APPENDIX A

This glossary documents terms found in the documentation for Internet Information Server and Internet Explorer. See the Windows NT online Help for additional information.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

A

annotation file
For the FTP service, a summary of the information in a given directory. This summary appears automatically to remote browsers.

anonymous logons
This feature allows remote access only by the IUSR_computername account. Remote users can connect to that computer only without a user name and password, and they have only the permissions assigned to that account.

associating
See file-name extension mapping.

authentication
Determining if a user has permission to access a resource or perform an operation.

B

bandwidth control
Setting the maximum capacity that a service is allowed to use. You can deliberately limit a server’s Internet workload by not allowing it to receive requests at full capacity, to save resources for other programs such as e-mail.

Basic clear-text authentication
An authentication protocol supported by Internet Explorer. There is no encryption with this protocol.

BIND
See Domain Name System (DNS).

bits per second (bps)
The measure of speed at which data is transferred over a network.

bps
See bits per second.

browser
A tool for navigating and accessing information on the Internet or an intranet.

C

cache
A store of files from a Web server copied locally for quicker access. To configure your cache on the Internet Explorer browser, from the View menu choose Cache Settings.

CGI
See Common Gateway Interface (CGI).

challenge/response
A method of authentication in which a server uses Windows NT security to allow access to its resources.

client/server architecture
The structure of services that run on the Internet or an intranet. The client computer accesses the Web server, which supplies the client with resources or information not found on the client’s own host. Also, CGI and ISAPI applications can do processing on the Web server and return results to the client.

Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
An interface used by an application that runs on a Web server when a client requests it.

connected user
A user who is currently accessing one of the Microsoft Internet Information Server.

cryptography
A method of securing data transmissions to and from your Web server.

D

data integrity
A way of preventing data from being altered in transit.

Data Source Name (DSN)
The name that allows a connection to an ODBC data source, such as a SQL Server database. You set this name by using the ODBC application in the Control Panel.

DHCP
See Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

dial-up
A connection to a computer by telephone, through a modem.

discovery mechanism
A way of finding other servers on the network. In Internet Server Manager, choose Find All Servers from the Properties menu.

DNS
See Domain Name System (DNS).

DNS spoofing
Assuming the DNS name of another system by either corrupting a name-service cache, or by compromising a domain-name server for a valid domain.

domain
For Windows NT Server, a collection of computers that share a common domain database and security policy. Each domain has a unique name.

domain controller
For a Windows NT Server domain, the server that authenticates domain logons and maintains the security policy and the master database for a domain.

Domain Name System (DNS)
A protocol and system used throughout the Internet to map Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to user-friendly names. DNS is sometimes referred to as the BIND service.

DSN
See Data Source Name (DSN).

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
An industry-standard protocol that assigns Internet Protocol (IP) configurations to computers.

E

encryption
A way of making data indecipherable while it is being sent from computer to computer.

F

file-name extension mapping
Connecting all files with a certain file-name extension to a program. For example, through the Windows NT Explorer, all .txt files are associated by default with Notepad. In Internet Explorer, you can associate file-name extensions with applications through the Helpers dialog box. To display this dialog box, from the View Menu, choose Helpers.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
An industry standard for sharing files between computers.

filter
A feature of ISAPI that allows pre-processing of requests and post-processing of responses, permitting site-specific handling of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests and responses.

firewall
A system or combination of systems that enforces a boundary between two or more networks and keeps hackers out of private networks.

friendly name
A name that substitutes for an IP address, for example, www.microsoft.com instead of an IP address such as 157.45.60.81.

FTP
See File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

G

gateway
A hardware or software device that directs network traffic.

gopher
A hierarchical system for finding and retrieving information from the Internet or an intranet.

Gopher Plus
An enhanced version of gopher, including a way of getting more information about an item (such as file size, last date of modification, and the administrator’s name), the ability to display a single file in multiple formats (such as regular text, rich text, and PostScript®), a way to add a short description of the item, and the ability to ask a user to fill out a form to obtain an item.

gopherspace
All files available on a gopher server for display through the gopher protocol.

H

home directory
The root directory for a service, where the content files are stored. By default, the home directory and all its subdirectories are available to users.

HTML
See Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

HTTP
See Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

hyperlink
A way of jumping to another place on the Internet. Hyperlinks usually appear in a different format from regular text. You initiate the jump by clicking the link.

hypertext
Documents with links to other documents. Click a link to display the other document.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
The formatting language used for documents on the World Wide Web.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
The underlying protocol by which WWW clients and servers communicate.

I

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
A connection to the Internet installed by your Internet service provider (ISP). A dial-up ISDN line can offer speeds up to 128,000 bps.

interactive applications
A program written in C, Perl, or as a Windows NT batch file. The user initiates the program by clicking a hyperlink.

Internet
The global network of computers that communicate through a common protocol, TCP/IP.

Internet Log Converter
A program that turns Microsoft Internet Information Server log files into either European Microsoft Windows Academic Centre (EMWAC) log file format or the Common Log File format. Convlog.exe is in the Inetsrv directory.

Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC)
The coordinator for DNS registration.

Internet Protocol (IP)
The part of TCP/IP that routes messages from one Internet location to another.

