A1 Glossari informàtic
A1 Glossari informàtic
Finalitat de l'activitat
En aquesta activitat l’estudiant es familiaritzarà amb tota una sèrie de termes relacionats amb
els sistemes informàtics.
Un objectiu d’aquesta activitat és aprofundir i fomentar l’us de l’anglès com a llengua bàsica
del món de la informàtica.
Descripció de l'activitat
Desenvolupament de l'activitat
Computing terms
Access Point
In a wireless local area network (WLAN), an access point is a station that transmits and receives data. An
access point connects users to other users within the network and also can serve as the point of
interconnection between the WLAN and a fixed wire network.
Active Directory
Active Directory is a centralized and standardized system that automates network management of user
data, security, and distributed resources.
Android
Android is the name of the mobile operating system made by the american company Google. It
most commonly comes installed on a variety of smartphones and tablets, offering users access
to Google’s own services like Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and more.
Applet
A program designed to be executed from within another application. Unlike an application, applets cannot
be executed directly from the operating system.
Web browsers are often equipped with Java virtual machines (example).
assembler
a program which translates the mnemonic language understood by the programmer into a binary form
understood by the computer.
Back-Up
A second copy of your work, because something should go wrong with the hardware upon which your
files are stored.
baud or BPS
unit of data transmission speed, equal to the number of voltage changes transmitted per second
byte(s)
The units which measures the size of programs and files you produce, and the size of a computer's
memory. Sizes are measured in KBytes (about 1000 bytes) and MBytes (about 1,000,000 bytes)
A byte is a set of 8 bits representing the smallest addressable unit within a memory
Cache
Pronounced cash, a special high-speed storage mechanism. It can be either a reserved section of main
memory or an independent high-speed storage device. Two types of caching are commonly used in
personal computers: memory caching and disk caching.
A memory cache, sometimes called a cache store or RAM cache, is a portion of memory made of high-
speed RAM.
Client
A client is usually a PC that communicates over a network both with its peers, other clients, and with a
large computer, called a server, which typically stores data that many workers need to use.
Cluster
1) In a computer system, a cluster is a group of servers and other resources that act like a single system
and enable high availability and, in some cases, load balancing and parallel processing.
2) In personal computer storage technology, a cluster is the logical unit of file storage on a hard disk; it's
managed by the computer's operating system. Any file stored on a hard disk takes up one or more
clusters of storage.
compiler
program which converts high-level source language instructions into executable machine code
Compression
The technique of reducing the amount of data in a signal in order to reduce the amount of required
transmission capacity, the signal being reconstructed in its original form at the receiving end. A device to
do this is a "codec" (coder-decoder).
Conversational mode
Method of using machine in which the user is in direct communication with the computer - time-sharing,
interactive mode
Debug
To locate, diagnose and correct errors.
Driver
A program that controls a device. Every device, whether it be a printer, disk drive, or keyboard, must
have a driver program. Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with the operating system.
dump
to copy from an area of memory, or a peripheral device, to a peripheral device; often used to denote the
print-out of the contents of an area of memory
DVD
Short for digital versatile disc or digital video disc, a type of optical disk technology similar to the CD-
ROM. A DVD holds a minimum of 4.7GB of data, enough for a full-length movie.
Editor
Sometimes called text editor, a program that enables you to create and edit text files. The distinction
between editors and word processors is not clear-cut, but in general, word processors provide many more
formatting features.
Files
Information stored on a computer system. Usually the information is stored on one of the following:
floppy disk, hard disk, or a file server.
File Server
This is a very large hard disk system, which contains most of the software you are running (e.g. Microsoft
Word or Excel) in a 'public' area, but it also contains the files you generate in your 'private' area, access
to which is protected by your password.
FireWall
One way to keep hackers out. A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server,
that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks.
Gateway
In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses
different / same protocols. A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. On
the Internet, a node can be either a gateway node or a host (end-point) node.
Gb Gigabyte.
A memory size of 1,073,741,824 bytes, or 1,024 megabytes (Mb).
GHz Gigahertz.
The Hertz (Hz) is a unit of frequency; it means cycles per second. 'Giga' - outside the field of computing -
means multiplied by one thousand million; thus lGHz equals 1,000,000,000Hz.
Hardware
Refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers,
boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable.
HD Hard disk
These are similar to Floppy disks, but cannot be removed from their host computer.
