Windows Server 2008 Glossary - P

Article
07/02/2012

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 - P

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

package

An organized collection of files and supporting items for a specific task, function, or solution.

partition

A section of space on a physical disk that functions as if it were a separate disk.

partition table

On a hard disk, the data structure that stores the offset (location) and size of each primary partition on the disk. On MBR disks, the partition table is located in the master boot record. On GPT disks, the partition table is located in the GUID partition entry array.

passive client

A Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) browser, which is capable of broadly supported HTTP, that can use cookies. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) supports only passive clients, and it adheres to the WS-Federation Passive Requestor Profile (WS-F PRP) specification.

Password Replication Policy

A set of access control lists (ACLs) that determine what credentials can or cannot be replicated on a read-only domain controller (RODC). Each RODC has a unique Password Replication Policy (PRP) that is enforced by the writable domain controller that is its replication partner.

Password Settings Container

An object class in the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) schema that is created by default under the System container in the domain. The Password Settings Container stores Password Settings objects (PSOs) for that domain.

Password Settings object

An Active Directory object that is stored in the Password Settings Container. The Password Settings object holds the attributes of a certain fine-grained password policy.

paused

A state that applies to a node in a failover cluster or server cluster. The node is a fully active member in the cluster but cannot accept new clustered services or applications. For example, a clustered service or application cannot fail over or fail back to a paused node. You can administer and maintain a paused node.

PCR

A register inside a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). This register is sufficiently large to contain a hash (currently only SHA-1).

pending

A state that refers to a resource in a failover cluster or server cluster when the resource is in the process of being brought online or taken offline.

Per Device licensing mode

A mode in which the terminal server requests a TS Per Device client access license (TS Per Device CAL) from a Terminal Services license server so that a device can connect remotely to the terminal server.

Per User licensing mode

A mode in which the terminal server requests a TS Per User client access license (TS Per User CAL) from a Terminal Services license server so that a user can connect remotely to the terminal server.

performance

The degree to which a product or service executes its specified function.

Performance Logs and Alerts

A Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) API that enables application programmers to log system performance and diagnosis data, and to generate alert notifications based on performance counter thresholds.

perimeter network

One or more computers that have a connection to the Internet through an external screening router and a connection to the internal network through an interior screening router. Computers that are linked to the perimeter network have limited access to both the Internet and the internal network. This architecture is convenient if multiple hosts require direct Internet access.

personal identification number

A unique and secret identification code similar to a password that is assigned to an authorized user and used to gain access to personal information or assets via an electronic device.

PLA

platform configuration register

A register inside a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). This register is sufficiently large to contain a hash (currently only SHA-1).

Plug and Play

A type of device, such as a game controller or printer, that automatically works when you connect it to your computer. The computer configures the settings and installs the necessary drivers by itself.

policy

Rules-based mechanism by which computer settings are constrained or controlled by the administrator.

possible owner

A node in a failover cluster or server cluster that can run a specific resource. By default, all nodes appear as possible owners, so the resource can run on any node. In most cases, it is appropriate to use this default setting.

pre-staged client

A computer account object that is created within Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) before the operating system of the computer is installed.

primary DNS suffix

The Domain Name System (DNS) suffix that a computer uses to identify the DNS domain to which it belongs. A computer's host name and its primary DNS suffix make up a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

primary partition

A type of partition created on basic disks that can host an operating system and functions as though it were a physically separate disk.

privilege isolation

A window manager subsystem that blocks applications at a lower UI privilege level from sending messages to or hooking threads belonging to processes with a higher UI privilege level.

process access token

A data structure that contains authentication and authorization information for a user. Windows creates the access token when the user logs on and the user's identity is confirmed. The access token contains the user's security ID (SID), the list of groups that the user is a member of, the list of privileges held by that user. Each process or thread started for the user inherits a copy of the access token. In some cases a user may have more than one access token, with different levels of authority.

property

Attribute or characteristic of an object that is used to define its state, appearance, or value.

protection level

The Microsoft implementation of an integrity level. In particular, a protection level, refers to an integrity label that contains only level information, without the additional information traditionally contained within integrity level.

PRP

PSC

PSO