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3GL (third-generation language) –
is a high-level
programming language such as FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, Pascal or C, which compiles
to machine language.
4GL (fourth-generation language) – is a high-level language suitable for end-user or programmer data access and capable of reasonably complex data manipulation. It includes two categories of software development tools: application generators for production applications, and information generators for decision-support applications. 4GLs are relatively nonprocedural and easier to use than 3GLs (e.g., COBOL, FORTRAN and C), but are less powerful and more wasteful of computer resources. Generally, three types of 4GL are recognized:
·
A procedural language integrated
with a database management system. Examples include Ideal (Computer
Associates) and Natural (Software AG)
·
An information generator. Examples
include FOCUS (Information Builders), Nomad 2 (Must Software) and Ramis
(Computer Associates)
·
A code generator or nonprocedural
tool. Examples include SQLForms (Oracle) and Telon (Computer Associates). These
tools are also called lower-CASE tools.
3270 – IBM’s interactive communications
terminal standard used to communicate with an IBM mainframe or compatible
system.
A
ActiveX – A set of
technologies from Microsoft provides tools for linking desktop applications to
the World Wide Web. Enabled using a variety of programming tools including Java,
Visual Basic, and C++.
Adaptive/Assistive Technologies (AAT)
– provide access to
systems and applications for users with communication, physical access, or
learning disabilities.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) –
a private,
non-profit organization (501(c)3) that administers and coordinates the
Application – A set of coded instructions that
direct a computer to perform desired functions. The term is sometimes used in
place of “application program,” “software”, or “program,” which are used to
process data for the user. Applications can be custom-written or
purchased.
Application Architecture – The Application Architecture is the focal
point of an organization’s systems inventory. It defines how applications are
designed, how they cooperate, and where they reside. Good application
architectures will enable a high level of distributed system integration, reuse
of components, rapid deployment of applications and high responsiveness to
changing business requirements.
Application layer – The software that “runs” on top of the
system services layer.
An Application Programming Interface (API)
is software, either custom or COTS, that uses a specific implementation to
exchange data with another system. Business rules provide the specific
interaction mechanism. Each reusable component requires a properly documented
API. An API is the specific method prescribed by a computer operating system or
by another application program by which a programmer writing an application
program can make requests of the operating system or another application. A set of calling conventions that
defines how a service is invoked through software. An interface that enables
programs written by users or third parties to communicate with certain
vendor-supplied software. (1) a documented set of instructions by which a
program can invoke the functions of a system, such as a DBMS or a transaction
processing monitor, (2) used to integrate two different application programs, at
least to the extent of allowing them to share data.
Application Software – A program that performs a task or
process specific to a particular end-user’s needs, or solves a particular
problem.
Architecture – A structured set of protocols that
implements a system’s functions. A network architecture defines the functions,
formats, interfaces, and protocols required for end users to exchange
information.
Architecture
Exception – The process whereby the appropriate governance body reviews
line-of-business or IT project request for an exception to the architecture and
formally arbitrates disputes arising from the Architecture Review process.
Architecture
Management Processes – The collection of processes employed to ensure that
the appropriate activities occur so that an organization’s architecture is
developed and refreshed on a regular basis, and that IT projects and initiatives
comply with the preferred direction set forth in the architecture
documentation. The basic processes
that compose Architecture Management are:
Architecture Development and Renewal, Architecture Domain Team
Chartering, Architecture Communications, Architecture Research, Architecture
Review and Architecture Exception.
Architecture
Principle(s) – General
philosophical statements that apply to the design and implementation of systems
and applications within the various IT architectures covered in the IEA
Technical Reference Model. Usually expressed as descriptive statements about the
desirable characteristics of a particular architectural element. For
example, “Effective interfaces and applications appear and behave in ways that
are consistent with users’ expectations”.
Architecture
Review – The formal process of evaluating the extent to which a system
proposed for development and deployed in the organization’s technology
environment conforms to the technology architecture and that the total cost of
ownership for a given proposed system is adequately determined and known to all
stakeholders.
Asynchronous
– In computer programming, asynchronous
(from Greek meaning "not at the same time" and pronounced "ay-SIN-kro-nus")
pertains to processes that proceed independently of each other until one process
needs to "interrupt" the other process with a request. Using the client-server
model, the server handles many asynchronous requests from its many clients. The
client is often able to proceed with other work or must wait on the service
requested from the server.
Authentication – The process of determining whether someone or
something is, in fact, who or what it is declared to be. In private and public
computer networks (including the Internet), authentication is commonly done
through the use of logon passwords.
Authorization – The process of giving someone permission to do or have access to something. In multi-user computer systems, a system administrator defines for the system which users are allowed access to the system and what privileges of use (such as access to which file directories, hours of access, amount of allocated storage space, and so forth).
B
Bandwidth – Data/voice/video carrying capacity of a transmission
medium, usually measured in hertz (Hz).
With Binary Compatibility, there is no need
to recompile an application for different platforms. For example, if an
application is going to be deployed on servers located in State Offices, all
servers running that application should be binary compatible – this must be
ensured even if the platforms are from the same manufacturer. The platforms must
run the same version of the operating system and must not require any
recompilation of business applications so that deployment throughout the
various offices means a simple copy of a program from one office to another.
Total binary compatibility will support automated software distribution across
servers, which will reduce support costs and provide stable computing platforms
that can be reliably shared and moved across the Bureau. Technologies like the
Java Virtual Machine and Java servlets fit this definition of binary
compatibility, but may not fit every situation due to compromised
performance.
BIND – is a cross-platform, open source
nameserver that follows the standards defined in the RFCs related to DNS.
Bus – (1) A high-speed physical
transmission path or channel. Typically an electrical connection with one or
more conductors, wherein all attached devices receive all transmissions at the
same time. (2) Local network topology, such as that used in Ethernet and the
token bus, where all network nodes listen to all transmissions, selecting
certain ones based on address identification. It involves some type of
contention-control mechanism for accessing the bus transmission medium.
Business Architecture – This architecture identifies business systems and their
interactions in order to:
· Drive the strategic decisions in the technology architecture.
· Identify business services independent of application-specific invocations of those services.
· Understand how and what data are strategic to the enterprise.
·
Provide the basis for the strategic
applications of information technology.
Business
Driver – A collective term that is used to describe the various influencing
factors that cause (directly or indirectly) changes in an enterprise’s business
processes, including external forces (changes in competition/market,
globalization, economy, customers, regulation, politics, and technology) and
responses to these forces (including business strategies, goals, objectives,
requirements, and strategies).
Business Function – A logical grouping of functionality
used to support execution of Business Processes.
Business
Information Requirements – The information needs of an enterprise that
result from business drivers, and/or their corresponding business
strategies. Can be identified at a
high level by asking: What
information is needed? Where does
the information come from? Who
needs it? When do they need
it?
Business Intelligence
Tools – Employed by end
users for decision-making and analytical processes. These tools allow the users
to dynamically query the data and information stored in data warehouses. They
provide query, reporting, graphing, trend analysis, calculating, and summarizing
capabilities. Business intelligence tools provide the ability to analyze and
access data contained in the data warehouse. Typically, several tools are
selected within an organization, based on the function needed.
Business Logic – The rules
that control how to complete a task or step in a work process. For example, application logic that
governs processing a payment or address change. These applications are often
transactional in nature – resulting in database/file updates.
Business Process
– A collection of
business activities (tasks) that transform input(s) into output(s) of value to
the
Business Rules – Requirements and specifications for
the line-of-business decision-making process. Most business rules are
declarative. Business rules serve to constrain, define, and assert how business
will be transacted. Business rules also define actions to be taken in a
specific circumstance.
Business Strategy – The planned approach to achieving an enterprise’s business drivers.
C
Calendaring and Scheduling (C &
S) – A technology that,
by combining with an organization's overall groupware system(s), provides a
methodology for the coordination and communication of individual and group
activities and plans. Time-management functions that schedule events (such as
meetings, lectures, and conferences) and access (and manage) calendric
information about people, facilities, and equipment.
Calendar Store – A database storing C & S
information and schedules. The database may reside on a single server, or may be
distributed across multiple servers over the network.
Capability Maturity
Model (CMM) – The Software Engineering Institute’s
(SEI’s) Capability Maturity Model (and the SCE process based on it) offers an
initial basis for defining software development processes for regulatory
purposes.
