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Glossary of Terms |
Below is a list of terms used in Filopto and its documentation.
802.11: refers to a family of specifications developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN technology. 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients. The IEEE accepted the specification in 1997.
802.11n: is a wireless (Wi-Fi) standard that was introduced in 2007. It supports a longer range and higher wireless transfer rates than the previous standard, 802.11g. It is the minimum standard that you should use in your office.
802.11ac: is a wireless computer networking standard of 802.11, developed in the IEEE Standards Association process, providing high-throughput wireless local area networks on the 5 GHz band. The standard was developed from 2011 through 2013, with final 802.11 Working Group approval and publication scheduled for early 2014. According to a study, devices with the 802.11ac specification are expected to be common by 2015 with an estimated one billion spread around the world.
ACROBAT: is a program from Adobe Inc. that lets you capture a document and then view it in its original format and appearance. Acrobat is ideal for making documents or brochures that were designed for the print medium, viewable electronically and capable of being shared with others on the Internet. To view an Acrobat document, which is called a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, you need Acrobat Reader. The Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe.
ADO: Short for ActiveX Data Objects, Microsoft newest high-level interface for data objects. ADO is designed to eventually replace Data Access Object(DAO) and Remote Data Objects (RDO). Unlike RDO and DAO, which are designed only for accessing relational databases, ADO is more general and can be used to access all sorts of different types of data, including web pages, spreadsheets, and other types of documents.
Together with OLE DB and ODBC, ADO is one of the main components of Microsoft's Universal Data Access(UDA) specification, which is designed to provide a consistent way of accessing data regardless of how the data are structured.
AES: short for Advanced Encryption Standard encryption algorithm, is a symetrical key algorithm that can be used to encrypt electronic data. AES is a symmetric block cipher adopted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and used by the U.S. government to protect classified information and is implemented in software and hardware throughout the world to encrypt sensitive data. AES algorithm is used with key sizes of 128, 192 or 256 bits. Longer keys provide better security. The security characteristics and its processing speed make AES the current industry standard to encrypt large quantities of data.
AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI), the ability of a computer to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings, such as a program designed to carry out very complex tasks .
AMD: is a widely-used personal computer microprocessor from the AMD Corporation. The latest AMD are the FX series, a high-end processor that operates at 64 bit versus 32 bit and which uses a Multi-Core Processor configurations.
APPLICATION: is a program or group of programs designed for end users. Software can be divided into two general classes: systems software and applications software. Systems software consists of low-level programs that interact with the computer at a very basic level. This includes operating systems, compilers, and utilities for managing computer resources. In contrast, applications software (also called end-user programs) includes database programs, word processors and spreadsheets. Figuratively speaking, applications software sits on top of systems software because it is unable to run without the operating system and system utilities.
ANSI: (American National Standards Institute) is the primary organization for fostering the development of technology standards in the United States. ANSI works with industry groups and is the U.S. member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
ANTIMALWARE: (anti-malware) is a type of software program designed to prevent, detect and remediate malicious programming on individual computing devices and IT systems. Antimalware software protects against infections caused by many types of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, spyware, keyloggers, ransomware and adware. Antimalware software can be installed on an individual computing device, gateway server or dedicated network appliance. It can also be purchased as a cloud service or be embedded in a computing device's firmware.
The terms antivirus software and antimalware software are often used as synonyms. Some antimalware vendors, however, like to differentiate the two terms in order to promote the capabilities of their own products and downplay the capabilities of products that carry the more traditional label, antivirus.
ANTIVIRUS: Term used in the 90's and 200's. This term has been replace with Malware. Antivirus (or "anti-virus") software is a class of program that searches your hard drive and floppy disks for any known or potential viruses. Anti-virus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware). The market for this kind of program has expanded because of Internet growth and the increasing use of the Internet by businesses concerned about protecting their computer assets
ASCII: (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is the most common format for text files in computers and on the Internet. In an ASCII file, each alphabetic, numeric or special character is represented with a 7 - bit binary number (a string of seven 0s or 1s). 128 possible characters are defined. Windows uses a newer code, Unicode. Conversion programs allow different operating systems to change a file from one code to another. ASCII was developed by the American National Standards Institute
Azure: Microsoft Cloud infrastructure service.
BACKUP: is the activity of copying files or databases so that they will be preserved in case of equipment failure or other catastrophe
Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer across a given path. In the Internet it represents the speed of the Internet connection.
