Browse Definitions by Alphabet

streaming data architecture - A streaming data architecture is an information technology framework that puts the focus on processing data in motion and treats extract-transform-load (ETL) batch processing as just one more event in a continuous stream of events.
streaming media - Streaming media is video or audio content sent in compressed form over the internet and played immediately over a user's device, rather than being saved to the device hard drive or solid-state drive.
streaming network telemetry - Streaming network telemetry is a real-time data collection service in which network devices, such as routers, switches and firewalls, continuously push data related to the network's health to a centralized location.
strong authentication - Although it is not a standardized term, with set criteria, strong authentication can be said to be any method of verifying the identity of a user or device that is intrinsically stringent enough to ensure the security of the system it protects by withstanding any attacks it is likely to encounter.
strong password - A strong password is one that is designed to be hard for a person or program to guess.
strongly typed programming language - A strongly typed programming language is one in which each type of data, such as integers, characters, hexadecimals and packed decimals, is predefined as part of the programming language, and all constants or variables defined for a given program must be described with one of the data types.
structural ambiguity - Structural or syntactic ambiguity is the potential of multiple interpretations for a piece of written or spoken language because of the way words or phrases are organized.
structured data - Structured data is data that has been organized into a formatted repository, typically a database.
structured programming (modular programming) - Structured programming, or modular programming, is a programming paradigm that facilitates the creation of programs with readable code and reusable components.
Structured Query Language (SQL) - Structured Query Language (SQL) is a standardized programming language that is used to manage relational databases and perform various operations on the data in them.
Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) - Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) is a standardized Extensible Markup Language (XML) programming language for conveying data about cybersecurity threats in a way that can be easily understood by both humans and security technologies.
subcarrier - A subcarrier is a secondary modulated signal frequency modulated into the main frequency (the carrier) to provide an additional channel of transmission.
subnet (subnetwork) - A subnet, or subnetwork, is a segmented piece of a larger network.
subnet mask - A subnet mask is a 32-bit binary number used in modern network addressing schemes to differentiate between a network's location and the specific location of a host or device on that network.
subscription management - Subscription management is the process of overseeing and controlling all aspects of products and services sold repeatedly through a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription-based pricing model.
subscription-based pricing model - A subscription-based pricing model is a payment structure that allows a customer or organization to purchase or subscribe to a vendor's IT services for a specific period of time for a set price.
substrate - A substrate is a solid substance or medium to which another substance is applied and to which that second substance adheres.
succession planning - Succession planning is a process of developing talent to replace executive, leadership or other key employees when they transition to another role, leave the company, are fired, retire or die.
sudo (su 'do') - Sudo is a command-line utility for Unix and Unix-based operating systems such as Linux and macOS.
Sun Microsystems - Sun Microsystems (often just called "Sun"), the leading company in computers used as Web servers, also makes servers designed for use as engineering workstations, data storage products, and related software.
sunsetting - Sunsetting is the intentional phasing out or termination of something, and in business, the term is used often regarding brands, partnerships, agreements, policies, and hardware and software.
super app - A super app is a mobile or web application that combines multiple services into one platform.
supercomputer - A supercomputer is a computer that performs at or near the highest operational rate for computers.
superconductivity - Superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to conduct a direct electric current (DC) with practically zero resistance.
supercookie - A supercookie is a type of tracking cookie inserted into an HTTP header to collect data about a user's internet browsing history and habits.
