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cm — Centimeter(s).

cmos — Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor.

component — As they relate to DMI, components include operating systems, computer systems, expansion cards, and peripherals that are compatible with DMI. Each component is made up of groups and attributes that are defined as relevant to that component.

COMn — The device names for the serial ports on your system.

control panel — The part of the system that contains indicators and controls, such as the power button and power indicator.

controller — A chip that controls the transfer of data between the processor and memory or between the processor and a peripheral.

conventional memory — The first 640 KB of RAM. Conventional memory is found in all systems. Unless they are specially designed, MS-DOS®programs are limited to running in conventional memory.

coprocessor — A chip that relieves the system’s processor of specific processing tasks. A math coprocessor, for example, handles numeric processing.

CPU — Central processing unit. See processor.

DC — Direct current.

DDR — Double-data rate. A technology in memory modules that potentially doubles the output.

device driver — A program that allows the operating system or some other program to interface correctly with a peripheral. Some device drivers—such as network drivers—must be loaded from the config.sys file or as memory-resident programs (usually, from the autoexec.bat file). Others must load when you start the program for which they were designed.

DHCP — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A method of automatically assigning an IP address to a client system.

diagnostics — A comprehensive set of tests for your system.

DIMM — Dual in-line memory module. See also memory module.

DIN — Deutsche Industrie Norm.

directory — Directories help keep related files organized on a disk in a hierarchical, “inverted tree” structure. Each disk has a “root” directory. Additional directories that branch off the root directory are called subdirectories. Subdirectories may contain additional directories branching off them.

DMA — Direct memory access. A DMA channel allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the processor.

DMI — Desktop Management Interface. DMI enables the management of your system’s software and hardware by collecting information about the system’s components, such as the operating system, memory, peripherals, expansion cards, and asset tag.

DNS — Domain Name System. A method of translating Internet domain names, such as www.dell.com, into IP addresses, such as 143.166.83.200.

DRAM — Dynamic random-access memory. A system’s RAM is usually made up entirely of DRAM chips.

DVD — Digital versatile disc.

ECC — Error checking and correction.

EEPROM — Electronically erasable programmable read- only memory.

EMC — Electromagnetic compatibility.

EMI — Electromagnetic interference.

ERA — Embedded remote access. ERA allows you to perform remote, or "out-of-band," server management on your network server using a remote access controller.

ESD — Electrostatic discharge.

ESM — Embedded server management.

expansion bus — Your system contains an expansion bus that allows the processor to communicate with controllers for peripherals, such as NICs.

expansion card — An add-in card, such as a NIC or SCSI adapter, that plugs into an expansion-card connector on the system board. An expansion card adds some specialized function to the system by providing an interface between the expansion bus and a peripheral.

Glossary