BAR CODE is a method of representing data in a visual, machine readable form. it typically represents the part number for an inventory part.
BATTERY BACKUP UNIT (BBU): It is a battery backup to maintain power during unexpected power outages. Servers should be attached to a UPS or BBU to prevent data lost or data corruption due to power lost.
BAUD: The term BAUD refers to bites per second or BPS, the speed of a modem. Modems have speed or Baud rates of 56 Kbps. versus the Internet which can provide speeds over 300,000 Kbps
BINARY: A counting system involving only two numbers which, in a computer, are one and zero.
BIOS: An acronym for BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM. The BIOS is actually the low-level instructions for the computer, providing basic control over the keyboard, monitor, disk drives and other parts of the computer.
BIT: A contraction of binary digits, a BIT refers to a single tiny switch inside the computer which contains the values one or zero. There are millions of such switches - bits - inside the typical PC. They from the basis of all the memory and disk storage.
BOOT: To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM). Once the operating system is loaded (and for example, on a PC, you see the initial Windows desktop screen), it's ready for users to run applications. Sometimes you will see an instruction to "reboot" the operating system. This simply means to reload the operating system (the most familiar way to do this on PC's is pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time).
BOOT DRIVE: This is the drive which contains all the start up files for your computer.
BPS: An acronym for bits per second. It refers to the number of bits a modem can send over the phone line in one second. Today most modems support 56,000 bits per second. The higher the value, the faster the information is sent. (Note this is the accurate term used to describe how fast a modem sends information; the term baud is often, though incorrectly, used interchangeably with BPS.)
BROWSER: A software application used to locate and display web pages. Three common browsers currently available are Google Chrome ™ and Microsoft Internet Explorer ™ and Mozilla Firefox™.
BRUTE FORCE ATTACKS: Unlike hacks, virus, malware that focus on vulnerabilities in software, a Brute Force Attack aims at being the simplest kind of method to gain access to a site: it tries usernames and passwords, over and over again, until it gets in. Hackers have machines that can break 348 billion NTLM password hashes per second. (NTLM is a password encryption algorithm used in Windows. At 348 billion NTLM hashes per second, any 8-character password could be broken in 5.5 hours.)
BYTE: A group of eight (8) BITS, all clustered together to form one unit of information inside a computer. Conceptually speaking, a byte is one single character stored inside a computer. Bytes are also used as a measure of capacity: see KILOBYTE, MEGABYTE, GIGABYTES and TERABYTES.
CABLE: Coaxial cable is the kind of copper cable used by cable TV companies between the community antenna and user homes and businesses. They can offer Internet connections using this technology.
Cat-5,6,7 (Cat- Category) cable: is a standardized twisted pair cable for Ethernet (LAN) and other network physical layers. Each version 5,6,7 provide a higher level of performance compared to a lower version number. Cat 5 and Cat 6 are commonly used on office settings.
CD-ROM: (Compact Disc, Read-Only-Memory) is an adaptation of the CD that is designed to store computer data in the form of text and graphics, as well as hi-fi stereo sound. The original data format standard was defined by Philips and Sony in 1983.
CLOUD COMPUTING: Cloud computing is computing in which large groups of remote servers are networked to allow the centralized data storage, and online access to computer services or resources. Clouds can be classified as public, private or hybrid. The underlying concept of cloud computing dates to the 1950s, when large-scale mainframe computers were used to centralize the computing needs of users. Technically there may be little or no difference between public and private cloud architecture, however, security consideration may be substantially different.
CLOUD HOSTING: Companies can lease servers or may instead pay for data to be stored on a third party virtual servers. These servers are said to be based in the cloud if they can be accessed only with an Internet connection. Businesses typically access cloud-based servers through software interfaces specific to their cloud-hosting service providers.
CLOUD BACKUP: is data backed up to the cloud (on Internet based servers). In other words data that is transferred from a business to the data-storage provider's servers over the Internet.
CLOUD-PRIVATE: Users can create their own private and secure cloud solution by using the built-in tools included in the Microsoft server version. The cloud service include VPN and Remote Desktop services for easy and secure access.