C & S Client – The front-end user interface of the C
& S application that runs on the user’s desktop. It allows users to view and
manipulate their calendar and schedule information, and to coordinate and
schedule meetings from their desktop computer.
C & S Server – The hardware and software that
provides calendaring and scheduling services to C & S clients. It manages
calendar and schedule information, and the exchange of C & S information
between C & S users. The Calendar store is managed by the C & S
server.
Change
Management – Process of planning,
controlling, and managing enterprise changes.
Classification – A method for grouping
similar or like things. In the IEA,
industry standards and technology products are grouped into lifecycle
classifications that reflect their suitability for use at Interior.
Client – A system or a program that requests
the activity of one or more other systems or programs, called servers, to
accomplish specific tasks. In a client/server environment, the workstation is
usually the client. The client serves as a user interface, as well as a
processor for many time-consuming tasks, allowing the server to devote itself to
central storage and other tasks.
Client/Server – (1) In TCP/IP, the model of
interaction in distributed data processing in which a program at one site sends
a request to a program at another site and awaits a response. The requesting
program is called a client and the answering program is called a server. (2) In
Information Resource Management, a computing model where functionality is
divided between software clients and software servers. Clients depend on the
services provided by servers such as another application, component, or
database to complete the intended function. (3) A technical architecture
that links workstations into networks, enabling increased productivity by means
of sharing information. Individual users, or “clients,” are “served” over a
network by a central machine that acts as a common repository of information and
programs.
Commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) application – Also known as
COTS software.
Common Gateway Interface
(CGI) – A data-passing
specification used when a Web server must send or receive data from an
application such as a database. A CGI script passes the request from the Web
server to a database, gets the output, and returns it to the Web client.
Common Internet File
system – The common Internet file system uses the
server message block protocol (SMB) for
sharing diskspace from one system among other systems.
Compatibility – The ability of two devices to
communicate with each other understandably, or the ability of software to run on
a particular hardware platform.
The Common Internet File System (CIFS)
uses the server message block protocol (SMB) for sharing disk space from one
system among other systems.
Common Management Information Protocol
(CMIP) – The Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol for the exchange of network management
information.
A
Component – is a piece of software or hardware
that is designed to fulfill a single purpose and to interoperate with other
components.
Component Object Model
(COM) – A framework
developed by Microsoft that supports interoperability and reusability of
distributed objects by allowing developers to build systems by assembling
reusable components from different vendors.
Conceptual
Architecture – A principles-based, enterprise-level layer of a technical
architecture to ensure clear decisions to sub-optimize individual components in
order to optimize total effectiveness of the overall enterprise architecture to
enable business strategies.
Content
Management – Tools used for managing the versioning, workflow, and
deployment of web content.
Control
Layer – The layer(s) in an application
that control various aspects of the application functionality. It is a way to externalize the ordering
or flow of functionality independent of the actual business logic. This ensures that the business
logic can be easily adapted, reordered, or reorganized in order to meet changing
business needs by changing the control not the actual business
logic.
Cookie
– A chunk of information that is passed from one application to another,
with the expectation that the receiver will store the chunk and send it back
later. The most common usage for cookies is to save state in client/server
applications, track user information, and provide a user customizable
experience.
Corporate Metadata Repository
(CMR) – 1) A repository
that contains metadata, which is information about data (for example, shared
data definitions, data aliases, and where OLTP and OLAP data can be found). A
data repository is an important aspect of a successful data warehouse effort
because it contains all the information about the data and processes used to
populate and access a data warehouse. 2) The corporate metadata repository
provides a single enterprisewide source for data definitions. This tool becomes
more important in the XML/EDI world because data structure, definition and
context are important for data integration. The CMR is the local place to
maintain data type definition files.
CORBA (Common Object Request Broker
Architecture) – An Object Management Group (OMG)
interoperability standard for object-oriented applications communicating
within heterogeneous environments.
D
Data Access Middleware – The communications layer between data
access programs and tools and databases. Data access middleware is designed to
enable communication between a data access programming tier and a database, as
opposed to application communication middleware, which enables communication
between the programming tiers of an N-tier application system.
Data Administration –
Technologies/strategies for facilitating the design of maintaining
and administering the data in a DBMS.
Database – A collection of structured data that
is application-independent.
Database Access Tools – Used to query and retrieve data from
existing databases and write reports. These tools can be provided either through
a purchased package or integrated with EIS and DSS applications by application
developers. Some examples of these tools are Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel,
Lotus
Data Management Architecture – The Data Management Architecture defines the mechanics for managing, securing, and maintaining the integrity of an enterprise’s significant logical entities. These entities must be recorded and accounted for in a business information environment. The architecture provides standards for accessing data, and, if appropriate, business objects.
Database Management System
(DBMS) – Manages data
storage, structure, access, and security. Fields can be indexed to improve the
performance of queries against the data, a system comparable to that of a
dictionary that has tabs for the letters of the alphabet so that it is easier to
look up a word, or to a reference book, which has an index to quickly find
information needed. The following are types of DBMSs.
· Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) – Software designed to manage the collection of data. Data is organized into related tables so that relationships between data can be established. Relational databases can contain normalized data. Normalized data is organized so that unique data is stored only one time, instead of multiple times for each table (e.g., a non-normalized database). A relationship is established between the unique data and its related information.
· Object Database Management System (ODBMS) – Objects provide a rich model for capturing business complexity. Objects can represent complete business entities and the relationships between them. They are easily extensible as business processes change and fit well in a networked application architecture. ODBMSs integrate database functionality with object programming languages. The ODBMS extends an object-oriented programming language with persistent data, concurrency control, data recovery, and associative queries.
·
Multidimensional Database
Management System (MDDBMS) –
Specifically designed for efficient storage and retrieval of large
volumes of data. Data is stored similar to the way it is in a spreadsheet, so it
is easier for end users to understand and manipulate. Multidimensional databases
store data that is closely related and stored, viewed, and analyzed from
multiple perspectives (i.e., dimensions). Multidimensional databases are
sometimes referred to as post-relational databases or a more advanced form of
object-oriented database.
Data Bus – Software equivalent of a hardware
bus. Applications attach to a data bus with a known address. Applications can
send and receive data on the data bus by using the addresses of the other
applications attached. MQSeries from IBM is an example of data bus technology.
Regardless of the underlying network protocol, data bus products are packet or
message oriented.
Data Cleansing – Technologies used to enhance the
integrity and validity of the data in a DBMS.
Data Dictionary – A
collection of descriptions of the data objects or items in a data model for the
benefit of programmers and others who might need to refer to them.
Data Integrity – Accuracy, validity, and consistency of data, maintained
according to a set of rules for modifying a database
Data Mart – A subset of a data warehouse. Where
data warehouses are designed to support many requirements for multiple business
needs, data marts are designed to support specific requirements for specific
Decision Support System (DSS) applications (i.e., particular business
needs). Although a data mart is a subset of a data warehouse, it is not
necessarily smaller than a data warehouse. Specific DSS needs may still require
large amounts of data. Data marts are typically considered a solution for
distributed users who want exclusive control of the information required for
their business need.
Data Migration Tool – Copies selected data from legacy and
other OLTP systems. Data transformation reformats extracted data according
to metadata definitions and puts it into a data warehouse. Extraction and
transformation tools are required to integrate data from multiple sources
and to ensure consistency of information derived from data created in a complex,
heterogeneous OLTP environment.
Data Mining – Used to analyze the data stored in
data warehouses. It can provide valuable insights into the business. Data mining
scans large amounts of data stored in data warehouses to reveal patterns or
correlations.
Data Model – Specifies the data formats and the
relationships of fields and tables in an application system. It drives basic
database design.
Data Replication Tools – For distributed or remote users,
there is sometimes a need to distribute data from a data warehouse to various
data warehouses and data marts throughout the organization. When warehouse data
is needed for distributed OLAP processing, it can be distributed through a
replication service. Replication allows data to be located close to the business
users, thus improving performance. This is particularly useful for eliminating
latency problems in distributed
systems (e.g., WAN) and for access speed with large geospatial databases.
