Windows Server 2008 Glossary - B

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

For more Windows Server terms, see either the Windows Server 2008 R2 Glossary or the Windows Server 2003 Glossary.

Glossary - B

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backup

A duplicate of a program, a disk, or data, made either for archiving purposes or for safeguarding files.

BCD

A data store that contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is started beginning with Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

binary large object

A discrete packet of binary data that has an exceptionally large size, such as pictures or audio tracks stored as digital data, or any variable or table column large enough to hold such values. The designation "binary large object" typically refers to a packet of data that is stored in a database and is treated as a sequence of uninterpreted bytes.

BIOS boot order

A list of all potential bootable devices listed in booting order. If the boot on the first device on the list does not yield a valid boot sector, the BIOS proceeds with the next device in the list.

BitLocker disabled mode

A mode in which the disk volume is still encrypted by BitLocker Drive Encryption, but security is effectively disabled because the full-volume encryption key that is used to encrypt the operating system volume is accessible by using a clear key to access the volume master key.

BitLocker Drive Encryption

A hardware-based security feature that prevents unauthorized access to a computer by providing full-volume encryption and integrity checking of boot components.

BitLocker enabled mode

A mode in which BitLocker Drive Encryption is turned on and the data on the volume is transparently encrypted by BitLocker as it is written and decrypted as it is read.

BitLocker off mode

A mode in which BitLocker Drive Encryption protection is turned off on a disk volume and the disk volume is not encrypted. This leaves the disk volume with a standard clear text file format.

BLOB

A discrete packet of binary data that has an exceptionally large size, such as pictures or audio tracks stored as digital data, or any variable or table column large enough to hold such values. The designation "binary large object" typically refers to a packet of data that is stored in a database and is treated as a sequence of uninterpreted bytes.

Boot Configuration Data

A data store that contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is started beginning with Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

boot partition

The partition that contains the Windows operating system and its support files. The boot partition can be, but does not have to be, the same as the system partition.

boot sector

The first 512 bytes of sector 0 of a partitioned data storage device.

boundary network

A logical portion of a network that can be accessed by computers that are in the restricted network or the secure network.

brute force attack

An attack by a malicious user or malicious software on a computer or operating system to find a secret password or a symmetric encryption key by guessing passwords or keys until the correct password or key is discovered.

buffer

An area of memory reserved for temporarily holding data before that data is used by a receiving device or application. Buffering protects against the interruption of data flow.

built-in Administrator

On Windows-based computers, a user account that is a member of the computer’s local Administrators group or a member of a group that is a member of the local Administrators group, such as the Domain Admins group in a Windows domain. This is the first account that is created when you install an operating system on a new workstation, stand-alone server, or member server. By default, this account has the highest level of administrative access to the local computer.

built-in Administrator account

On Windows-based computers, a user account that is a member of the computer’s local Administrators group or a member of a group that is a member of the local Administrators group, such as the Domain Admins group in a Windows domain. This is the first account that is created when you install an operating system on a new workstation, stand-alone server, or member server. By default, this account has the highest level of administrative access to the local computer.