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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  • 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

    Windows is Microsoft's flagship operating system (OS), the de facto standard for home and business computers.

  • 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 2012 (WS 2012)

    Windows Server 2012, formerly codenamed Windows Server 8, is the latest version of Windows Server.

  • 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.

  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

    Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Windows server role that can plan, manage and deploy updates, service packs, patches and hotfixes for Windows servers, client operating systems (OSes) and other Microsoft software.

  • Windows Sysinternals

    Windows Sysinternals is a collection of 70 freeware utilities that Microsoft offers IT administrators and developers to help them monitor, manage, diagnose and troubleshoot Windows systems and their applications.

  • 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.