CMS-1500: Formerly known as the HCFA-1500, the CMS has changed the name of its claim form to CMS-1500. The uniform professional claim form. The CMS-1500 form is the standard claim form used by a non-institutional provider or supplier to bill Medicare carriers and durable medical equipment regional contractors (DMERCs) when a provider qualifies for a waiver from the Administrative Simplification Compliance Act (ASCA) requirement for electronic submission of claims. It is also used for billing of some Medicaid State Agencies. The National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC) is responsible for the maintenance of the CMS-1500 form. See http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ElectronicBillingEDITrans/16_1500.asp
COM or COMMUNICATION PORT: COM is the original name of the serial port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers. It might refer not only to physical ports, but also to virtual ports, such as ports created by Bluetooth or USB-to-serial adapters. Typical serial ports are RS-232 type communication ports. Most PC-compatible systems in the 1980s and 1990s had one or two COM ports
CPOE: Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) is a process of electronic entry of medical practitioner instructions for the treatment of patients (particularly hospitalized patients) under his or her care. These orders are communicated over a computer network to the medical staff or to the departments (pharmacy, laboratory, or radiology) responsible for fulfilling the order. CPOE decreases delay in order completion, reduces errors related to handwriting or transcription, allows order entry at the point of care or off-site, provides error-checking for duplicate or incorrect doses or tests, and simplifies inventory and posting of charges. CPOE are specific to one Exam.
CPU: (Central Processing Unit) is an older term for processor and microprocessor, the central unit in a computer containing the logic circuitry that performs the instructions of a computer's programs.
CPT Codes: The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set is a medical code set maintained by the American Medical Association through the CPT Editorial Panel. The CPT code set (copyright protected by the AMA) describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services and is designed to communicate uniform information about medical services and procedures among physicians, coders, patients, accreditation organizations, and payers for administrative, financial, and analytical purposes. New editions are released each October.
Custom software development. Some businesses require tailor-made software for their daily operations. Instead of using mass-produced software packages, such businesses use programs created by software development companies or in-house software development groups to meet a specific need.
DATA: In computing, data is information that has been translated into a form that is more convenient to move or process. Relative to today's computers and transmission media, data is information converted into binary digital form. In Filopto, data is stored into the Filopto Database.
DATABASE: is a collection of data that is organized so that its contents can easily be accessed, managed, and updated. The most prevalent type of database is the relational database (a tabular database in which data is defined so that it can be reorganized and accessed in a number of different ways). This is the type of database Filopto uses.
DEFRAGMENT: term used to describe a method to optimize your hard drive performance. Windows provide a disk defragmenter and optimizer option. Defragmenting your hard disk is a great way to boost the performance of your computer.
DICOM: (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) DICOM is a standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. Typically can be very large files. DICOM files can be exchanged between two entities that are capable of receiving image and patient data in DICOM format. Usually used in conjunction with the HL7 standard for data exchange protocol and equipment.
DIRECTORY: In computer file systems, a directory is a named group of related files that are separated by the naming convention from other groups of files. A collection of files on disk. Every disk has one main directory - the root directory. It can also have other directories or subdirectories. Files are saved to disk in the various directories.
DNS: The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. For example it allows user to connect to web sites or PC by using a name such as "www.microsoft.com" versus their IP address which resemble something like 65.55.57.27. it is the telephone book for the Internet.
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT: Document management refers to the system of creating, sharing, organizing and storing documents within an organization. The Filopto PaperFree module is a Document Management system.
DOCX: A file with the DOCX file extension is a Word Microsoft Office Open XML Format Document file.
DOMAIN NAME: A domain name is used to identify a PC, server or website. Businesses commonly have an Internet domain name that is their name with the ".com" or ".ca" domain suffix after it. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System (DNS). Technically, any name registered in the DNS is a domain name.
DROP DOWN MENU: A drop down menu is a horizontal menu that displays a list of options when one of the primary menu items is selected.
DSL: (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing medium-bandwidth information (Internet) to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. xDSL refers to different variations of DSL, such as ADSL, HDSL, and RADSL.
DVD: (sometimes explained as "digital video disc" or "digital versatile disc") is a digital optical disc storage format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs can be played in multiple types of players, including DVD players.
ETHERNET: A local-area network (LAN) architecture developed by Xerox Corporation in cooperation with DEC and Intel in 1976. Ethernet uses a bus or star topology and supports data transfer rates of 1 Gbps. The Ethernet specification served as the basis for the IEEE 802.3 standard, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Ethernet uses the CSMA/CD access method to handle simultaneous demands. It is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards.
FIBER OPTIC CABLE: This is a cable made up of super-thin filaments of glass or other transparent materials that can carry beams of light. Because a fiber-optic cable is light-based, data can be sent through it at the speed of light. Many Internet services are now using Fiber to provide a higher grade of service. Examples are FIOS by Verizon, FiberOP by Bell, Optik by Telus etc...