Data Scrubbing Tools – Validate and cleanse data so that its
format is consistent and it is accurate, complying with metadata definitions. Data scrubbing is typically performed
periodically to ensure that data meets the metadata standards that have been
set. It is also performed when data has been loaded into a data mart or data
warehouse. For data scrubbing to be successful, data scrubbing tools and defined
roles, responsibilities, and procedures are needed. Data scrubbing is needed at multiple
levels, including the data entry level in OLTP applications and the data
extraction and transformation levels. Data can become “dirty” for many reasons.
For example, consider a data entry application that has an open text field
called “Description.” If no limitations are placed on the entry of data in that
field, end users can type anything in that field, including misspelled words or
multiple text descriptions for the same data element.
Data Steward – The person or
group of people responsible for implementation of data from a technical
perspective including data design, processing of data into the physical platform
and managing the data availability, integrity and security according to business
requirements.
A Data Store contains data. A data store
will most likely take the form of a relational database management system
(RDBMS). Other data store implementations can be hierarchical, object, and
object-relational databases. Indexed sequential access method (ISAM) files is
another implementation.
A Data Type Definition (DTD) file is used
by an XML parser to parse XML data. A DTD allows an application using the DTD to
understand an XML data source. A DTD can be defined by a business for its
specific needs. This feature provides the business the capability to
rapidly change as business needs change.
Data Visualization – is the method of displaying data
resulting from end user queries and data mining from a data warehouse in a
visual format (i.e., graphs, pie charts, and bar and line charts). Similar to
data mining, data visualization can be helpful in realizing trends or patterns
in interrelated data.
A Data Warehouse stores information
compiled from multiple sources and typically is available to people across the
organization for analytical processing. It can provide more timely answers to
business needs and questions. It is a database for query and analysis, as
opposed to a database for processing transactions. Separating the two functions
improves flexibility and performance.
Decision Support Systems (DSS)
– A computer program
application that analyzes business data and presents it so that users can make
business decisions more easily. It is an “informational application” (as
distinct from an “operational application” that collects the data in the course
of normal business operation). A DSS may present information graphically and may
include an expert system or artificial intelligence (AI). It may be aimed at
business executives or some other group of knowledge workers.
Development Tools – The raw materials by which
programmers create custom-built enterprise software.
Directory Services, Message Handling
Systems, and Standards
– An e-mail system uses directory services, Message Handling Services (MHSs),
and standards and protocols to index and manage names, e-mail
messages, distribution lists, and devices (including printers and other
peripherals, and servers) accessible on networks it serves.
Digital Certificate – The
digital equivalent of an ID card used in conjunction with a public key
encryption system. Digital certificates are issued by trusted third parties
known as certification authorities (CAs), such as VeriSign, Inc., after
verifying that a public key belongs to a certain owner.
Distributed Component Object Model
(DCOM) – Microsoft’s
distributed version of Component Object Model (COM), whose version communicates
via their version of a remote procedure “call” (RPC).
Distributed
Database – Database whose contents
(tables, views, columns, files, etc.) reside on more than one system in a
network and can be transparently accessed or updated from any system in the
network.
Distributed Computing Environment
(DCE) – An Open
Software Foundation (OSF) initiative to create a vendor-neutral networking and
distributed computing environment to support distributed applications, by
integrating the appropriate technology or combination of technologies into
a single environment while addressing interoperability, standards and security.
DCE integrates remote procedure calls, presentation services, a naming
directory, security, threads (sequential flows of control similar to tasks),
time services (to synchronize clocks) and a distributed file system.
A Distributed Object is an object that
can be accessed remotely. This means that a distributed object can be used like
a regular object, but from anywhere on the network. An object is typically
considered to encapsulate data and behavior. The location of the distributed
object is not critical to the user of the object. (See Glossary entry for
“Object”.)
Distributed Control Systems (DCS) –
evolved from
centralized process control computers common in the 1960s. The systems were
developed for continuous-flow processes that required loop, analog, and limited
discrete control. A DCS is a real-time, fault-tolerant system for
continuous and complex batch-process applications. Over time, they have
evolved from being proprietary hardware and software systems to being UNIX- and
Windows NT-based systems.
Distributed Systems Management (DSM) –
focuses on the
integration of a framework tool such as HP OpenView or
Document Management System (DMS)
– Allows users to
store, search, and manipulate documents electronically and maintain a library of
text and images in a compact space. Most systems also provide a means for
passing documents across a network. A DMS manages the processes of
authorship, review, editing, production, approval, and delivery of (or
access to) large sets of documents throughout an organization.
Documentation – Data that describes code and data.
Documentation can be thought of as metadata.
Domain – A related set of
technologies.
Domain Architecture – A
logical consistent set of principles with rationales and implications, as well
as identified industry standards and products that are classified into lifecycle
categories.
Domain Layer – Also referred to as "business domain" or
"business functionality". This is
the layer in an application that contains the collection of services that
enforce the business rules, process information, and manage transactions. This layer must be separated from the
presentation and the data to truly be effective. This ensures your business rules are not
dependent on presentation and data implementations and are easily transportable
(or accessible) to any application on any platform.
The Domain Name System (or “Service”) (DNS)
is an important directory standard on the Internet and on local TCP/IP
networks. It is used to map the TCP/IP network address of a server (for example,
207.68.156.58) to a better-known form (i.e., www.microsoft.com). The DNS naming
convention is used for Internet and e-mail addresses that take the form
“name@hostname.organization.”
Domain
Team – A domain team is responsible for developing architecture principles,
with associated rationale and implication, identifying applicable standards and
preferred products, and conducting other work assigned by the Architecture Team,
for a given collection of related technologies. There is a domain team associated with
each of the Technical Architecture Domains
Dynamic Data Exchange
(DDE) – A limited
method of sharing data between two applications or files. When data is used in
both files, with DDE it can be automatically updated in the other. Both
applications must be in use, and DDE does not work over a network. Object
Linking and Embedding (OLE) is a more sophisticated development.
E
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) –
is being used to
provide an absolute structure to data. For example, bids, order processing, and
invoicing data structure are just a few standards defined by EDI. EDI is an
absolute standard maintained by the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12. There are efforts underway to
integrate EDI into XML.
Electronic Forms – Workflow
software used to create on-screen data entry forms and provide e-mail routing
and tracking of the resulting electronic documents.
Electronic Mail (or “e-mail”) –
is the groupware type
most critical to the business operations of the Bureau. It enables the fast and
efficient exchange of all types of data files across the enterprise. It is able
to function during either synchronous or asynchronous interactions. These
advantages directly benefit the decision-making process and translate into
measurable cost and time savings. The basic characteristics of an e-mail system
include features that create, compose, address, send, and receive
messages.
Emerging Technologies – New technologies and products that
show sufficient promise for future use and should be monitored by the IEA.
End-to-end Services – Offered by the lower three layers of
the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model.
End-to-end Storage
Management – A component of an overall
systems-management infrastructure that improves application availability by
reducing the number of storage-related outages and minimizing the length of the
outages when they occur.
An E-mail Client (also referred to as a
Mail User Agent, or MUA) is an application that enables users to compose,
send, receive, and organize e-mail. It's called a client because e-mail systems
are based on a client-server architecture.
An E-mail Server is an applications server
that provides services such as files distribution, temporary caching of new
messages, and archiving of previously viewed messages. A message store is an important
subcomponent that resides on the e-mail server. It is a database that
enables message-management tasks, such as opening, reading, and deleting
messages; and browsing and searching lists of messages. A directory user agent (DUA) is another
important subcomponent that allows retrieval of information (such as
distribution lists and e-mail addresses) from local and network directory
services.
An E-mail Application Programming Interface
(API) allows applications to access the various components of an e-mail
system by connecting a sender’s e-mail application to a receiver’s application.
Using an API, an MUA can manipulate new and stored e-mail messages, create and
delete addresses, access and manipulate message components, and
authenticate users login in to the e-mail system.
Encryption – A technique of
modifying a bit stream of information to make it appear to be a random sequence
of bits to someone who does not have access to the encryption scheme.
An
Ethernet – The standard for local communications
networks developed jointly by Digital Equipment Corp., Xerox, and Intel.
Ethernet baseband coaxial cable transmits data at speeds up to 10 megabits per
second. Ethernet is used as the underlying transport vehicle by several
upper-level protocols, including TCP/IP.
