IT lexicon

List of IT related terms

If you come across a word or abbreviation that you think should be included in the IT lexicon, please submit a proposal via e-mail to the content owner.

AD, Active Directory

Active Directory, AD, is a directory service from Microsoft that provides information on various resources in a network. AD provides access to common services such as computers, printers, software, and facilitates the authorization administration to the services. A user can access the common resource regardless the operating system.

DNS, Domain Name System

DNS is a domain name system that serves as a directory for IP addresses. The system with the DNS provides an opportunity to assign simplified names to different servers, names that are easier to remember for the user than an IP address (e.g. 145.97.39.155). The name is called computer address and is written in the browser address bar (e.g. www.uu.se). In the same way as a phone, the browser reads this "telephone book", finds the correct address and automatically connects to the IP address corresponding to the computer address.

Exchange, Microsoft Exchange Server

Exchange is an e-mail server from Microsoft that serves to enhance communication in the e-mail program Microsoft Outlook. The server service allows users to share calendars and contacts with each other, use shared folders, make group invitations via e-mail, chat with each other, etc.

EZproxy

EZproxy is a web proxy server used for accessing library resources. It uses Joint Web Login to give users access to library resources outside of Uppsala University's computer network. That means that employees and students can access library resources from their home network or any other network by logging in via the EZproxy. Login is done with employee or student identity and password A.

IMAP, Internet Message Access Protocol

IMAP is a protocol used for reading e-mails from a mail server. You can access your mail box from multiple computers and e-mail programs by using IMAP in your mail client.

LAN, Local Area Network

LAN is a local network that consists of a number of interconnecting computers and other equipment, such as printers. The devices communicate with each other using cables, network cards, switches and routers through the network.

LDAP, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol

LDAP is a protocol that communicates with a directory service. The protocol is used to perform fast and efficient searches on directory servers.

NTP, Network Time Protocol

NTP stands for Network Time Protocol and synchronizes your computer clock with the rest of the world. NTP is available on most platforms, is easy to set up, and makes sure your computer's clock is synchronized during a default interval.

In order for computers connected to the internet to be able to keep track of time, several protocols for clock synchronisation have been developed. The most common one is NTP (Network Time Protocol), developed at Delaware University in the USA. NTP is available in three versions, which were released in 1988, 1989 and 1992. The current third version can also handle the older versions of the protocol. There is also a simplified version of NTP, mainly intended for personal computers, known as SNTP (Simplified NTP).

POP, Post Office Protocol

POP is the most common communication protocol to retrieve e-mail messages from a server to an e-mail client. With the POP protocol you can download your e-mails from different e-mail programs, such as webmail. However, you cannot see which messages are read or sort them into folders.

Proxy server

A proxy server is computer that functions as an intermediary between a web browser and the Internet. Proxy servers help improve web performance by storing a copy of frequently used webpages. When a browser requests a webpage stored in the proxy server's collection (its cache), it is provided by the proxy server, which is faster than going to the web. Proxy servers also help improve security by filtering out some web content and malicious software.

RSS - Rich Site Summary

RSS is used to retrieve content from websites and blogs. You subscribe to an RSS feed from your favorite page and each time the website is updated you will receive the latest content in a summarized format. To subscribe to an RSS feed from a web page, just click the icon and follow the instruction.

SMTP, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

SMTP is the most common communication protocol for transferring e-mails across the Internet.

SSL, Secure Sockets Layer

SSL is used to encrypt the traffic between e-mail programs and mail servers.

TCS Personal och TCS Personal eScience

TCS Personal is a service for personal certificates that are used to send and receive secure e-mail. You sign and encrypt your e-mails with personal certificates.
Learn more about personal certificates.

TSM, Tivoli Storage Manager

TSM is a backup system that is used to make backups of data in different systems. The TSM client software must be installed on your computer and you need an account in the backup system to access the service. In 2015 the backup system was rebranded to Spectrum Protect.
Learn more about backup with Spectrum Protect.

VPN, Virtual Private Network

With a VPN connection, an employee can connect via the Internet to UpUnet. With the VPN connection, the employee can work remotely, from home, or access to university resources during the business travel.
Learn more about VPN and how you connect with a VPN connection.

Technical requirements for VPN

The VPN pool uses the VPN protocol PPTP with the highest possible standard encryption. Normally, this is all you need to know to use the VPN pool, but in some cases the information below is also useful in connection with troubleshooting.
If you use a broadband router, or another type of address translator, this must be able to handle VPN of the PPTP type. A broadband router can handle a limited number of VPN connections via PPTP at the same time. In older broadband routers, the limit is often a simultaneous PPTP connection, i.e. two computers cannot be connected via PPTP at the same time. For broadband router troubleshooting, use the manufacturer’s website or manual.

To transfer data traffic between you as a user and the VPN pool, IP protocol 47 (GRE/IP) is used. Traffic must be able to flow in both directions between the VPN user and the VPN pool (vpn-pool.uu.se).

PPTP uses a control channel to maintain and manage the VPN connection. This control channel uses the TCP/IP protocol and connects via TCP port 1723 to the VPN pool (vpn-pool.uu.se).

Wire

Wire refers to a cable or a wire. The word wireless is often used in the context wireless connection or wireless network. Two or more units are connected to each other without a cable. See WLAN below.

WLAN, Wireless Local Area Network

WLAN is a wireless local area network where users can connect their PC, PDA, mobile phone or other device wirelessly to the Internet. The technology is called Wi-Fi. Uppsala University has two wireless networks; eduroam and UU-Guest.