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Parallel Operating Systems Ch.3
Guide to Parallel Operating Systems wtih Windows XP and Linux - Chapter 3 Vocabulary
34
Computer Science
Undergraduate 1
08/29/2010

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Term
auditing
Definition
The process an OS uses to detect and log security-related events.
Term
basic disk
Definition
A disk that contains basic volumes, such as primary partitions, extended partitions, and logical drives.
Term
binary search
Definition
A programming technique for quickly locating an item in a sequential list.
Term
buffer cache
Definition
A region of memory that holds frequently used data values.
Term
cluster
Definition
A disk-storage unit that consists of a fixed number of sectors.
Term
cluster address
Definition
The location of a cluster on a hard drive.
Term
compression
Definition
A means of reducing the amount of space needed to store a block of data.
Term
decompression
Definition
The opposite of compression; to restore the contents of a compressed file to its original form.
Term
defragmentation
Definition
The process of writing parts of a file to contiguous sectors on a hard drive to speed access and retrieval.
Term
dynamic disk
Definition
A disk that contains dynamic volumes, such as simple volumes. Dynamic disk storage is divided into volumes instead of partitions.
Term
encryption
Definition
The process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access.
Term
extended partition
Definition
A partition that can be separated into one or more logical drives.
Term
FAT12
Definition
A file system, first used by DOS, that uses 12-bit sector addresses.
Term
FAT16
Definition
A file system, first used by DOS, that uses 16-bit sector addresses.
Term
FAT32
Definition
A file system, first used by Windows 95 OSR 2, that uses 32-bit sector addresses (of which 28 bits are currently used).
Term
file allocation table (FAT)
Definition
A data structure that DOS creates on a disk when it is formatted.
Term
file system
Definition
The overall structure in which files are names, stored, and organized. A file system consists of files, directories (or folders), and the information needed to locate and access one of these items.
Term
formatting
Definition
Preparing a file system so that a disk can be used to store programs and data.
Term
fragmentation
Definition
The scattering of parts of the same file over different areas of a hard drive.
Term
logical drive
Definition
A drive created within an extended partition.
Term
master file table (MFT)
Definition
A special file that contains that attributes of each file created using NTFS. Used to locate a file on a hard drive.
Term
NTFS (New Technology File System)
Definition
The default file system for new installations of Windows XP; first used by Windows NT.
Term
partition
Definition
Logical storage areas on a drive.
Term
primary partition
Definition
A portion of a drive that functions as a physically separate allocation unit.
Term
quota
Definition
A restriction on usersÂ’ ability to exceed limits placed on file system resources. It allows administrators to effectively manage disk space shared by multiple users.
Term
sector
Definition
The smallest unit of space on a disk; typically 512 bytes.
Term
simple file sharing
Definition
The default file-sharing mode for windows XP in a workgroup environment.
Term
storage area
Definition
An area on a disk that can be allocated or formatted for a file system. It could be a primary partition, an extended partition, or a logical drive.
Term
subdirectory
Definition
A logical grouping of related files in Windows XP.
Term
superblock
Definition
A hidden file on a hard drive that is used to hold parts of programs and data files that do not fit in memory. The OS moves data from the swap files to memory as needed and moves data out of memory to the swap file to make room for new data.
Term
terabyte
Definition
A measure for high-capacity storage. A terabyte is about 1 trillion bytes.
Term
user groups
Definition
A security object that consists of one or more user accounts. In Windows XP, a user can be a member of multiple user groups.
Term
virtual file allocation table (VFAT)
Definition
A file system used by Windows 95, which supports long filenames.
Term
volume
Definition
a fixed amount of storage on a hard drive.
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