glossary

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ASP Application Service Provider or Application Service Providing

Application Service Providing is a business field that arose in 1999 as a result of the Internet, which makes the use of application programs possible via the Internet. Here the software developer generates revenue through such charges as time- or session-dependent fees that are charged to access the software – and no longer through the sale of his software. 

Account

Access entitlement to databases, Networks and mailboxes for an explicit person; an Account generally consists of a name (user name) and a password. 

Acrobat (Reader) 

Program package from Adobe, with the aid of which documents of all kinds can be created and electronically published across multiple platforms - while retaining their original appearance. To produce documents, Acrobat Distiller is required and Acrobat Reader for reading, which can be downloaded at Adobe at no charge.  

Administrator 

Name for a system administrator in a network. He has unrestricted rights of access and is responsible for the administration and upkeep of the networks.

Administration (Remote) 

Remote management of servers or clients, such as to change settings and configurations on the desktop unit. At IGEL Technology, the IGEL Remote Management Suite allows for remote administration of all Thin Clients in the network. 

ADSL

"Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line" technology with which data can be transmitted, such as over telephone lines (analog or ISDN).

Application / Application programs 

Programs for solving certain tasks and for creating documents, such as text processing and table calculation programs.

ASCII 

"American Standard Code for Information Interchange". THE ASCII Standard developed in the 60’s, at the time of data transmission by Telex. For each symbol, there is a numeric code that makes it possible to exchange texts among different systems. With 7 Bit, the ASCII Code first however only includes the “simple” Alphabet (!, ", #, , ..., 0, 1, 2, 3, ..., A, B, C, D, ..., a, b, c, d, ..., {, |, }) and control codes that are, for example, required for printer control – in all, this includes 128 symbols. This does not take into account special symbols – or rather, German Umlauts, the "ß" and other national symbols that are only included in the expanded ASCII Code, based on an 8-Bit structure.

Asset Management

Asset Management manages inventory in a physical and operational sense.

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Bandwidth

1. MHz-measured indicator for the number of screen dots depicted per second. The higher the bandwidth, the better the image performance of the monitor.

2. Indicates the transmission performance of a line system and is indicated in BIT /s, and/or in MBit /s. If the ensuing data volume exceeds performance limits, then communication either becomes very slow or completely breaks up. 

Biometrics 

Biometrics replaces code numbers and passwords with unique human identification options, such as fingerprints or iris scans.

Booting

Indicates the loading of the BIOS and the operating system after a Cold- or Warm start.

BootP

"Bootstrap Protocol", protocol for booting over the network that prevents any direct association of logical IP addresses and physical network segments capable of changing a computer from one network into another with ease. The software on the Host must be adapted to a new IP address, and if applicable, Servers on the network must be informed that a host has moved. Even if this has not been a major problem for relatively static networks for a long time, it is precisely larger companies or firms with sales force employees that will have to give this some thought, so as to gain a reasonable grasp of the allocation of IP addresses. As a solution for these requirements, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) has been largely implemented in the meantime. This represents an expansion and further development of the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) that was primarily used for connecting diskless workstations to a TCP/IP network, so as to assign them an IP address at the start. 

Browser

Program for browsing Websites. Some examples of browsers are MS Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator or Firefox.

BSI

"Federal Office for Security in Information Technology" www.bsi.de

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Citrix
 
A company that has significantly developed the technology for Server-based Computing. The Citrix Presentation Server provides applications.


Client  

Term from the network area: as a Client uses services, a workstation connected to the Server is labeled a “Client”. The Client sends inquiries from the user to the server in a special protocol and shows its answers in a legible manner on the screen. Also see Thin Client.


Client / Server Architecture

Model of a network structure or database concept, whereby a hierarchical distribution of tasks is present. Here, the server is the supplier of resources, services and data that the workstations (Clients) use.


CPU

Central Processor Unit. A computing unit on the main board of a PC or a Thin Client. IGEL Thin Clients as a rule use chips from the world’s leading silicon chip manufacturer, VIA.


Compact Flash

Memory module on which the firmware (the operating system) of IGEL Thin Clients is saved.  