FILOPTO : Derived from the words : FILE and OPTO. A state of the art Eye Care Practice Management system able to support single users and multi-user environments.
FIREBIRD : The Database system used by Filopto. Firebird is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL standard features that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix platforms. Firebird offers excellent concurrency, high performance, and powerful language support for stored procedures and triggers. It has been used in production systems, under a variety of names, since 1981.
FIREWALL: A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.
FOLDER: In graphical user interfaces such as Windows and the Macintosh environment, a folder is an object that can contain multiple documents. Folders are used to organize information. In the DOS and UNIX worlds, folders are called directories (see above).
GIGABYTES: A gigabyte (pronounced GIG-a-bite with hard G's) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is "roughly" a billion bytes. A gigabyte is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation. A gigabyte is one billion bytes or 1000MB (megabytes). Typically, hard drive storage capacity is measured in Gigabytes.
GIGAHERTZ: Abbreviation for gigahertz. One GHz represents 1 billion cycles per second. The speed of microprocessors, called the clock speed, often is measured in gigahertz. For example, a microprocessor that runs at 4 GHz executes 4 billion cycles per second. Each computer instruction requires a fixed number of cycles, so the clock speed determines how many instructions per second the microprocessor can execute. To a large degree, this controls how powerful the microprocessor is.
HARD DISK DRIVE: In a personal computer, a hard disk drive (HDD) is the mechanism that controls the positioning, reading, and writing of the hard disk, which furnishes the largest amount of data storage for the PC. Although the hard disk drive (often shortened to "hard drive") and the hard disk are not the same thing, they are packaged as a unit and so either term is sometimes used to refer to the whole unit. This is the device which stores your data files.
HARDWARE: This is the physical side of computing, the nuts and bolts. In a computer, the software controls hardware, much the same way an orchestra plays music; the orchestra is the hardware and the music is the software.
HIPAA: is the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Public Law 104-191 (HIPAA) which was passed by Congress to reform the insurance market and simplify health care administrative processes. Other legislation make use of the HIPAA act to protect Patient information and set various use regulations such as those seen in the Meaningful Use act.
HL7: HL7 provide a framework (and related standards) for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. These standards define how information is packaged and communicated from one party to another, setting the language, structure and data types required for seamless integration between systems. HL7 standards support clinical practice and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services, and are recognized as the most commonly used in the world.
HYBRID CLOUD: Hybrid cloud is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community or public) that remain distinct entities but are bound together,
ICD-9 and ICD10 : The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the classification used to code and classify mortality data from death certificates. Version 9 was to be used from 1979 to 1998. Version 10 is to be used for the period of 1999 to the present day.
ICON: A teensy tiny picture that represents a program on the Windows desktop.
INFORMATION: Information is stimuli that has meaning in some context for its receiver. When information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred to as data. After processing (such as formatting and printing), output data can again be perceived as information.
INTERNET: The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANET. The original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a research computer at one university to be able to "talk to" research computers at other universities. A side benefit of ARPANet's design was that, because messages could be routed or rerouted in more than one direction, the network could continue to function even if parts of it were destroyed in the event of a military attack or other disaster.
I/O: Stands for "Input/Output" and is pronounced simply "eye-oh." Computers are based on the fundamental idea that every input results in an output. The ports on the outside of a computer are commonly referred to as "I/O ports" because they are what connect input and output devices to the computer.
IP ADDRESS: An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example, 10.140.10.240 could be an IP address. Also known as an "IP number" or simply an "IP," this is a code made up of numbers separated by three dots that identifies a particular computer on the network or the Internet.
ISP: An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing and using the Internet.
JPEG/JPG: (Joint Photographers' Expert Group) Most popular lossy image format. Allows uses to specify what level of compression they desire.
JPEG 2000: JPEG 2000 is a new image coding system that uses state-of-the-art compression techniques based on wavelet technology. Its architecture should lend itself to a wide range of uses from portable digital cameras through to advanced pre-press, medical imaging and other key sectors. This is the default image format used by Filopto.
K,KB: Abbreviations for kilobyte.
KILOBYTE: One thousand bytes or, more accurately, 1024 bytes. This is equal to about half a page of text. Note that kilobyte is abbreviated as "K" or "KB". So 30K is about 30 thousand bytes (more or less).
LAN: A computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN).
LEGACY: system, a term for out-of-date hardware and/or software still in use.