A hard disk drive contains at least one aluminium 'platter' which stores digital information in magnetic
form on its coated surface. The disk spins at high speed, typically 3.600 / 5.400 / 7.200rpm, with the
read/write head floating above its surface. The mechanism is similar to that of a floppy disk drive, but the
clearance between the head and the disk is so small, about one millionth of a metre.
Hex Hexadecimal
A system of base-16 notation where the numbers O to 9 and the letters A to F - are used to represent 16
different digits.. The sense of using hex immediately becomes clear when you compare the hex and
decimal notations of those familiar values which often crop up in computing: 255 is FF hex; 4,095 is FFF;
65,535 is FFFF
Hosting
A Hosting Services Provider (HSP) is an application service provider dedicated to providing hosting
services. Typically operates a Web server, either at a data center or colocation facility. Offers web hosting,
account management tools, business services, web design, ...
Input Device
Anything that relays information from the user, or any electronic equipment (e.g. a tape drive), to the
computer. For most users, relevant input devices are keyboards and mouses.
iOS
originally iPhone OS, is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. and
distributed exclusively for Apple hardware. It is the operating system that presently powers
many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
IP
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another
on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that
uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet.
"What is the IP for that computer"
"You need an IP in order to set up a connection to the network"
"The computer must know its IP so it can respond to other computers"
The interrupt request takes the physical form of a signal from the external device to one of the pins on
the micro-processor chip (the IRQ pin).
The signal is called a 'request' because the micro-processor can refuse - for example, if it's carrying out
an important task which shouldn't be interrupted. If the interrupt request is accepted, the microprocessor
will make a note of where it's got to in its present task, divert to a 'service routine' which looks after the
device which caused the interruption, and then continue with the original task. Because some events
must be able to interrupt the micro- processor immediately without fail (for example, a signal from a
real-world sensor which is detecting a dangerous state in external equipment), many micro-processors
have a second form of interrupt, called a 'non-maskable interrupt' (NMI), which is always acknowledged
by the micro-processor.
Kernel
The central module of an operating system. It is the part of the operating system that loads first, and it
remains in main memory. Because it stays in memory, it is important for the kernel to be as small as
possible while still providing all the essential services required by other parts of the operating system and
applications. Typically, the kernel is responsible for memory management, process and task management,
and disk management.
Library
In programming, a library is a collection of precompiled routines that a program can use. The routines,
sometimes called modules, are stored in object format. Libraries are particularly useful for storing
frequently used routines because you do not need to explicitly link them to every program that uses them.
The linker automatically looks in libraries for routines that it does not find elsewhere. In MS-Windows
environments, library files have a .DLL extension.
Login
To make a computer system or network recognize you so that you can begin a computer session. Most
personal computers have no log-on procedure -- you just turn the machine on and begin working.
Machine code/language
The lowest-level programming language (except for computers that utilize programmable microcode)
Machine languages are the only languages understood by computers. While easily understood by
computers, machine languages are almost impossible for humans to use because they consist entirely of
numbers.
Mainframe
A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users
simultaneously. In the hierarchy that starts with a simple microprocessor (in watches, for example) at the
bottom and moves to supercomputers at the top, mainframes are just below supercomputers.
Modem Modulator/Demodulator
The device which changes the serial digital data from a computer into frequencies suitable for sending
along telephone lines and performs the reverse process at the other end.
Motherboard
The main circuit board of a microcomputer. The motherboard contains the connectors for attaching
additional boards. Typically, the motherboard contains the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage interfaces,
serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers required to control standard peripheral
devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, and disk drive.
MP3
An industry standard developed in 1992 by the German Frauenhofer Research Institute and achieves a
spectacular compression ratio of a sampled audio wave - ranging from a factor of 8 to a factor of 12,
depending upon the source.
MP4
Also known as MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is a video compression standard that offers
significantly greater compression than its predecessors.
Multiplexing
In telecommunications terminology, this term means carrying multiple signals on a communications
carrier channel. In recent cable programming terminology, it refers to "cloning" one cable channel, like
MTV or HBO, into multiple, complementary channels to reach a broader audience. The device that makes
this possible is called a "multiplexer" or "mux".
Multitask
The ability to execute more than one task at the same time, a task being a program. The terms
multitasking and multiprocessing are often used interchangeably, although multiprocessing sometimes
implies that more than one CPU is involved.
Multiuser
OS Operating system.
The program that manages the resources of a computer, such as the input/output devices, the memory
and the storage and retrieval of files.
