Technical support
Terms related to computer fundamentals, including computer hardware definitions and words and phrases about software, operating systems, peripherals and troubleshooting.CUS - HYP
- customer data integration (CDI) - Customer data integration (CDI) is the process of defining, consolidating and managing customer information across an organization's business units and systems to achieve a "single version of the truth" for customer data.
- customer lifecycle - In customer relationship management (CRM), customer lifecycle is a term used to describe the progression of steps a customer goes through when considering, purchasing, using and maintaining loyalty to a product or service.
- cyberextortion - Cyberextortion is a crime involving an attack or threat of an attack coupled with a demand for money or some other response in return for stopping or remediating the attack.
- cyberpicketing - Cyberpicketing is the use of the Internet to protest a corporation or other institution's wages, work conditions, products, environmental policy, or other issues.
- cyberstalking - Cyberstalking is a crime in which someone harasses or stalks a victim using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, instant messaging (IM) or messages posted to a discussion group or forum.
- data - In computing, data is information that has been translated into a form that is efficient for movement or processing.
- data center - A data center -- also known as a datacenter or data centre -- is a facility composed of networked computers, storage systems and computing infrastructure that organizations use to organize, process, store and disseminate large amounts of data.
- data classification - Data classification is the process of organizing data into categories that make it is easy to retrieve, sort and store for future use.
- data compression - Data compression is a reduction in the number of bits needed to represent data.
- data in motion - Data in motion, also referred to as data in transit or data in flight, is a process in which digital information is transported between locations either within or between computer systems.
- data point - A data point is a discrete unit of information.
- data restore - Data restore is the process of copying backup data from secondary storage and restoring it to its original location or a new location.
- data set - A data set is a collection of data that contains individual data units organized (formatted) in a specific way and accessed by one or more specific access methods based on the data set organization and data structure.
- data streaming - Data streaming is the continuous transfer of data at a steady, high-speed rate.
- data structures - A data structure is a specialized format for organizing, processing, retrieving and storing data.
- data transfer rate (DTR) - The data transfer rate (DTR) is the amount of digital data that's moved from one place to another in a given time.
- Daylight Saving Time (DST) - Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of turning the clock ahead as warmer weather approaches and back as it becomes colder again.
- deadlock - A deadlock is a situation in which two computer programs sharing the same resource are effectively preventing each other from accessing the resource, resulting in both programs ceasing to function.
- decimal - Decimal is a numbering system that uses a base-10 representation for numeric values.
- decoupled architecture - In general, a decoupled architecture is a framework for complex work that allows components to remain completely autonomous and unaware of each other.
- default - In computer technology, a default is a pre-designed value or setting that is used by a computer program when a value or setting is not specified by the program user.
- defragmentation - Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file.
- deploy - To deploy (from the French deployer) is "to spread out or arrange strategically.
- deprecated - In information technology (IT), deprecation means that although something is available or allowed, it is not recommended or that -- in the case where something must be used -- to say it is deprecated means that its failings are recognized.
- desktop - A desktop is a computer display area that represents the kinds of objects one might find on top of a physical desk, including documents, phone books, telephones, reference sources, writing and drawing tools, and project folders.
- digital accessibility - Digital accessibility is design of technology products and environments to help people with various disabilities not be impeded or otherwise unable to partake in use of the service, product or function.
- digital cash (e-cash) - Digital cash is a system of purchasing cash credits, storing the credits in your computer or digital wallet, and then spending them when making electronic purchases over the internet or in person on a mobile device at the point of sale.
- digital library - A digital library is a collection of digital objects, such as books, magazines, audio recordings, video recordings and other documents that are accessible electronically.
- digital modeling and fabrication - Digital modeling and fabrication is a design and production process that marries 3-D modeling or computing-aided design (CAD) software with additive and subtractive manufacturing.
- Direct Memory Access (DMA) - Direct Memory Access (DMA) is a capability provided by some computer bus architectures that allows data to be sent directly from an attached device (such as a disk drive) to the memory on the computer's motherboard.
- direct-attached storage (DAS) - Direct-attached storage (DAS) is a type of storage that is attached directly to a computer without going through a network.