Executive Information Systems (EISs) –
extract data from an
enterprise system to provide managers a view of quantitative performance
measures on-line. A new generation of systems is meant to provide this
information in near-real time, before it’s too late to do anything to prevent
dysfunctions.
Executive Reporting System (ERS)
– A system to generate
executive summary reports for Congress, executive management, and oversight
groups like the GAO. These reports provide a high-level summary of IEA
information.
Extensible – Able to integrate new technology and
functionality.
External Systems – Applications of third party business partners that support
the organization’s business requirements and/or interact with the organization’s
technology portfolios.
Extract/Transform/Load (ETL) –
Technologies used to extract data from source DBMS’s, transform the
data into an appropriate form, and load it into target Data Marts or
Warehouses.
Extranet – Community-of-interest IP networks that provide secure connections between remote users and a main site, or between multiple sites within the same company, including connectivity to business partners, customers, and suppliers.
F
Fax – Communication of a
printed page between remote locations. Fax machines scan a paper form and
transmit a coded image over the telephone system.
Fiber Optics – A data transmission medium that uses
light conducted through glass or plastic fibers. Fiber-optic cables have cores
capable of conducting modulated light signals by total internal reflection.
Benefits include small diameters, high potential bandwidth, and lower cost than
copper.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) –
A system for transferring files between computers over the Internet,
Intranet or Extranet.
File-Typing – (used in the Microsoft Windows
environment) – File types activate
appropriate elements of the Microsoft tool suite, and the tools themselves
extend a common set of base classes that help to maintain a high degree of
behavioral consistency regardless of which tool is in use. Tools based on
object-linking tied to the data's XML description can be synthesized on the
spot.
Firewalls
· Packet filter firewalls historically implemented on routers, filter on user defined content, such as IP addresses. They examine a packet at the network layer of the Open Systems Interface (OSI) model and are application independent, which allows them to deliver good performance and scalability. They are the least secure type of firewall because they cannot understand the context of a given communication, making them easier for hackers to break.
· Application gateway firewalls improve on security by examining all application layers, bringing context information into the decision process. However, they do this by breaking the client/server model. Every client/server communication requires two connections – one from the client to the firewall and one from the firewall to the server. In addition, each proxy requires a different application process, or daemon, making scalability and support for new applications a problem.
· Stateful inspection firewalls overcome the limitations of application gateways and packet filters by providing full application-layer awareness without breaking the client/server model. With stateful inspection, the packet is intercepted at the network layer, but then the firewall extracts state-related information required for the security decision from all application layers and maintains this information in dynamic state tables for evaluating subsequent connection attempts. This solution is dramatically improves on the performance of an application gateway, while offering the same or better security.
G
Gateway – A computing system or software
function that performs a protocol or API translation, and serves as an
intermediary between computing systems or communications networks.
Geospatial – Information that identifies the
geographical location and characteristics of natural or man-made features and
boundaries of the Earth.
Geoprocessing – Computer applications which model,
interpret and use Earth information.
Granularity – Degree
of parallelism in an architecture, from job execution level (coarse) to logic
device level (fine). Ability to increase system capacity and performance through
incremental processor expansion.
Graphical User Interface
(GUI) –
facilitates application
use by means of windows, icons, and menus
Groupware – or collaborative software, was defined
as a new software category by the introduction of Lotus Notes in 1989. Groupware
applications support a wide variety of activities, such as e-mail, scheduling,
and document sharing. Some groupware products are suites of ready-made
applications; others are toolboxes for creating collaborative applications, with
customizable templates included. Groupware enables an organization to compile,
organize, and share its knowledge base, that is, to perform computer-supported cooperative work
(CSCW). The goal of groupware is to enable collaboration by letting team
members focus on tasks at hand rather than on the process of gathering and
integrating information. Groupware maximizes human interaction while minimizing
technology interference. It increases efficiency by decreasing the time and
effort expended distributing data files and other documents among working groups
and individuals. Groupware provides the infrastructure for groups and
individuals to work cooperatively and share information electronically,
regardless of where they are located.
Governance – A subset of the Architecture Management processes that are focused on ensuring that IT projects either adhere to the preferred direction set forth in the architecture or are explicitly granted an exception to the principles, standards and products dictated by the architecture.
H
Haptic – Applying tactile sensation and control
to interaction with computer applications.
Hardware – The physical entities of an
enterprise architecture. A computer with one or more physical network
connections.
Hierarchical – An approach used in numerous
technologies, including machine vision, process control, networking, databases,
and planning, whereby the scope of work is arranged in hierarchies that
establish priorities and appropriate routings. A database architecture in which
data elements are arranged in the form of an inverted tree structure in which no
data element has more than one parent.
Hub & Spoke – A particular
architectural pattern where applications and components exchange information and
request services via messages through a centralized hub or hubs which route and
distribute the messages.
Hubs
– Hubs are shared devices that allocate the available bandwidth to all
devices attached.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) –
A world wide web
authoring language used for creating and linking Web pages.
Hypertext Tranport Protocol (HTTP) – The communication protocol used to connect to servers on the World Wide Web. Its primary function is to establish a connection with a server and transmit HTML pages to the client browser. Users of the web retrieve documents from servers or "web sites".
I
Information – Structured data.
Infrastructure – An underlying base or
foundation supporting an organization or system. Technical infrastructure supports the
technical capabilities of business applications and data repositories, and does
not contain business specific logic or functionality.
Interface – (1) A shared boundary between two
pieces of equipment. (2) The hardware and software needed to enable one device
to communicate with another.
An Interface Definition Language (IDL) is
a generic term for a language that lets a program or object written in one
language communicate with another program written in a different language. In
distributed-object technology, it's important that new objects are able to
be sent to any platform environment and “know” how to run in that environment.
An IDL within the object-oriented
world is fundamentally the same as in the RPC world; however, here it permits
interfaces to objects to be defined independent of an objects implementation.
After defining an interface in IDL, the interface definition is used as input to
an IDL compiler that produces output that can be compiled and linked with an
object implementation and its clients, thus allowing for client-server
communication across a distributed heterogeneous environment.
Internet – The “Infobahn” of tens of thousands
of public and private networks worldwide. The Internet’s TCP/IP communications
standards mean computers anywhere in the world — even those running different
operating systems and applications—can communicate with one another. Hypertext
Markup Language (HTML) lets the computers display the accessed information in
graphical pages.
Intranet – Networks within a business using the
same technology that is the foundation of the global Internet. Many industry
analysts expect such corporate networks to provide most of the revenue for
computer hardware and software vendors over the next few years as an increasing
number of businesses expand their internal networks to improve efficiency
and build closer ties with customers and suppliers.
Interoperability – The ability of computers on a network
to share application software.
Intrusion Detection – A
process or product for detecting unauthorized entry or access to a computer or
network.
IP Security Protocol
(IPSec) – A
standardized means of implementing security for VPNs. IPSec is a set of Internet Protocol (IP) extensions that
provide security services at the network level of the OSI stack. IPSec
technology is based on modern cryptographic technologies, making possible very
strong data authentication and privacy guarantees. Furthermore, all of the
encryption and authentication algorithms and security protocols used in IPSec
are well studied and have survived years of scrutiny. Consequently, the Bureau
can be confident that the IPSec facility indeed provides strong security. IPSec
can be implemented in routers or firewalls owned and operated by the IEA. This
gives the network management facility complete control over security aspects of
the VPN.
J
Java – A programming language based on C,
developed by Sun Microsystems that extends and complements the basic
capabilities of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Originally developed as a
language for consumer-oriented devices such as TV set top boxes, Java
became a viable alternative to other programming languages with the rapid
growth of the Internet as it has the potential to work on an unlimited number of
computing devices and operating systems. Java permits the creation of
applications and application modules (“applets”) that run in the Java virtual
machine (JVM) on the browser, either as software on a PC or on the Sun picoJava
chip, a piece of dedicated hardware. Browsers from both Netscape and Microsoft
have a JVM. Java’s platform independence and security are designed in, rather
than added on, so applications can run on a wide variety of desktop platforms as
long as they can run a Java-enabled browser. Principally a programming
language, but it has been designed by Sun Microsystems to function as a
complete computer operating system. The purpose of the language is twofold – to
create a single standard that will run on a variety of competing computer
systems, and to solve vexing computer security problems introduced by the
widespread reliance on computer networks, which are vulnerable to malicious
programs such as viruses.
