Posted November 2020

All too often when we are meeting with customers or discussing topics on our website, we assume that our clients know commonly used industry terms. You probably have some idea of what the following terms mean, in a general sense. But in order to make informed decisions that affect your business, you need to know the ins and outs of business solutions and all of its related terminology.

LAN – Local Area Network
A network that links together computers and peripheral equipment within a limited area.

WAN – Wide Area Network
A network of LANs interconnected, usually over large distances via the internet.

VPN – Virtual Private Network
A secure, encrypted connection between two networks or between an individual user and a network

Cloud
Refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers.

SaaS – Software as a Service
Cloud based software via the internet that does not require hardware to run (ie: DocuWare Cloud)

BDR – Backup and Disaster Recovery
A backup disaster recovery device is a physical appliance that provides precise control over data backups.

DRaaS – Disaster Recovery as a Service
Similar to the SaaS acronym, DRaaS is a cloud-based subscription solution that does not require hardware to run.

RTO – Recovery Time Objective
The time it takes to fully recover data after a disaster strikes. If a company’s RTO is one day, that means that it could take an entire day for IT to recover all data and ensure all applications and systems are functioning properly.

API – Application Programming Interface
A software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. Each time you use an app like Facebook, send an instant message, or check the weather on your phone, you’re using an API.

NAS – Network Attached Storage
A storage device connected to a network that allows storage and retrieval of data from a centralized location for authorized network users. Differs from a SAN in that it is usually a more basic storage device connected directly to the network.

SAN – Storage Area Network
A dedicated high-speed network or subnetwork that interconnects storage devices to multiple servers. A SAN moves storage resources off the common user network and reorganizes them into an independent, high-performance network.

Router
A piece of network hardware that sends and receives data on a network and connects a local network to the internet.

Switch
Connects all devices together to create a network. Smaller switches enable multiple devices to be connected to a single port, similar to a power strip for electricity.

RMM – Remote Monitoring and Management
A type of platform designed to help managed IT service providers remotely and proactively monitor client endpoints, networks and computers.

Data Center
Centralized locations where computing and networking equipment is concentrated for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data.

Virtualization
The process of creating a software-based, or virtual, representation of something, such as virtual applications, servers, computers, storage and networks.

Hyperconvergence
Combines your IT storage, computing and networking into a single system, replacing racks upon racks of complicated hardware and tangled wires with decks roughly the size and shape of an extra-large pizza box that can be managed virtually.

If you you need any IT-related assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us. Call a TGI representative today at 1-866-468-4462 or get in touch online.