Glossary

address In reference to the Internet, the name of a site that users can connect to, such as www.microsoft.com, or the address of an e-mail recipient, such as name@company.com. A typical address starts with a protocol name (such as ftp:// or https://) followed by the name of the organization that maintains the site. The suffix identifies the kind of organization. For example, commercial site addresses often end with .com.

Authenticode A technology that makes it possible to identify who has published a piece of software and verify that it has not changed since publication.

automatic configuration A process that enables corporate administrators to manage and update user settings for Microsoft Internet Explorer from a central location. A pointer to an automatic-configuration file can be set in the browser or by using the IEAK.

cache An area on the hard disk that is reserved for storing images, text, and other files that have been viewed on the Internet.

CMAK (Connection Manager Administration Kit) A tool that is used to customize the appearance and functionality of the Connection Manager, which is a client dialer.

Connection Manager A versatile client dialer for the Internet that you can customize by using the CMAK.

corporate administrator An individual whose responsibility is to oversee, maintain, and support computers and applications across a corporation.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) An industry-standard TCP/IP protocol that assigns IP configurations to computers. The DHCP-server computer makes the assignments, and the client computer calls the server computer to obtain the address.

DNS (Domain Name System) A set of guidelines and rules developed by the Internet community at large, which allows the use of words instead of complex strings of numbers to navigate the Internet.

DNS address An address that typically contains four sets of numbers separated by dots and is different from the IP address. Compare IP address.

DNS server A computer maintained by an ISP that matches IP addresses to host names. Some ISPs provide a specific DNS address.

Domain name Name used by DNS. A domain name is the part of an e-mail address after the "@" sign.

Dynamic HTML A collection of features that extends the capabilities of traditional HTML, giving Web authors more flexibility, design options, and creative control over the appearance and behavior of Web pages.

encryption A method for making data indecipherable to protect it from unauthorized viewing or use.

Explorer bar The left side of the browser where the Search, History, and Favorites lists appear when the user clicks the corresponding buttons on the toolbar. The user can also create a custom Explorer bar, as well as a custom toolbar button to open it.

gateway A computer connected to multiple physical networks, capable of routing or delivering packets between them.

home page The main page of a Web site. The home page usually contains a main menu or table of contents containing links to other pages within the site. For Macintosh users, the home page is also the first page they see when they start Internet Explorer (Windows users see the "start page").

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) The language used to create and design Web pages. HTML is a set of tags that Web authors use to create page layout, format text, insert graphics and multimedia, and more.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) A protocol that makes hypertext information such as Web pages available over the Internet when a browser is connected to an appropriate server.

ICP (Internet content provider) An organization that prepares content for posting on the Web.

IEAK (Internet Explorer Administration Kit) A set of tools that enables corporate administrators, ISPs, and ICPs to customize and deploy Internet Explorer. It contains the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, the CMAK, the IEAK Profile Manager, and the IEAK Toolkit.

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) IETF is a consortium that monitors the adoption of new technology for the Internet. IETF specifications are released in Requests for Comments.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) A popular protocol for receiving e-mail messages. It allows an e-mail client to access and manipulate a remote e-mail file without downloading it to the local computer. It is used mainly by corporate users who want to read their e-mail from a remote location. Compare POP3.

IMAP server A server that uses IMAP to provide access to multiple server-side folders. Compare POP3 server.

.inf file (information file) A file that provides Windows Update Setup for Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools with the information required to set up a device or program. The file includes a list of valid configurations, the name of driver files associated with the device or program, and so on.

IP address (Internet Protocol address) The numeric address of a computer. Some ISPs provide users with the IP address of their server. Users who are not sure about whether they need to enter an IP address should contact their provider. Compare DNS address.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Networking) A worldwide digital-communication networking system, which is available from most telephone companies. ISDN is used for high-speed communication with the Internet, commercial online services, or corporate networks.

ISP (Internet service provider) An organization that maintains a server directly connected to the Internet. Users who are not directly connected to the Internet typically connect through a service provider. To acquire these connections, users call the provider and set up an account.

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) An open standard for storing and retrieving people's names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and other information.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) A standard that extends SMTP to allow the transmission of such data as video, sound, and binary files across the Internet without translating it into ASCII format.

name resolution The process used on the network for resolving a computer address as a computer name. Name resolution enables computers to find and connect to other computers on the network.

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) The protocol used to distribute network news messages to associated servers and clients (news readers) on the Internet.

PICS (Parental Internet Content Selection) Rules that enable Web content providers to use meta tags to voluntarily rate their content according to agreed-upon PICS criteria. Browsers can then block user access to Web sites based on the values of the tags.

POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) A popular protocol used for receiving e-mail messages. This protocol is often used by ISPs. POP3 servers allow access to a single Inbox in contrast to IMAP servers, which provide access to multiple server-side folders. Compare IMAP.

POP3 server A server that provides access to a single Inbox. Compare IMAP server.

proxy server A server that works as a barrier between an internal network (intranet) and the Internet. Proxy servers can work with firewalls, which help keep other people on the Internet from gaining access to confidential information on the intranet. A proxy server also allows the caching of Web pages for quicker retrieval.

registry The database repository for information about a computer's configuration. The registry supersedes the use of initialization (.ini) files for those systems that store and retrieve values in the registry.

registry key An identifier for a record or group of records in the registry.

RAS (Remote Access Service) A service that provides remote networking for telecommuters, mobile workers, and system administrators who monitor and manage servers.

search page The page that users see when they click the Search button on the Internet Explorer toolbar. The search programs that can be used for the page vary depending on the selected ISP. A search page provides an organized way to find and go to other Internet sites. Many search pages provide different searching capabilities, such as the ability to search by topic or by keyword. Search pages can also have well-organized lists of links to other selected Internet sites.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) A protocol that supplies secure data communication through data encryption and decryption. This protocol enables communications privacy over networks through a combination of public-key cryptography and bulk data encryption.

security zone In Internet Explorer, a segment of the Internet or intranet assigned a particular level of security.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) A protocol used for transferring or sending e-mail messages between servers. Another protocol (such as POP3) is used to retrieve the messages.

system policies Settings that allow an administrator to override local registry values for user or computer settings.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) A suite of communication protocols that allow computers to talk to each other.

WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) A name resolution service that resolves Windows networking computer names to IP addresses in a routed environment. A server using this service handles name registrations, queries and releases.

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