Wait State

A clock cycle during which no instructions are executed, because the processor is waiting for data from memory. Static RAM chips and paged-mode RAM chips are becoming popular because they can store information without being constantly refreshed by the processor, thus eliminating the wait state. A computer that can process information without wait states is known as a zero-wait-state computer.

WAN

See Wide Area Network.

Warm Boot

The process of starting your PC with the use of the Crtl+Alt+Del key combination.

Warning Event

An Event Viewer event that indicates that you should be concerned with the event. The event may not be critical in nature, but it is significant and may be indicative of future errors. See also Event Viewer.

Web

The World Wide Web (WWW).

Web Browser

An application that makes HTTP requests and formats the resultant HTML documents for the users. The preeminent Internet client, most Web browsers understand all standard Internet protocols. See also Hypertext Transfer Protocol, Hypertext Markup Language and Internet.

Web-DAV

See Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV).

Web Page

Any HTML document on an HTTP server. See also Hypertext Transfer Protocol, Hypertext Markup Language and Internet.

Web Server

A hardware and software package that provides services to client computers running Web browsers. Clients make requests in the form of HTTP messages; the server responds to these messages, returning Web pages or other requested documents to the client. Most Web servers run a version of Unix or Microsoft Windows Server. See also Hypertext Transfer Protocol, Web Browser, Web Page, and World Wide Web.

Web Storage System

The database architecture in Exchange 2000. Previous releases of Exchange only exposed data such as public folders through MAPI, whereas Exchange 2000 exposes all of its data through MAPI, HTTP, OLE DB and Win32 layers. This means that an object stored in a public folder can be retrieved and manipulated through a Web browser or a standard client with a network redirector. The Exchange 2000 store exposes itself to the operating system as an installable filing system, which means that the underlying data can be accessed through a drive letter, and in turn, this drive and its folders can be shared via a universal naming convention (UNC) path to allow other clients to connect to the data.

Well-Connected Computers

Computers that are connected over highly reliable, fast connections with adequate available bandwidth.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network characterized by low throughput, long distances to be traveled, and not all systems controlled by the company owning the network. See also Internet and Local Area Network.

Wildcard

Used with access-list, supernetting, and OSPF configurations. Wildcards are designations used to identify a range of subnets.

Wildcard Character

A character that can be included in a filename to indicate any character (?) or group of characters (*) that might match that position in other filenames.

Win16

The set of application services provided by the 16-bit versions of Microsoft Windows: Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.11 for Workgroups.

Win32

The set of application services provided by the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows: Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

Windowing

Flow-control method used with TCP at the Transport layer of the OSI model.

Windows

A program developed by Microsoft in which applications can appear in graphical form.

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

The current version of the Windows server software designed for medium-size to large networks. It includes all of the features of Windows 2000 Server plus network load balancing, cluster services for application fault tolerance, support for up to 8GB of memory, and support for up to eight processors.

Windows 2000 Backup

The Windows 2000 utility used to run the Backup Wizard, the Restore Wizard, and create an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). See also Backup Wizard, Restore Wizard, and Emergency Repair Disk.

Windows 2000 Boot Disk

A disk that can be used to boot to the Windows 2000 Professional operating system in the event of a Windows 2000 Professional boot failure. See also Boot.

Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

The most powerful server in the Microsoft server family. This operating system is designed for large-scale enterprise networks. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server includes all of the features of Windows 2000 Advanced Server and adds more advanced clustering services, support for up to 64GB of memory, and support for up to 16 processors (OEM versions can support up to 32-way SMP). See also Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Windows 2000 Multilanguage Version

The version of Windows 2000 that supports multiple-language user interfaces through a single copy of Windows 2000.

Windows 2000 Professional

The version of the Windows operating system for high-end desktop environments. Windows 2000 Professional integrates the best features of Windows 98 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0, supports a wide range of hardware, makes the operating system easier to use, and reduces the cost of ownership.

Windows 2000 Professional Setup Boot Disks

Floppy disks that can be used to boot to the Windows 2000 operating system. With these disks, you can use the Recovery Console and the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). See also Recovery Console and Emergency Repair Disk.

Windows 2000 Server

A version of the Windows server software designed for use in small to medium-sized networks. Windows 2000 Server can serve as a file and print server, an application server, a Web server, and a communications server.

Windows 2000 Server Setup Boot Disks

Floppy disks that can be used to boot to the Windows 2000 operating system. With these disks, you can use the Recovery Console and the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). See also Recovery Console and Emergency Repair Disk.

Windows 3.11 for Workgroups

A 16-bit version of Windows for less-powerful, Intel-based personal computers; this system includes peer networking services.

