Servers and related technology have a vast, complex vocabulary, peppered with acronyms. Below is a guide that aims to simplify this jargon by presenting the top 100 most commonly used acronyms and their definitions.
1. API (Application Programming Interface)
An API is a set of rules and protocols for building software and applications. It dictates how different software components should interact.
2. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
The BIOS is an embedded software on a motherboard. It is the first software to run when a computer is started and conducts a POST to ensure the system components function correctly.
3. CDN (Content Delivery Network)
CDN refers to a geographically distributed group of servers which work together to provide fast delivery of Internet content, including HTML pages, JavaScript files, stylesheets, images, and videos.
4. CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The CPU is the primary component of a computer that performs most processing inside the computer. It interprets and executes instructions from the computer’s hardware and software.
5. CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
CRUD is an acronym for the four basic types of SQL commands: Create, Read, Update, Delete. It’s often used when discussing database management.
6. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS is a style sheet language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in HTML. It is designed to enable the separation of document content from document presentation.
7. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
A DDoS attack attempts to disrupt a server, service, or network’s regular functioning by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of internet traffic.
8. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
DHCP is a network protocol used on IP networks where a DHCP server automatically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on the network, so they can communicate with other IP networks.
9. DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS is like the phone book of the internet. It translates human-readable domain names (like “www.google.com”) into numerical IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.
10. DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory)
DRAM is a type of memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit. Since real capacitors leak charge, the information eventually fades unless the capacitor charge is refreshed periodically.
11. ECC (Error Correction Code)
ECC is a type of computer data storage that can detect and correct the most common kinds of internal data corruption, providing an extra layer of reliability.
12. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
FTP is a standard network protocol used to transfer computer files from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the internet.
13. GUI (Graphical User Interface)
GUI represents a program’s functions visually, allowing users to interact with the program in a more intuitive way than command-line interfaces.
14. HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
HDD is an old-style data storage device using magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using rapidly rotating disks coated with magnetic material.
15. HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)
HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. It is used to structure content on the web and can be used with CSS and JavaScript.
16. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
HTTP is an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. It is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.
17. HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer ProtocolSecure)
HTTPS is an extension of the HTTP for secure communication over a computer network and is widely used on the internet.
18. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
IaaS is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet.
19. ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)
ICMP is a supporting protocol in the Internet protocol suite used by network devices, like routers, to send error messages and operational information.
20. IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
IDE is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development, including tools like a text editor, debugger, and compiler.
21. IIS (Internet Information Services)
IIS is an extensible web server created by Microsoft for use with the Windows NT family.
22. IP (Internet Protocol)
IP is the principal communications protocol for relaying datagrams across network boundaries.
23. IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)
IPv4 is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It is one of the core protocols of standards-based internet working methods in the Internet.
24. IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)
IPv6 is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol. It is intended to replace IPv4 and provide more IP address space.
25. ISP (Internet Service Provider)
ISP is a company that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the internet.
26. IT (Information Technology)
IT is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise.
27. JVM (Java Virtual Machine)
JVM is an abstract computing machine that enables a computer to run a Java program.
28. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON is an open-standard file format that uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute-value pairs and array data types.
29. LAN (Local Area Network)
LAN is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area, such as a residence, school, laboratory, or office building.
30. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
LDAP is a software protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and other resources such as files and devices in a network, whether on the public internet or on a corporate intranet.
31. LUN (Logical Unit Number)
In computer storage, a LUN is a unique identifier used to designate individual or collections of hard disk devices for address by a protocol associated with a SCSI, iSCSI, Fibre Channel (FC) or similar interface.
32. MAC (Media Access Control)
MAC is a sublayer of the Data Link Layer (DLL) in the seven-layer OSI network reference model. It provides addressing and channel access control mechanisms.
33. NAS (Network Attached Storage)
NAS is a file-level data storage server connected to a network that allows data access to a heterogeneous group of clients.
34. NAT (Network Address Translation)
NAT is a method of mapping an IP address space into another by modifying network address information in the IP header of packets while they are in transit across a traffic routing device.
35. NIC (Network Interface Card)
NIC is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.
36. NOS (Network Operating System)
NOS is a computer operating system system designed primarily to support workstation, personal computer, and, in some instances, older terminal that are connected on a local area network (LAN).
37. OS (Operating System)
An OS is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides various services for computer programs.
38. PaaS (Platform as a Service)
PaaS is a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure.
39. PC (Personal Computer)
A PC is a multi-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use.
40. PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
PCIe is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards.
41. PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)
PHP is a widely-used open-source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML.
42. POP (Post Office Protocol)
POP is an internet standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve email from a mail server.
43. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
RAID is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.
44. RAM (Random Access Memory)
RAM is a form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code.
45. RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)
RDP is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection.
46. REST (Representational State Transfer)
REST is an architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating web services.
47. RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)
RFID uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects.
48. ROM (Read-Only Memory)
ROM is a type of storage medium that permanently stores data on personal computers and other electronic devices.
49. RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
RSS is a type of web feed which allows users to access updates to online content in a standardized, computer-readable format.
50. SAN (Storage Area Network)
SAN is a network which provides access to consolidated, block-level data storage.
