Coursera Glossary IT Support Terms and definitions from Course 3
A
Absolute path: It is one that starts from the main directory
ACI: Access Control Lists
Administrator: A user that has complete control over a machine
Alias: A nickname for common commands
Appending flags: A way to add the data of the file without erasing existing data
App Store apps: A Package Manager that acts as a repository
App Store repository: A app store service that also acts as a repository
App stores: A central managed marketplace for app developers to publish and sell mobile apps
APPX: An APPX is another way to package contents of a file to act like a unit of distribution
Archive: An archive is comprised of one or more files that are compressed into a single file” for verb agreement
B
Background processes/Daemon processes: Processes that run or take place in the background
Bash: The language used to interact with the shell
Biometric data: A way of protecting your accounts and information using biometric data such as facial recognition and fingerprint
Block devices: A system that acts like USB drives and hard drive by transmitting data
C
Cache: The assigned stored location for recently or frequently accessed data; on a mobile app it is where anything that was changed or created with that app is stored
Centralized logging: Parsing logs in one central location
Character devices: A way to transmit data character by character like a keyboard and mouse
Child directories: It is a directory housed by a parent directory
Chocolatey: A third party package manager for Windows
CLI: Command line interpreter
Client/Server runtime subsystem: System that handles running Windows GUI and Command line
Closed source packages: A source code that does not allow public access
Command line: A text interface program for a computer that inputs text commands and translates them to the operating system
Command line mode: When you are able to run commands while still in your current shell
Computer management: A tool that lets you manage a local or remote computer
D
DACL: Directory Control Lists
Data: Actual content of a file
Data buffer: A region of RAM that’s used to temporarily store data while it’s being moved around
Debian(.deb): A Debian package is packaged as a .deb file
Defragmentation: A process of taking all the files stored on a given disk and reorganizing them into neighboring locations
Device manager: A console management system for your device
Disk Management utility: Native tool for Windows that helps with managing disk space
Disk to disk cloning: A type of cloning that happens when you connect an external hard drive to the machine you want to clone
Driver: Used to help our hardware devices interact with our Operating System
Dynamic-link libraries: Programs that want to use functionality that the code provides can tap into it if they need to (shared libraries)
E
Enterprise app management: A management system that allows an organization to to distribute custom mobile apps
Environment: Whatever settings or variables a child process inherits from the parent’s process
Escape characters: A concept that means that the next character after the back tick should be treated literally
Event Viewer: A place where all events that have been logged are stored
Executable file: A file containing instructions for a computer to execute when they’re run
.exe: A file extension found in Windows for an executable file
F
Factory reset: Resetting a device to the settings it came with from the factory
File permissions: A process for setting permissions for who has access to certain files
File record number: The index of the files entry in the MFT
File system: Used to keep track of files and file storage on a disk
Full control: A user or group with full control that can do anything they want to files
G
Groups: A collection of users
GUI: A graphical user interface
GUID partition table: Only used if you are using UEFI booting
H
Hard link: When created in NTFS, an entry is added to the MFT that points to the linked file record number, not the name of the file. This means the file name of the target can change and the hard link will still point to it
Hardware ID: A special string of characters assigned to hardware
Having dependencies: A process of counting on other pieces of software to make an application work since one bit of code depends on another in order to work
Hidden files: A set of files that are not visible either to avoid alteration or simply because you don’t want someone to see them
Hot key: A keyboard shortcut that does a particular task
I
Inherit only: A permission group that means that a DACL will be inherited, but not applied to a container
Inode: A file structure for metadata and files
Installing from source: A process of installing from a source
Interactive mode: When the parted tool launches you into a separate program
I/O Streams: An input stream handles data flowing into and out of a program
K
Kernel module: It extends the kernel’s functionality so developers don’t have to actually touch the Linux kernel
L
Library: A way to package a bunch of useful code that someone else wrote
List folder contents: A command that will execute and list folder contents and is an alias for Read and Executes
Logging: The act of creating log events
Log rotation: A way for the OS to clean out log files to make room for new ones
Logs: Files that record system events on our computer
M
Manifest: A library used if an application needs to use a shared library
Master boot record (MBR): a traditional partition table within a storage disk that lets you have volume sizes of 2 terabytes or less and is mostly used in the Windows OS
Master file table (MFT): A way NTFS stores and represents the files you’re working with on your operating system
Memory manager: A Windows OS program that helps manage virtual memory
Metadata: Tells us everything we need to know about a file, including who created it, when it was last modified, who has access to it, and what type of file it is.