LOINC: Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC®) - A universal code system for identifying laboratory and clinical observations. See LOINC.org for more information. It is endorsed by the American Clinical Laboratory Association and the College of American Pathologists. Since its inception, the database has expanded to include not just medical and laboratory code names, but also: nursing diagnosis, nursing interventions, outcomes classification, and patient care data set.
MACRO: A program within a program, usually designed to carry out some complex function, automate a series of commands.
MALWARE: short for malicious software, The word malware just means “bad software” and encompasses anything that runs on your computer with unintended and usually harmful consequences. In contrast, antivirus is an out-of-date term that software makers still use because viruses, Trojan horses, and worms were huge, attention-getting threats in the 1990s and early 2000s. Technically, all viruses are a kind of malware, but not all malware is a virus. Malware is software used or programmed by attackers to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. It can appear in the form of code, scripts, active content, and other software. 'Malware' is a general term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software.
M,MB: An abbreviation for megabyte.
MEGABYTE: One Million bytes, or 1024K. A Megabyte is a large amount of storage.
MENU: A list of commands or options in a program.
MEANINGFUL USE : Meaningful use is the set of standards defined by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Incentive Programs that governs the use of electronic health records and allows eligible providers and hospitals to earn incentive payments by meeting specific criteria.
MHz: An abbreviation for megahertz. This used to refer to how fast a computer's microprocessor could compute; today, most computers are in the GHZ (Gigahertz).
NAME SERVER: A name server translates domain names into IP addresses. This makes it possible for a user to access a website or another PC by typing in the domain name instead of the website's or PC actual IP address.
NETWORK: Several computers hooked together. When your computer is on a network, you share printers with other computers, easily send files back and forth, or run programs or access files on other computers.
N.P.I. : The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is designed to uniquely identify a health care provider in standard transactions, such as health care claims. It uses all numeric characters and is 10 positions in length. The first nine positions are the identifier and the last position is a check digit which is used to detect invalid NPIs.
NRA/PRA a measure of the ability to relax or engage accommodation while maintaining clear, single binocular vision
NRA- Negative Relative Accommodation
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a high performance communications interface and controller that defines a set of commands and a set of functionalities for SSD drives based on PCIe – It is the most efficient way to increase performance and productivity to meet business and customer needs. NVMe drives are currently the fastest hard drives available.
ODF ODT ODS : The Open Document Format for Office Applications (ODF), also known as OpenDocument, is an XML-based file format for spreadsheets (ODS), charts, presentations(ODP) and word processing documents (ODT). It was developed with the aim of providing an open, XML-based file format specification for office applications
OPERATING SYSTEM: The most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. Windows 2000 and Windows XP are operating systems.
OPERATIONAL REPORTS: are the reports that are critical to the success of your business and must be constantly monitored to insure that your business objectives are met.
OWASP: The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a 501(c) worldwide not-for-profit charitable organization focused on improving the security of software. The mission is to make software security visible, so that individuals and organizations are able to make informed decisions
PATHNAME: The full, exact name of a file or directory on a disk. The pathname includes the drive letter, a colon, and all directories up to and including the directory in question and a file name. Pathnames are an extremely specific way of listing a file on disk.
PCIe (peripheral component interconnect express) is an interface standard for connecting high-speed components. Every desktop/server PC motherboard has a number of PCIe slots you can use to add GPUs (aka video cards aka graphics cards), RAID cards, Wi-Fi cards or NVme / SSD (solid-state drive) add-on cards or hard drives. PCIe comes in different versions(faster speeds) ranging from version 3 (16GB/s), version 4 (current standard 32GB/s) version 5 (coming soon,64GB/s).
PHI : Patient Health Information, is the term used by many regulations to identify key information related to the patient. many of the PHI information are subject to various laws protecting the privacy of patients. Review the laws affecting your jurisdiction for more information.
PHI Acts: Several Canadian provinces have created Patient Health Information Acts and regulations which deals with the privacy and responsibility that physicians must meet when dealing with Patient Health information. In the USA the HIPAA act addresses similar issues.
PHIPA: Personal Health Information Protection Act Several Canadian provinces have created Patient Health Information Acts and regulations which deals with the privacy and responsibility that physicians must meet when dealing with Patient Health information. In the USA the HIPAA act addresses similar issues.
PIPEDA: A Canadian Act to support and promote electronic commerce by protecting personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in certain circumstances, by providing for the use of electronic means to communicate or record information or transactions and by amending the Canada Evidence Act, the Statutory Instruments Act and the Statute Revision Act.
