Browse Definitions by Alphabet

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).
SPIF (sales performance incentive fund) - A SPIF(sales performance incentive fund) is a financial incentive that encourages a sales representative to sell a specific item or group of items.
spike testing - Spike testing is a type of performance testing where an application is tested with a sudden and extreme increase in load, such as user traffic or system transactions.
Spine-leaf (spine-leaf architecture) - Spine-leaf, or leaf-spine, is a two-layer network topology composed of spine and leaf switches.
spiral model - The spiral model is a systems development lifecycle (SDLC) method used for risk management that combines the iterative development process model with elements of the waterfall model.
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.
spool (simultaneous peripheral operations online) - To spool (which stands for "simultaneous peripheral operations online") a computer document or task list (or "job") is to read it in and store it, usually on a hard disk or larger storage medium so that it can be printed or otherwise processed at a more convenient time (for example, when a printer is finished printing its current document).
spreadsheet - A spreadsheet is a computer program that can capture, display and manipulate data arranged in rows and columns.
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.
sprint (software development) - A sprint is a set period of time during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review.
SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) - SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), also known as SPSS Statistics, is a software package used for the analysis of statistical data.
spyware - Spyware is a type of malicious software -- or malware -- that is installed on a computing device without the end user's knowledge.
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.
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a SQL Server subsystem that enables the creation of graphical, mobile and printed reports using SQL Server and other data sources.
square meter (meter squared) - The square meter, also called the meter squared, is the International System of Units (SI) unit of area.
Squid proxy server - Squid is a Unix-based proxy server that caches Internet content closer to a requestor than its original point of origin.
SRAM (static random access memory) - SRAM (static RAM) is a type of random access memory (RAM) that retains data bits in its memory as long as power is being supplied.
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, is the temporary storage of data on NAND flash memory chips in a solid-state drive so data requests can 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 RAID (solid-state drive RAID) - SSD RAID (solid-state drive RAID) is a methodology commonly used to protect data by distributing redundant data blocks across multiple SSDs.
SSD TRIM - SSD TRIM is an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) command that enables an operating system 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.
SSL (secure sockets layer) - Secure sockets layer (SSL) is a networking protocol designed for securing connections between web clients and web servers over an insecure network, such as the internet.
SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network) - An SSL VPN is a type of virtual private network (VPN) that uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol -- or, more often, its successor, the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol -- in standard web browsers to provide secure, remote access VPN capability.
stablecoin - Stablecoin is a fixed-price cryptocurrency whose market value is attached to another stable asset.
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, or staging, provides 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.
stand-up - In agile software development, a stand-up is a daily progress meeting, traditionally held within a development area.
standard business reporting (SBR) - Standard business reporting (SBR) is a group of frameworks adopted by governments to promote standardization in reporting business data.
standard operating procedure (SOP) - A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of written instructions that describes the step-by-step process that must be taken to properly perform a routine activity.
standard temperature and pressure (STP) - Standard temperature and pressure (STP) refers to the nominal conditions in the atmosphere at sea level.
standardization - Standardization is the process of developing, promoting and possibly mandating standards-based and compatible technologies and processes within an industry.
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 accelerator - A startup accelerator, sometimes referred to as a seed accelerator, is a business program that supports early-stage, growth-driven companies through education, mentorship and financing.
startup company - A startup company is a newly formed business with particular momentum behind it based on perceived demand for its product or service.
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.
state of charge (SOC) - The state of charge (SOC) is a measurement of the amount of energy available in a battery at a specific point in time.
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 application security testing (SAST) - Static application security testing (SAST) is a program designed to analyze application (app) source code in order to find security vulnerabilities or weaknesses that may open an app up to a malicious attack.
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.
stealth virus - A stealth virus is a computer virus that uses various mechanisms to avoid detection by antivirus software.
STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) - STEAM is an educational approach that incorporates the arts into the more-familiar STEM model (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
steampunk - Steampunk is a design style inspired by Victorian-era industrialism.
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.
Stefan-Boltzmann constant - The Stefan-Boltzmann constant, symbolized by the lowercase Greek letter sigma (σ), is a physical constant expressing the relationship between the heat radiation emitted by a black body and its absolute temperature.
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.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) - STEM is an educational approach that prepares primary and secondary students for college, graduate study and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
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.
stereoscopy (stereoscopic imaging) - Stereoscopy, sometimes called stereoscopic imaging, is a technique used to enable a three-dimensional effect, adding an illusion of depth to a flat image.
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 filer - A storage filer is a type of file server designed and programmed for high-volume data storage, backup and archiving.
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 pool - A storage pool is capacity aggregated from disparate physical storage resources in a shared storage environment.
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 virtualization - Storage virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device -- or pool of available storage capacity.
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.
stored procedure - A stored procedure is a group of statements with a specific name, which are stored inside a database, such as MySQL or Oracle.
strategic innovation - Strategic innovation is a company's process of reinventing its corporate strategy to encourage growth, create value for the company and its customers, and gain competitive differentiation.
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 cipher - A stream cipher is a method of encrypting text (to produce ciphertext) in which a cryptographic key and algorithm are applied to each binary digit in a data stream, one bit at a time.
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.
stream processing - Stream processing is a data management technique that involves ingesting a continuous data stream to quickly analyze, filter, transform or enhance the data in real time.