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Glossary of Essential Technical Terms for Hosting and Domains.
Glossary of Essential Technical Terms for Hosting and Domains.

Terms for Hosting and Domains

Leo Vélez avatar
Written by Leo Vélez
Updated over a week ago

Have you ever felt lost in the sea of acronyms and technical terms when talking about hosting, domains, and servers? You're not alone! In today's digital world, understanding these concepts is crucial for managing your online presence effectively. Whether you're a novice just starting out or an experienced professional looking to refresh your knowledge, this glossary is your ultimate guide. Get ready to unravel the mysteries behind terms like PHP, SSL, DNS, and many more. Let's dive in and demystify the language of technology together!

Everything You Need to Know:

Glossary of Essential Technical Terms for Hosting and Domains.

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) A server-side scripting language used for web development.

MySQL (My Structured Query Language) An open-source relational database management system.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) A style sheet language used for describing the presentation of HTML documents.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) A security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) The standard language for creating web pages and web applications.

DNS (Domain Name System) A system that translates domain names to IP addresses and vice versa.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) A standard network protocol used to transfer files between a client and a server.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) The protocol used for transmitting data on the web.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) The secure version of HTTP, using SSL/TLS to encrypt communication.

IP (Internet Protocol) A communication protocol that identifies and locates devices on a network and enables their connection to the Internet.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) A protocol used for sending emails.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) A protocol that allows email clients to access messages on a mail server.

POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) A protocol used by email clients to retrieve messages from a mail server.

RAM (Random Access Memory) The random access memory used by servers to store temporary data and run processes.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) The central processing unit, the main component of a server that performs calculations and executes programs.

SSH (Secure Shell) A protocol for securely accessing a remote computer and managing servers.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) A private virtual server that provides dedicated resources within a shared physical server.

SSD (Solid State Drive) A type of storage device that uses flash memory to store data quickly and efficiently.

CDN (Content Delivery Network) A network of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location.

API (Application Programming Interface) A set of functions and procedures that allow the creation of applications accessing features or data of an operating system, library, or service.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) A security protocol designed to provide secure communications over a computer network.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) A storage technology that combines multiple hard drives into a single unit for redundancy and improved performance.

TLD (Top-Level Domain) The last segment of a domain name, such as .com, .org, .net.

SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security) Cryptographic protocols designed to provide secure communications over a network.

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) A secure version of the FTP protocol that uses SSH to transfer files securely.

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) A set of security extensions for DNS that help protect against DNS spoofing attacks.

WHOIS A protocol used to query databases that store domain name registration information.

IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) Domain names that include non-ASCII characters, allowing the use of characters from different alphabets.

MX (Mail Exchange) A type of DNS record that specifies a mail server to accept emails on behalf of a domain.

PTR (Pointer Record) A type of DNS record used for reverse resolution of IP addresses to domain names.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) A network protocol that dynamically assigns IP addresses to devices on a network.

CDN (Content Delivery Network) A network of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) A security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser.

SSH (Secure Shell) A protocol for securely accessing a remote computer and managing servers.

UPTIME The time during which a server or service is operational and available without interruptions.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) An attack that attempts to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) A private virtual server that provides dedicated resources within a shared physical server.

CDN (Content Delivery Network) A network of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) A security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser.

SSO (Single Sign-On) An authentication method that allows users to access multiple applications with a single set of login credentials.

2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) An authentication method that requires two forms of verification to access a system or service.

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) A set of security extensions for DNS that help protect against DNS spoofing attacks.

TTL (Time to Live) A value that specifies the duration in seconds that a DNS record should be cached before being discarded.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) A routing protocol between autonomous systems on the Internet.

NTP (Network Time Protocol) A protocol for synchronizing the clocks of computer systems over data networks.

GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphical user interface that allows interaction with an operating system or application using graphical elements.

CLI (Command Line Interface) A command-line interface that allows interaction with an operating system or application by entering text commands.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) A private virtual server that provides dedicated resources within a shared physical server.

CDN (Content Delivery Network) A network of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) A security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser.

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) A set of security extensions for DNS that help protect against DNS spoofing attacks.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) A protocol used to prevent email spoofing by verifying the sender's IP address.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) An email authentication method that allows the recipient to verify that an email was sent from an authorized domain.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) A protocol that allows domain administrators to prevent email spoofing and protect recipients from phishing.

PaaS (Platform as a Service) A cloud service model that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) A cloud service model that provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet.

SaaS (Software as a Service) A software distribution model in which applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed via the Internet.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the most essential terms in the world of hosting and domains. With this guide, you'll be better equipped to navigate the digital universe with confidence and clarity. Keep learning and mastering technical terminology to take your online presence to the next level!

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