Windows 9x

The 32-bit Windows 95 and Windows 98 versions of Microsoft Windows for medium-range, Intel-based personal computers. This system includes peer networking services, Internet support, and strong support for older DOS applications and peripherals.

Windows Installer

A Windows service that provides for the automatic installation of applications through the use of compatible installation scripts.

Windows Installer Packages

Special application distribution files used to automate the installation of applications. Windows Installer packages work with applications that are in Microsoft Installer (MSI) format or ZAP file format. The use of Windows Installer packages requires a Windows 2000 server computer with the Active Directory installed. See also Microsoft Installer (MSI), ZAP Files, and Active Directory.

Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS)

WINS provides a function similar to that of DNS, with the exception that it provides NetBIOS names to IP address resolution.

Windows NT

A 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows for powerful Intel, Alpha, PowerPC, or MIPS-based computers; the system includes peer networking services, server networking services, Internet client and server services, and a broad range of utilities.

Windows on Windows (WOW)

The compatibility service that allows the use of Win16 apps under Windows NT. WOW serves as a 32-bit interface shell for 16-bit applications.

Windows Script Host (WSH)

A utility for running scripts on Windows-based computers. By default, WSH includes support for the VBScript and JScript languages. Through the use of third-party extensions, scripts can be written in other languages.

Windows Sockets

An interprocess communications protocol that delivers connection-oriented data streams used by Internet software and software ported from UNIX environments. See also Interprocess Communications.

Windows Socket Interface (WinSock)

A software interface that makes it possible for an assortment of applications to use and share an Internet connection. The WinSock software consists of a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) with supporting programs such as a dialer program that initiates the connection.

Windows Update

A utility that connects the computer to Microsoft’s Web site and checks the files to make sure that they are the most up-to-date versions.

WINS

See Windows Internet Naming Service.

WINS Name Registration

A request sent by the client to the designated WINS server to register its name and IP address.

WINS Name Release

A request sent by the client to relinquish ownership of its name.

WINS Server

The server that runs WINS and is used to resolve NetBIOS names to IP addresses. See also Windows Internet Naming Service.

WinSock

See Windows Socket Interface.

WinZip

A popular Windows file compression and decompression program from Nico Mak Computing, Inc.

Wireless Communications

A method of connecting a node or a group of nodes into the main network using a technology other than conventional cabling. The methods currently in use include infrared line of sight, high frequency radio, and spread-spectrum radio. Wireless LANs are not always completely wireless and may be used to replace the cabling on certain network segments or to connect groups of networks that use conventional cabling. See also Mobile Computing.

Wireless Media

Transmission media that does not use a cable to transmit data.

WMI Control

A Windows utility that provides an interface for monitoring and controlling system resources. WMI stands for Windows Management Instrumentation.

Word

The standard unit of data manipulated by a computer. A word typically consists of 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits.

Workflow Application

An application that can route electronic forms to users based on various criteria.

Workgroup

An administrative model used by peer-to-peer networking systems such as Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups. See also Domain.

Workgroup Switching

A switching method that supplies high-speed (100Mbps) transparent bridging between Ethernet networks as well as high-speed translational bridging between Ethernet and CDDI or FDDI.

Workstation

A powerful personal computer, usually running a preemptive, multitasking operating system like UNIX or Windows.

World Wide Web (WWW)

A collection of Internet servers providing hypertext formatted documents for Internet clients running Web browsers. The World Wide Web provided the first easy-to-use graphical interface for the Internet and is largely responsible for the Internet’s explosive growth.

Worm

A destructive or dangerous program that can spawn another fully working version of itself.

WORM

Acronym for Write Once Read Many. A high-capacity optical storage device that can be written to once, but that can be read a number of times. WORM devices can store huge amounts of data, as much as 1 terabyte, and highly reliable, and are well suited to archival and other nonchanging storage.

WOW

See Windows on Windows.

Write-Back Caching

A caching optimization wherein data written to the slow store is cached until the cache is full or until a subsequent write operation overwrites the cached data. Write-back caching can significantly reduce the write operations to a slow store because many write operations are subsequently obviated by new information. Data in the write-back cache is also available for subsequent reads. If something happens to prevent the cache from writing data to the slow store, the cache data will be lost. See also Caching and Write-Through Caching.

Write-Through Caching

A caching optimization wherein data written to a slow store is kept in a cache for subsequent rereading. Unlike write-back caching, write-through caching immediately writes the data to the slow store and is therefore less optimal but more secure.

WWW

See World Wide Web.