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PCI PIO (PCI Programmable Input/Output) modes: the data transfer modes used by
IDE drives. These modes use the CPU for data transfer (in contrast, DMA channels do
not). PCI refers to the type of bus used by these modes to communicate with the CPU.
PCI-to-PCI bridge: allows you to connect multiple PCI devices onto one PCI slot.
Pipeline burst SRAM: a fast secondary cache. It is used as a secondary cache because
SRAM is slower than SDRAM, but usually larger. Data is cached first to the faster primary
cache, and then, when the primary cache is full, to the slower secondary cache.
PnP (Plug-n-Play): a design standard that has become ascendant in the industry. Plug-n-
Play devices require little set-up to use. Devices and operating systems that are not Plug-
n-Play require you to reconfigure your system each time you add or change any part of
your hardware.
PXE (Preboot Execution Environment): one of four components that together make up
the Wired for Management 2.0 baseline specification. PXE was designed to define a
standard set of preboot protocol services within a client with the goal of allowing
networked-based booting to boot using industry standard protocols.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks): a way for the same data to be stored in
different places on many hard drives. By using this method, the data is stored redundantly
and multiple hard drives will appear as a single drive to the operating system. RAID level
0 is known as striping, where data is striped (or overlapped) across multiple hard drives,
but offers no fault-tolerance. RAID level 1 is known as mirroring, which stores the data
within at least two hard drives, but does not stripe. RAID level 1 also allows for faster
access time and fault-tolerance, since either hard drive can be read at the same time.
RAID level 0+1 is both striping and mirroring, providing fault-tolerance, striping, and faster
access all at the same time.
RAIDIOS: RAID I/O Steering (Intel)
RAM (Random Access Memory): technically refers to a type of memory where any byte
can be accessed without touching the adjacent data and is often referred to the system’s
main memory. This memory is available to any program running on the computer.
ROM (Read-Only Memory): a storage chip which contains the BIOS; the basic
instructions required to boot the computer and start up the operating system.
SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM): called as such because it can keep two sets of
memory addresses open simultaneously. By transferring data alternately from one set of
addresses and then the other, SDRAM cuts down on the delays associated with non-
synchronous RAM, which must close one address bank before opening the next.
Serial port: called as such because it transmits the eight bits of a byte of data along one
wire, and receives data on another single wire (that is, the data is transmitted in serial
form, one bit after another).
SCSI Interrupt Steering Logic (SISL): Architecture that allows a RAID controller, such
as AcceleRAID 150, 200 or 250, to implement RAID on a system board-embedded SCSI