IT management

IT career paths

• What is infrastructure (IT infrastructure)?

  Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization.

• What is a data center administrator (DCA)?

  A data center administrator (DCA) is an experienced IT professional who is responsible for overseeing data center operations.

• What is a cloud architect and how do you become one?

  A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.

IT Operations

Terms related to the processes and services implemented and managed by an organization’s information technology (IT) department. Topics covered include systems management, configuration management, API management and DevOps, as well as real-time performance monitoring and management.

• What is an ODM (original design manufacturer)?

  An ODM (original design manufacturer) is a company that takes the original specifications of another company or individual and builds the design to the product specifications.

• What are ModelOps (model operations) analytics models?

  ModelOps (model operations) is a holistic approach to building analytics models that can quickly progress from the lab to production.

• What is configuration management? A comprehensive guide

  Configuration management, or CM, is a governance and systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources, services and applications across an enterprise.

Personal computing

Terms related to personal computers, including definitions about computers sold as consumer products and words and phrases about laptops, tablets and smartphones.

• What is a command prompt?

  A command prompt is the input field in a text-based user interface screen for an operating system (OS) or program.

• What is a third-party cookie?

  A third-party cookie is a cookie that's placed on a user's device -- computer, cellphone or tablet -- by a website from a domain other than the one the user is visiting.

• What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)?

  Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.

Project management

Terms related to project management, including definitions about project management methodologies and tools.

• What is the risk-reward ratio?

  The risk-reward ratio, also known as a risk-return ratio, is a mathematical calculation investors use to measure the expected gains of a given investment against the risk of loss.

• What is a PMO (project management office)?

  A project management office (PMO) is a group, agency or department that defines and maintains the standards of project management for a company.

• What is systems development life cycle?

  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 all the way through maintenance of the completed application.

Technical support

Terms related to computer fundamentals, including computer hardware definitions and words and phrases about software, operating systems, peripherals and troubleshooting.

• What is black box testing?

  Black box testing assesses a system solely from the outside, without the operator or tester knowing what's happening within the system to generate responses to test actions.

• What is matter?

  Matter is a substance made up of various types of particles that occupies physical space and has inertia.

• What is an entrepreneur (entrepreneurship)?

  An entrepreneur is an individual who identifies a need in the marketplace and works to fulfill it.