Superdome - Superdome is a high-end 64-bit, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) PA-8600 processor-based UNIX server designed for e-commerce customers using very large databases.
superposition - Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until it is measured.
supervised learning - Supervised learning is an approach to creating artificial intelligence (AI) where a computer algorithm is trained on input data that has been labeled for a particular output.
supervisor call (SVC) - In computers, especially IBM mainframes, a supervisor call (SVC) is a processor instruction that directs the processor to pass control of the computer to the operating system's supervisor program.
supplier relationship management (SRM) - Supplier relationship management (SRM) is a systematic approach to evaluating and partnering with vendors that supply goods, materials and services to an organization, determining each supplier's contribution to success, and developing strategies to improve their performance.
supply chain - A supply chain is the network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product.
supply chain analytics - Supply chain analytics refers to the processes organizations use to gain insight and extract value from the large amounts of data associated with the procurement, processing and distribution of goods.
supply chain attack - A supply chain attack is a type of cyber attack that targets organizations by focusing on weaker links in an organization's supply chain.
supply chain execution (SCE) - Supply chain execution (SCE) is the flow of tasks involved in the supply chain, such as order fulfilment, procurement, warehousing and transporting.
supply chain finance - Supply chain finance is a set of technology-enabled business and financial processes that provides flexible payment options for a buyer and one of their suppliers at lower financing costs.
supply chain management (SCM) - Supply chain management (SCM) is the optimization of a product's creation and flow from raw material sourcing to production, logistics and delivery to the final customer.
Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) - Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) is the process reference model used across industries as a supply chain management diagnostic tool.
supply chain planning (SCP) - Supply chain planning (SCP) is the process of anticipating the demand for products and planning their materials and components, production, marketing, distribution and sale.
supply chain risk management (SCRM) - Supply chain risk management (SCRM) is the coordinated efforts of an organization to help identify, monitor, detect and mitigate threats to supply chain continuity and profitability.
supply chain security - Supply chain security is the part of supply chain management that focuses on the risk management of external suppliers, vendors, logistics and transportation.
supply chain sustainability (SCS) - Supply chain sustainability (SCS) is a holistic view of supply chain processes, logistics and technologies that affect the environmental, social, economic and legal aspects of a supply chain's components.
supply chain transformation - Supply chain transformation is the addition and integration of technology to improve supply chain performance, optimize costs and mitigate risks.
supply chain visibility (SCV) - Supply chain visibility (SCV) is the ability of parts, components or products in transit to be tracked from manufacturer to final destination.
support vector machine (SVM) - A support vector machine (SVM) is a type of supervised learning algorithm used in machine learning to solve classification and regression tasks.
surge suppressor (surge protector) - A surge suppressor, sometimes optimistically called a surge protector, is a device inserted in the alternating current (AC) utility line and/or telephone line to prevent damage to electronic equipment from voltage spikes, or transients.
surveillance capitalism - Surveillance capitalism is an economic theory proposed by Harvard Business School Professor Emerita Shoshana Zuboff in 2014 that describes the modern, mass monetization of individuals' raw personal data in order to predict and modify their behavior.
susceptance - Susceptance (symbolized B) is an expression of the ease with which alternating current (AC) passes through a capacitance or inductance.
SUSE - SUSE (pronounced soo-sah) is a multinational company that offers enterprise-grade open source products based on Linux technologies.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) - SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is a Linux-based server operating system created and maintained by the German-based organization, SUSE.
sustainability risk management (SRM) - Sustainability risk management (SRM) is a business strategy that aligns profit goals with a company's environmental, social and governance (ESG).
sustainable AI - Sustainable AI is the use of artificial intelligence systems that operate in ways contingent with sustainable business practices.
Swagger - Swagger is an open source set of rules, specifications and tools for developing and describing RESTful APIs.
swap file (swap space or page file) - A swap file is a system file that creates temporary storage space on a solid-state drive or hard disk when the system runs low on memory.
SWIFT FIN message - SWIFT FIN is a message type (MT) that transmits financial information from one financial institution to another.
Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) - Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) is a public, packet-switched service aimed at enterprises that need to exchange large amounts of data with other enterprises over the wide area network on a nonconstant or bursty basis.
SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis) - SWOT analysis is a framework for identifying and analyzing an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
SYN flood attack - A SYN flood attack is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack on a computer server.
SYN scanning - SYN scanning is a tactic that a malicious hacker can use to determine the state of a communications port without establishing a full connection.
synchronicity - Synchronicity is a concept developed by psychologist Carl Jung to describe a perceived meaningful coincidence.
Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) - Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) is a transmission protocol used to synchronously transfer code-transparent, serial-by-bit data over a communications channel.
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) - Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) is a group of fiber optic transmission rates that transport digital signals with different capacities.
Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) - Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) is a North American standard for synchronous data transmission over optical fibers.
synchronous replication - Synchronous replication is the process of copying data over a network to create multiple current copies of the data.
synchronous/asynchronous API - Synchronous/asynchronous APIs are application programming interfaces that return data for requests either immediately or at a later time, respectively.
synectics - Synectics is a method of problem-solving that focuses on cultivating creative thinking, often among small groups of individuals with diverse experience and skills.
synthetic data - Synthetic data is information that's artificially manufactured rather than generated by real-world events.
synthetic monitoring - Synthetic monitoring is the use of software to simulate user interactions with a system.
syslog - Syslog is an IETF RFC 5424 standard protocol for computer logging and collection that is popular in Unix-like systems including servers, networking equipment and IoT devices.
Sysprep (System Preparation Tool) - Sysprep is Microsoft's System Preparation tool intended to duplicate, test and deliver new installations for the Windows operating system based on an established installation.
system administrator (sysadmin) - A system administrator (sysadmin) is an information technolog professional who supports a multiuser computing environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of IT services and support systems.
System Insights - System Insights is a feature that debuted in Windows Server 2019 that processes data and uses predictive analytics to warn administrators of potential issues with Windows Server deployments.
system of record (SOR) - A system of record (SOR) is an information storage and retrieval system that stores valuable data on an organizational system or process.
system of systems (SoS) - A system of systems (SoS) is the collection of multiple, independent systems in context as part of a larger, more complex system.
System Restore (Windows) - System Restore is a Microsoft Windows utility designed to protect and revert the operating system (OS) to a previous state.
system software - System software is a type of computer program that is designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs.
system testing - System testing, also referred to as system-level testing or system integration testing, is the process in which a quality assurance (QA) team evaluates how the various components of an application interact together in the full, integrated system or application.
system tray - The system tray (or "systray") is a section of the taskbars in the Microsoft Windows operating system user interface that provides easy access icons to the user's most commonly used apps and displays the clock.
system-on-a-chip (SoC) - System-on-a-chip (SoC) technology is the packaging of all the necessary electronic circuits and parts for a "system" (such as a cell phone or digital camera) on a single integrated circuit (IC), generally known as a microchip.
systems development life cycle (SDLC) - The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application.
systems integrator - A systems integrator is an individual or business that builds computing systems for clients by combining hardware, software, networking and storage products from multiple vendors.
Systems Modeling Language (SysML) - Systems Modeling Language (SysML) helps teams design, develop, test and deploy complex physical systems.
systems of engagement - Systems of engagement are decentralized IT components that incorporate technologies such as social media and the cloud to encourage and enable peer interaction.
systems operator (sysop) - In IT, a systems operator (sysop) is a person who runs computer servers and other devices on a daily basis in a data center.
systems thinking - Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.
What is a SAN? Ultimate storage area network guide - A storage area network (SAN) is a dedicated high-speed network or subnetwork that interconnects and presents shared pools of storage devices to multiple servers.
What is a Server? - A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client.
What is SD-WAN (software-defined WAN)? Ultimate guide - Software-defined WAN is a technology that uses software-defined networking concepts to distribute network traffic across a wide area network, or WAN.
What is SecOps? Everything you need to know - SecOps, formed from a combination of security and IT operations staff, is a highly skilled team focused on monitoring and assessing risk and protecting corporate assets, often operating from a security operations center, or SOC.
What is server sprawl and how to prevent it? - Server sprawl is when multiple underutilized servers take up more space and consume more resources than can be justified by their workload.
What is server virtualization? The ultimate guide - Server virtualization is a process that creates and abstracts multiple virtual instances on a single server.
What is Software as a Service (SaaS)? - Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.