Codec

An algorithm for Compression (COmpressor) decompressions (DECompressor) of multimedia files – or rather of Video for Windows and QuickTime films. Codecs may be structured purely on a software basis or may also use specific video hardware. The Codec algorithm quite significantly influences the quality of a video file and the speed with which it depicted on the monitor of the computer of on a TV screen. The Codec Management Tool contained in the IGEL 5128 allows the user to update and manage Codecs for use in the MPlayer.  


COM Interface

"COMmunicaton Port" name for the serial interfaces (RS232) in the PC or Thin Client. IGEL Clever Clients have one or two serial “Com Ports”.


Country-related Adaptation

1. Adaptation of an operating system to country-specific peculiarities such as keyboard layouts or display variants of date and time. This also includes special symbols.
2. Adaptation of an international software to the language, standards and norms to a certain country of region (This is still more commonly referred to as “localization”!).

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RDT Network

"Remote Data Transmission Network" allows computers to interface with each other by modems or ISDN cards to a mini-network at a greater distance. This is also used for selecting additional online services.


DHCP

"Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol". The DHCP automatically assigns IP addresses to connected Clients from an established area of IP Addresses and thus saves a lot of configuration work with larger networks. In addition to an IP address, a client also receives additional information, such as the address of the Gateways (Routers) and the address of a competent name server (DNS).

To be able to centrally manage the issuance of addresses and setting of parameters, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has designed the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), that offers three procedures:

With automatic address issuance, the DHCP Server selects for the computer any permanent IP number on first registration. 

The dynamic procedures issue temporary IP code words with each login of a computer. If a client no longer needs the address, then he returns it. The DHCP Server can then assign it to another computer.

Finally, the manual configuration allows the administrator to assign a certain IP address explicitly to one computer. In such a case, DHCP is only used as a transport medium.

Moreover, DHCP represents an expansion and further development of the Bootstrap Protocols (BOOTP), that was primarily used for the connection of diskless workstations to a TCP/IP network, so as to assign them an IP address at the start.  


DSL

"Digital Subscriber Line Technology". DSL offers technology to operate the Internet with more MBits per second over copper lines. Also see PPoE.

Ethernet
 
Patented network standard: part of the IEEE-802 specification. Conceived of to exchange media, this standard propelled a development that today has yielded numerous, standardized achievements. May currently be obtained as 10Mbit, 100Mbit, Gigabit or 10 Gigabit network.

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Fail-safety

This is a criterion of importance to companies in the purchase of IT systems. High fail-safety guarantees continuity of the company’s business process.  


FAT Client

A PC, in contrast to a TC (Thin Client), represents a FAT Client.  


Firefox

Internet browser from Mozilla, also see 'Browser'.


Firmware

Operating systems, such as IGEL Thin Clients, either as Linux-based or MS-Windows CE 5.0 or MS-Windows XPe.


Firmware Update

Update of the firmware present in the TC. With IGEL Thin Clients protected by the secure Fail-safe Firmware update mechanisms.

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GUI

"Graphic User Interface". Technical name for the graphic user surface of, for example, WINDOWS. The GUI of the IGEL Remote Management Suite is programmed in Java, regardless of platform.

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ICA

“Independent Computing Architecture”. Citrix protocol for data transfer between the server and client. Currently in Version 9 on the market.  

IGEL Remote Management Suite

Software for the remote administration of all setup settings of IGEL Thin Clients as well as for the automated firmware update. The Remote Management Suite simplifies installation and configuration of the IGEL Thin Client network as well as the User Helpdesk (Shadowing)

IP-Address

Internet Protocol, The IP address is the address of a computer in a network. It is build out of 4 numbers. Each is between 0 and 255. An Example is: 192.168.15.1

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Java Virtual Machine / JVM / JavaVM

The Java Virtual Machine is necessary for executing Java programs.


Java Runtime Environment

Uncompiled Java Scripts also run on a Java Runtime Environment. The IGEL-5128LX Premium has a Java Runtime Environment as standard equipment.

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LAN
 
"Local Area Network": locally installed network • in contrast to WAN, which connects the Web stations and networks across regions. “Local” in this regard refers to a shared location, such as the grounds of a company or a room.

LDAP
 
Abbreviation for "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol" • This protocol offers a standard for communication with databases in the Internet. As an example, per LDAP, such email directories as Bigfoot and Four 11 can be browsed according to email addresses or personal names.

