and prefixes or to the roots of words known as "lemmas.
STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) - STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) is a Linux service for maintaining the integrity of nodes in a high-availability (HA) cluster.
storage (computer storage) - Data storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital information on electromagnetic, optical or silicon-based storage media.
storage as a service (STaaS) - Storage as a service (STaaS) is a managed service in which the provider supplies the customer with access to a data storage platform.
storage at the edge - Storage at the edge is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital information at the periphery of the network, as close to the originating source as possible.
storage capacity planning - Storage capacity planning is the practice of assessing current data storage needs and forecasting future storage requirements.
storage class memory (SCM) - Storage class memory (SCM) is a type of physical computer memory that combines dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory and a power source for data persistence.
Storage Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) - VMware DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) is a load balancing utility that assigns and moves computing workloads to available hardware resources in a virtualized environment.
storage medium (storage media) - In computers, a storage medium is a physical device that receives and retains electronic data for applications and users and makes the data available for retrieval.
storage security - Storage security is the group of parameters and settings that make storage resources available to authorized users and trusted networks and unavailable to other entities.
storage snapshot - A storage snapshot is a set of reference markers for data at a particular point in time (PIT).
Storage vMotion - Storage vMotion is a component of VMware vSphere that allows the live migration of a running virtual machine's (VM) file system from one storage system to another, with no downtime for the VM or service disruption for end users.
storage volume - A storage volume is an identifiable unit of data storage.
strategic leadership - Strategic leadership is a practice in which executives, using different styles of management, develop a vision for their organization that enables it to adapt to or remain competitive in a changing economic and technological climate.
strategic management - Strategic management is the ongoing planning, monitoring, analysis and assessment of all necessities an organization needs to meet its goals and objectives.
strategic planning - Strategic planning is a process in which an organization's leaders define their vision for the future and identify their organization's goals and objectives.
strategic sourcing - Strategic sourcing is an approach to supply chain management that formalizes the way information is gathered and used.
Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) - Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a connection-oriented network protocol for transmitting multiple streams of data simultaneously between two endpoints that have established a connection in a network.
strong password - A strong password is one that is designed to be hard for a person or program to guess.
strongly typed programming language - A strongly typed programming language is one in which each type of data, such as integers, characters, hexadecimals and packed decimals, is predefined as part of the programming language, and all constants or variables defined for a given program must be described with one of the data types.
structured data - Structured data is data that has been organized into a formatted repository, typically a database.
structured programming (modular programming) - Structured programming, or modular programming, is a programming paradigm that facilitates the creation of programs with readable code and reusable components.
Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) - Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) is a standardized Extensible Markup Language (XML) programming language for conveying data about cybersecurity threats in a way that can be easily understood by both humans and security technologies.
subcarrier - A subcarrier is a secondary modulated signal frequency modulated into the main frequency (the carrier) to provide an additional channel of transmission.
subnet (subnetwork) - A subnet, or subnetwork, is a segmented piece of a larger network.