W

W

Who is on and what they are doing (UNIX command)

WACK

Wait before transmitting positive ACKnowledgment. In binary synchronous communications, this DLE sequence is sent by a receiving station to indicate that it is temporarily not ready to receive.

WALL

Write to all users (UNIX command)

WAN

See Wide Area Network.

WARM BOOT

Accomplished by pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL key combination. It restarts the computer through the INT19h ROM BIOS routine. This warm-boot procedure usually does not go through the complete boot process; generally, it skips the power-on self test (POST) to save time. In addition, a warm boot frequently fails to reset all adapters in the computer's adapter slots. Using reboot methods such as CTRL+ALT+DEL or the Reset button is acceptable when a hardware problem is not suspected.

WATCHDOG TIMER

Automatically restarts a system after a detection of software interruption.

WATS

See Wide Area Telephone Service.

WAVETABLE SYNTHESIS

A method of synthesizing sound using short samples (stored on the card or in software) of actual instruments. Sounds more realistic than FM synthesis.

WB-EXPAK

Wideband EXPAK

WB-MON

Wideband Monitoring

WEAK CLIENT/STRONG SERVER

See Thin Client/Thick Server.

WEDGE

Provides a technique for interfacing a bar-code scanner, or other input device, to a host system or terminal. A wedge contains decoding software that recognizes bar code, etc., decodes it, and transmits the information in a form the host computer can use. See Keyboard Wedge, RS-232 Wedge, Direct Connection Wedge.

WFWG

Windows for Workgroups

WHATIS

Describe what a command is (UNIX command)

WHEREIS

Describe where a command is (UNIX command)

WHO

Who is logged on the system (UNIX command)

WHOAMI

Display effective current username (UNIX command)

WHOIS

The name of both the client software and the database server that provides information about users or groups of users. The software queries a Whois server using the Internet name and returns account information.

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN) A network that provides data communication capability in areas larger than those serviced by a local area network. A WAN typically relies on serial line protocols to interconnect subnetworks.

WIDE AREA TELEPHONE SERVICE

A service that allows you to make calls to or from certain areas for a flat-rate fharge based on expected usage.

WIDE AREA TRANSMISSION MEDIA

Wide area network transmission media-microwave, infrared, satellite, and T1-are all better suited to network applications that require connectivity among multiple geographically distributed sites, or to those that require other special connectivity needs (e.g., as on a factory floor).

WIDEBAND

A channel characterized by a communication rate greater than 200 bit/s.

WIN /B

Creates BOOTLOG.TXT file that records system messages generated during system startup.

WINDOWS APPLICATION

A term used as a shorthand term to refer to an application that is designed to run with Windows and does not run without Windows. All Windows applications follow similar conventions for arrangement of menus, style of dialog boxes, and keyboard and mouse use.

WINDOWS OPEN SERVICES ARCHITECTURE

(Microsoft) Makes a set of common application programming interfaces available to all applications. A set of standard APIs that provide a single, system-level interface for connecting front-end applications to various back-end services and data sources. ODBC, TAPI, and MAPI interfaces are parts of WOSA.

WINDOWS TELEPHONY APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE

(TAPI) A standard set of functions that allows applications in the Windows operating system to access telephonic services in a consistent manner. Consist of a set of common desktop tools that enable the use of off-the-shelf software with a given set of TAPI-compliant hardware installed in the PC. TAPI runs on every desktop. See also TSAPI.

WIREBOND

A small wire that is used for connecting a microchip's perimeter bonding pads to a substrate.

WIRING CONCENTRATOR

A multiple port repeating device used in Ethernet LANs to connect multiple cable segments into one LAN. Sometimes called a 'hub' or 'multiport repeater,' this device isolates cabling problems by separating each workstation connection on an isolated cabling segment. Wiring concentrators are a required component in 802.3 10BASE-T (twisted-pair Ethernet) LANs, and improve reliability on any type of Ethernet LAN. Wiring concentrators also link together different cable types, many incorporating AUI connectors for connection to thick coaxial (10BASE-5), BNC connectors for thin coaxial (10BASE-2), RJ-45 jacks for twisted-pair (10BASE-T), and fiber-optic connectors. Some Token Ring vendors also call their MAUs wiring concentrators.

WORKGROUP

A group of connected computers, with each one identified by a computer name.

WORKSTATION

A user computer that is connected to a network and requests services from other nodes on the network, but does not provide services to other nodes. In the distributed computing environment of a PC network, workstations are user stations (not 'terminals') that are clients of one or more servers. A workstation has its own processor, processes applications locally, and may access data and resources located elsewhere on the network. In some cases, partial processing may be distributed back to a server such as a database server; however, a workstation always executes applications locally. Some nodes that provide services can be both workstations and servers, but in the context of providing services, they are servers. See Server and Terminal.

WORLD WIDE WEB

(WWW) A group of Internet sites that make their resources available through a series of hyper-text documents. The idea behind the World Wide Web is a simple one: to provide a graphical interface to the Internet that relies on hypertext documents, allowing the user to maneuver from one online resource to another. The Web is a client/server system. The browser software is the client. Documents and files you may want to retrieve are on servers.

WORM

An independent program that replicates by copying itself from one computer to another across a network. Unlike a virus that attaches itself to other programs, a worm maintains its independent existence. A worm may damage data directly like a virus, or it may degrade system performance by tying up system resources and even shutting down a network. The individual components of a worm that run on computers are called segments. These segments form a chain or the body of the worm. If a segment fails, the remaining pieces find another computer to replace the failed segment. As additional segments join the worm, it appears as if the worm itself moves through the network. Worms are rarely found on DOS workstations because DOS is single-tasking and does not lend itself to background processing. Worms are more likely to exist on multitasking operating systems, such as OS/2, UNIX workstations, and the NetWare server.

WOSA

See Windows Open Services Architecture.

WRITE OPERATION

Any operation in which information is recorded on a disk. Commands that perform write operations include those that save, move, and copy files. Most write operations are also read operations because the system verifies that the data have been written correctly. See read operation.

WRITE PROTECTION

A mechanism to protect files or disks from being changed. A 3.5" diskette may be write-protected by sliding its corner tab so that the square hole is open; a 5.25" diskette by covering its corner notch with a write-protect tab. A file may be write-protected by changing its system attributes.

WRT

With Respect To

WWW

See World Wide Web