PDF: (Portable Document Format - see Acrobat) is a file format that has captured all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print, or forward to someone else. PDF files are created using Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Capture, or similar products. To view and use the files, you need the free Acrobat Reader, which you can easily download via the internet.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) Best of lossless image formats. Widely supported across most applications. Allows you to include an alpha channel within the file.
PRA- Positive Relative Accommodation
PRIVATE CLOUD: Private cloud is cloud infrastructure operated solely for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a third-party, and hosted either internally or externally. Windows Server products provide the tools to create a cloud service for the users. For example Windows 2019/2022 Server comes standard with Direct Access and RDP which creates a secure private cloud environment for its users.
PROCEDURE CODE: sometime referred to as CPT codes (see above) are codes provided by various Governmental or Insurance agencies to describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services provided by the physician.
PROVIDER: Name used to refer to the attending person (doctor), Service Provider.
PROXY SERVER: In an enterprise that uses the Internet, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between a workstation user and the Internet so that the enterprise can ensure security, administrative control, and caching service. A proxy server is associated with or part of a gateway server that separates the enterprise network from the outside network and a firewall server that protects the enterprise network from outside intrusion.
PUBLIC CLOUD: A cloud is called a "public cloud" when the services are rendered over a network that is open for public use SAS the Internet. Technically there may be little or no difference between public and private cloud architecture, however, security consideration may be substantially different..
RAID 5: Short for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, a category of disk drives that employ three or more drives in combination for fault tolerance and performance. RAID disk drives are used frequently on servers but aren't generally necessary for PCs. Level 5 -- Block Interleaved Distributed Parity: Provides data striping at the byte level and also stripe error correction information. This results in excellent performance and good fault tolerance. Level 5 is one of the most popular implementations of RAID.
RAID 6: Short for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, a category of disk drives that employ four or more drives in combination for fault tolerance and performance. RAID disk drives are used frequently on servers but aren't generally necessary for PCs. Level 6 -- Block Interleaved Distributed Parity: Provides data striping at the byte level and also stripe error correction information. This results in excellent performance and good fault tolerance. Level 6 is one of the most popular implementations of RAID and provides a higher degree of protection than Raid 5.
RANSOMWARE is a type of malware which restricts access to the computer system that it infects, and demands a ransom paid to the creator(s) of the malware in order for the restriction to be removed.
RAM: Pronounced "ramm", acronym for Random Access Memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.
RECORD: In computer data processing, a record is a collection of data items arranged for processing by a program. Multiple records are contained in a file or data set. The organization of data in the record is usually prescribed by the programming language that defines the record's organization and/or by the application that processes it. Typically, records can be of fixed-length or be of variable length with the length information contained within the record.
REMOTE ACCESS: The ability to log onto a network from a distant location. Generally, this implies a computer, a modem or Internet connection, and some remote access software to connect to the network. Whereas remote control refers to taking control of another computer, remote access means that the remote computer actually becomes a full-fledged host on the network. The remote access software dials in directly to the network server. The only difference between a remote host and workstations connected directly to the network is slower data transfer speeds.
REMOTE DESKTOP SERVICE (RDS): A Windows built-in feature allowing remote users to remotely access/view/use an office PC. RDS allows users to access their office desktop and work as if they were seated in front of their office PC.
ROOT DIRECTORY: The primary directory on every PC. Other directories, or sub directories, branch off of the root directory. The symbol for the root directory is the single backslash (\).
ROUTER: A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP's network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.
RS-232: is the traditional name for a series of old standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between DTE (data terminal equipment) and DCE (data circuit-terminating equipment, originally defined as data communication equipment[1]). It was commonly used in computer serial ports. An RS-232 serial port was once a standard feature of a personal computer, used for connections to modems, printers, mice, data storage, uninterruptible power supplies, and other peripheral devices. However, the low transmission speed, large voltage swing, and large standard connectors motivated development of the Universal Serial Bus (USB), which has displaced RS-232 from most of its peripheral interface roles. Most modern personal computers have no RS-232 ports and must use either an external USB-to-RS-232 converter or an internal expansion card with one or more serial ports to connect to RS-232 peripherals
RTF: The Rich Text Format (often abbreviated RTF) is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange.
