N-P | MCSA/MCSE 2003 JumpStart

namespace: The part of the naming structure occupied by a certain domain or tree. If the domain is foo.com, all machines and subdomains of foo.com exist within its namespace: www.foo.com, accounting .atlanta.foo.com, etc.
NetWare: A popular network operating system from Novell and a competitive product to Windows XP Server and Windows Server 2003.
NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs): Software that is added to or removed from a NetWare server to provide additional functionality. Examples include adding support for Macintosh computers and print services.
network: Two or more computers connected for the purpose of sharing resources such as files or printers.
network drive: A mapping to a network path that appears to the user as a drive letter. You access it the same way that you access a local drive.
network interface card: A device that connects a computer to the physical cable media and produces signals for transferring data.
New Technology File System (NTFS): Developed by Microsoft for the NT operating systems, this feature added better file management, larger disk compatibility, and file-level security on the local computer.
node: A connection point on a network. Nodes include computers, servers, and printers.
object: Every element of the network-from people to machines-is represented in the Active Directory by an object. These objects each represent one specific element of the network and have their own properties and configuration elements.
object linking and embedding (OLE): A technology that enables applications to share data. Each document is stored as an object, and one object can be embedded within another object. For example, an Excel spreadsheet can be embedded within a Word document. Because the object is linked, changes through Excel or Word will be updated through the single linked object.
octet: One of four parts of an IP address. Each number in an octet is created using 8 bits.
offline storage: Holds data that is currently unavailable. You use offline storage to store large amounts of infrequently accessed data or to store computer backups.
online data storage: Holds data that is immediately available and can be quickly accessed, as is the case with hard disks.
open source: The free distribution of source code (software) for the purpose of improving the software by the programming community. Regardless of modifications or adaptations of open source software, the code is still protected by the Open Source Definition.
organizational units (OUs): Organizational units were new with Windows 2000 and are still used with Windows Server 2003. They are compliant with the X.500 directory. They break the directory into subdivisions and are one of the enhancements that has added administrative depth to the previously flat domain directory structure.
original equipment manufacturer (OEM): A term used to describe the device or software that is sold to a reseller who then passes the product on to a consumer. OEM versions of software can sometimes be altered by the reseller in an effort to make the product integrate with the reseller's hardware.
OS/2: A 32-bit operating system originally developed by Microsoft and IBM. OS/2 can support DOS, Windows, and OS/2 applications. Since Microsoft's abandonment of the program in the late 1980s, OS/2 has been produced and sold exclusively by IBM.
Outlook Express: A free Internet e-mail client application developed by Microsoft.
packet: Data that has been encapsulated with information from the Transport and Network layers of the OSI model.
parallel communication: The process of transmitting and processing data one byte (8 bits) at a time.
parent domain: The domain from which all other domains in a tree take their name.
parity: An extra bit found on some memory modules. Non-parity memory has 8 bits. Parity adds an extra bit that is used to keep track of the other 8 bits. This can help prevent memory errors and is recommended for use in servers.
parity: In the context of a stripe set, a series of mathematical calculations based on the data stored. If a disk fails, the stored parity information can be used to rebuild the data.
passive matrix: A flat-panel LCD display technology that uses horizontal and vertical wires with LCD cells at each intersection to create a video image. Passive matrix is considered inferior to active matrix but is less expensive to produce.
PC card: A small, thin device the size of a credit card. PC cards follow the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standard and can be of three types. Type 1 supports RAM or ROM expansions for mobile computing devices. Type 2 is slightly thicker to accommodate modems and network cards. Type 3 is the thickest and is designed for mobile storage.
peer-to-peer network: This type of network does not use dedicated network servers for logging in users or providing secure access to network resources. Instead, clients simply share resources, and other clients have access to whatever has been shared.
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI): A bus standard for the transfer of data between the CPU, expansion cards, and RAM. PCI communicates at 33MHz.
physical hard drive: The physical (or real, as opposed to conceptual) drive; for example, drive 0 or drive 1 in a two-drive configuration.
physical location: The actual location of a resource. Each resource must be homed on a server somewhere on the network. Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003 enables you to organize resources logically, rather than physically.
pipeline: A place in the processor where operations occur in a series of stages. The operation is not complete until it has passed through all stages.
pixel: Short for picture element. A pixel is one dot in an image.
platforms: The hardware or software that supports any given system. The term platform can be used, for example, to reference a Pentium 4-based computer or Windows 98.
plotter: A special type of print device that draws high-resolution diagrams, charts, graphs, and other layouts.
port address: An address used by the computer to access devices such as expansion cards and printers.
POSIX: A standard originally developed for Unix that defines the interface between applications and the operating system. It is now more widely used for the development of other operating systems, including Windows 2000.
PostScript: A page description language used to convert and move data from an application to a laser printer.
Power Users: Intended to allow Windows 2000 Professional or XP Professional users greater authority over their workstations. Power Users are not as powerful as the Administrator, but can do far more than just Users, in that they can install software and configure more workstation options.
power-on self-test (POST): A set of diagnostic tests that are used to determine the state of hardware installed in the computer. Some components that fail the POST, such as bad RAM or a disconnected keyboard, will prevent the computer from booting up properly.
primary domain controller (PDC): A PDC is used in an NT domain. The PDC contains the read-write copy of the domain accounts administration database, called the Security Accounts Manager (SAM).
primary partition: The first and bootable partition you create on a hard drive.
Primary Rate Interface (PRI): The high-end ISDN service offered by telecommunication companies. PRI provides 23 B channels and one D channel. This is equivalent to the 24 channels of a T1 line.
print processor: The print processor and the default data type determine how much of the formatting of a document is done by the printer, as opposed to the application.
print server: A centralized computer that manages printing of user documents to one or more printers. Print servers store documents temporarily when the printer is busy.
profile: A record of the user's personal configuration data and preferences. You can store a profile locally or you can store all user profiles on the server and allow them to roam, which means a user could log on to any machine in the domain and get their own profile.
Program Information Files (PIFs): Files for a non-Windows application that include settings for running the application in Windows 3.x.
protected mode: A mode available in Intel 80286 and 80386 processors. Added the capability for the processor to allocate each application its own separate memory space. In the event that an application crashed, the rest of the system was protected.
protocol: A set of rules for communication between two devices.
PS/2 Port: Also known as the mouse port and DIN 6, PS/2 was developed by IBM for connecting a mouse to the computer. PS/2 ports are supported for mice and keyboards alike.