Dell PowerEdge 7150 - Manual (Page 24)

Back to Contents Page
Glossary
Dell™ PowerEdge™ 7150 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's 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 boards, and SCSI adapters.
application program
Software designed to help you perform a specific task, such as a spreadsheet or word processor. Application programs are distinct from operating system and utility
software.
backup
A copy of a program or data file. As a precaution, you should back up your system's hard-disk drive on a regular basis. Before making a change to the configuration of
your system, you should back up important start-up files.
beep code
A diagnostic system message in the form of a series of beeps from your system's speaker. See your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for a complete
discussion of system beep codes.
BIOS
Acronym for basic input/output system. Your system's BIOS contains programs stored on a ROM chip. The BIOS controls the following functions:
l Communications between the micro-processor and peripheral devices such as the keyboard and the video adapter
l 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><Del>; otherwise, you must perform a cold boot by pressing the reset button (if your system has one) or by
turning the system off and then back on.
bootable diskette
You can start your system from a diskette in drive A. To make a bootable diskette, insert a diskette in drive A, type sys a: at the command line prompt and then press
<Enter>. Use this bootable diskette if your system will not boot from the hard-disk drive.
bps
Abbreviation for bits per second.
BTU
Abbreviation for British thermal unit.
bus
A bus forms an information pathway between the components of a system. Your system contains an expansion bus that allows the microprocessor to communicate with
controllers for all the various peripheral devices connected to the system. Your system also contains an address bus and a data bus for communications between the
micro-processor and RAM.
byte