RxNorm: RxNorm provides normalized names for clinical drugs and links its names to many of the drug vocabularies commonly used in pharmacy management and drug interaction software, including those of First Databank, Micromedex, MediSpan, Gold Standard, and Multum. By providing links between these vocabularies, RxNorm can mediate messages between systems not using the same software and vocabulary. Maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine
SSD: Example: "He installed his operating system on an SSD to increase performance." SSD is short for "Solid State Drive." An SSD serves the same purpose as a (hard drive hard drive), but uses flash memory rather than spindle of magnetic disks. It is called a "solid state drive" because it has no moving parts. Since SSDs do not need to move a physical drive head to read data, they can access data faster than hard drives. They also do not need to be defragemented, since their performance does not depend on where data is stored on the disk. Since solid state drives have a number of advantages over hard drives, they have begun to replace hard drives in many devices.
SERVER: In general, a server is a computer that provides services to other computers.
SERVER HOSTING: Servers are devices that support a company's computer and Internet networks, and "host" all its associated data
Software as a Service (SaaS): Otherwise known as"software on demand," this is a term associated with cloud computing. SaaS is a way of delivering business software via the Internet. SaaS usually can be paid for on a monthly basis, making it more affordable than other software options.
SQL: (Structured Query Language) is a standard interactive and programming language for getting information from and updating a database.
SQL-92: was developed by the INCITS Technical Committee H2 on Database. This committee develops standards for the syntax and semantics of database languages. SQL-92 was designed to be a standard for relational database management systems (RDBMSs). It is based on SQL-89, which in turn was based on SQL-86. SQL-92 was developed by the ANSI (then NCITS, and now INCITS) X3H2 committee, which originally began work on a SQL standard in 1982.
SPAM: Electronic junk e-mail or junk newsgroup postings
SPYWARE: As the name implies, this is software that "spies" on your computer. Spyware can capture information like Web browsing habits, e-mail messages, usernames and passwords, and credit card information. If left unchecked, the software can transmit this data to another person's computer over the Internet.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), is an old cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network. Developed in 1996 is was used to secure web pages such as HTTPS web sites. It now has been replaced by TLS which is more secure.
STORAGE CAPACITY: Storage capacity is another term for "disk space." It measures how much data a computer system may contain. For example, a computer with two 750GB hard drives has a storage capacity of 1.5TB. Storage capacity is commonly included in the technical specifications of a system, along with processing power and memory. It is possible to increase the storage capacity of most systems by adding additional internal or external hard drives.
STORAGE DEVICE: A computer storage device is any type of hardware that stores data. The most common type of storage device, which nearly all computers have, is a hard drive. The computer's primary hard drive stores the operating system, applications, and files and folders for users of the computer.
SWITCH: In networks, a device that filters and forwards packets between LAN segments (between PC's or other devices connected to the LAN.)
SUBDIRECTORY: A term for a directory in relation to another directory. All directories on a disk are subdirectories of the root.
SURGE PROTECTOR: The surge protector is an important, yet often overlooked part of a computer setup. Surge protectors, sometimes called power strips, prevent surges in electrical current by sending the excess current to the grounding wire (which is the round part of the plug below the two flat metal pieces on U.S. outlet plugs). If the surge is extra high, such as from a lightning strike, a fuse in the surge protector will blow and the current will be prevented from reaching any of the devices plugged into the surge protector.
THICK CLIENT: Thick clients, also called heavy clients, are full-featured computers (PC) that are connected to a network. Unlike thin clients, which lack hard drives and other features, thick clients are functional whether they are connected to a network or not.
THIN CLIENT: Thin clients function as regular PCs, but lack hard drives and typically do not have extra I/O ports or other unnecessary features. Since they do not have hard drives, thin clients do not have any software installed on them. Instead, they run programs and access data from a server. For this reason, thin clients must have a network connection and are sometimes referred to as "network computers" or "NCs." Thin clients can be a cost-effective solution for businesses or organizations that need several computers that all do the same thing.
TCP/IP: Abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet. TCP/IP uses several protocols, the two main ones being TCP and IP. TCP/IP is built into the UNIX operating system and is used by the Internet, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks. Even network operating systems that have their own protocols, such as Netware, also support TCP/IP.
TERABYTE: A terabyte is a measure of computer storage capacity and is 2 to the 40th power or approximately a thousand billion bytes (that is, a thousand gigabytes). Filopto can support Terabytes of information in its database.
TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION: also known as 2FA, or two step verification or TFA (as an acronym), is an extra layer of security that is known as "multi-factor authentication" that requires not only a password and username but also something that only, and only, that user has on them, i.e. a piece of information. HIPAA Security makes use of this technology.
