MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

G-6 Glossary
baud rate Refers to the speed at which a modem can transmit data. Often confused
with bps (the number of bits per second transmitted), baud rate actually measures
the number of events, or signal changes, that occur in one second. Because one
event can actually encode more than one bit in high-speed digital communication,
baud rate and bps are not always synonymous, and the latter is the more accurate
term to apply to modems. For example, the 9600-baud modem that encodes four
bits per event actually operates at 2400 baud but transmits at 9600 bps (2400
events times 4 bits per event), so it should be called a 9600-bps modem. See also
bits per second (bps).
bind To associate two pieces of information with one another.
binding A process that establishes the communication channel between network
components on different levels to enable communication between those components—for
example, the binding of a protocol driver (such as TCP/IP) and a network
adapter.
BIOS See basic input/output system (BIOS).
bisync (binary synchronous communications protocol) A communications
protocol developed by IBM. Bisync transmissions are encoded in either ASCII or
EBCDIC. Messages can be of any length and are sent in units called frames,
optionally preceded by a message header. Because bisync uses synchronous
transmission, in which message elements are separated by a specific time interval,
each frame is preceded and followed by special characters that enable the sending
and receiving machines to synchronize their clocks.
bit Short for binary digit: either 1 or 0 in the binary number system. In processing and
storage, a bit is the smallest unit of information handled by a computer. It is represented
physically by an element such as a single pulse sent through a circuit or
small spot on a magnetic disk capable of storing either a 1 or 0. Eight bits make a
byte.
bits per second (bps) A measure of the speed at which a device can transfer data.
See also baud rate.
bit time The time it takes for each station to receive and store a bit.
bootable CD An automated installation method that runs Setup from a CD-ROM.
This method is useful for computers at remote sites with slow links and no local
IT department.
BOOT.INI A file used to build the operating system choices that are displayed during
startup.
boot partition The disk partition that possesses the system files required to load the
operating system into memory.