Glossary – Dell PowerVault 715N (Rackmount NAS Appliance) User Manual

Page 21

Advertising
background image

Back to Contents Page

Glossary

Dell™ PowerVault™ 715N Systems User's Guide

The following list defines or identifies technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in Dell user documents.

A

Abbreviation for ampere(s).

AC

Abbreviation for alternating current.

adapter card

An expansion card that plugs into an expansion-card connector on the system board. An adapter card adds some

specialized function to the system by providing an interface between the expansion bus and a peripheral device. Examples

of adapter cards include network cards, sound cards, and SCSI adapters.

asset tag code

An individual code assigned to a system, usually by a system administrator, for security or tracking purposes.

backup

A copy of a program or data file. As a precaution, you should back up your system's hard drive on a regular basis. Before

making a change to the configuration of your system, you should back up important startup files from your operating

system.

BIOS

Acronym for basic input/output system. Your system's BIOS contains programs stored on a flash memory chip. The BIOS

controls the following:

Communications between the microprocessor and peripheral devices, such as the keyboard and the video adapter

Miscellaneous functions, such as system messages

bit

The smallest unit of information interpreted by your system.

boot routine

When you start your system, it clears all memory, initializes devices, and loads the operating system. Unless the

operating system fails to respond, you can reboot (also called warm boot) your system by pressing

<Ctrl><Alt><Delete>; otherwise, you must perform a cold boot by pressing the reset button or by turning the system

off, and then back on.

bps

Abbreviation for bits per second.

bus

Advertising