Output Device
Anything that supports the output of information from a computer, for users or to electronic equipment
(e.g. tape unit). The output devices relevant to most users are Monitors, Printers and Disks.
Partition
To divide memory or mass storage into isolated sections. In DOS systems, you can partition a disk, and
each partition will behave like a separate disk drive. Partitioning is particularly useful if you run more than
one operating system. For example, you might reserve one partition for Windows and another for UNIX.
PCI-E
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, officially abbreviated as PCI-E or PCIe, is a computer
expansion card interface format introduced by Intel in 2004. PCI Express was designed to replace the
general-purpose PCI expansion bus, the high-end PCI-X bus and the AGP graphics card interface. Each
PCIe slot carries either one, two, four, eight, sixteen or thirty-two lanes of data between the motherboard
and the addin cardPCIe slots come in a variety of colors and physically different sizes referred to by the
maximum lane count they support, ie. x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 and x32.
peripheral device
machine which can be operated under computer control (eg: Printers, Plotters, Disks etc.)
peripheral processor
a processor which controls specific functions (eg: input/output) and itself operates under the control of
the central processor
port
An interface on a computer to which you can connect a device. Personal computers have various types of
ports. Internally, there are several ports for connecting disk drives, display screens, and keyboards.
Externally, personal computers have ports for connecting modems, printers,
mice, and other peripheral devices.
In TCP/IP and networks, an endpoint to a logical connection. The port number identifies what type of port
it is. For example, port 80 is used for HTTP traffic.
Portability
Used in reference to a computer programme, portability means that the programme can be executed on a
number of different computers without or with only minimal changes.
processor
The brain of the computer - the device capable of performing operations on data; often synonymous with
central processing unit (CPU)
Prompt
A symbol on a display screen indicating that the computer is waiting for input. Once the computer has
displayed a prompt, it waits for you to enter some information.
Protocol
Is a set of rules governing the formatting of data transmitted between computers and/or terminals.
PROXY
In an enterprise that uses the Internet, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between a
workstation user and the Internet so that the enterprise can ensure security, administrative control, and
caching service.
Router
A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks,
commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places
where two or more networks connect.
SATA
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) is a new standard for connecting hard
drives into computer systems. As its name implies, SATA is based on serial signaling technology, unlike
current IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives that use parallel Signaling.
UPS (SAI)
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows your computer to keep running for at least
a short time when the primary power source is lost. It also provides protection from power surges.
Server
The machine that talks to clients. More precisely, anything from a PC to a supercomputer that shares files
and other services with multiple users.
Slot
An opening in a computer where you can insert a printed circuit board. Slots are often called expansion
slots because they allow you to expand the capabilities of a computer. The boards you insert in expansion
slots are called expansion boards or add-on boards.
Software
That which belongs to the domain of intellectual creation in contrast to the appliances which facilitates
their reproduction. The programmes for computers, CD-ROM and video games are all software.
Tb Terabyte.
The number of memory addresses that can be provided by a 40-bit binary address (1, 099, 511, 600,
000). The Intel 80386 microprocessor can provide 64 terabytes of virtual memory addressing.
Telnet
The TCP/IP standard protocol for remote terminal connection service.
Username
A unique identification, usually formed from the initials of your name and a number. This informs any
computer system who you are and that you have registered to use that system.
VM Virtual memory
Today's microprocessors can now generate millions of memory addresses, but cost implications limit the
amount of memory chips that users will be able to install.
Virtual memory is a technique for allowing programs to use memory addresses that don't point to any
real memory locations. Attempts to access a non-existent address are detected and a block of data
stored on hard disk loaded into the appropriate memory locations instead. The micro-processor now
believes it has contacted a new part of memory. The swapping between hard disk and memory storage is
performed by a memory management unit (MMU). Microsoft Windows has its own facilities for managing
virtual memory. The disadvantage is that accessing the hard disk is far slower than accessing chip
memory.
VoIP
Voice-over-Internet protocol is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or
other packet-switched networks.
VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice (rather than the protocol
implementing it).
WAV WAVeform.
A file extension which indicates sound information stored in digital form for use by Windows. By using a
'sound card' such files can be 'played' to produce good quality output.
WI-FI
Wi-Fi (short for "wireless fidelity") is a term for certain types of wireless local area network (WLAN) that
use specifications in the 802.11 family.
WMA
Windows Media Audio (WMA) is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name
can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs.
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