GlossaryGuide

A group of two or more computer systems linked together for the purpose of communications or application distribution. There are many types of computer networks, including local area networks (LANs)—made up of computers that are geographically close, and wide area networks (WANs)—where computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves… Continue reading Computer Network

A class of software that provides a controlled development environment for computer programming teams. CASE systems offer tools to automate, manage, and simplify the program development process. These tools can include software for summarizing initial requirements, developing data flow diagrams, scheduling development tasks, preparing documentation, controlling software versions, and developing program code. While many CASE… Continue reading Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools

A set of conventions that governs the communications between processes. These conventions specify the format and content of messages to be exchanged and allow different computers using different software to communicate.

The reexamination and redesign of business processes with the aim of achieving significant improvements in system performance measures such as cost, quality, safety, and reliability.

A group of activities that takes one or more types of inputs to produce an output that is of value to customers. For example, pavement repair is a business process consisting of several tasks using agency labor, materials, and equipment to restore the smoothness of the roadway.

A computer-based procedure designed to move large data files. The procedure usually involves data compression, blocking, or buffering to maximize data transfer rates.

A request initiated by a user to access a database for which he or she does not have access privileges. The criteria used to evaluate this request are called the “authorization rule.”

Data items containing the lowest level of detail. For example, in a daily maintenance activity report, the individual equipment used would be atomic data, while rollups like summary totals from equipment rental invoices are aggregate data (see also aggregate data).

A strategic approach to managing transportation infrastructure. Asset Management requires integrated data and information to make comprehensive decisions regarding assets.

A collection of computer files that have been packaged together for backup, for transfer to some other location, for saving away from the computer so that more hard disk storage can be made available, or for some other purpose. An archive can include a simple list of files or files organized under a directory or… Continue reading Archive