IT Glossary - ITU Online IT Training
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IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

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Layer 1

Layer 1, the physical layer of the OSI model, deals with the transmission of raw data bits over a physical medium and includes specifications for cables, connectors, and signaling.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 2

The Data Link layer in the OSI model, responsible for node-to-node data transfer on the same network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F)

A tunneling protocol developed by Cisco Systems to establish Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections over the internet. L2F allows the encapsulation of data frames to be transmitted over a network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Layer 2 Switching

Layer 2 switching is the process of using MAC addresses to forward data at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)

L2TP is a tunneling protocol used to support virtual private networks (VPNs) or as part of the delivery of services by ISPs.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking/Security

Layer 3

The Network layer in the OSI model, responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 3 Protocol

Network protocols operating at the Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI model, responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers. Examples include IPv4 and IPv6.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 3 Switching

Layer 3 switching is the process of forwarding data based on layer 3 (network layer) information, such as IP addresses.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 4

Layer 4, the transport layer of the OSI model, ensures the reliable delivery of data between devices and provides mechanisms for error recovery and flow control.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 4 Switching

Layer 4 switching is the process of forwarding data based on layer 4 (transport layer) information, such as port numbers.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 5

Layer 5, the session layer of the OSI model, manages communication sessions between devices, including establishment, maintenance, and termination.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 6

Layer 6, the presentation layer of the OSI model, is responsible for data translation, encryption, and decryption for the application layer.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layer 7 Firewall

Layer 7 firewall, also known as an application firewall, operates at the application layer of the OSI model to filter network traffic based on specific application data.

You will find this term commonly used in Security

Layer 7 Load Balancing

Refers to the load balancing of traffic based on data found in the application layer of the OSI model, such as HTTP headers, cookies, or application messages. This enables more granular traffic management decisions based on the content of messages.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Web Services

Layer 8

Layer 8, often humorously referred to as the "political layer," represents the human factors and politics that influence technology decisions and implementations.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Layer Encryption

A method of applying encryption within various layers of network protocols to secure data in transit. This approach ensures that data remains protected at different stages of communication, enhancing overall security.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cryptography

Layered Architecture

Layered architecture is a design principle that separates software components into distinct layers, each responsible for specific tasks.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Design

Layered Networking Model

A conceptual framework that divides the tasks involved in communicating over a network into a series of layers, each building upon the last. The most famous example is the OSI model, which includes layers like the application layer, transport layer, and physical layer.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Layered Security

Layered security is an approach to cybersecurity that employs multiple layers of defense mechanisms to protect against various threats.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity

Lazy Evaluation

A programming technique where evaluation of an expression is delayed until its value is actually needed. It can improve performance by avoiding unnecessary calculations, and it can create potential for infinitely large data structures.

You will find this term commonly used in Programming

Lazy Initialization

A programming technique where the instantiation of an object or the execution of a computation is delayed until its first use. This can optimize performance and resource usage, particularly in scenarios with heavy or rarely used objects.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development

Lazy Loading

A design pattern commonly used in computer programming and web design that defers initialization of an object until the point at which it is needed. It can contribute to efficiency in the program's operation if properly and appropriately used.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Web Development

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

LCD is a type of flat-panel display that uses liquid crystals to produce images.

You will find this term commonly used in Hardware

LCD Monitor

An LCD monitor is a computer monitor that uses liquid crystal displays to produce images.

You will find this term commonly used in Hardware

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

A protocol used to access and maintain distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

LDAP Authentication

LDAP authentication is a method of validating user credentials against a directory service using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

You will find this term commonly used in Security

LDAP Injection

A type of cyber attack used to exploit web-based applications that construct LDAP statements based on user input, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to information in the LDAP tree.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

LDAP Integration

The process of connecting and synchronizing a system or application with an LDAP directory for user and group management. This allows for centralized authentication, authorization, and user management in enterprise environments.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Systems Administration

LDAP Server

An LDAP server is a software application that stores and organizes directory information, accessible through the LDAP protocol.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

LDAP Synchronization

The process of ensuring that data across different LDAP directories or between an LDAP directory and other systems remains consistent and up-to-date. It involves periodic or real-time replication of entries to maintain synchronization.

You will find this term commonly used in Systems Administration, Security

Lead Conversion

In digital marketing, the process of converting a lead into a paying customer. This is a key metric in evaluating the effectiveness of marketing strategies and sales processes.

You will find this term commonly used in Digital Marketing

Lead Scoring

A methodology used to rank prospects against a scale that represents the perceived value each lead represents to the organization.

You will find this term commonly used in Marketing/CRM

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

An ecology-oriented building certification program run by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It includes some IT and systems integration to manage resources efficiently in buildings.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Sustainability

Leadership in IT

The act of guiding and influencing the strategic direction and operation of IT organizations. Effective IT leadership involves decision-making on technology investments, policy formulation, and fostering innovation within teams.

You will find this term commonly used in IT Management

Leaf Node

In a tree data structure, a leaf node is a node that does not have child nodes. Leaf nodes represent the "end" points of a tree, often containing the actual data or values in structures like binary search trees or XML documents.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Structures, Programming

Leak Detection in Software

The process of identifying and fixing leaks in software, where resources like memory, database connections, or file handles are not released after use. Detecting and fixing leaks is crucial for preventing performance degradation and application crashes.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Performance Optimization

Lean IT

An extension of lean manufacturing and lean services principles to the development and management of information technology (IT) products and services. Its goal is to continuously improve the value delivered by IT services and products.

You will find this term commonly used in IT Management, Productivity

Lean Software Development

An adaptation of lean manufacturing principles and practices to the software development domain.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Engineering

Lean Software Engineering

Applying lean manufacturing principles to software development to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product value. It emphasizes continuous improvement, optimizing flow, and delivering quickly in response to customer needs.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development

Lean Startup

A methodology for developing businesses and products that aims to shorten product development cycles by adopting a combination of business-hypothesis-driven experimentation, iterative product releases, and validated learning.

You will find this term commonly used in Business, Product Management

Learning Analytics

The measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs.

You will find this term commonly used in Education Technology, Data Analysis

Learning Curve

In the context of machine learning and general skill acquisition, the learning curve represents the rate at which performance improves as a function of experience or the amount of learning/training.

You will find this term commonly used in Education, Machine Learning

Learning Management System (LMS)

A software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses or training programs.

You will find this term commonly used in Education Technology

Learning Rate

In machine learning, a parameter that determines the step size at each iteration while moving toward a minimum of a loss function. It's critical for training models efficiently and effectively.

You will find this term commonly used in Machine Learning

Leased Line

A private bidirectional or symmetric telecommunications circuit between two or more locations provided according to a commercial contract.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Leased Line Internet Connection

A private telecommunications circuit leased for exclusive use from a service provider, typically used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. Unlike broadband, a leased line is not shared and offers symmetric data rates.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Least Common Denominator (LCD)

LCD is a term used in networking to describe the lowest level of functionality or compatibility shared among different devices or systems.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Least Common Multiple (LCM)

LCM is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by two or more numbers without leaving a remainder, often used in scheduling or resource allocation algorithms.

You will find this term commonly used in Mathematics

Least Connection Scheduling

A load balancing method that assigns new requests to the server with the fewest active connections. It's considered when distributing client requests in various types of networks to ensure even workload distribution.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Load Balancing

Least Cost Routing

Least cost routing is a telecommunications strategy that selects the most economical path for transmitting data or voice traffic based on predefined criteria such as cost or quality.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

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