Glossary
Bandwidth
The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given amount of time, typically measured in bits per second (bps).
Example:
A high-speed fiber optic connection offers greater bandwidth, allowing you to download large files much faster.
Computer Network
A system that connects multiple computing devices, allowing them to share resources, exchange data, and communicate with each other.
Example:
The Wi-Fi in your school is a computer network that lets students and teachers access shared files and the internet.
Computing Device
A physical piece of hardware that can run programs and process information.
Example:
Your smartphone is a computing device that runs apps and connects to the internet.
Computing System
A group of interconnected computing devices that work together to achieve a common goal or perform a complex task.
Example:
A smart home with connected lights, thermostats, and security cameras forms a computing system.
Data Streams
A continuous flow of data transmitted from one point to another, often broken down into smaller units for transmission.
Example:
When you watch a live video online, the content arrives as a continuous data stream to your device.
Distributed Computing
A computational model where tasks are divided and performed simultaneously across multiple independent computers connected by a network.
Example:
Projects like SETI@home use distributed computing by having thousands of personal computers around the world analyze small pieces of radio telescope data.
Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS)
A malicious cyberattack that attempts to overwhelm a target system or network with a flood of traffic from multiple compromised sources, making it unavailable to legitimate users.
Example:
A website might become inaccessible during a Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS) as it's flooded with so many fake requests that it can't respond to real users.
Fault-Tolerant
A system's ability to continue operating without interruption even if one or more of its components fail.
Example:
The internet is fault-tolerant because if one path fails, data can be rerouted through alternative paths to reach its destination.
Internet
A global network of interconnected computer networks that uses standard communication protocols to link billions of devices worldwide.
Example:
When you browse websites or send emails, you are using the Internet to connect to servers around the world.
Packets
Small units of data that are transmitted over a network, each containing a portion of the original data along with metadata for routing.
Example:
Your email is broken down into many small packets that travel independently across the internet and are reassembled at the destination.
Parallel Computing
A computational model where tasks are divided into subtasks that are executed simultaneously on multiple processors within the same computer.
Example:
Editing a large video file might use parallel computing to process different parts of the video simultaneously on multiple CPU cores, speeding up rendering.
Protocols
A set of rules or procedures that govern how data is formatted, transmitted, and received between devices in a network.
Example:
HTTP is a protocol that defines how web browsers and servers communicate to display web pages.
Receiver
The computing device or program that is the intended recipient of data transmitted across a network.
Example:
When your friend downloads the photo you uploaded, their phone acts as the receiver of the image data.
Redundancy
The inclusion of extra components or systems that are not strictly necessary for normal operation but serve as backups in case of failure.
Example:
Having multiple servers hosting the same website provides redundancy, ensuring the site remains accessible even if one server goes offline.
Router
A network device that forwards data packets between computer networks, directing traffic based on destination addresses.
Example:
Your home Wi-Fi router connects your devices to the internet and directs data to the correct device on your local network.
Routing
The process of finding the most efficient path for data to travel across a network from its source to its destination.
Example:
When you send a message, routing ensures it takes the best path through various network devices to reach your friend's phone.
Scalability
The ability of a system or network to handle a growing amount of work or to be easily expanded to accommodate increased demand.
Example:
A cloud service that can automatically add more servers as user traffic increases demonstrates good scalability.
Sender
The computing device or program that initiates the transmission of data across a network.
Example:
When you upload a photo to social media, your phone acts as the sender of the image data.
Sequential Computing
A computational model where tasks are performed one after another in a specific order, completing each step before moving to the next.
Example:
Following a recipe step-by-step, where you complete one action before starting the next, is an example of sequential computing.
Server
A computer program or device that provides a service or resources to other computer programs and their users, known as clients.
Example:
When you visit a website, your browser requests the page from a server that stores the website's files.
Speedup
A metric used to measure the performance improvement of a parallel or distributed solution compared to a sequential solution, calculated as Sequential Time / Parallel Time.
Example:
If a task takes 20 seconds sequentially and 5 seconds in parallel, the speedup is 4, meaning it's four times faster.
World Wide Web
A system of interlinked hypertext documents and other web resources that are accessed via the Internet using a web browser.
Example:
Websites like Wikipedia and YouTube are part of the World Wide Web, which runs on the internet's infrastructure.