- disaster recovery plan (DRP) - A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented, structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume work after an unplanned incident.
- disruptive technology (disruptive innovation) - Disruptive technology, often referred to as disruptive innovation, is when a new business model attracts an underserviced market or revenue stream and grows until it supplants incumbent competitors.
- distributed - Computing is said to be "distributed" when the computer programming and data that computers work on are spread out over more than one computer, usually over a network.
- document - A document is a form of information that might be useful to a user or set of users.
- DOS (disk operating system) - A DOS, or disk operating system, is an operating system that runs from a disk drive.
- dot product (scalar product) - The dot product, also called scalar product, is a measure of how closely two vectors align with each other, in terms of the directions they point.
- double-slit experiment - The double-slit experiment is a nineteenth-century investigation into the properties of light that has since been found to demonstrate both the duality of photons and the concepts of superposition and quantum interference.
- DRY principle - The DRY (don't repeat yourself) principle is a best practice in software development that recommends software engineers to do something once, and only once.
- electronic data processing (EDP) - Electronic data processing (EDP) refers to the gathering of data using electronic devices, such as computers, servers or calculators.
- electronic discovery (e-discovery or ediscovery) - Electronic discovery -- also called e-discovery or ediscovery -- refers to any process of obtaining and exchanging evidence in a civil or criminal legal case.
- email - Email (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages from one user to one or more recipients via the internet.
- embedded system - An embedded system is a combination of computer hardware and software designed for a specific function.
- encoding and decoding - Encoding and decoding are used in many forms of communications, including computing, data communications, programming, digital electronics and human communications.
- ENIAC - ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) was the world’s first general-purpose computer.
- enterprise architecture (EA) - An enterprise architecture (EA) is a conceptual blueprint that defines the structure and operation of organizations.
- entity - In general, an entity (pronounced N-tih-tee) is an existing or real thing.
- entrepreneur (entrepreneurship) - An entrepreneur is an individual who identifies a need in the marketplace and works to fulfill it.
- event - An event, in a computing context, is an action or occurrence that can be identified by a program and has significance for system hardware or software.
- event handler - In programming, an event handler is a callback routine that operates asynchronously once an event takes place.
- exponential function - An exponential function is a mathematical function used to calculate the exponential growth or decay of a given set of data.
- extension - In computer operating systems, a file name extension is an optional addition to the file name in a suffix of the form ".
- fabric - In information technology, fabric is a synonym for the words framework or platform.
- failover - Failover is a backup operational mode in which the functions of a system component are assumed by a secondary component when the primary becomes unavailable.
- falsifiability - Falsifiability is the capacity for some proposition, statement, theory or hypothesis to be proven wrong.
- farad (F) - A farad (F) is the standard unit of capacitance in the International System of Units (SI).
- fault-tolerant - Fault-tolerant technology is a capability of a computer system, electronic system or network to deliver uninterrupted service, despite one or more of its components failing.
- FDISK - WARNING: Use caution when repartitioning a hard disk drive that contains data.
- field - A field is an area in a fixed or known location in a unit of data such as a record, message header, or computer instruction that has a purpose and usually a fixed size.
- file extension (file format) - In a computer, a file extension is the layout of a file -- in terms of how the data within the file is organized.
- finite state machine - Finite state machine (FSM) is a term used by programmers, mathematicians and other professionals to describe a mathematical model for any system with a limited number of conditional states of being.
- first call resolution (FCR) - First call resolution (FCR) is when customer service agents properly address a customer's needs the first time they call.
- first-order logic - First-order logic (FOL) refers to logic in which the predicate of a sentence or statement can only refer to a single subject.
- flash memory card - Flash storage memory cards use nonvolatile semiconductor memory to store pictures, audio and video data on portable and remote devices.
- flash storage - Flash storage is any type of drive, repository or system that uses flash memory to keep data for an extended period of time.
- FLOPS (floating-point operations per second) - In computers, FLOPS are floating-point operations per second.
- flowchart - A flowchart is a formalized graphic representation of a logic sequence, work or manufacturing process, organization chart, or similar formalized structure.
- form factor - In computers, the form factor is the size, configuration, or physical arrangement of a computing device.