Java Applets – A small piece of Java code that
implements a specific function. Applets may run on a server or be downloaded and
run on the client’s machine.
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
– a standard set of
Java classes providing vendor-independent access to relational data.
Java Remote Method Invocation
(RMI) –
is Java's remote
procedure call (RPC) mechanism. It functions only within the Java Virtual
Machine (JVM) environment; however, with the Java native method interface (JNI),
a developer can connect to existing and legacy systems. It facilitates
interprocess and intraprocess communication.
Java Servlets – A form of server-based Java that
operates in conjunction with a Web server and offers an alternative to
using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and server application programming
interfaces (SAPIs) to communicate with Web server processes. In addition,
servlets are independent of a given type of Web server, as the most prominent
Web servers support servlets.
Java Transaction Service
(JTS)
– Controls transaction
applications, performs database updates, provides database connection pooling,
and provides reliable manageability of client connections within the Java
environment.
K
Knowledgebase – Data,
including assertions, rules, objects, constraints, or other items, used by an
expert system or knowledge-based system.
Knowledge-Based System – Software that uses artificial
intelligence techniques and a base of information about a specialized activity
to control systems or operations.
L
Local Area Networks (LANs) – span a limited geographical area to
connect computers and terminals, usually at moderate-to-high data rates.
Legacy System – Existing systems using older and often outdated technology.
Legal Data – The portion of the enterprise that
contains all of the primary data stores required to be maintained by law. Legal
data is not necessarily stored in electronic format.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) – DAP runs over
the OSI network protocol stack. That, combined with its very rich data
model and operation set makes it difficult to implement a full-blown DAP client
and have it “fit” on smaller computer systems. LDAP, however, is, like X.500,
both an information model and a protocol for querying and manipulating it.
LDAP's overall data and namespace model is essentially that of X.500. The major
difference is that the LDAP protocol itself is designed to run directly over the
TCP/IP stack, and it lacks some of the more esoteric DAP protocol
functions.
Line of Business
(LOB) – Individual business unit within a
larger organization.
Logical Model – A model depicting a
view of something that is independent of the way in which it is implemented
physically. A logical view
expresses semantics, rules, relationships, and behaviors that are often used as
the basis for physical design.
Local Area Network (LAN) – A geographically limited
communication network that connects users within a defined area. A LAN is
generally within a building or small group of buildings and is managed and owned
by a single enterprise. The shorter distances within a building or campus enable
faster communications at a lower cost than wide-area networks (WANs). Although
an increasing number of LANs use Internet standards and protocols, they are
normally protected from the public Internet by firewalls.
Long-Term Direction
– Technologies and products
that are planned for the time frame ranging from 18 months past the publication
date of the TRM to five years beyond the TRM publication date.
M
Message-Oriented Middleware
(MOM) –
is a layer of code
which allows for application communication over a distributed heterogeneous
environment. It may employ synchronous or asynchronous communication, some
combination as in beginning a session in synchronous mode and falling back to
asynchronous if need be. The MOM code is required on the client and the server
and ideally should employ message queues which frees both client and server to
go about their business without concern for the message being received. This
flavor of middleware is best suited for event driven applications involving
an occurring event the client application hands off to the messaging middleware
the responsibility of notifying a server that some action needs to occur.
Message Transfer Agent (MTA) – An e-mail delivery application
that receives messages from an MUA or another MTA, stores them while it
determines where and how they are to be delivered, and delivers the messages to
individual addressed mailboxes or other MTAs. Transferring an e-mail message
from the composition area to the e-mail server requires that an MTA communicates
via the same protocol (or language) as the server. The three most commonly used
protocols are Post Office Protocol (POP) and Internet Message Access Protocol
(IMAP), which define methods for e-mail clients to retrieve messages from a
server on a TCP/IP network; and the Internet Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP), the Internet
e-mail standard used to deliver messages between servers connected to the
Internet.
Messaging – the standard means for executing
interprocess communication facilitated by middleware technologies. (See the
Middleware Architecture chapter of the TRM.)
Metadata – information about data, including the
format of the data element, which application system owns it, where it is
located, and how it should be used. Metadata is the global information about
what data exists across the enterprise and the standards applying to that data.
It is very important to the data warehouse effort because it sets the standards
and the rules used for data transformation and cleansing.
Middleware – connectivity software that consists of a
set of enabling services that allow multiple processes running on one or more
machines to interact across an environment. Middleware is essential to migrating
mainframe applications to client/server applications and to providing for
communication across heterogeneous platforms.
Mirroring – Writing duplicate
data to more than one device (usually two hard disks), in order to protect
against loss of data in the event of device failure. This technique may be
implemented in either hardware (sharing a disk controller and cables) or in
software. It is a common feature of RAID systems.
Module – A separate and distinct unit of
hardware or software.
Monitoring Tools – Tools used
for monitoring a system’s real-time availability and performing statistical
analysis on the results of the monitoring.
End users access a multidimensional
database through a query language called Multidimensional Structured Query Language
(MDSQL). MDSQL is the multidimensional database query language, just as SQL
is the query language for a relational database. However, where SQL has an
industry standard called ANSI Standard SQL, there are no current industry
standards for MDSQL.
Multimedia – Integration of text, voice, video, images, or some
combination.
Multiplexer – Electronic equipment that allows two or more signals to pass over one communications channel.
N
Near-Term Deployment – Technologies and products that are
planned for the time frame ranging from the TRM publication date to the TRM
publication date plus 18 months (full deployment within 18 months).
Network
Architecture – The Network Architecture provides the communication
infrastructure for the distributed computing environment. It consists of logical
elements (structure, topology, bandwidth, management), physical hardware
components (wiring, LANs, hubs), carrier services (frame relay, leased channels,
ATM), and protocols (access routing, naming).
Network Connection – A network connection is a peer to
peer, software, bidirectional connection between two applications. The TCP/IP
protocol is the most common network protocol in use today. Data transmitted via
TCP/IP is byte-aligned and is streamed. Applications receiving data via TCP/IP
may receive as little as one byte at a time. Applications that use streaming
network protocols must parse the data stream to understand it.
The Network File System (NFS) uses either
TCP/IP or UDP protocols for sharing disk space from one system among other
systems.
Node – One component of a network where
interconnections occur.
N-tier architectures – Some systems take the partitioning of
applications one step further and split one or more of the tiers across the
network. For example, a distributed database service enables an enterprises
database to run on multiple types of machines and still present a logical view
of a single database to the application logic that accesses the database. A
distributed function service allows the middle tier that runs the business logic
to be partitioned and run on multiple machines. In such cases, the partition
points are not just at the presentation /logic or logic/data boundary.
Partitioning can occur almost anywhere inside the logic or data section.
Physically, the application can run across four, five, or even more
machines (tiers); hence the term N-tier, where “N” equals any
number.
O
An Object is a self-contained bundle of
software with an identity that is unique among the objects in a system. Each
object consists of variables that
store data and methods, or
procedures, capable of acting on the object’s variables. The object encapsulates
its variables, and it is only through sending message to the object’s methods
that another object can access the contents of the variables. Variables can be
numbers, character strings, or other data types. In addition to it’s variables,
an object contains methods. These
are the procedures that enable other objects to access variables and perform
operations on them. The main mechanism for bring order to objects is the class. A class is a template for
objects, which contains the methods we want our object to have plus data-type
definitions for its variables. Objects are instances of classes.
Object Linking and Embedding
(OLE) – A Microsoft
protocol that enables creation of compound documents with embedded links to
applications, so that a user does not have to switch from one application to
another to make revisions. The following are features of OLE:
·
Users can create compound
documents using multiple applications
·
Compound documents may
contain text and spreadsheet objects, graphic and chart objects, sound objects,
and video and animated objects
·
Objects that support OLE
automation may be scripted by OLE controllers, such as Visual Basic, and used in
end-user-developed applications.
Object-Oriented Database – A database used to store objects that
form the basis of object-oriented computing, in which data, as well as
references to the procedures used to perform operations on that data, are
combined.
Object-Oriented Design (OOD) – A design
method in which a system is modeled as a collection of cooperating objects and
individual objects are treated as instances of a class within a class hierarchy.
Four stages can be identified: identify the classes and objects, identify their
semantics, identify their relationships, and specify class and object interfaces
and implementation. Object-oriented design is one of the stages of
object-oriented programming.
