IT operations

Terms related to the processes and services implemented and managed by an organization’s information technology (IT) department. Topics covered include systems management, configuration management, API management and DevOps, as well as real-time performance monitoring and management.

synthetic monitoring - Synthetic monitoring is the use of software to simulate user interactions with a system.
Sysprep (System Preparation Tool) - Sysprep is Microsoft's System Preparation tool intended to duplicate, test and deliver new installations for the Windows operating system based on an established installation.
System Restore (Windows) - System Restore is a Microsoft Windows utility designed to protect and revert the operating system (OS) to a previous state.
systems operator (sysop) - In IT, a systems operator (sysop) is a person who runs computer servers and other devices on a daily basis in a data center.
TCO (total cost of ownership) - Total cost of ownership (TCO) is an estimation of the expenses associated with purchasing, deploying, using and retiring a product or piece of equipment.
TCPView - TCPView is a Windows network monitoring utility that shows a graphical representation of all currently active TCP and UDP endpoints on a system.
technical debt - Technical debt -- or tech debt -- is the implied cost incurred when businesses do not fix problems that will affect them in the future.
template - A template is a form, mold or pattern used as a guide to make something.
Terraform - HashiCorp Terraform is an infrastructure as code (IaC) software tool that allows DevOps teams to automate infrastructure provisioning using reusable, shareable, human-readable configuration files.
thyristor - A thyristor is a four-layer semiconductor device, consisting of alternating P-type and N-type materials (PNPN).
tier 1 vendor - A tier 1 vendor is one of the largest and most well known in its field -- often enjoying national or international recognition and acceptance.
touch screen - A touch screen is an electronic display screen that is also an input device.
transaction - In computing, a transaction is a set of related tasks treated as a single action.
trusted execution environment (TEE) - A trusted execution environment (TEE) is an area on the main processor of a device that is separated from the system's main operating system (OS).
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) - A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a specialized chip on a device designed to secure hardware with cryptographic keys.
turbine - A turbine is a machine that plays a key role in transforming fluid or air energy into usable work or electricity.
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) - The Universal Naming Convention (UNC) is a standard for naming resources -- such as files and devices -- that are shared by computers on a network.
value chain - A value chain is a concept describing the full chain of a business's activities in creating a product or service -- from initial receipt of materials through its delivery to market.
value proposition - A value proposition is a statement that clearly identifies the benefits a company's products and services will deliver to its customers.
value-added reseller (VAR) - A value-added reseller (VAR) is a company that resells software, hardware, and other products and services that provide value beyond the original order fulfillment.
Vblock (VCE Vblock) - Vblock (VCE Vblock) is a family of converged infrastructure (CI) systems from Dell EMC that integrate advanced compute, network and storage technologies from three industry leaders: VMware, Cisco and Dell EMC.
vendor - A vendor is an individual or company that sells goods or services to somone else in the economic production chain.
vendor management system (VMS) - A vendor management system (VMS) is an enterprise software platform that helps companies control the process of procuring and managing a flexible workforce.
vendor-managed inventory (VMI) - Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is an inventory management technique in which the supplier of goods, usually the manufacturer, is responsible for optimizing the inventory a distributor holds.
virtual CPU (vCPU) - A virtual CPU (vCPU) is the processor of a virtual machine (VM).
Virtual Machine Disk format (VMDK) - VMware Virtual Machine Disk format (VMDK) is a format specification for virtual machine (VM) disk image files.
VRAM (video RAM) - VRAM (video RAM) refers to any type of random access memory (RAM) specifically used to store image data for a computer display.
VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) - VUCA is an acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity -- qualities that make a situation or condition difficult to analyze, respond to or plan for.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive - The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a legislative act that the European Union adopted to address the growing amounts of e-waste that come from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) at the end of its life.
What are microservices? Everything you need to know - Microservices, or microservices architecture, is an approach to the design and implementation of enterprise applications in which a large application is built from modular components or services.
What are ModelOps (model operations) analytics models? - ModelOps (model operations) is a holistic approach to building analytics models that can quickly progress from the lab to production.
What is a bill of materials (BOM)? - A bill of materials (BOM) is a comprehensive inventory of the raw materials, assemblies, subassemblies, parts and components, as well as the quantities of each, needed to manufacture a product.
What is a cloud-native application? - A cloud-native application is a program that is designed for a cloud computing architecture.
What is a collaborative robot (cobot)? - A collaborative robot, also known as a cobot, is an industrial robot that can safely operate alongside humans in a shared workspace.
What is a configuration file? - A configuration file, often shortened to config file, defines the parameters, options, settings and preferences applied to operating systems (OSes), infrastructure devices and applications in an IT context.
