Browse Definitions by Alphabet

flash storage - Flash storage is any type of drive, repository or system that uses flash memory to write and store data for an extended period.
flat file - A flat file is a collection of data stored in a two-dimensional database in which similar yet discrete strings of information are stored as records in a table.
floating gate transistor (FGT) - A floating gate transistor (FGT) is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology capable of holding an electrical charge in a memory device that is used to store data.
floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) - Floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) is a measure of a computer's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second.
flooding (network) - In a computer network, flooding occurs when a router uses a non-adaptive routing algorithm to send an incoming packet to every outgoing link except the node on which the packet arrived.
flow (psychology) - Flow, in the context of psychology, is a state of intense engagement, focus and contentment in the present moment and current activity.
flow control - Flow control is a technique used to regulate data transfer between computers or other nodes in a network.
flow routing - Flow routing is a network routing technology that takes variations in the flow of data into account to increase routing efficiency.
flowchart - A flowchart is a formalized graphic representation of a logic sequence, work or manufacturing process, organization chart, or similar formalized structure.
flux - In physics, flux is a measure of the number of electric or magnetic field lines passing through a surface in a given amount time.
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) - FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis) is a step-by-step approach for collecting knowledge about possible points of failure in a design, manufacturing process, product or service.
font - The word 'font' refers to a set of printable or displayable typography or text characters in a specific style and size.
footprinting - Footprinting is an ethical hacking technique used to gather as much data as possible about a specific targeted computer system, an infrastructure and networks to identify opportunities to penetrate them.
for your information (FYI) - In both chat acronyms and in IT acronyms, FYI is the abbreviation for 'for your information.
foreign key - A foreign key is a column or columns of data in one table that refers to the unique data values -- often the primary key data -- in another table.
forensic image - A forensic image (forensic copy) is a bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector direct copy of a physical storage device, including all files, folders and unallocated, free and slack space.
form factor - In computing, form factor refers to the size, configuration, shape, weight or physical arrangement of a computing device.
Fortran - Fortran is an imperative programming language used for more than 60 years to create powerful, efficient and accurate applications, particularly in scientific fields.
forward chaining - Forward chaining is the logical process of inferring unknown truths from known data and moving forward using determined conditions and rules to find a solution.
forward error correction (FEC) - Forward error correction (FEC) is a method for obtaining error control in data transmission in which the source (transmitter) sends redundant data and the destination (receiver) recognizes only the portion of the data that contains no apparent errors.
four-factor authentication (4FA) - Four-factor authentication (4FA) is the use of four types of identity-confirming credentials, typically categorized as knowledge, possession, inherence and location factors.
Fourth Industrial Revolution - The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way modern people live and work.
FPV drone (first-person view drone) - An FPV drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a camera that wirelessly transmits video feed to goggles, a headset, a mobile device or another display.
FQA (frequently questioned answers) - FQA (frequently questioned answers) are conventions or mandates scrutinized by individuals or groups who doubt their validity.
frame relay - Frame relay is a packet-switching telecommunications service designed for cost-efficient data transmission for intermittent traffic between local area networks (LANs) and between endpoints in wide area networks (WANs).
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.
fraud detection - Fraud detection is a set of activities undertaken to prevent money or property from being obtained through false pretenses.
free cooling - Free cooling is an approach to lowering the air temperature in a building or data center by using naturally cool air or water instead of mechanical refrigeration.
freemium - Freemium is a way of promoting services by offering the basic features at no cost, charging a premium only for supplemental features.
freeware - Freeware (not to be confused with free software) is a type of proprietary software that is released without charge to the public.
frequency - For an oscillating or varying current, frequency is the number of complete cycles per second in alternating current direction.
frequency band - In telecommunications, a frequency band -- sometimes called a band -- refers to a specific range of frequencies in the electromagnetic frequency spectrum assigned to certain applications.
frequency jammer - Frequency jamming is the disruption of radio signals through use of an over-powered signal in the same frequency range.
frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) - In frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), multiple signals are combined for transmission on a single communications line or channel, with each signal assigned to a different frequency (subchannel) within the main channel.
frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) - Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) transmission is the repeated switching of the carrier frequency during radio transmission to reduce interference and avoid interception.
frequency-shift keying (FSK) - Frequency-shift keying (FSK) is a method of transmitting digital signals using discrete signals.
friendly name - A friendly name is a term used to refer to a device, application file, certificate or other IT asset instead of its technical name.
front end and back end - Front end and back end are terms used by programmers and computer professionals to describe the layers that make up hardware, a computer program or a website which are delineated based on how accessible they are to a user.
fronthaul - Fronthaul, also known as mobile fronthaul, is a term that refers to the fiber-based connection of the cloud radio access network (C-RAN), a new type of cellular network architecture of centralized baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio heads (RRHs) at the access layer of the network.