UEFI BIOS: The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. UEFI is meant to replace the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware interface, present in all IBM PC-compatible personal computers. UEFI Bios provide greater security than is possible in older BIOS based PC. UEFI can support remote diagnostics and repair of computers, even without an operating system.
UNICODE: is an entirely new idea in setting up binary codes for text or script characters. Officially called the Unicode Worldwide Character Standard, it is a system for "the interchange, processing, and display of the written texts of the diverse languages of the modern world." It also supports many classical and historical texts in a number of languages. Currently, the Unicode standard contains 34,168 distinct coded characters derived from 24 supported language scripts. These characters cover the principal written languages of the world. Additional work is underway to add the few modern languages not yet included. Windows and Filopto use Unicode.
USB: Short for Universal Serial Bus, an external bus standard that supports data transfer rates up to 5 Gbit/s. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging. Replaced the Com port connectors such as RS-232 connectors.
UPS: Stands for "Uninterruptible Power Supply." It is a battery backup to maintain power during unexpected power outages. Servers should be attached to UPS to prevent data lost or data corruption due to power lost or fluctuations.
VCA: Acronym for the Vision Council of America
VIRUS: is a piece of programming code usually disguised as something else that causes some unexpected and usually undesirable event. A virus is often designed so that it is automatically spread to other computer users. Viruses can be transmitted as attachments to an e-mail note, as downloads, or be present on a diskette or CD. The source of the e-mail note, downloaded file, or diskette you've received is often unaware of the virus. Some viruses wreak their effect as soon as their code is executed; other viruses lie dormant until circumstances cause their code to be executed by the computer. Some viruses are playful in intent and effect ("Happy Birthday, Ludwig!") and some can be quite harmful, erasing data or causing your hard disk to require reformatting.
VPN: Virtual private network, a private data network that makes use of the public telecommunication infrastructure, maintaining privacy through the use of a tunneling protocol and security procedures. For example, you could set up a VPN between your home office and your business office using security and encryption and the Internet as your transfer pipe.
WAN: A computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. Typically, a WAN consists of two or more local-area networks (LANs). Computers connected to a wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.
WIRED EQUIVALENT PRIVACY (WEP): is a security algorithm for wireless networks. WEP has been demonstrated to have numerous flaws and has been deprecated in favour of newer standards such as WPA2. - DO NOT USE WEP.
WPA2: is a security protocol for Wi-Fi networks. Wireless Application Protocol (WPA2) is a technical security standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network. It supersedes the previous security specification, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which was shown to have serious security vulnerabilities. Since wireless networks transmit data over radio waves, it is easy to intercept data or "eavesdrop" on wireless data transmissions. The goal of WPA2 is to make wireless networks secure. A flaw in a feature added to Wi-Fi, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), allows WPA and WPA2 security to be bypassed and effectively broken in many situations
WPS: A feature in most Wireless Router that should be turned off. A flaw in this feature added to Wi-Fi, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), allows WPA and WPA2 security to be bypassed and effectively broken in many situations.
Windows Service: A Service is a special type of application that is available on Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/201008/2012 only and runs in the "background". Services can have special privileges that regular applications do not. For instance, on a limited user account a service could access certain parts of the Windows Registry that a regular application could not access. A Windows service provides functionality to the operating system and user accounts regardless of whether anyone is logged into a system. Windows comes with around four dozen services enabled by default. Most Windows Services do not have a user interface and are loaded when Windows starts.
WI-FI or Wireless Networks: Short for Wireless Fidelity and is meant to be used generically when referring of any type of 802.11 network, whether 802.11n, 802.11ac, dual-band, etc. The term is promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
WORKSTATION: A workstation is a computer intended for individual use that is faster and more capable than a home personal computer. It is intended for business or professional use.
WYSIWYG: An acronym for WHAT-YOU-SEE-IS-WHAT-YOU-GET. It refers to a program's capability to display information on the screen in the same format in which it will be printed.
ZIP: Windows users will see this term a lot when looking for files on the Internet. A zip file (.zip) is a "zipped" or compressed file. For example, when you download a file, if the filename looks like this: "filename.zip," you are downloading a zipped file. "Zipping" a file involves compressing one or more items into a smaller archive. A zipped file takes up less hard drive space and takes less time to transfer to another computer. This is why most Windows files that you find on the Internet are compressed. See the ZIP help section in basic common tools section of this help file.
