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Glossary 111
B
bandwidth A measure of the volume of information that can be transmitted over a
communication link. Often used to describe the number of bits per second a
network can deliver.
baud rate The rate at which information is transmitted between devices, for example,
between a terminal and a server.
bind In the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), refers to the
authentication process that LDAP requires when users access the LDAP
directory. Authentication occurs when the LDAP client binds to the LDAP
server.
BIOS (Basic
Input/Output System) System software that controls the loading of the operating system and testing
of hardware at system power-on. BIOS is stored in read-only memory (ROM).
bits per second (bps) The unit of measurement for data transmission speed.
boot loader A program contained in read-only memory (ROM) that automatically runs at
system power-on to control the first stage of system initialization and
hardware tests. The boot loader then transfers control to a more complex
program that loads the operating system.
C
cache A copy of original data that is stored locally, often with instructions or the
most frequently accessed information. Cached data does not have to be
retrieved from a remote server again when requested. A cache increases
effective memory transfer rates and processor speed.
certificate Public key data assigned by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) to provide
verification of an entity’s identity. This is a digitally signed document. Both
clients and servers can have certificates. Also called a “public key certificate.”
Certificate Authority
(CA) A trusted organization that issues public key certificates and provides
identification to the owner of the certificate. A public key Certificate Authority
issues certificates that state a relationship between an entity named in the
certificate and a public key that belongs to that entity, which is also present in
the certificate.
client In the client-server model, a system or software on a network that remotely
accesses resources of a server on a network.