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is a simplified form of the Directory Access Protocol (DAP) of X.500. This is intended to facilitate the use of Directory Services for `thin´ Internet Clients, since X.500 is regarded as too complex and resource intensive for Web-Browser and Mail-Clients (email programs). Entries in an LDAP- or X.500- Directory allow system and location independent retrieval and use of all objects, whether it concerns computers, directories, files, services or persons.  

LINUX
 
UNIX variant, which was originally developed by Linus Torvalds and many other free developers worldwide and which is marketed as GPL (General Public License). IGEL Thin Clients may be obtained, among other things, with an independent IGEL Embedded Flash Linux developed in Germany.

LPD
 
A typical demon is the lpd, the Line Printer Demon. This demon can receive print orders (jobs) from a user and forward them to a suitable printer. In contrast to the procedure of direct transfer to a printer, which is also possible- such as with the cat command, use of the demon offers a series of advantages.

LWL
 
Abbreviation for "Fiber Optic Cable". IGEL Thin Clients from Winestra and the Premium Series may come equipped with fiber optic cable cards.

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MAC / MAC Address
 
Abbreviation for "Media Access Control". Access procedure to the actual medium (cable) of a network that is implemented in the network controller – or rather, as an example, in the network card. This card has a so-called MAC address (or hardware address), whereby a station is clearly identified in the network. Network addresses (such as IP addresses) are always depicted at MAC addresses for actual data exchange. The MAC addresses are stored, with network cards and other devices, in a nonvolatile memory device and are unambiguous worldwide for each device; this, in other words, concerns the unmistakable series number of a network device. The addresses are made up of 48 Bits. These are normally represented as 6 hexadecimal numbers: for example: 00-30-67-34-00-1A. The first three hex numbers indicate a manufacturer code (here 3Com). The remaining numbers are used internally for codification purposes.
Data packets in the network are always sent via the MAC address, while all other kinds of addressing must always be converted to this hardware address.
The IGEL Remote Management Suite uses the MAC addresses for problem-free identification of the TC’s in the network. The MAC addresses of the devices may also be inputted from a file into the Remote Management Suite prior to installation.


Manual
 
Documentation sent along by the manufacturer on hardware and software products.
 

Mapping
 
Name for the assignment of a (network) drive name on a directory task.


Media Player
 
Multimedia application for playing such multimedia content as films and music.


Megahertz

1 million Hertz unit for indicating the Clock rate of computers. PC and TC Mhz cannot be meaningfully compared to each other, since the computing performance of the TC only serves to direct entries to the server and depicts jobs on the screen.


Mozilla
 
Sometime in 1997/1998, Netscape brought its Open-Source site "Mozilla" into life. In doing so, the Browser pioneer made the Source code for the communicator, including Navigator and other Internet tools available. The name “Mozilla” comes from the first code name of the Netscape Navigator and is today the little mascot of the site in the form of a comic dinosaur.


MP3 / MP4
 
Procedure for effective compression of sound / music. Also file expansion.


MPEG / MPG
 
"Motion pictures expert group". Compression procedure for compression of moving images (film).


Multimedia
 
Audio and video data that are combined with data from data processing. IGEL’s Premium Series is the first Multimedia Thin Client that also makes the use of sound and video, and/or video streams possible through the MPlayer.

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Net / Network

Interconnection of computers linked over various media (such as copper lines, optical fibers or air (WLAN)) and share such collective resources as data and peripheral devices. Frequently, one or more special computers (Server) are available in a network, to which other Workstations (clients) have access.

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Operating Expenses  
 
Expenses that arise in ongoing operations (here, of the IT infrastructure), such as servicing expenses, electricity and support expenses. Operating expenses plus costs of acquisition equal total expenses.


Operating System  

Operating systems process data entered by the user, managed saved files and control such connected devices as printers and hard disks. At the same time, they also form the basis for such application programs as text and file processing, which could not run without the substructure of the operating system. With the development of MS-DOS and WINDOWS, Microsoft made its breakthrough onto the market. Other operating systems include Linux, Unix and Mac OS.