Object-Oriented
Programming –
Programming based on objects that communicate by passing messages. An object is
a package of information and descriptions of procedures used to manipulate that
information.
Object-Oriented Software – Results from a kind of modular
programming. Each object is a software package containing a collection of
related procedures and data that can be reused to shorten application
development time. Objects also make it easier to customize software systems to
mirror actual business processes without negatively impacting the ability to
migrate to later software releases.
Object Request Broker
(ORB) – Middleware that
allows objects to communicate within a distributed environment.
Online Analytical Processing
(OLAP) – 1)
Enables a user to easily
and selectively extract and view data from different points-of-view. To
facilitate this kind of analysis, OLAP data can be stored in a multidimensional
database. A multidimensional database considers each data attribute as a
separate dimension. OLAP software can locate the intersection of dimensions and
display them. Attributes such as time periods can be broken down into
subattributes. OLAP can be used for data mining or the discovery of new
relationships between data items. OLAP data is often stored in data warehouses
and data marts (i.e., a specialized subset of a data warehouse). An OLAP
database does not need to be as large as a data warehouse, since not all
transactional data is needed for trend analysis. 2) Online analytical processing
is a process where many system users are retrieving data from a data store for
analysis.
Online Transactional Processing
(OLTP) – 1) A class of
program that facilitates and manages transaction-oriented applications,
typically for data entry and retrieval transactions. Today's online transaction
processing increasingly requires support for transactions that span a network
and may include more than one government organization. For this reason, new OLTP
software uses client-server processing and brokering software that allows
transactions to run on different computer platforms in a network. 2) Online
transaction processing is a process where many system users are creating,
updating, and deleting data in a data store via one or many applications. This
process is commonly referred to as CRUD, for create, update, and delete.
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
Drivers –
the middleware used to
connect database access tools to relational databases through the use of a
generic API. ODBC drivers are vendor-provided and allow databases to be
connected and used by a generic interface. The ODBC drivers enable access to
data and provide insulation between a program and the specific RDBMS language
used by each database. Database access tools and programs do not have to be
customized for each database, because an ODBC configuration file maintains the
database connections.
Open Systems – An approach to computing that
stresses the interconnectability of systems based on compliance to established
standards.
OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) – International standardization program, facilitated by ISO
and CCITT to develop standards for data networking, which facilitates
multivendor equipment interoperability.
Operating System – A structured set of system programs
that controls the activities of a computer system and associated peripheral
devices, as well as the execution of programs and flow of data.
Operations Management – Encompasses the back office component
of systems management, focusing on practices for delivering available systems
with adequate responsiveness. Functions include software distribution, storage
management (including systems backup and recovery, server performance monitoring
and tuning, software license management, user administration and account
management, etc.)
Operational Data Store – A subject-oriented, integrated, single source and
up-to-date collection of data used to support the tactical decision-making and
day-to-day information needs of the business. The data primarily comes from a
replicated copy of disparate Core Business Operational legacy data that is
updated in a timely manner (i.e. near real-time up to 24 hour latency). The data needs to be 100% accurate and
should meet the performance requirements (i.e. typically OLTP and operational
reporting processing) set by the business.
OSI Reference Model – Network architectural model developed by ISO and CCITT. The model consists of seven layers, specifying network functions such as addressing, flow/error control, and encapsulation.
P - Q
Partitioning – Applications can be broken into three
logical parts: presentation, logic, and data. These are areas in which the
program can be separated to facilitate execution of each logical piece on a
different machine. Each segment is known as a partition. For example, the
thin-client Web model requires that interface presentation be handled by the
browser, application logic by the World Wide Web server and other application
servers, and data by a database server. Developers are responsible for
determining where the separation occurs. Early client/server applications
used architectures dictated by the tools employed in their construction. As a
result, most of the early applications used a two-tier client/server
architecture. The tiers of client/server applications refer to the number of
executable components into which the application is partitioned, not to the
number of platforms where the executables are deployed. Sometimes the tiers into
which the application is partitioned is called logical partitioning, and the
number of physical platforms on which it is deployed is called physical partitioning.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) –
A handheld, wireless
computer that serves as an organizer, electronic book or note taker. It
typically uses a stylus or pen-shaped device for data entry and navigation.
Physical Model – A model used to depict
how data is physically implemented.
It should include the physical names, data types, dependencies and
relationships to other data.
Plug-in
– An application used within another application to extend its
functionality.
Portal
– An entry point that collects relevant information to support a theme or
service.
Post-Relational Database – A new class of database that combines
the speed and scalability of a transactional multidimensional data model with
the power and flexibility of object technology. Because of their unique
capabilities, post-relational databases are ideal for developing
high-performance transaction processing applications.
Presentation Layer – This is the front-end client that communicates
with the user through an interface.
Good architectural designs ensure that the presentation of an application
is separated from the business logic.
This ensures that an application can have many presentations depending on
user needs (i.e. Web, internal client interface, voice response system, other
systems). Changes in the
presentation are easily made without effecting the underlying business
application.
Principles – Guiding statements of position that
communicate fundamental elements, truths, rules, or qualities that must be
exhibited by an enterprise.
Statements of preferred
architectural direction or practice that provide a context for architectural
decision-making. They identify
desired behaviors and eliminate the need for evaluating endless alternatives
through advance agreement on preferred direction.
Program – (1) A complete, structured sequence
of program statements directing a computer to implement an algorithm. (2) All
software programming necessary to solve a problem.
Programming Language – An artificial language that enables
people to instruct machines. Computer commands that form procedures by which
software programmers design and implement computer software programs.
Protocol – A standard set of procedures that
allows data to be transferred among systems.
Proxy Servers – Devices that process and filter all
Internet Protocol (IP) packets that are directed to them and decide which
protocols and services can be served out of their caches. Proxy servers tend to
offer the greatest range of protocol and caching support since they cache
Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol
(HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and, in some cases, streaming content such
as RealAudio and PointCast. Each workstation addresses the proxy server directly
by setting specific parameters in each browser on each workstation.
Public Key Infrastructure –
The process of changing data into a form that can be read only by the
intended receiver. To decipher the message, the receiver of the encrypted data
must have the proper decryption key. In traditional encryption schemes, the
sender and the receiver use the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. Public-key
encryption schemes use two keys: a public key, which anyone may use, and a
corresponding private key, which is possessed only by the person who created it.
With this method, anyone may send a message encrypted with the owner's public
key, but only the owner has the private key necessary to decrypt it
Push Technology – Software that automates the delivery of
information to users. In contrast, the World Wide Web is a “pull” environment
that requires a user to seek information. In a “push” environment, information
is sent to a person proactively, through a Web browser, e-mail, or even voice
mail or a pager. In business, push technology can be used for the conveyance of
time-sensitive information, like changes in commodity pricing or the
introduction of promotional programs to a sales force. Enterprises can employ
push technology to communicate externally with their clients or internally
with their employees over a network.
Query – A request for data that is initiated
while a computer program is running.
R
Rapid Application Development
(RAD) – An application
development (AD) approach that includes small teams (typically two to six
people, but never more than 10) using joint application development (JAD) and
iterative-prototyping techniques to construct interactive systems of low to
medium complexity within a time frame of 60 to 120 days.
Recommended Best
Practices – Very
specific recommended actions that will aid in the successful implementation of
architectural elements covered in the IT Technical Reference Model. Usually
expressed as simple declarative sentences. For example, “Use font sizes large
enough to be read on standard size monitors”.
Redundant Array of Independent Disks
(RAID) – A method of
mirroring or striping data on clusters of low-end disk drives; data is copied
onto multiple drives for faster throughput, error correction, fault tolerance
and improved mean time between failures. With the exception of RAID 0, all RAID
levels provide automated recovery of data in the event of a disk failure. The
RAID levels and their key features are as follows:
· RAID-0 – provides disk striping without parity information; data is written by segment across multiple disks sequentially until the end of the array is reached, and then writing starts at the beginning again. Provides greater logical disk capacity with faster access time on reads (multiple segments read simultaneously). However, RAID-0 provides no data redundancy – if one drive fails, the entire disk array subsystem is unavailable.
