APPENDIX C

Internet Glossary of Terms

Active Desktop: The shell integration of Microsoft Internet Explorer with the Microsoft Windows operating system.

ActiveX Data Objects (ADO): A set of ActiveX components designed to access ODBC data sources using the OLEDB standard.

ActiveX technologies: A suite of products and technologies produced by Microsoft to allow communication between software objects.

address: The location of a user on the Internet. Typically, this address is formatted as user@host, where user is the name of your account and host is the name of the domain you are on (e.g., [e-mail]).

anonymous connection: A connection to a Web server done without an account or a password. An anonymous account allows any browser to log on but can restrict access to various functions for security purposes.

backbone: The main series of connections in a network.

bandwidth: The amount of data, measured in bits per second, that can be passed through the existing network infrastructure.

browser: A client-side application used to view information on the Internet.

Browser Capabilities component: An ActiveX component that allows you to identify the type and capabilities of a browser.

channel: A technology that allows services to push data to Microsoft Internet Explorer.

chatting: Communicating directly in real time with other users on the Internet.

client: An application or a computer that communicates with and requests information from a server.

com: An Internet address extension indicating that the Web site is a commercial site.

Component Object Model (COM): The technology that allows software objects to communicate. All ActiveX components are based on COM.

Content Linking component: An ActiveX component used to link discreet Web pages together in a book or a magazine format.

domain: A unique alphanumeric name for an Internet site.

Domain Name System (DNS): A system for translating alphanumeric computer names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

Dynamic HTML: The technology that allows every tag in an HTML Web page to be treated as a programmable object.

edu: An Internet address extension indicating that the Web site is an educational institution.

File Access component: An ActiveX component used to access text files from script.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP): A communications standard for transferring files between computers on the Internet. FTP is supported by Microsoft Internet Information Server.

firewall: A security measure that protects information and prevents access to a computer or network system.

gateway: A computer that connects one network with another when the two networks operate on different protocols.

Gopher: A file transfer system that allows searching with menus. Gopher is supported by Microsoft Internet Information Server.

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF): A compressed graphics file format for distributing graphics on the Internet.

host: A Web server that users can log on to.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML): The coding standard for creating Web pages.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP): The communications standard for transferring Web pages between computers.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN): A data transfer mechanism that supports up to 64 Kb per second over a standard phone line.

Internet Database Connector (IDC): A special implementation of the ISAPI interface to Microsoft Internet Information Server, designed to allow database publishing.

Internet Explorer: The Microsoft Web browser.

Internet Information Server (IIS): A Web server designed for use with Microsoft Windows NT Server. It provides WWW, FTP, and Gopher services.

Internet Protocol (IP): The communications standard that is the foundation of the Internet. IP allows information to be routed in packets across the Internet and to be reassembled at the destination computer.

Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI): The set of function calls that provides access to the functionality of Microsoft Internet Information Server. Several ISAPI applications are used in IIS specifically to publish databases: the Internet Database Connector, OLEISAPI, and dbWeb.

IP address: A four-part number used to uniquely identify each computer on the Internet. Each part can be a maximum of three integers, and parts are separated by a dot. The format of the address is xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx; an example is 123.45.6.78.

local area network (LAN): A group of networked computers, usually confined to a single office or building.

mirror site: An FTP server that has copies of the same files as another server. These servers are often used for download access to popular files.

name resolution: The process of mapping a domain name to an IP address.

Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP): A communications standard for distributing and retrieving news articles. The largest system of news distribution is Usenet.

OLEDB: A specification that defines a set of standard interfaces for accessing data. The ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) implement the OLEDB standard.

packet: A piece of electronic information sent over the Internet. Each packet contains the destination address, the sender's address, data, and error-handling information.

ping: A short message sent from one computer to another for the purpose of checking communications links.

Post Office Protocol (POP3): A system allowing Internet mail to be downloaded to a client.

Remote Data Services: The service that allows thin Web access to an ODBC data source through the Advanced Data Control (ADC).

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP): A communications standard for sending electronic mail on the Internet.

socket: A communications link with the Internet. Many sockets can be open on a single computer at once.

subscription: The process of periodically locating Internet sites and downloading content for later use.

Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP): A communications standard for all computers on the Internet.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL): An Internet address that specifies a server or file. It typically consists of the following: a protocol, a host name, a folder structure, and a filename (for example, http://some_host.com/some_folder/some_web_page.htm).

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): An industry consortium that promotes standards for the Internet.