Reference Guide

100 Glossary
MCA
Abbreviation for Micro Channel Architecture, which is
designed for multiprocessing. MCA eliminates
potential conflicts that arise when installing new
peripheral devices. MCA is not compatible with either
EISA or XT bus architecture, so older cards cannot be
used with it.
memory
A system can contain several different forms of
memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory.
Frequently, the word memory is used as a synonym for
RAM; for example, an unqualified statement such as
"a system with 16 MB of memory" refers to a system
with 16 MB of RAM.
memory address
A specific location, usually expressed as a hexadecimal
number, in the system's RAM.
memory manager
A utility that controls the implementation of memory
in addition to conventional memory, such as extended
or expanded memory.
memory module
A small circuit board containing DRAM chips that
connects to the system board.
MHz
Abbreviation for megahertz.
MIB
Acronym for management information base. The MIB
is used to send detailed status/commands from or to an
SNMP managed device.
microprocessor
The primary computational chip inside the system that
controls the interpretation and execution of arithmetic
and logic functions. Software written for one
microprocessor must usually be revised to run on
another microprocessor. CPU is a synonym for
microprocessor.
MIDI
Acronym for musical instrument digital interface.
mm
Abbreviation for millimeter(s).
modem
A device that allows your system to communicate with
other systems over telephone lines.
modular system
A system that can include multiple server modules.
Each server module functions as an individual system.
To function as a system, a server module is inserted
into a chassis which includes power supplies, fans, a
system management module, and at least one network
switch module. The power supplies, fans, system
management module, and network switch module are
shared resources of the server modules in the chassis.
See server module.
MOF
Acronym for managed object format, which is an ASCII
file that contains the formal definition of a CIM schema.
mouse
A pointing device that controls the movement of the
cursor on a screen. Mouse-aware software allows you to
activate commands by clicking a mouse button while
pointing at objects displayed on the screen.
MPEG
Acronym for Motion Picture Experts Group. MPEG is
a digital video file format.
ms
Abbreviation for millisecond(s).
MS-DOS
Acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System.
MTBF
Abbreviation for mean time between failures.