· RAID-1 – provides fault tolerance by using disk mirroring (also called shadowing). Each byte of data on a disk is duplicated on another physical drive, providing 100-percent data redundancy. RAID-1 provides immediate access to data when either the primary or secondary drive fails, but it has the highest cost of all RAID types, since duplicate hardware is required.
· RAID-2 – eliminates the 100-percent redundancy overhead of RAID-1 by using a powerful error detection and correction code (Hamming), with bits of the data pattern written across multiple disks.
· RAID-3 – similar to RAID-2, but uses a single check disk per group that contains the bit parity of the data disks; data is interleaved across all disks. Because disk reads are performed across the entire array and all data is transferred to the controller in parallel, RAID-3 is well suited for applications that require high data read/write transfer rates for large sequential files.
· RAID-4 – instead of interleaving blocks of data across all drives, writes the first block on drive 1, the second block on drive 2, and so on. This technique dramatically improves read time, since many reads are single block (single drive), freeing other drives for additional read requests.
· RAID-5 – eliminates the dedicated parity drive by writing parity with the data across all drives in the array. Consequently, the single-write restriction and some performance degradation of RAID-1 through RAID-4 are eliminated. If a drive fails, the controller can rebuild the data from the parity and data on the remaining drives.
· RAID-6 – provides two-disk parity and one spare, so that two simultaneous disk failures per array of disks can be tolerated. With the occurrence of a failure, a spare is brought online and transparent reconstruction begins automatically in the background with negligible impact on performance.
·
RAID-10 – a combination of RAID-0 and RAID-1 that provides the
benefits of striping and fault tolerance (disk mirroring).
Relational Database Management System
(RDBMS) – A database
management system (DBMS) that incorporates the relational-data model,
normally including a Structured Query Language application programming
interface. It is a DBMS in which the database is organized and accessed
according to the relationships between data items. In a relational database,
relationships between data items are expressed by means of tables.
Interdependencies among these tables are expressed by data values rather
than by pointers. This allows a high degree of data independence.
Real Time – Response to events in a predictable
and immediate way. A spreadsheet response in one second or five seconds is
acceptable, but closed-loop control systems need to know real-time response
rates in a more rigorous manner.
Real-Time System – Computers designed to receive,
process, and respond to data within a time frame set by outside events, e.g.,
for air traffic control. A system consists of a controlling system and a
controlled system. A controlling system interacts with its environment based on
information from various sensors and inputs. In many real-time systems, severe
consequences result if the timing and logical correctness of the system are not
satisfied.
Relational Database – A DBMS in which the data is perceived by the user
as a collection normalized relations of assorted degrees.
Remote Access Technology –
a method for providing
traveling or homebound users within the IEA with access to the data networks of
the Bureau. Remote access is usually designed to support communications from
home to mainframes, LANs, e-mail, UNIX systems, and minicomputers.
Remote Procedure Call
(RPC) – A mechanism
that extends the notion of a local (i.e., contained in a single address space)
procedure call to a distributed computing environment, enabling an application
to be distributed among multiple systems in a way that is highly transparent to
the application-level code. Examples of RPCs are Sun Microsystems’ Open Network
Computing, Sybase’s Open Client/Open Serve and the Open Software Foundation’s
Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) RPC.
Replication – Creating and
maintaining a duplicate copy of a database or file system on a different
computer, typically a server. The term usually implies the intelligent copying
of parts of the source database that have changed since the last replication
with the destination. Replication
may be one-way or two-way. Two-way replication is much more complicated because
of the possibility that a replicated object may have been updated differently in
the two locations in which case some method is needed to reconcile the different
versions.
Replication Services – When databases are geographically
distributed, they are kept up to date from a central source database through
replication. Replication services propagate data and transactions that occur in
a central source database to each participating remote database.
Reporting Tool – Technologies
used for complex reporting using DBMS data.
Repository –
Passive data dictionary or encyclopedia
that offers a single point of definition for all application components.
Repudiation – Repudiation is the act of refusing to receive or
acknowledging receipt of a security authorization request. Non-Repudiation is the security concept
that protects "against denial of sending (or receiving) a data item by the
sender (or recipient).
Requirements
for Technical Architecture – The capabilities that the technical
architecture must provide in order to satisfy the business information
requirements.
Router
– Network device used to Interface between two networks. Routers work at the Network layer of the
Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) reference model.
Rules-Based
System – A functional system in which
knowledge is stored in the form of simple if/then or condition/action
rules.
S
Scalable – Able to meet demands for increased
performance, processing power, network connectivity, and data storage.
Search Engine – A program
used for the cataloging and indexing of web content for the purpose of locating
desired information.
Security
Architecture – The Security Architecture defines the components and
functions necessary to ensure that the organization’s systems, applications and
data are secure from internal or external tampering and unauthorized. It takes into consideration the
functions of authentication, authorization, encryption, access control, message
integrity, non-repudiation and auditing.
Security Services – These services include operational
methods necessary to enable authenticated user access to systems and data, virus
detection methods to minimize risk to system integrity, methods to permit remote
access for trusted users, methods to enable on-site access to untrusted users
through IEA public rooms, and methods for off-site access to public information
available on IEA systems.
Services – In an N-tier service-oriented
architecture, applications are partitioned into discrete units of functionality
called services.
Server – A processor that provides a specific
service to the network. In a client/server architecture, servers perform
central storage and other vital tasks. Servers specialize in high-speed
computation and data storage and manipulation. They can range in size from PCs
to mainframes.
Service Level Agreement (
Session – A period of
continuous interaction between and user agent and a server.
Shared Data –
data available for use both within the Bureau and between multiple governmental
organizations. When shared data is used, it is stored and maintained once. It
can then be accessed by each system that needs it. Application systems do
not have to duplicate any efforts to collect, verify, store, and maintain data
used by multiple application systems, whether the application systems run in a
single location or in multiple locations across the Bureau.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP) – The standard
for sending mail to and from the Internet.
Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP) – A Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)-derived protocol governing network
management and the monitoring of network devices.
Software – Code, data, and documentation
maintained in a specific configuration. The entire set of programs, procedures,
and related documentation associated with a computer.
Source – A place from which
data is taken. Data is taken from a source, whereas the place it is moved to is
called the destination or target.
Spatial Data Servers – have emerged in a three-tier database
architecture that provides a comprehensive GIS solution. They provide an open
interface between the user and all of the geographic information in an
organization. With this type of spatial data server architecture, data can be
delivered to any client, from any server, anywhere on the network (within
network performance constraints).
Steward –
One who has been assigned the
responsibility to provide day-to-day (operational/tactical) support and manage
the interests of a given data subject area, application area, technology,
process, business unit, organization, or asset, or who as a representative would
be impacted by change to these same interests.
Stove-Piping – Building systems that do not
interoperate or collaborate with each other (e.g., unable to share data or
application modules).
The Structured Query Language (SQL) is used
to query and retrieve data from relational databases. Allows a client to access
only the data required to satisfy a request for data, cut network traffic, or
improve performance. An accepted standard that most relational database products
implement. The industry standard for SQL is ANSI Standard SQL. SQL drivers are
implemented by each RDBMS vendor to enable database access to its
proprietary database. Vendors may add extensions to the SQL language for
their proprietary databases. SQL provides an implementation for data retrieval
from an RDBMS. The use of SQL requires knowledge of the physical data
store.
“Strong” Passwords – A strong password will consist of at
least eight characters, contain a minimum of one capitalized letter; one lower
case letter, one numeric character, and one special character (such
as!@#$%^&*+=, etc.). Therefore, a password such as J0hN^4sM1th, although
still somewhat easy to remember, will require a brute force password-guessing
program that might take several days to crack the password. An intruder who
fails to guess a password rapidly will probably abandon the effort to avoid
detection.
Switches – A network device
working at the Data Link layer of the OSI model. A switch has the same function as a
bridge.
Synchronous media, where participants in
computer-supported communication meet at the same time, and Asynchronous media, where participants
connect at different times and leave files and messages for others to read and
comment on. By way of example, telephony is considered to be synchronous, while
e-mail, often used for the same purpose, is asynchronous.
System – A system is composed of one or many
applications executing against one or more data stores.
Systems Management – Coordination and maintenance of all
software on a client/server network, including performance monitoring,
applications distribution, version control, user administration, job scheduling,
data backup, security, and configuration management.