Microsoft Install Package(.msi) and MSI files: Microsoft Install Package is a file extension used to guide a program called Windows Installer in the installation, maintenance, and removal of programs of the windows operating systems. MSI files are a combination of of databases that contain installation instructions in different tables along with all the files
Mobile applications: Software that is distributed on mobile OS devices
Mobile device management: A system used to apply and enforce rules about how the device has to be configured and used
Modify: An umbrella permission that includes read and execute and write
Mounting: Making a file or hard disk accessible to the computer
Multilingual user interface: Interface that offers and support different languages
O
OTA update: A type of update that is installed by the mobile device itself
P
Packaged archives: The core or source software files that are compressed into one file
Packaged managers: An application that makes package installation and removal easier
Parameter: A value that is associated with a command
Parent directory & child directories: A parent directory is a directory that houses all subsequent child directories
Partition: A logical division of a hard disk that is treated as a separate unit by operating systems and file systems
Partition table: How the disk is partitioned on an OS
Paths: A main directory that branches off and holds other directories and files
Personal package archives: A software repository for uploading source packages to be built and published
Portable Executable (PE) format: Windows unique version of .exe
Primary account: The initial account you made during setup
Processes: Help the computer run programs
Process Explorer: A utility Microsoft created to let IT support specialists and system administrators look at running processes
Process ID: Unique identifier for processes on your computer
Process monitoring: A way of monitoring what processes are happening during installation
Programs: The applications that we can run
Prompt: A prompt shows you which directory you’re currently in
R
Read and execute permission: Permissions that grant you access to read the file that exists and execute it if its runnable
Read permission: Permissions that grant you access to read the file that exists
Re-flash: A way to preserve end-user data on a device that you plan on resetting
Regular expression: A pattern matching language that describes words, phrases, or more complicated patterns; regular expressions are used to help you do advanced pattern based selection
Relative path: It is a path from your current directory
Remote connection: The ability to connect an authorized person to a computer or network remotely; allows us to manage multiple machines from anywhere in the world
Repository: A server that acts like a central storage location for packages
Resource monitoring: The most common way to quickly take a peek at how system resources are doing
Root directory: A parent directory for all other directories in a file system
Root user: It is the first user that gets automatically created when we install a Linux OS and has all the privileges on the OS. Also called the super user. There’s technically only one superuser or root account, but anyone that’s granted access to use their powers can be called a superuser too
S
SACL’s: System Access Control List
SD devices: Mass storage devices like hard drives
Secure copy: A command you can use in Linux to copy files between computers on a network
Security patch: A piece of software that is meant to fix up a security hole
Session manager subsystem: Process that is in charge of setting some stuff up to work for the OS
Shared folders: A way to share files between computers on the same network on Windows
Shell: A shell is a command line interpreter for Linux
Shortcut: An entry in the MFT that has a reference to some destination, so that when you open it up, you get taken to that destination
Side-by-side assemblies: A system that manages most shared libraries and resources on Windows and supports access to multiple versions of the same shared library automatically
Side-loading: A process of installing mobile apps directly without using an app store
Signal: A way to tell a process that something has just happened
Simple permissions: Special or specific permissions
Single sign on (SSO): An account that grants you access to multiple accounts without require constant entry of a password or username
Softlinks: A shortcut in Linux, that allows us to link to another file using a file name
SSH (Secure shell): A protocol implemented by other programs to securely access one computer from another
SSH authentication key: A secure authentication method for accessing a computer from other devices
Standard error (stderr): A data stream that redirect the output of error messages in a different output stream. It works both in Linux and Windows
Standard In (stdin): A data stream in which the input that you provide through the keyboard goes to the standard in stream of the process that you’re interacting with. It works both in Linux and Windows
Standard out (stdout): A data stream that when a process creates output, it adds data to the standard out stream, which flows out of the process. It works both in Linux and Windows
Standard user: A user who is given access to the machine but has restricted access to do thing like install software or change certain setting
Standard error (stderr): An output stream where error messages are sent from a program or process
Standard in (stdin): An input stream where data is sent into a program or process
Standard out (stdout): An output stream where data is sent from a program or process
Subdirectories: A directory below or at a deeper level in the directory hierarchy
Suspended apps: A command that will tell the OS to suspend background mobile apps
Swap space: The allocated space where the virtual memory is stored on the hard drive when the amount of physical memory space is used up or full
Symbolic links: Work similarly to shortcuts, but at the file system level. The key difference is that the operating system treats them like substitutes for the file they’re linked to in almost every meaningful way
Sysinternals package: A set of tools released by Microsoft that can help you troubleshoot
System properties: A control panel applet that allows you to edit the size and number and location of paging files
T
Tab completion: A way to auto-complete a command or file names and directories
Task Manager: A Windows utility that allows you to gain information about what tasks you have running in the background
Termination signal: A kill command that will stop whatever process you tell it to
Trim: A command to delete unused data blocks so the space can be used for the computer’s storage needs
U
UEFI: A new standard for BIOS
Unix epoch: It is the number of seconds since midnight on January first, 1970. It’s a ‘Zero Hour’ for Unix based computers to anchor their concept of time
UUID: Universally Unique ID
V
Variable: Files that constantly change
Virtual instance: A single virtual machine
Virtual memory: A combination of hard drive space and RAM that acts like memory which our processes can use
Volume: A format for a filesystem on a partition
VPN (Virtual private network): A secure method of connecting a device to a private network over the internet
W
Wildcard: A character that is used to help select files based on a certain pattern
Windows domain: A network of computers and users that are added to a central database
Windows Search service: A service that indexes files on your computer by looking through them on a schedule
Windows store: A Windows store is an application repository or warehouse where you can download and instal universal Windows platform apps
Windows update client service: System that runs in the background on your computer to download and install updates and patches for your operating system
Write permission: A permission that allows you to make changes to a file
