D

debug

To detect, locate, and correct logical or syntactical errors in a program.

default gateway

A configuration item for the TCP/IP protocol that is the IP address of a directly reachable IP router. Configuring a default gateway creates a default route in the IP routing table. See also Internet Protocol (IP); IP address; routing table; Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

delegation

An assignment of administrative responsibility to a user , computer, group , or organization.

For Active Directory, an assignment of responsibility that allows users without administrative credentials to complete specific administrative tasks or to manage specific directory objects. Responsibility is assigned through membership in a security group, the Delegation of Control Wizard, or Group Policy settings.

For DNS, an assignment of responsibility for a DNS zone. Delegation occurs when a name server (NS) resource record in a parent zone lists the DNS server that is authoritative for a child zone.

See also Active Directory; administrative credentials; DNS server; Domain Name System (DNS); Group Policy; security group; zone.

delegation wizard

A wizard used to distribute precise elements of the administrator s workload to others.

deployment

The process of distributing and installing a software program throughout an entire organization. A deployment is not the same as a pilot, which is where you provide the software application to a smaller group of users to identify and evaluate problems that might occur during the actual deployment.

destination computer

The computer on which you preinstall Windows that will be distributed to customers. You can either run Setup on the destination computer or copy a master installation onto a destination computer.

details pane

The right pane in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that displays details for the selected item in the console tree. The details can be a list of items or they can be administrative properties, services, and events that are acted on by a snap-in. See also console tree; Microsoft Management Console (MMC); service; snap-in.

device driver

A program that enables a specific device, such as a modem, network adapter, or printer, to communicate with the operating system. Although a device might be installed on your system, Windows cannot use the device until you have installed and configured the appropriate driver. Device drivers load automatically (for all enabled devices) when a computer is started, and thereafter they run invisibly .

DFS path

The combination of a Distributed File System (DFS) root and a DFS link. An example of a DFS path is \\server\dfs\a\b\c\link , where \\server\dfs is the DFS root, and \a\b\c\ is the DFS link. See also DFS root; Distributed File System (DFS).

DFS root

The starting point of the Distributed File System (DFS) namespace. The root is often used to refer to the namespace as a whole. A root maps to one or more root targets, each of which corresponds to a shared folder on a server. See also Distributed File System (DFS).

DHCP option

Address configuration parameters that a DHCP service assigns to clients . Most DHCP options are predefined, based on optional parameters defined in Request for Comments (RFC) 1542, although extended options can be added by vendors or users. See also Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

DHCP/BOOTP Relay Agent

The agent program or component responsible for relaying Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) broadcast messages between a DHCP server and a client across an Internet Protocol (IP) router. A DHCP relay agent supports DHCP/BOOTP message relay as defined in RFCs 1541 and 2131. The DHCP Relay Agent routing protocol component is managed using the Routing and Remote Access snap-in. See also bootstrap protocol (BOOTP); Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

dial-up connection

The connection to your network if you use a device that uses the telephone network. This includes modems with a standard telephone line, ISDN cards with high-speed ISDN lines, or X.25 networks.

If you are a typical user, you might have one or two dial-up connections, for example, to the Internet and to your corporate network. In a more complex server situation, multiple network modem connections might be used to implement advanced routing.

Digest authentication

An authentication mechanism that hashes user name, password, and other data before transmitting it over the network. See also Basic authentication.

directory

An information source that contains information about users, computer files, or other objects. In a file system, a directory stores information about files. In a distributed computing environment (such as a Windows domain), the directory stores information about objects such as printers, fax servers, applications, databases, and other users. See also domain.

directory browsing

A feature that automatically provides a default Web page of available directories and files to browsers that submit a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that does not specify a particular file.

directory tree

A hierarchy of objects and containers in a directory that can be viewed graphically as an upside-down tree, with the root object at the top. Endpoints in the tree are usually single (leaf) objects, and nodes in the tree, or branches, are container objects. A tree shows how objects are connected in terms of the path from one object to another. A simple tree is a single container and its objects. A contiguous subtree is any unbroken path in the tree, including all the members of any container in that path.

DirectX

An extension of the Microsoft Windows operating system. DirectX technology helps games and other programs use the advanced multimedia capabilities of your hardware.

Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)

The Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) specification that defines how components communicate over Windows-based networks. Use the DCOM Configuration tool to integrate client/server applications across multiple computers. DCOM can also be used to integrate robust Web browser applications. See also Component Object Model (COM).