Internet Protocol (IP) address
A unique address that identifies a host on a network. It identifies a computer as a 32-bit address that is unique across a TCP/IP network. An IP address is usually represented in dotted-decimal notation, which depicts each octet (eight bits, or one byte) of an IP address as its decimal value and separates each octet with a period, for example: 102.54.94.97.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Public providers of remote connections to the Internet.

InterNIC
See Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC).

intranet
A TCP/IP network that can be connected to the Internet but is usually protected by a firewall or other device (for example, a corporate network).

IP
See Internet Protocol (IP).

IP address
See Internet Protocol (IP) address.

ISDN
See Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).

ISPs
See Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

L

leased line
A high-capacity line (most often a telephone line) dedicated to network connections.

link
See hyperlink.

log file
The file in which logging records are stored. This file can be either a text file or a database file.

logging
Storing information about events that occurred on a firewall or network.

M

Management Information Databases (MIBs)
Software that describes manageable aspects of your network using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SMNP). The MIB files included in the Sdk directory of the Microsoft Windows NT compact disc can be used by third-party SNMP monitors to enable SNMP monitoring of the WWW, gopher, and FTP services of Microsoft Internet Information Server.

MIBs
See Management Information Databases (MIBs).

MIME mapping
See Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) mapping.

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) mapping
A way of configuring browsers to view files that are in multiple formats.

N

name resolution
A configuration that maps friendly names to IP addresses.

Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
A protocol for reading messages posted in thousands of news groups on the Internet.

NNTP
See Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP).

O

object-cache scavenger
The code that periodically scans the cache for objects to be discarded. It deletes from the cache files that have not been used recently and therefore are unlikely to be used again in the near future.

P

packet
A piece of information sent over a network.

page
See Web page.

password authentication
See authentication.

policies
Conditions set by the system administrator such as how quickly account passwords expire and how many unsuccessful logon attempts are allowed before a user is locked out. These policies manage accounts to prevent exhaustive or random password attacks.

port number
A number identifying a certain Internet application. For example, the default port number for the gopher service is 70, and for the WWW service it is 80.

program file
A file that starts an application or program. A program file has an .exe, .pif, .com, .cmd, or .bat file-name extension.

protocol
Software that allows computers to communicate over a network. The Internet protocol is TCP/IP.

proxy
A software program that connects a user to a remote destination through an intermediary gateway.

R

RAS
See Remote Access Service (RAS).

Remote Access Service (RAS)
A service that allows remote clients running Microsoft Windows or Windows NT to dial in to a network.

remote administration
Administering a computer from another computer over the network.

Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
A message-passing facility that allows a distributed application to call services available on various computers in a network.

router
A hardware or software device that directs network traffic.

RPC
See Remote Procedure Call (RPC).

S

script
A group of directives to an application or utility program. A CGI application, for example. See also Common Gateway Interface.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
A protocol that supplies secure data communication through data encryption and decryption.

service
One of the three services offered by the Internet Information Server: WWW, gopher, or FTP.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
A protocol used for exchanging mail on the Internet.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
A protocol for monitoring your network. See also Management Information Databases (MIBs).

slow link
A modem connection, usually from 9,600 bps to 28,800 bps.

SMTP
See Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

SNMP
See Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

SQL logging
Logging to a Microsoft SQL Server database instead of to a text file. See also Logging.

SSL security
See Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

static page
HTML pages prepared in advance of the request and sent to the client upon request. This page takes no special action when requested. See also interactive applications.

subnet mask
A TCP/IP configuration parameter that extracts network and host configuration from an IP address.

System Data Source Name (DSN)
A name that can be used by any process on the computer. Internet Informatiion Server uses system DSNs to access ODBC data sources. See also Data Source Name (DSN).

T

tag files
Files that contain information about files on a gopher server. This information is sent to clients and it typically contains the file name, host name, and port number.

TCP/IP
See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

throttling
Controlling the maximum amount of bandwidth dedicated to Internet traffic on your server. This feature is useful if you have other services (such as e-mail) sharing the server over a busy link.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
A networking protocol that allows computers to communicate across interconnected networks and the Internet. Every computer on the Internet supports TCP/IP.

U

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A naming convention that uniquely identifies the location of a computer, directory, or file on the Internet. The URL also specifies the appropriate Internet protocol, such as gopher, HTTP, and so on.

URL
See Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Usenet
The most popular news group hierarchy on the Internet.

V

virtual directory
A directory outside the home directory that appears to browsers as a subdirectory of the home directory. For any of the three services (WWW, gopher or FTP), you can configure a virtual directory through the Directories property sheet in the Internet Server Manager.

virtual server
A computer with several IP addresses assigned to the network adapter card. This configuration makes the computer look like several servers to a browser.

volatile objects
Typically, files that the Web site administrator updates frequently.

W

Web browser
A software program, such as Internet Explorer, that retrieves a document from an Web server, interprets the HTML codes, and displays the document to the user with as much graphics as the software can supply.

Web page
A World Wide Web document. Pages can contain almost anything, such as news, images, movies, and sounds.

Web server
A computer equipped with the server software to respond to Web client requests, such as requests from a Web browser. A Web server uses the Internet HTTP, FTP, and gopher protocols to communicate with clients on a TCP/IP network.

Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server
A protocol for mapping Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to user-friendly names. See also Domain Name System.

WINS server
See Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server.

World Wide Web (WWW)
The most graphical service on the Internet. The Web also has the most sophisticated linking abilities.

WWW
See World Wide Web (WWW).