What is a data flow diagram (DDF)? - A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical or visual representation that uses a standardized set of symbols and notations to describe a business's operations through data movement.
What is a partition in computers? - A partition is a logical division of a hard disk drive (HDD) that's treated as a separate unit by operating systems (OSes) and file systems.
What is a request for proposal (RFP)? - A request for proposal (RFP) is a document an organization uses when it's searching for a product or service to meet specific requirements.
What is a service mesh? - A service mesh is a dedicated infrastructure layer that controls service-to-service communication within a distributed application.
What is a software license? - A software license is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of software.
What is Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR)? - Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR) is an Amazon Web Service (AWS) product that stores, manages and deploys Docker images, which are managed clusters of Amazon EC2 instances.
What is an IT service catalog? - An IT service catalog is a list of information technology resources and offerings available from the IT service provider within an organization.
What is an ODM (original design manufacturer)? - An ODM (original design manufacturer) is a company that takes the original specifications of another company or individual and builds the design to the product specifications.
What is an organizational goal? - Organizational goals are strategic objectives that a company's management establishes to outline expected outcomes and guide employees' efforts toward the achievement of those outcomes.
What is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)? - An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows a computer to keep running for at least a short time when incoming power is interrupted.
What is Application Performance Index (Apdex)? - Application Performance Index, also known as Apdex, is an open standard intended to simplify reports of application performance.
What is cloud application performance management (cloud APM)? - Cloud application performance management (cloud APM) is the process of monitoring resources that support software application performance in public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud environments.
What is configuration management? A comprehensive guide - Configuration management, or CM, is a governance and systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources, services and applications across an enterprise.
What is container management and why is it important? - Container management refers to a set of practices that govern and maintain containerization software.
What is data management as a service (DMaaS)? - Data management as a service (DMaaS) is a type of cloud service that provides enterprises with centralized storage for disparate data sources.
What is DevOps? Meaning, methodology and guide - The word 'DevOps' is a combination of the terms 'development' and 'operations,' meant to represent a collaborative or shared approach to the tasks performed by a company's application development and IT operations teams.
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 incremental innovation? - Incremental innovation is a series of small improvements or upgrades made to a company's existing products, services, processes or methods.
What is IT/OT convergence? Everything you need to know - IT/OT convergence is the integration of information technology (IT) systems with operational technology (OT) systems.
What is ITIL? A guide to the IT Infrastructure Library - ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery, maintenance and overall lifecycle of IT services within a business.
What is Jira? - Jira is an application lifecycle management (ALM) and Agile project management tool from Atlassian.
What is labor arbitrage? - Labor arbitrage is the practice of searching for and then using the lowest-cost workforce to produce products or goods.
What is LXD (Linux container hypervisor)? - LXD, pronounced 'lex-dee,' is a unified platform for managing system containers and virtual machines (VMs).
What is managed detection and response (MDR)? - Managed detection and response (MDR) services are a collection of network-, host- and endpoint-based cybersecurity technologies that a third-party provider manages for a client organization.
What is NRZ (non-return-to-zero)? - NRZ (non-return-to-zero) is a form of digital data transmission in which the binary low and high states, represented by numerals 0 and 1, are transmitted by specific and constant direct current (DC) voltages.
What is observability? A beginner's guide - Observability is a management strategy focused on keeping the most relevant, important and core issues at or near the top of an operations process flow.
What is picture archiving and communication system (PACS)? - Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a medical imaging technology used primarily in healthcare organizations to securely store and digitally transmit electronic images and clinically relevant reports.
What is the law of diminishing returns? - The law of diminishing returns is an economic principle stating that as investment in a particular area increases, the rate of profit from that investment, after a certain point, can't continue to increase if other variables remain at a constant.
What is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)? - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a specification for a software program that connects a computer's firmware to its operating system (OS).
Wiegand - Wiegand is the trade name for a technology used in card readers and sensors, particularly for access control applications.
Windows Admin Center - Windows Admin Center (WAC), formerly Microsoft Project Honolulu, is a browser-based management tool from Microsoft that allows administrators to manage Windows servers and clusters from a centralized, graphical user interface.
Windows containers - Windows containers provide abstracted, isolated, lightweight and portable operating environments for application development on a single system.
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 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 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.
workload - In computing, a workload is typically any program or application that runs on a computer.
WXGA - WXGA, which stands for wide XGA, is a term used in product specifications to describe a display screen that is appropriate for business but is also suitable for watching DVDs.
zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) - Zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) is a method of setting up devices that automatically configures the device using a switch feature.