- FQA (frequently questioned answers) - FQA (frequently questioned answers) are conventions or mandates scrutinized by individuals or groups who doubt their validity.
- framework - In general, a framework is a real or conceptual structure intended to serve as a support or guide for the building of something that expands the structure into something useful.
- framing effect - Framing effect is a form of cognitive bias which causes people to focus more on the positive or negative aspects of a decision, situation or information based on the way it is presented.
- freeware - Freeware (not to be confused with free software) is a type of proprietary software that is released without charge to the public.
- full-stack developer - A full-stack developer is a type of programmer that has a functional knowledge of all techniques, languages and systems engineering concepts required in software development.
- functionality - In information technology, functionality (from Latin functio meaning "to perform") is the sum or any aspect of what a product, such as a software application or computing device, can do for a user.
- fuzzy search - A fuzzy search is a technique that uses search algorithms to find strings that match patterns approximately.
- gas - A gas is a substance that is in a gaseous, or vaporous, state of matter.
- general-purpose computer - A general-purpose computer is one that, given the application and required time, should be able to perform the most common computing tasks.
- geospatial analysis - Geospatial analysis is the gathering, display, and manipulation of imagery, GPS, satellite photography and historical data, described explicitly in terms of geographic coordinates or implicitly, in terms of a street address, postal code, or forest stand identifier as they are applied to geographic models.
- gibibyte (GiB) - A gibibyte (GiB) is a unit of measure of capacity used in computing.
- gigabit (Gb) - In data communications, a gigabit (Gb) is 1 billion bits, or 1,000,000,000 (that is, 10^9) bits.
- GPGPU (general purpose graphics processing unit) - A general-purpose GPU (GPGPU) is a graphics processing unit (GPU) that performs non-specialized calculations that would typically be conducted by the CPU (central processing unit).
- Grace Hopper nanosecond - A Grace Hopper nanosecond is a visual aid that represents how fast electricity can travel in one billionth of a second.
- graphics processing unit (GPU) - A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a computer chip that renders graphics and images by performing rapid mathematical calculations.
- gravity (or gravitation) - Gravity, also called gravitation, is a force that exists among all material objects in the universe, attracting objects with non-zero mass toward each other.
- grayscale - Grayscale is a range of shades of gray without apparent color.
- grid computing - Grid computing is a system for connecting a large number of computer nodes into a distributed architecture that delivers the compute resources necessary to solve complex problems.
- gyroscope - A gyroscope is a device with a spinning disc or wheel mechanism that harnesses the principle of conservation of angular momentum: the tendency for the spin of a system to remain constant unless subjected to external torque.
- Hamming code - Hamming code is an error correction system that can detect and correct errors when data is stored or transmitted.
- haptics - Haptics (pronounced HAP-tiks) is the science of applying touch (tactile) sensation and control to interaction with computer applications.
- hard drive shredder - A hard drive shredder is a mechanical device that physically destroys old hard drives in such a way that the data they contain cannot be recovered.
- hard reset (factory reset; master reset) - A hard reset, also known as a factory reset or master reset, is the restoration of a device, such as a smartphone or tablet, to its state when it left the factory.
- heuristic - As an adjective, heuristic (pronounced hyu-RIS-tik and from the Greek "heuriskein" meaning "to discover") pertains to the process of gaining knowledge or some desired result by intelligent guesswork rather than by following some preestablished formula.
- hexadecimal - Hexadecimal is a numbering system with base 16.
- hierarchy - Generally speaking, hierarchy refers to an organizational structure in which items are ranked in a specific manner, usually according to levels of importance.
- high-performance computing - High-performance computing (HPC) is the practice of using parallel data processing to improve computing performance and perform complex calculations.
- histogram - A histogram is a display of statistical information that uses rectangles to show the frequency of data items in successive numerical intervals of equal size.
- holographic storage (holostorage) - Holographic storage is computer storage that uses laser beams to store computer-generated data in three dimensions.
- home server - A home server is a computer that functions as a server in a client-server home network.
- host (in computing) - A host is a computer or other device that communicates with other hosts on a network.
- hybrid application (hybrid app) - A hybrid app is a software application that combines elements of both native apps and web applications.