Internet technologies

This WhatIs.com glossary contains terms related to Internet technologies, including definitions about port numbers, standards and protocols and words and phrases about how the Internet works.

search engine results page (SERP) - A search engine results page (SERP) is the list of results that a search engine returns in response to a specific word or keyword phrase query.
search operator - A search operator -- sometimes referred to as a search parameter -- is a character or string of characters used in a search engine query to narrow the focus of the search.
search string - A search string is the combination of text, numbers and sometimes special characters that a user enters into an application's search form to find specific types of information.
session ID - A session ID, also called a session token, is a unique identifier that a web server assigns to a user for the duration of the current session.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) - Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining, modifying and terminating real-time sessions that involve video, voice, messaging and other communications applications and services between two or more endpoints on IP networks.
sharing economy - The sharing economy, also known as collaborative consumption or peer-to-peer-based sharing, is a concept that highlights the ability -- and perhaps the preference -- of individuals to rent or borrow goods rather than buy and own them.
short message service center (SMSC) - The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations.
six degrees of separation - Six degrees of separation is the theory that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.
smart home - A smart home is a residence that uses internet-connected devices to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems, such as lighting and heating.
smart streetlight - A smart streetlight is a public lighting fixture that incorporates technology, such as cameras, light-sensing photocells and other sensors, to introduce real-time monitoring functionalities.
smart TV - A smart TV is a television that includes an internal processor and onboard storage and enables internet connectivity, similar to a smartphone or personal computer.
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) - SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a message protocol that enables the distributed elements of an application to communicate.
social media recruitment (social media recruiting) - Social media recruitment, or social media recruiting, is the process of using social media platforms to identify, engage and vet people the organization may want to hire.
SODOTO (See One, Do One, Teach One) - SODOTO (See One, Do One, Teach One) is a methodology of teaching and learning skills and best practices through direct observation of a task, hands-on practical experience performing the task and teaching the task to another person.
soft reset - A soft reset is a restart of a device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer (PC).
Starlink - Starlink is a satellite internet constellation system that aims to deliver global internet coverage.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SYN flood attack - A SYN flood attack is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack on a computer server.
time-to-live (TTL) - Time-to-live (TTL) is a value for the period of time that a packet, or data, should exist on a computer or network before being discarded.
timeline - A timeline is a visual representation of a chronological sequence of events along a drawn line that helps a viewer understand time relationships.
TL;DR (too long; didn't read) - TL;DR is an abbreviation for "too long; didn't read.
Top 10 spyware threats - The top 10 spyware list describes the 10 common spyware threats behind famous spyware attacks and is frequently identified by Webroot's Spy Audit, a free spyware scanner tool.
Top searches of 2008 - What were people searching the WhatIs.
touch screen - A touch screen is an electronic display screen that is also an input device.
tvOS - TvOS is the operating system that runs on the 4th and 5th generation Apple TV digital media player.
UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) - UDDI, or Universal Description, Discovery and Integration, is an Extensible Language Markup (XML)-based standard to describe, publish and find information about web services.
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.
uploading - Uploading is the transmission of data from a local device to a remote device.
URN (Uniform Resource Name) - A URN (Uniform Resource Name) is a permanent identifier for internet resources that employs the urn scheme.
User Principal Name (UPN) - In Microsoft Active Directory, a User Principal Name (UPN) is a username and domain in an email address format.
UUID (Universal Unique Identifier) - A UUID (Universal Unique Identifier) is a 128-bit value used to uniquely identify an object or entity on the internet.
vanity URL (vanity uniform resource locator) - A vanity URL (vanity uniform resource locator) is a simplified version of a URL that users enter into their browsers in place of the original URL.
vector graphics - Vector graphics are computer images created through a sequence of commands or mathematical statements that place lines and shapes in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space.
Vimeo - Vimeo is a U.
virtual asset - A virtual asset is a digital representation of an item that has value in a specific environment.
virtual classroom - A virtual classroom is an online learning environment.
virtual reality sickness (VR motion sickness) - Virtual reality sickness (VR motion sickness) is the physical discomfort that occurs when an end user's brain receives conflicting signals about self-movement in a digital environment.
voice SEO - Voice SEO is the optimization of keywords and keyword phrases for searches through voice assistants.
VoIP phone - A VoIP phone is a hardware- or software-based telephone designed to use voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to send and receive phone calls over an IP network.
von Neumann bottleneck - The von Neumann bottleneck is a limitation on throughput caused by the standard personal computer architecture.
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) - The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is an international organization that creates standards for the World Wide Web.
WAN (wide area network) - A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically distributed private telecommunications network that interconnects multiple local area networks (LANs).
Wayback Machine - The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine is a digital archive of information on the internet.
Web 2.0 - Web 2.0 are websites and applications that make use of user-generated content for end users.
web analytics - Web analytics is the process of analyzing the behavior of visitors to a website by tracking, reviewing and reporting the data generated by their use of the site and its components, such as its webpages, images and videos.
web services - Web services are a type of internet software that use standardized messaging protocols and are made available from an application service provider's web server for a client or other web-based programs to use.
web stack - A web stack is the collection of software used for web development that incorporates, at a minimum, an operating system (OS), a programming language, database software and a web server.
weblog - A blog, short for weblog, is a frequently updated web page used for personal commentary or business content.
webOS - WebOS is an LG-owned, Linux-based operating system for smart devices, particularly smart TVs.
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) - WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) is an open source project that enables real-time voice, text and video communications capabilities between web browsers and devices.
What are Internet data caps and why do providers use them? - A data cap, also known as a bandwidth cap, is a limit that service providers impose on the amount of data a user account can transfer at a specified level of throughput over a given time period, for a specified fee.
