Operating instructions

client/server network A network that has dedicated server machines and cli
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ent machines.
clock An electronic circuit that uses a quartz crystal to generate evenly
spaced pulses at speeds of millions of cycles per second. These pulses are used to
synchronize the flow of information through the computer’s internal commu
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nication channels.
clock cycle A single charge to the clock wire of a CPU.
clock multiplying CPU A CPU that takes the incoming clock signal and mul
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tiples it inside the CPU to let the internal circuitry of the CPU run faster.
clock speed The speed at which a CPU executes instructions, measured in
MHz or GHz. In modern CPUs, the internal speed is generally a multiple of the
external speed. See also clock multiplying CPU.
cluster The basic unit of storage on a floppy or hard disk. Two or more sectors
are contained in a cluster. When Windows stores a file on disk, it writes those files
into dozens or even hundreds of contiguous clusters. If there aren’t enough con-
tiguous open clusters available, the operating system finds the next open cluster
and writes there, continuing this process until the entire file is saved. The FAT
tracks how the files are distributed among the clusters on the disk.
CMD.EXE In Windows, the file that contains the command processor. Usually
located in the C:\WINNT\system32 folder on a Windows PC.
CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) Originally, the type of
non-volatile RAM that held information about the most basic parts of your PC
such as hard drives, floppies, and amount of DRAM. Today, actual CMOS chips
have been replaced by Flash-type non-volatile RAM. The information is the
same, however, and is still called CMOS—even though it is now almost always
stored on Flash RAM.
CNR (Communications and Network Riser) A proprietary slot used on some
motherboards to provide a sound inference–free connection for modems,
sound cards, and NICs.
coaxial cable Cabling in which an internal conductor is surrounded by an
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other, outer conductor, thus sharing the same axis.
GLOSSARY 15
Passport / Mike Meyers‘ A+ Certification Passport / Meyers / 226308-3 / Glossary
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