System
Development Lifecycle (SDLC) – An SDLC provides an
established procedure to approach the technical aspects of a project. It provides technical definition based
on a phased sequential approach to systems development. The intent of the SDLC project breakdown
is to define a logical, sequential group of activities and deliverables that
lead the team through the project phase by phase.
The System Services Layer encompasses the
operating system, networking software, system management, file system, database
services, UI (user interface) library, and so on.
T
T1/T1C/T2/T3/T4 – A digital carrier system introduced
by the Bell System in the
Technical Architecture – the strategy and standards for
utilizing technology tools. The Technical architecture defines the capabilities
for loosely coupling components to service a business process.
Three-Tier Hardware
Architecture
– involves three classes of machines. The
client is usually a PC; the middle tier is usually a workstation server or a
minicomputer; the back end is usually a mainframe. Two-tier hardware architecture
generally involves only the client and either a middle-tier server or a
mainframe.
Thin Client – Since the major components of a
distributed object application are located on a server (or a network of
servers), the client-side application can be kept small and lightweight (that
is, “thin”). This allows more of the
clients' system resources to remain free while the bulk of the application
processing is performed on the high-end servers.
Three-Tier Client/Server
Model
– Current IEA development
uses a three-tier client/server model. The first tier is the Web server layer
where the user interface resides. The second tier is the application server
layer where the business rules reside. The third tier is the database server
layer where the data resides. Three-tier client/server applications offer
the following advantages: Three-tier client/server
applications can be easier to modify to support changes in business rules;
with three-tier client/server applications there is less risk in
modifying the code that implements any given business rule; three-tier
client/server applications can be made to support multiple user interfaces
(character, graphical, Web browser, telephones, etc.)
Topology – The physical layout of a network,
including the method of connection between nodes on the network.
Trade Studies
– Requirements exist for
technologies or products that must be chose based on business requirements
and selection criteria.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP) – The
Internet’s communication standard. It allows different types of computers to
share data on a network. Every transmission gets broken down into
standard-sized packets, like little envelopes of data. Each packet carries
an address, but no information about what is inside. A set of protocols covering
(approximately) the network and transport layers of the seven-layer Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) network model. TCP/IP was developed during a 15-year
period under the auspices of the Department of Defense. It has achieved de
facto standard status, particularly as higher-level layers over Ethernet. TCP/IP
implementations are available on products from more than 80 vendors, including
IBM, Digital Equipment, AT&T, Data General and Sun Microsystems. The biggest
issue for TCP/IP is potential migration to the International Standards
Organization (ISO) protocols for Layers 3 and 4.
Trusted User – A user that has full access to all of
the resources that the user requires. A trusted user can be a IEA employee or an
employee of another agency such as the Forest Service that has access
requirements (External Trusted
User).
In a Two-Tier Client/Server Architecture,
application functionality is partitioned into two executable parts, or tiers. On
one model, one tier contains the code that implements a graphical user interface
(GUI) and the code that implements the business rules. This tier executes on
desktop workstations and requests data from the second application tier,
which usually executes on the machine where the application's data is stored.
This model is referred to as two-tier, fat client because, while the
application is partitioned into two tiers of executable code, most of the
application's code is contained in the tier executing on the desktop
workstation, the fat client.
U
Unified Modeling Language (UML) –
A de facto standard
notation for modeling objects.
Untrusted User – Any user not granted access to IEA’s
internal network. Includes the public.
Usability – A system can be said to be “usable”
when specified users, in specified circumstances, with specified goals, can use
it with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. Improving usability can be
accomplished by applying practices and techniques that help understand and meet
the needs of users.
Utility – A program that performs a very specific task, usually related to managing system resources. Operating systems contain a number of utilities for managing disk drives, printers, and other devices. Utilities differ from applications mostly in terms of size, complexity and function. Utilities are sometimes installed as memory-resident programs.
V
VBScript – A primary form of Microsoft’s Visual
Basic (VB). It has been introduced as Internet-oriented scripting language
intended for providing client-side and server-capable processing within Web
pages.
Very Large Database
(VLDB) – A database
which contains 50 million rows or more.
Video Conferencing – systems that allow two-way or multi-way
calling with live video, essentially a telephone system with an additional
visual component.
Virtual Private Network
(VPN) – A network that
is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. A VPN is a way of using a
public network transport to form a secure network connection, either between two
enterprise sites (LAN to LAN) or between an individual and a site (PC to LAN).
The purpose of a VPN is to allow an organization such as the IEA to extend its
network trust perimeter over the public network without sacrificing security.
Using the Internet as a backbone, a VPN can securely and cost-effectively
connect IEA telecommuters, mobile workers, and external customers (such as the
USFS or MMS).
Visual BASIC for Applications
(VBA) – A Visual Basic
system included with Windows 95 applications and used for creating basic and
customized programs.
Voice Mail – A messaging tool that receives and
stores voice messages as well as serves as an automated attendant to route
incoming calls and messages.
VoiceXML (VXML)
– A high-level programming
language able to handle text-to-speech applications, output of audio files, and
recognition of spoken input.
W
Web Authoring Tools – A
development environment used to create web content.
Web
Browser – A program used to view, download, upload, and access documents via
Internet protocols. The scope
includes both browsers supported internally for intranet users, and browsers
supported externally for Internet users.
Webcasting – (1) Delivery of a transmission to two
or more “stations” at the same time, such as over a bus-type local network or by
satellite. (2) Protocol mechanism whereby group and universal addressing is
supported.
W3C – World Wide Web Consortium.
White Boards – are a real-time technology that allows
two or more people to view and draw on a shared drawing surface, even from
different locations. It can be used for brainstorming and summarizing ideas, or
to work collaboratively on a visual problem, just as with a standard white
board. Most shared white boards are designed for informal conversation, but they
may also serve structured communications or more sophisticated drawing tasks,
such as collaborative graphic design, publishing, or engineering
applications.
Wide Area Network (WAN) – A communications network that
connects computing devices over geographically dispersed locations. While a
local-area network (LAN) typically services a single building or location, a WAN
covers a much larger area such as a city, state or country. WANs can use either
phone lines or dedicated communication lines.
Wiring – Low voltage cabling
used to connect network devices at high frequencies.
Workstation – A single-user computer, typically
with 32-bit messaging and integrated graphics.
Workflow Software – Software
that automates an enterprise’s business processes (i.e., the sequence of
actions, activities, or tasks used to complete a business process) and tracks
their status (the status of each instance of the process). Work can be assigned,
routed, activated, and managed through system-controlled rules that mirror
business operations and decision processes.
World Wide Web (WWW) – Internet system for hypertext linking
of multimedia documents, allowing users to move from one Internet site to
another and to inspect the information that is available without using
complicated commands and protocols.
Wrappering – A process whereby legacy applications
can be formed into components by implementing code (i.e., a “wrapper”) that
“wraps” an API around a legacy service
X– Z
The X.500 Directory Service provides a
lookup of names and addresses through the Directory Information Base (DIB). It is
a specification for global directory servers and access. It was designed to work
with the old X.400 directory service and other message handling services. Each
object stored in the DIB is grouped within an hierarchy wherein common name
objects are nested within organization-unit objects (for example, “Finance
Department”), which are, in turn, nested organization objects (for example,
“Nuts and Bolts, Incorporated”). X.500 is an overall model for directory
services that encompasses the overall namespace and the protocol for querying
and updating it. The protocol is known as “Directory Access Protocol”
(DAP).
XML (Extensible Markup
Language) –
is used to provide
structure to data. For example, a water sample is extracted from a stream and
its temperature is measured as 12 Celsius. The measurement 12 is the data while
many other attributes of the measurement need to be recorded. The units of
measure (Celsius), the location of the measurement, the flow rate of the stream,
the specific type of thermometer used for the measurement, the identification of
the analyst and the clarity of the water sample are possible attributes to
record with the sample temperature. Recording the attributes with the
temperature results in the creation of information from the temperature
datum. XML provides a standard mechanism for structuring and recording data so
that it can be shared and understood by many systems and by people. XML uses
plain text instead of binary encodings. XML is self-describing. XML uses data
type definition (DTD) files to describe the format of the XML. Applications can
understand each other’s XML by exchanging DTDs. XML is maintained by the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
X/Open Systems Management (XSM)
Reference Model –
defines the required
management interfaces and describes the components and architecture required to
build a comprehensive distributed systems management environment.
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