R-S

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks)

A way of storing the same data in different places on a category of disk drives that employ two or more drives. This allows for a combination of increased fault tolerance and improved performance. RAID disk drives are more frequently used on servers rather than personal computers. There are a number of different RAID levels, with the three most common being RAID 0, RAID 3, and RAID 5.

RAM

See memory.

RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter)

A chip on a video card that converts binary digital data into analog information, which can then be output to a computer monitor.

RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory)

A type of fast DRAM memory originally developed by Rambus, Inc. for today’s Pentium computers.

read

Detect data from storage media. Technically, transfer data from a file into memory.

readme file

File that comes with software or hardware that contains useful information to the user.

rewritable

An optical disc that can be written to, erased, and written to again. Includes CD-RWs and recordable DVDs.

RGB (Red, Green, and Blue)

The three primary colors of light that are used in PC monitors. A color monitor has three electron guns. Each of the electron guns represents one of the three primary colors of light to produce a final color image to computer screen.

RJ-11

A modular one-line telephone connector with two wires: red and green. An RJ11 connector has the same plastic shell as an RJ-14 connector.

RJ-14

A modular two-line telephone connector with four wires: red and green for line 1, and black and yellow for line 2. An RJ-14 connector has the same plastic shell as an RJ11 connector.

RJ-45

A modular telephone or network connector with eight wires. In order to be used with Ethernet networks, RJ-45 connectors must adhere to the Cat5 or Cat5e standard.

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

A computer chip whose information cannot be deleted or erased, but which can be read by the system many times. ROM is nonvolatile memory that holds the system BIOS.

root folder

The highest-level folder in a disk partition. If you open My Computer, and then any drive, you are looking at the root folder. For example, C:\ is the root directory of the C drive. Any files or folders you see with C:\ open are said to be in the root folder. Often called root directory.

SAM (Security Accounts Manager)

A built-in Windows NT and 2000 component that is used to manage the security of user accounts.

SAT (Security Access Token)

A security token that allows users access to resources in a Windows environment. A token carries access rights that are associated with a user’s account.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

A standard that applies to fast electronic hardware interfaces in computer systems. SCSI technology can be used to allow up to 15 devices to be daisy-chained together. SCSI is most commonly used to connect hard drives, CD-ROM devices, scanners, and printers to computer systems.

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory)

A type of DRAM that synchronizes itself with the internal clock speed of the computer’s processor.

SE (Single Ended)

One of two kinds of parallel SCSI technology, the second kind being differential ended. Single-ended SCSI was the original technology used and has shorter distances than its counterpart. They are incompatible, although converters can bridge single ended to differential. It can also be used to refer to the physical signal circuitry used on the SCSI bus.

SEC (Single Edge Connector)

Intel’s chip package design that uses a circuit board with a single edge connector. A processor and memory cache are integrated onto the circuit board and inserted into the computer system’s motherboard.

SEP (Single Edge Processor)

A processor chip package design similar to SEC.

Serial ATA (S-ATA)

A completely new standard based on serial signaling technology that will eventually make PCs even smaller and more efficient. Serial ATA only requires seven wires per device (as compared to 40 wires for IDE ribbon cables), and its cables are capable of lengths of one meter (as compared to 40 centimeters for IDE). S-ATA will eventually render the old IDE ribbon cables obsolete, resulting in an industry-wide move over to new hard drives, controllers, and connectors.

serial port

A port through which electrical pulses are sent one at a time. Used for external modems and other devices. Original IBM PCs had four serial ports, with each assigned a logical address called a COM port.

server

A computer that provides services to other computers on a network, called clients or workstations. Servers tend to be high-powered machines.

service

A small program or part of a program whose purpose is supporting larger programs or OS components. In 2000 and XP, access Services in Administrative Tools from Control Panel, Start menu, or Manage.

setup

The installation of software, including Windows. Synonym: installation (only of software).

setup program

The BIOS configuration program.

SGRAM (Synchronous Graphic Random Access Memory)

A single-ported type of video RAM that is synchronized with the CPU’s clock to achieve high speeds.

shell

The system that gives the user control of the OS. In the case of Windows, the shell is the GUI.

SID (Security Identifier)

A unique security number that is associated with users, groups, and accounts in a Windows NT and 2000 Network. Access to processes that run in Windows NT and 2000 require this unique SID and a token.

SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module)

A type of circuit board on which DRAM chips are mounted. The circuit board is inserted into the motherboard. A SIMM module has a 32-bit wide data bus.

slot

A horizontal multi-pin electrical connector that accepts a card-type connector. Expansion cards such as PCI, AGP, and ISA are slots. In addition, some processors, including many Pentium IIIs, plug into slots.

S.M.A.R.T. (Self Monitoring Analysis and Report Technology)

An example of a computer’s start-up program or BIOS and the computer’s hard disk proactively working together. If enabled during computer setup, it has the ability to automatically monitor a disk drive’s health and report potential problems. The BIOS receives analytical information from the hard drive and determines whether to send the user a warning message about possible future failure of the hard drive.

SMB (Server Message Block)

A protocol used by DOS and Windows for sharing files, directories, serial ports, printers, and other devices. SMB works in a client server, request-response format. Such servers make file systems and other resources available to clients over a network. SMB can be used over TCP/IP, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX.

socket

A flat electrical connector with holes. A device such as a socket processor has pins that plug into the holes.

SODIMM (Small-Outline Dual Inline Memory Module)

Commonly used in laptop computers because of their thinner profiles than DIMMs.

sound card

A device whose primary function is to allow a computer to play and record sound. A sound card can either be a separate card that plugs into an expansion slot, or a component built into the motherboard. Sometimes called a multimedia device.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A programming language used to gather or query information from various computer databases. IBM developed SQL in 1974.

SRAM (Synchronous Random Access Memory)

A fast type of memory that does not have to be refreshed over and over to maintain its contents. SRAM is faster than DRAM and is used mostly for cache memory in computer systems. SRAM is also referred to as static RAM.

standby

Saving the desktop as it is with all open programs and applets the way they are to memory, and then operating on low power. In most cases, you can resume from standby by moving or clicking the pointing device, or by pressing any keyboard key.

stop error

See blue screen of death.

STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)

A type of copper cabling used in networks in which pairs of wires are twisted around one another to extend the length that a signal can travel on the cable and reduce the interference of signals traveling on the cable.

surge suppressor

A device designed to absorb increases in voltage that can damage computers, peripherals, or other devices. Most very inexpensive models provide little or no protection.

suspend

See hibernate.

SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array)

A video display standard that applies to any resolution or color depth higher than the VGA standard of 640x480 and 16 colors. Based on its predecessor, VGA, which uses the same connectors.

swap file

See page file.

syntax

The proper way to type commands with their parameters and switches.