P

Passport Unique Identifier (PUID)

The unique identifier assigned to a caller authenticated by Passport. Adding the PUID to the response stream of a Web request lets the caller maintain an authenticated status without going through the authentication procedure for each request.

Patch

When applied to software, a term that normally defines a small piece of code designed to provide an upgrade. (Some vendors are stretching the size of some patches so they’re almost as large as the actual application.) In most cases, a patch will repair a programming error. It could also improve security or add application features. The methods of creating a patch include complete executable replacement or executable modification using an external application. Patches can also affect application data and support files.

PDA

See Personal Digital Assistant

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

A small handheld device such as a Palm Pilot or Pocket PC. These devices are normally used for personal tasks such as taking notes and maintaining an itinerary during business trips. Some PDAs rely on special operating systems and lack any standard application support. However, newer PDAs include some level of standard application support because vendors are supplying specialized compilers for them. In addition, you’ll find common applications included, such as browsers and application office suites that include word processing and spreadsheet support.

Proxy

1. When used in the COM sense of the word, a proxy is the data structure that takes the place of the application within the server’s address space. Any server responses to application requests are passed to the proxy, marshaled by COM, and then passed to the application. 2. Generally, any intermediary object that acts as an interface between a client and server. The object can perform any of a number of tasks, such as short-term storage of data to reduce data transmission requirements. In addition, the intermediary object normally marshals data between the client and server to ensure the recipient obtains data in a form it can use.

PUID

See Passport Unique Identifier