2005 State Strategic Plan for Information Resources Management

Glossary

2-1-1

An easy to remember telephone number that, where available, connects people with important community services such as health and human resources and crisis intervention.

Best practices

A term used to describe generally agreed upon processes, derived from experienced industry experts, which should be undertaken when deploying projects in order to decrease operational and financial risk.

Collaboration software

Software that allows user groups to share information and applications online.

Cyber security

The branch of security that protects data and information against unauthorized disclosure, transfer, modification, or destruction, whether accidental or intentional.

Data center

A centrally managed computing facility that houses servers or mainframe(s) and storage devices to serve as a centralized processing center. Typically, such a facility is constructed or modified with separate climate controls and electrical connections that are adequate to support the computing environment.

Digital base map

A reference dataset of geographic information representing the best available map data for an area that has been developed and documented to an adopted cartographic standard. A base map provides the foundation layer upon which other geographic data can be placed using a geographic information system.

Disaster recovery services

Services usually provided by a third party that include developing advance arrangements and procedures to enable an organization to either maintain or quickly resume mission-critical functions within a specified time frame, minimizing loss to the organization.

Geographic information system (GIS)

A system of computer hardware, software, and procedures used to store and manipulate electronic maps and related data to solve complex planning and management problems.

Interactive voice response (IVR)

A computerized system that allows a person, typically a telephone caller, to select an option from a voice menu and interact with a computer system. Generally, the system plays pre-recorded voice prompts to which the person presses a number on a telephone keypad to select an option or speaks simple answers such as “yes,” “no,” or a number.

Internet2

The second generation of the Internet, developed through a collaborative effort of more than 200 universities, private companies, and the U.S. government. It was not developed for commercial use or to replace the Internet. Rather, it is intended primarily for research and for applications that demand far more bandwidth than can be provided through the current Internet.

Intrusion detection system (IDS)

Software and/or hardware that detect and log inappropriate, incorrect, or anomalous activity on a network and that identify suspicious patterns that may indicate an attack from someone attempting to break into or compromise a system.

Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN)

A nonprofit collaboration of 33 higher education institutions that supports the research, education, health care, and public service missions of those institutions. The network will include connectivity to Internet2 and the National Lambda Rail.

Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)

A method used to increase the speed of network traffic flow.

National Lambda Rail

A major initiative of U.S. research universities and private-sector technology companies to provide a nationwide fiber-optic infrastructure for research and experimentation in networking technologies and applications.

Network convergence

The integration of voice, data, and video networks.

Portfolio management

A business process in which investment decisions are made to determine and select the mix of active projects and the budget, staffing, and other resource allocations for each one.

Quality of service

The concept of applying and ensuring specific, quantifiable performance levels on a shared network.

Reverse auction

A type of auction in which the role of the buyer and seller are reversed. In a typical reverse auction, a buyer specifies what is to be purchased and, through an auction process, awards the procurement to the lowest bidder.

Seat management services

A method of standardizing installation, operation, and maintenance of hardware and software at each desktop across an enterprise.

Service-oriented architecture (SOA)

A collection of self-contained services that communicate with each other by passing data or coordinating activity among two or more services.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The process used to develop an information system, including requirements, validation, training, and user ownership through investigation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. Also known as Systems Development Life Cycle

Spyware

A broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent for the benefit of a third party.

Verification and Validation

A process employing a variety of software engineering methods, techniques, and tools for evaluating the correctness and quality of a software product throughout its life cycle.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A data network that uses the public communications infrastructure, but maintains privacy by using special communications protocols and security procedures.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

A technology used to transmit voice over a data network using the Internet.