What are port numbers and how do they work? - A port number is a way to identify a specific process to which an internet or other network message is to be forwarded when it arrives at a server.
What are social media metrics? - Social media metrics are the various data points that can help a company gauge the impact of social media activity on its revenue.
What are systems of engagement? - Systems of engagement are decentralized IT components that incorporate technologies such as social media and the cloud to encourage and enable peer interaction.
What are vector embeddings? - Vector embeddings are numerical representations that capture the relationships and meaning of words, phrases and other data types.
What is 3PL (third-party logistics)? - A 3PL (third-party logistics) provider offers outsourced logistics services, which encompass anything that involves management of one or more facets of procurement and fulfillment activities.
What is a certificate authority (CA)? - A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues digital certificates to authenticate content sent from web servers.
What is a cloud access security broker (CASB)? - A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software tool or service that sits between an organization's on-premises infrastructure and a cloud provider's infrastructure.
What is a Consensus Algorithm? - A consensus algorithm is a process in computer science used to achieve agreement on a single data value among distributed processes or systems.
What is a content management system (CMS)? - A content management system (CMS) is a software application that lets users create, edit, collaborate on, publish and store digital content.
What is a headless content management system (headless CMS)? - A headless content management system (CMS) is an application in which the content and presentation layers are decoupled, allowing for faster content creation, edits and deployments.
What is a protocol data unit (PDU)? - A protocol data unit (PDU) is the basic unit of exchange between entities that communicate with a specified networking protocol.
What is a quantum logic gate? - A quantum logic gate is a basic quantum device that operates on a small number of quantum bits or qubits.
What is a recommendation engine? - A recommendation engine is a system that gives customers recommendations based on their behavior patterns and similarities to people who might have shared preferences.
What is a remote desktop and how does it work? - A remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
What is a Request for Comments (RFC)? - A Request for Comments (RFC) is a formal document created by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that outlines technical specifications, organizational notes and standards relevant to internet and networking technologies, including protocols such as routing, addressing and transport technologies.
What is a server? - A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client.
What is a supercomputer? - A supercomputer is a highly advanced computer that performs at or near the highest operational rate for computers.
What is a uniform resource identifier (URI)? - A uniform resource identifier (URI) is a character sequence that identifies a logical (abstract) or physical resource -- usually, but not always, connected to the internet.
What is a unique identifier (UID)? - A unique identifier (UID) is a numeric or alphanumeric string that is associated with a single entity within a given system.
What is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)? - A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet.
What is a web server? - A web server is software and hardware that uses HTTP and other protocols to respond to client requests made over the World Wide Web.
What is an operating system (OS)? - An operating system (OS) is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by a boot program, manages all the other application programs in a computer.
What is authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA)? - Authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) is a security framework for controlling and tracking user access within a computer network.
What is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)? - BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol that enables the internet's global routing system.
What is cloud computing? Types, examples and benefits - Cloud computing is a general term for the on-demand delivery of hosted computing and IT services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
What is computational linguistics? Definition and career info - Computational linguistics (CL) is the application of computer science to the analysis and comprehension of written and spoken language.
What is customer self-service? - Customer self-service is digital support that lets end users access information and perform routine tasks without requiring the assistance of live agents or representatives.
What is e-business? - E-business (electronic business) is the conduct of online business processes on the web, internet, extranet or a combination thereof.
What is Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)? - An enterprise service bus (ESB) is a software platform used to distribute work among connected components of an application.
What is Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)? - Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is a protocol for wireless networks that expands the authentication methods used by Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), a protocol often used when connecting a computer to the internet.
What is FTP? - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
What is HTTP and how does it work? Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the set of rules for transferring files -- such as text, images, sound, video and other multimedia files -- over the web.
What is hybrid cloud? The ultimate guide - A hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment that uses a mix of on-premises, private cloud and third-party public cloud services with orchestration among these platforms.
What is image metadata and how is it used? - Image metadata is text information pertaining to an image file that is embedded into the file or saved to a separate file that is associated with the image file.
What is interactive voice response (IVR)? - Interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated telephony system that interacts with callers, gathers information and routes calls to the appropriate recipients.
What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)? - Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.
What is LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)? - LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a software protocol used for locating data about organizations, individuals and other resources, such as files and devices, on public and corporate networks.
What is Microsoft? - Microsoft is the world's largest vendor of computer software and a leading provider of cloud computing services, video games, computer and gaming hardware, search and other online services.
What is mixed reality? - Mixed reality refers to advanced technology that combines both virtual reality (VR), a fully immersive computer-generated experience, and augmented reality (AR), which integrates digital elements into the physical world.
What is network-attached storage (NAS)? A complete guide - Network-attached storage (NAS) is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity.
What is pharming? - Pharming is a scamming practice in which malicious code is installed on a PC or server, misdirecting users to fraudulent websites without their knowledge or consent.
What is quantum computing? How it works and examples - Quantum computing is an area of computer science focused on the development of computers based on the principles of quantum theory.
What is Reddit? How it works, history and pros and cons - Reddit is a social media platform and forum-style website where content is socially curated and promoted by site members through voting.
What is REpresentational State Transfer (REST) - REST (REpresentational State Transfer) is an architectural style for developing web services and systems that can easily communicate with each other.
What is social media marketing (SMM)? - Social media marketing (SMM) is a form of internet marketing that uses social media apps as a marketing tool.
What is SSH (Secure Shell) and How Does It Work? - SSH (Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell) is a network protocol that gives users -- particularly systems administrators -- a secure way to access a computer over an unsecured network.