Distributed File System (DFS)

A service that allows system administrators to organize distributed network shares into a logical namespace, enabling users to access files without specifying their physical location and providing load sharing across network shares. See also service.

distribution folder

The folder created on the distribution server to contain the Setup files.

distribution point

In Systems Management Server, a site system with the distribution point role that stores package files received from a site server. Systems Management Server clients contact distribution points to obtain programs and files after they detect that an advertised application is available from a client access point.

distribution point group

In Systems Management Server, a set of distribution points that can be managed as a single entity. See also distribution point; Systems Management Server (SMS).

distribution share

A network folder that contains the source files for Windows products that you install. It may also contain additional device drivers and application files. This folder can be created manually or by using Setup Manager.

DNS server

A server that maintains information about a portion of the DNS database and that responds to and resolves DNS queries. See also Domain Name System (DNS); server.

DNS suffix

For DNS, a character string that represents a domain name. The DNS suffix shows where a host is located relative to the DNS root, specifying a host s location in the DNS hierarchy. Usually, the DNS suffix describes the latter portion of a DNS name, following one or more of the first labels of a DNS name. See also domain name; Domain Name System (DNS).

domain

In Active Directory, a collection of computer, user, and group objects defined by the administrator. These objects share a common directory database, security policies, and security relationships with other domains.

In DNS, any tree or subtree within the DNS namespace. Although the names for DNS domains often correspond to Active Directory domains, DNS domains should not be confused with Active Directory domains.

See also Active Directory; Domain Name System (DNS).

domain consolidation

The process of combining two or more domains into a larger domain.

domain controller

In an Active Directory forest, a server that contains a writable copy of the Active Directory database, participates in Active Directory replication, and controls access to network resources. Administrators can manage user accounts, network access, shared resources, site topology, and other directory objects from any domain controller in the forest. See also Active Directory; directory; forest.

domain local group

A security or distribution group that can contain universal groups, global groups, other domain local groups from its own domain, and accounts from any domain in the forest. Domain local security groups can be granted rights and permissions on resources that reside only in the same domain where the domain local group is located. See also forest; global group; security group; universal group.

domain migration

The process of moving accounts, resources, and their associated security objects from one domain structure to another.

domain name

The name given by an administrator to a collection of networked computers that share a common directory. Part of the DNS naming structure, domain names consist of a sequence of name labels separated by periods. See also domain; Domain Name System (DNS); label.

domain name label

Each part of a full DNS domain name that represents a node in the domain namespace tree. Domain names are made up of a sequence of labels, such as the three labels ( noam, reskit, and com ) that make up the DNS domain name noam.reskit.com. Each label used in a DNS name must have 63 or fewer characters .

Domain Name System (DNS)

A hierarchical, distributed database that contains mappings of DNS domain names to various types of data, such as IP addresses. DNS enables the location of computers and services by user-friendly names, and it also enables the discovery of other information stored in the database. See also domain name; IP address; ping; service; Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

domain namespace

The database structure used by DNS. See also Domain Name System (DNS).

domain restructure

The process of reorganizing one domain structure into another that typically results in the accounts, groups, and trusts being altered .

driver

Kernel-mode code used either to control or emulate a hardware device.

dynamic disk

A physical disk that provides features that basic disks do not, such as support for volumes that span multiple disks. Dynamic disks use a hidden database to track information about dynamic volumes on the disk and other dynamic disks in the computer. You convert basic disks to dynamic by using the Disk Management snap- in or the DiskPart command-line tool. When you convert a basic disk to dynamic, all existing basic volumes become dynamic volumes . See also dynamic volume.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

A TCP/IP service protocol that offers dynamic leased configuration of host IP addresses and distributes other configuration parameters to eligible network clients. DHCP provides safe, reliable, and simple TCP/IP network configuration, prevents address conflicts, and helps conserve the use of client IP addresses on the network.

DHCP uses a client/server model where the DHCP server maintains centralized management of IP addresses that are used on the network. DHCP-supporting clients can then request and obtain lease of an IP address from a DHCP server as part of their network boot process.

See also IP address; lease; service; Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

dynamic page

A Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document that contains animated GIFs, Java applets, ActiveX Controls, or dynamic HTML (DHTML). Also, a Web page that is created automatically, based on information that is provided by the user, or that is generated on the fly with Active Server Pages (ASP).

dynamic update

An update to the Domain Name System (DNS) standard that permits DNS clients to dynamically register and update their resource records in zones. See also DNS server; Domain Name System (DNS); zone.

dynamic volume

A volume that resides on a dynamic disk. Windows supports five types of dynamic volumes: simple, spanned , striped, mirrored, and RAID-5. A dynamic volume is formatted by using a file system, such as file allocation table (FAT) or NTFS, and has a drive letter assigned to it. See also dynamic disk; mirrored volume; RAID-5 volume.

dynamic-link library (DLL)

An operating system feature that allows executable routines ( generally serving a specific function or set of functions) to be stored separately as files with .dll extensions. These routines are loaded only when needed by the program that calls them.