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PCI Bus

"Peripheral Component Interconnect Bus". IGEL Technology’s Clever Clients from Winestra and the Premium Series have PCI slots with which hardware expansion is possible by means of PCI cards.  

PCMCIA / PCMCIA Card  

"Personal Computer Memory Card International Association". The international association to establish standards for memory cards. This resulted in standards (TYPE I, TYPE II and TYPE III) for expansion cards in the check card format. These memory cards support Plug and Play and work in an energy-saving way.

PC/SC Standard

Standard for the transfer of data to and from Smartcards.

PPOE

Protocol used for DSL connections. IGEL Clever Clients offers the PPoE protocol as a standard feature.

PPP

Abbreviation for "Point-to-Point Protocol", which was defined by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) in 1991. This is a transfer protocol that governs the transfer of data over a serial line and has become a standard. This contains expansions for authentication of the communication partner and for monitoring the quality of the transmission channel.

PPTP

Abbreviation for "Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol". PPTP is a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol that was originally developed for RAS (Remote Access Server) hardware and software (especially Windows NT) and has gained a certain distribution. The PPTP creates a protected connection within an Internet connection, in which the data are encoded with MPPE.

Profile

Within the context of the IGEL Remote Management Suite, Profiles can be issued that summarize certain settings and can be copied and passed on. One or more Profiles form the configuration of a Thin Client and are distributed among them on the network.

PS/2

Abbreviation for "Personal System /2". Interface for connecting a mouse or keyboard to a PC or Thin Client. All IGEL Clever Clients have two PS/2 interfaces.

PKI / Public Key Procedure

Encoding technology that works with one confidential key and one key published on the Internet. Both keys together are required to decode data encrypted with one of the two keys. IGEL’s integrated Smartcard Readers in the PC/SC Standard supports PKI solutions from different manufacturers.

PXE / PXE Boot

"Preboot Execution Environment". Part of the Wired for Management from Intel, to receive and execute executable programs from a server before actually starting up the computer and loading the operating system. This may involve servicing tools, operating system installation of an independent menu of the PXE Server, in which other options are then available.

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RAM
 
Abbreviation for "Random Access Memory", which designates the original, working memory of a computer.

RDP

“Remote Desktop Protocol”. Protocol for communication with MS Windows Terminal Servers.

Read Only
 
The IGEL operating system (firmware) is a Read-Only operating system.

Remote Access
 
Remote control of a computer (also Servers) via the network or by DFÜ.

Remote Management
 
Remote servicing and remote management of computers.

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Serial Interface

Interface that transfers data, bit-wise, according to the RS-232 standard. The serial connections of a computer are also called "COM-Ports", as communication connections. Such items as a mouse or modem may also be connected to these connections.
 
Server

Central computer in a Network that makes memory and resources available to the workstation / clients. The network operating system is installed on the server and the network is managed by the server.  

Shadowing

Method whereby the contents of the screen of another computer on the network are indicated on a computer (such as at the help desk). The Die IGEL Remote Management Suite offers this functionality by means of a VNC Viewer.

Smartcard

Chip card with an integrated microprocessor and/or memory that, among other things, serves identification or data memory purposes.

SMB  

This is a communication protocol for file, printing and other server services in the network. SMB is not actually a filing system, but may – similar to NFS – be regarded as closely related and is primarily used in the Microsoft Windows world.

SNMP  

"Simple Network Management Protocol". The SNMP provides remotes servicing of servers. With this protocol (as of Version 3.0), routers can, for example, be configured directly from the office of the network operator, without anyone having to travel to the customer’s location.

Soundcard/ Sound Chip

IGEL Clever Clients feature as standard equipment a Sound Chip, as well as audio in- and outputs (exception: Smart Series, here there is only one sound out).

SSH

Secure shell expansion of the DHCP for secure communication and registration on the network. Name and password are transmitted encoded.

SSL

"Secure Socket Layer". Technology whereby a Web client can authenticate the server and encode data traffic between them. Developed by Netscape and RSA Data Security.

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TCP/IP

Transport Control Protocol / Internet Protocol, A protocol managing the transport of data packages on the internet. IGEL Clever Clients always come with the TCP/IP included.