51. SATA (Serial ATA)
SATA is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives.
52. SDDC (Software-Defined Data Center)
SDDC is a marketing term that extends virtualization concepts such as abstraction, pooling, and automation to all data center resources and services to achieve IT as a service (ITaaS).
53. SDN (Software-Defined Networking)
SDN is an approach to network management that enables dynamic, programmatically efficient network configuration in order to improve network performance and monitoring.
54. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
55. SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)
SFTP is a network protocol that provides file access, file transfer, and file management over any reliable data stream.
56. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
SMTP is a communication protocol for electronic mail transmission.
57. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
SNMP is an internet standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks.
58. SQL (Structured Query Language)
SQL is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system.
59. SSD (Solid State Drive)
SSD is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, typically using flash memory, and functioning as secondary storage in the hierarchy of computer storage.
60. SSH (Secure Shell)
SSH is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network.
61. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
SSL is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser, ensuring that all data passed between them remains private.
62. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
TCP is one of the main protocols in the Internet protocol suite, helping to establish a connection between servers and users.
63. TLS (Transport Layer Security)
TLS is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network. It’s often used with HTTP for web security (HTTPS).
64. UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
UDP is a core member of the Internet protocol suite, used by programs to send short messages known as datagrams.
65. UI (User Interface)
UI is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. It allows users to effectively operate a machine or software.
66. URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A URL is the address of a web page, which is used to access files on the internet.
67. USB (Universal Serial Bus)
USB is an industry-standard that specifies cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between computers, peripheral devices and other computers.
68. UX (User Experience)
UX is about enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the customer and the product.
69. VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)
VDI is the practice of hosting a desktop operating system within a virtual machine running on a centralized server.
70. VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)
VLAN is a logical group of workstations, servers, and network devices that appear to be on the same LAN despite their geographical distribution.
71. VM (Virtual Machine)
A VM is an emulation of a computer system that executes programs like a physical machine.
72. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN extends a private network across a public network, enabling users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.
73. VPS (Virtual Private Server)
VPS is a virtual machine sold as a service by an Internet hosting service. It runs its own copy of an operating system, and customers may have superuser-level access to that operating system instance.
74. WAN (Wide Area Network)
A WAN is a network that exists over a large-scale geographical area. It connects different smaller networks, including local area networks (LANs) and metro area networks (MANs).
75. WAP (Wireless Access Point)
A WAP is a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network.
76. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WEP is a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs). It has been superseded by more secure wireless protocols since it can be easily broken.
77. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
WPA is a security protocol designed to create secure wireless (Wi-Fi) networks. It is similar to the WEP protocol but offers improvements in the way it handles security keys and the way users are authorized.
78. WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access II)
WPA2 is an upgrade from WPA and provides stronger data protection and network access control. It uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption and provides robust security.
79. WWW (World Wide Web)
WWW is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by URLs, interlinked by hypertext links, and can be accessed via the internet.
80. XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. It is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures, such as those used in web services.
81. XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
XSS refers to client-side code injection attack wherein an attacker can execute malicious scripts into a legitimate website or web application.
82. YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language)
YAML is a human-readable data serialization standard that can be used in conjunction with all programming languages and is often used to write configuration files.
83. ZFS (Zettabyte File System)
ZFS is a high-capacity 128-bit file system developed by Sun Microsystems. ZFS is known for its robustness, performance, and scalability.
84. DHCPv6 (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for IPv6)
DHCPv6 is a network protocol for configuring IPv6 hosts with IP addresses, IP prefixes and other data required to operate in an IPv6 network.
85. SMB (Server Message Block)
SMB is a protocol for sharing files, printers, serial ports, and other resources on a network.
86. SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted.
87. SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection)
SPI is a security feature often included in business networks. It checks for the connection state of all network traffic and is a type of packet filter.
88. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
UEFI is a specification for a software program that connects a computer’s firmware to its operating system (OS).
89. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
VoIP is a technology that allows voice calls to be made over an IP network, such as the internet, instead of traditional telephony infrastructure.
90. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the internet.
91. VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol)
VRRP is a computer networking protocol that provides for automatic assignment of available Internet Protocol (IP) routers to participating hosts.
92. WAN (Wide Area Network)
A WAN is a network that covers a broad area using private or public network transports.
93. WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3)
WPA3 is a version of the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol introduced to enhance wireless security.
94. xHTML (eXtensible Hypertext Markup Language)
xHTML is a markup language that has the same depth of expression as HTML, but with a stricter syntax.
95. XMPP (eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol)
XMPP is a communications protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML.
96. XOR (Exclusive Or)
XOR is a type of logical operation for binary numbers that is used in computing systems, including servers.
97. YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified)
YUM is an open-source command-line package-management utility for Linux operating systems using the RPM Package Manager.
98. ZIF (Zero Insertion Force socket)
ZIF refers to a type of CPU socket allowing the insertion of a chip into the socket without any force applied.
99. iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface)
iSCSI is an Internet Protocol-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities, providing block-level access over a TCP/IP network.
100. jSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON is an open-standard file format that uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute–value pairs and array data types.