Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary or type the term on which you want to search.

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serif

a decorative adornment to a type character such as the one used in the main body of this book, Times New Roman. Some feel that serifs allow for easier reading.

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server

a network computer (and/or software) that performs a wide variety of functions such as delivering data to client computers. Servers store and deliver, upon demand, files to other computers on the network. A Web server, for example, stores Web pages that are simply files. When a Web browser, prompted by a user, sends a request for a particular page, the server calls up the file from its hard disk and sends it to the browser over the network. Web servers need to have large data storage disks to store multiple pages. The term also refers to computers other than Web servers. A server on a LAN might maintain files needed exclusively by the users of that network, while an e-commerce server would maintain and deliver data essential to the transfer of funds for commercial transactions on the Internet.

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server mirroring

maintaining a computer that has the exact same files contained by a primary server for the purpose of backup in the event of failure or malfunction by the primary machine.

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service provider

1. a company that provides a wide variety of online services via a Website.
2. sometimes used to refer to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a company that provides customers with Internet access or Web hosting. see online service, Internet Service Provider.

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servlet

a Java applet that runs on a Web server. Servlets are slowly replacing CGI applications because of their versatility. Unlike a CGI program, an applet is opened by a Web browser and stored in memory so that each time it is needed it is available without the need to reload. CGI scripts must load each time utilized, taking more time than servlets. see applet, CGI.

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session

refers to the time spent using a computer. For example, an online session would be the time a user spent connected to a network.

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SET

(Secure Electronic Transaction) a widely accepted standard that uses digital signatures allowing for secure credit card transactions over the Internet.

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setup

to install computer hardware or software. Most hardware and software programs include a mini-program or setup file that configures an operating system so it will accept the new device or application.

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SGI

(Silicon Graphics Incorporated) a company engaged in high-performance computing, offering powerful servers, supercomputers and visual workstations. The company’s broad range of workstations and graphics servers deliver advanced 3D graphics and computing capabilities for engineering and creative professionals. Its highly scalable servers also have a growing presence in the enterprise market, with a particular emphasis on Internet, large corporate data and telecommunications applications.

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SGML

(Standard Generalized Markup Language) a method for creating interchangeable structured documents using a special grammar called Document Type Definition (DTD) in ASCII text.