Telecommuting

Working at home, by DFÜ (Analog, ISDN, DSL) or Internet/Intranet with the company. All Clever Clients support remote connection.  

Terminal

Data display device that is connected to a large and/or central computer; data storage occurs via the central computer. The terminal has a screen, keyboard and mouse. Printers may also be connected. It does not, however, have a computing unit. Computing activities are assumed by the central computer. IGEL offers [text missing]
 
Terminal-Emulation

Terminal Emulation interprets certain series of symbols that are sent by the Host computer as attributes for the symbols. Thus, just as with functions in mailboxes, symbols can be represented in bold, underscored or blinking. This way the cursor can also be moved freely on the screen. The various emulations have different codes with which they transmit these control signals. IGEL has incorporated Ericom’s PowerTerm Terminal Emulation as a standard feature in various models.

Terminal Server

The Windows NT Terminal Server (WTS) is an expansion that makes Windows NT Multi-User-capable. WTS allows access to Windows programs from a Client computer. And remote access (loosely translated “distant access”) is made possible from outside locations via the Internet on centrally installed applications.

Microsoft purchased this technology from Citrix. The MultiWin technology licensed by Citrix forms the basis for the MultiUser functionality of terminal servers. Windows Terminal Server moreover contains RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), a special protocol for remote linkage of Windows end units to the terminal server.
 
Thin Client

Thin Client is a reasonably priced final unit in a Server-based network architecture. Thin Clients require neither high-performance processors nor large memory capacities, since the applications are on a central server. Thin Clients are designed for use in Application Server environments.

ThinPrint

The company, ThinPrint, developed, among other things, solutions for bandwidth-optimized printing in Server Based Computing environments. All IGEL Clever Clients contain ThinPrint Client.

Token Ring

Network architecture developed by IBM. IGEL Thin Clients from Winestra and Premium Series may be equipped with Token Ring cards for these networks.

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USB

(Universal Serial Bus) A widely used hardware interface for attaching peripheral devices. USB ports began to appear on PCs in 1997, and Windows 98 was the first Windows to support it natively. Within a few years, USB became popular for connecting nearly every external peripheral device. Replacing the serial and parallel ports on a PC, at least four USB ports are standard on every computer.

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VNC

VNC is a remote service program. VNC enables you to remotely control a computer via a network connection, so as for example to access a remote computer, as if you were seated directly in front of it.

VoIP

Voiceover IP technology, with which telephone calls can be made over the Internet or the Intranet. To this end, IGEL Technology has integrated the K-Phone VoIP Client into the firmware of the Thin Clients of the Series Compact, Winestra, Premium and Elegance.

VPN

A Virtual Private Network is generally deployed so as to connect tow or more physically separated networks over the Internet. Here any transferred information is transmitted through a, usually secure, tunnel through the connection network.

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Wake on LAN

Switching on the PC through the network. The IGEL Remote Management Software is capable of sending a certain data packet to the MAC Address of the client that is to be switched on. The client itself is in a so-called “soft-off-status” – the power supply is not completely switched off, but instead the network component still at least supplies the network card with power. Here, it is important, since it concerns a normal network broadcast, for the router and available network structure to forward these packets appropriately.

Wi-Fi

"Wireless Fidelity". Wireless LAN cards with this certificate meets the standard 802.11 and have passed Interoperability tests with other 802.11 cards.

Windows CE

Mircosoft operating system. Windows variant for Thin Clients Handhelds, etc. "Windows Powered". IGEL Clever Clients may be obtained with the MS Windows operating system CE 5.0.

Windows XPe

Current Microsoft operating system with graphic user service and Windows technology. IGEL Clever Clients may be obtained with the MS Windows embedded operating system XPe. XP.

WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network (Wi-Fi for LANs)  The major wireless LAN standard today is the IEEE 802.11, more widely known by the "Wi-Fi" logo. Wireless Wi-Fi adapters (Wi-Fi transceivers) are either built into most new laptops or added via a PC card slot or USB. Wireless adapters for desktop machines can be plugged into a USB port or PCI slot.

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XDMCP
 
XDMCP = X Display Manager Control Protocol = this Protocol is used to communicate between a X terminal and a Unix workstation. All IGEL Clients are supplied with XDMCP and can communicate with Unix hosts.

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