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

G-10 Glossary
DBMS See database management system (DBMS).
defragmenting The process of finding and consolidating fragmented files and folders.
Defragmenting involves moving the pieces of each file or folder to one location
so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the hard disk. The system
can then access and save files and folders more efficiently.
DES See Data Encryption Standard (DES).
Desktop Cleanup Wizard A wizard that runs every 60 days by default, offering to
remove unused Desktop icons.
device A generic term for a computer subsystem. Printers, serial ports, and disk
drives are referred to as devices.
Device Manager An administrative tool that you can use to manage the devices on
your computer. Using Device Manager, you can view and change device properties,
update device drivers, configure device settings, and uninstall devices.
DHCP See Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
dial-up connection A connection that connects you to a private network or the
Internet by using a device that transfers data over a public telephone network.
differential backup A backup type in which only selected files and folders that
have a marker are backed up. During a differential backup, markers are not
cleared so that files are still backed up if they have changed since the last normal
backup.
digital A system that encodes information numerically, such as 0 and 1, in a binary
context. Computers use digital encoding to process data. A digital signal is a discrete
binary state, either on or off. See also analog, modem.
digital line A communication line that carries information only in binary-encoded
(digital) form. To minimize distortion and noise interference, a digital line uses
repeaters to regenerate the signal periodically during transmission. See also analog
line.
digital video disc (DVD) An optical storage medium with higher capacity and bandwidth
than a compact disc. A DVD can hold a full-length film with up to 133 minutes
of high-quality video, in MPEG-2 format, and audio. Also known as digital
versatile disc.
DIP (dual inline package) switch One or more small rocker or sliding switches that
can be set to one of two states—closed or open—to control options on a circuit
board.
direct memory access (DMA) Memory access that does not involve the microprocessor;
frequently employed for data transfer directly between memory and an
“intelligent” peripheral device such as a disk drive.