API
Application programming interface
A defined interface that lets software use functions or data provided by another system.
IT glossary
Clear explanations of IT terms, covering cloud, software, security and operations. Choose a letter or search for a term.
41 terms
No matching term found.
A
B
Backup
Data backup
An additional copy of data used to recover from loss or damage. Restore tests establish whether the backup is usable.
C
Cache
Temporary storage
Temporarily stores frequently used data for faster access. Freshness rules and targeted invalidation help prevent outdated content.
CDN
Content delivery network
A distributed network of servers that delivers web content closer to visitors, helping reduce latency and load on the origin.
CI/CD
Continuous integration and delivery
Changes are regularly integrated, built and tested. A delivery pipeline moves approved versions through defined checks into the target environment.
Cloud
Cloud computing
Computing resources such as processing, storage or applications are provided over a network on demand. Responsibilities and billing depend on the agreed model.
Container
Software container
Packages an application and its required libraries into a standardized runtime unit. Containers typically share the host operating system’s kernel.
CRM
Customer relationship management
Processes and systems for managing customer relationships, including contacts, sales opportunities, communication and service requests.
D
DAST
Dynamic application security testing
Security testing of a running application through its accessible interfaces.
DevOps
Development and operations
A way of working that connects software development and IT operations through shared responsibility, automation and short feedback loops.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery
Planned restoration of IT services following major disruptions or disasters.
DNS
Domain name system
A distributed directory that maps domain names to technical records, such as IP addresses or the mail servers responsible for a domain.
E
ERP
Enterprise resource planning
An integrated system supporting business processes such as purchasing, order processing, inventory, projects and accounting.
F
Firewall
Network traffic filter
Checks network traffic against defined rules and allows or blocks connections. It is one part of a broader security approach.
G
GitOps
GitOps
An operating approach in which software agents retrieve a declarative, versioned desired state and continuously reconcile it with the actual environment.
I
IaC
Infrastructure as code
Describing and managing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration instead of relying solely on manual operations.
IAM
Identity and access management
Manages digital identities and permissions throughout their lifecycle, from onboarding to removing access that is no longer needed.
IdP
Identity provider
A system that manages identities and provides other applications with information about successful authentication.
K
Kubernetes
Container orchestration
An open platform that automates deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications across multiple machines.
M
Managed Services
Managed IT services
A provider performs agreed IT tasks on an ongoing basis. Scope, responsibilities, service hours and response targets are defined in the contract.
MFA
Multifactor authentication
Sign-in using at least two different categories of factors, such as knowledge and possession. Two passwords alone do not constitute multifactor authentication.
Monitoring
System monitoring
Collects the state and measurements of applications and infrastructure. Thresholds and rules trigger alerts when attention is required.
O
OAuth 2.0
OAuth 2.0
An authorization framework for delegated access. On its own, it is not a complete user login protocol.
Observability
Observability
The ability to understand internal system states from available outputs and measurements, including previously unknown failure patterns.
OIDC
OpenID Connect
An identity layer built on OAuth 2.0 for authentication and the exchange of identity information.
P
PAM
Privileged access management
Protects high-impact access, such as administrator accounts, through controlled approvals, credential management and accountable sessions.
R
RabbitMQ
Message broker
A message broker that receives and forwards messages between applications. Queues allow tasks to be processed asynchronously.
RBAC
Role-based access control
Assigning permissions through roles, such as case processing or system administration.
RPO
Recovery point objective
Describes the maximum tolerable data loss as a period of time. It influences how frequently data must be backed up or replicated.
RTO
Recovery time objective
The target maximum time for restoring a service after a disruption. Recovery procedures must be capable of meeting this objective.
S
SaaS
Software as a service
Software is used as a hosted service over a network. The provider performs agreed operational tasks; customer responsibilities remain contractually defined.
SAST
Static application security testing
Security analysis of source code or other program representations without running the application normally.
SBOM
Software bill of materials
A machine-readable inventory of software components, their versions and their dependency relationships.
SIEM
Security information and event management
Collects and correlates security events from different systems to detect suspicious patterns and support investigations.
SLA
Service level agreement
An agreement defining measurable service targets, such as availability and response times. Measurement methods, service hours and exceptions form part of the agreement.
Solr
Apache Solr
An open search platform based on Apache Lucene. It indexes content and supports full-text search, filters and relevance ranking.
SRE
Site Reliability Engineering
An approach that applies software engineering principles to the reliable operation of services.
SSO
Single sign-on
One central sign-in enables access to multiple connected applications. The functions a user can use still depend on the relevant permissions.
T
TLS
Transport layer security
A protocol protecting data in transit through encryption, integrity checks and peer authentication, for example in HTTPS connections.
V
VPN
Virtual private network
Connects devices or networks through a logical private connection. An encrypted VPN protects transport but does not replace identity and authorization checks.
Z
Zero Trust
Access based on verified conditions
Access is evaluated using identity, device state and context. Being located inside a network does not by itself establish trust.