Fréchet inception distance (FID) - Fréchet inception distance (FID) is a metric for quantifying the realism and diversity of images generated by generative adversarial networks (GANs).
FTC (Federal Trade Commission) - The FTC, or Federal Trade Commission, is a United States federal regulatory agency designed to monitor and prevent anticompetitive, deceptive or unfair business practices.
FUBAR - FUBAR is an acronym that originated in the military to stand for the words "f***ed up beyond all repair.
fuel cell - A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that derives its energy from combustible substances such as hydrogen, methane, propane, methanol, diesel fuel or even gasoline.
Fujitsu Ltd. - Fujitsu Ltd.
full backup - A full backup is the process of making at least one additional copy of all data files that an organization wishes to protect in a single backup operation.
full-disk encryption (FDE) - Full-disk encryption (FDE) is a security method for protecting sensitive data at the hardware level by encrypting all data on a disk drive.
full-duplex - Full-duplex data transmission means that data can be transmitted in both directions on a signal carrier at the same time.
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.
fully qualified domain name (FQDN) - A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) is the complete address of an internet host or computer.
function as a service (FaaS) - Function as a service (FaaS) is a cloud computing model that enables cloud customers to develop applications and deploy functionalities and only be charged when the functionality executes.
functional programming - Functional programming is a programming paradigm that uses functions to construct programs and control how those programs operate.
functional requirements - Functional requirements are the desired operations of a program, or system as defined in software development and systems engineering.
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.
funnel analysis - Funnel analysis is a way to measure and improve the performance of customer interactions in a step-wise progression from the initial customer contact to a predetermined conversion metric.
fuzz testing (fuzzing) - Fuzz testing (fuzzing) is a quality assurance technique used to discover coding errors or bugs and security loopholes in software, operating systems and networks.
fuzzy logic - Fuzzy logic is an approach to computing based on "degrees of truth" rather than the usual "true or false" (1 or 0) Boolean logic on which the modern computer is based.
fuzzy search - A fuzzy search is a technique that uses search algorithms to find strings that match patterns approximately.
NetApp FlexPod - NetApp FlexPod is a reference architecture for server, storage and networking components that are pretested and validated to work together as an integrated infrastructure stack.
What is a functional specification document? - A functional specification is a formal document used to describe a product's intended capabilities, appearance and interactions with users in detail for software developers.
What is face detection and how does it work? - Face detection, also called facial detection, is a computer technology that identifies human faces in digital images and video.
What is feature engineering? - Feature engineering is the process that takes raw data and transforms it into features that can be used to create a predictive model using machine learning or statistical modeling, such as deep learning.
What is fine-tuning in machine learning and AI? - Fine-tuning is the process of taking a pretrained machine learning model and further training it on a smaller, targeted data set.
What is finite element analysis (FEA)? - Finite element analysis (FEA) is the process of simulating the behavior of an object or assemblage of objects when it's exposed to specified physical conditions, which can be stable or varying.
What is FinOps? - FinOps -- a combination of the terms finance and DevOps -- is a framework for managing operational costs across an organization, often in conjunction with cloud computing.
What is firmware? - Firmware is a type of software program embedded into hardware devices to help them function smoothly and effectively.
What is first call resolution (FCR)? - First call resolution (FCR) is when contact center agents properly address a customer's needs the first time they call so there is no need for the customer to follow up with a second call.
What is fog computing? - Fog computing is a decentralized computing infrastructure in which data, compute, storage and applications are located somewhere between the data source and the cloud.
What is foo (in software programming)? - Foo (pronounced FOO) is a term used by programmers as a placeholder for a value that can change depending on conditions or on information passed to the program.
What is FTP? - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
What is functional testing and how does it work? - Functional testing is a process used to evaluate software during development to ensure that it meets the application's intended requirements and specifications.