Server logs
Records of server events, requests and errors. They support diagnosis and auditing and need access controls, retention rules and limited secret recording.
Definition and sourcesKNOWLEDGE / FROM A TO Z
Glossary
Technology, explained clearly. Find a term, choose a letter or narrow the topic. Definitions include sources and their review date.
Terms 95 / 685
Clear filtersServerless computing
A model where the provider manages substantial server and scaling responsibilities. Servers still exist; execution limits, costs and dependencies need assessment.
Definition and sourcesSite reliability engineering
Applying software engineering to reliability and operations. It includes service objectives, error budgets and reducing manual toil, not merely monitoring.
Definition and sourcesSMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
A protocol for transferring email between servers and submitting messages from clients. Authentication and TLS use additional mechanisms. SMTP is not a mailbox-reading protocol and does not itself define encryption.
Definition and sourcesSnapshot
A point-in-time view of a resource. Application consistency and independence depend on the mechanism; snapshots do not always replace backups.
Definition and sourcesSolid-state drive
Storage based on semiconductor memory without spinning platters. Interface, controller and memory type affect performance; SSD does not automatically mean NVMe.
Definition and sourcesSQL (Structured Query Language)
A language for defining, querying and modifying data, primarily in relational systems. Vendors implement different dialects. Queries working in one database can require changes in another.
Definition and sourcesSQL table prefix
An initial part of a table name, such as wp_ in wp_posts. It distinguishes groups of tables. Database.table or schema.table qualifies a name rather than supplying this prefix. A prefix alone does not secure a database.
Definition and sourcesSSH (Secure Shell)
Protocols for authenticated, encrypted remote connections, including command execution and tunnelling. OpenSSH is an implementation. File transfers can use SFTP or other supported mechanisms.
Definition and sourcesSSH File Transfer Protocol
A file-transfer and management protocol over SSH. It differs from FTP over TLS and requires user authentication and host verification.
Definition and sourcesSSH key
A private/public key pair used for SSH authentication. Protect the private key; verifying the server's host key is a separate check.
Definition and sourcesSSL/TLS
TLS protects transmission confidentiality and integrity and provides authentication. SSL is its retired predecessor, although “SSL certificate” remains a common phrase. Modern deployments should use correctly configured TLS rather than historical SSL.
Definition and sourcesUptime monitoring
Periodic service-availability checks from defined locations. Reports depend on frequency and criteria; monitoring on the same VPS can fail alongside it.
Definition and sourcesURL (Uniform Resource Locator)
An address identifying a resource and how to access it. It can include a scheme, host, path, query and fragment. Not every URL has every component, and multiple addresses can reach the same resource.
Definition and sourcesVarnish Cache
An HTTP caching reverse proxy and accelerator. Cookie, authentication and private-content rules need care to prevent cross-user data exposure.
Definition and sourcesVirtualisation
Creating logical environments on shared physical resources. Isolation and guaranteed resources depend on technology and configuration rather than the VPS label alone.
Definition and sourcesVolumetric attack
An attack overwhelming connectivity or infrastructure with traffic volume. Mitigation generally needs filtering upstream of the overloaded resource, not just application-server rules.
Definition and sourcesVPN (Virtual Private Network)
A virtual private network connecting devices or networks through other infrastructure. Common implementations encrypt traffic to the VPN endpoint. It provides neither complete anonymity nor phishing protection; tunnel scope and provider trust matter.
Definition and sourcesVPS (Virtual Private Server)
A virtual server with its own operating environment on shared physical infrastructure. Guaranteed resources depend on the offer. The label alone determines neither cost nor performance; administration, backups and monitoring also matter.
Definition and sourcesWeb application firewall
A firewall analysing application traffic, especially HTTP, using security rules. It mitigates some attacks but does not replace vulnerability fixes or application authorisation.
Definition and sourcesWebmaster
A traditional term for someone maintaining a website's operation, updates and publishing. Scope varies by organisation. Larger teams may divide those responsibilities among administrators, developers and editors.
Definition and sourcesWHMCS
A platform automating hosting sales and service operations, including billing and accounts. Integrations can have broad permissions and need protected secrets and updates.
Definition and sourcesZero trust
An approach avoiding implicit trust based on network location. Access is evaluated for user, device and resource; it is not one product to install.
Definition and sources