Users Guide

Glossary 165
cache
A fast storage area that keeps a copy of data or instructions for quicker data
retrieval. For example, your system's BIOS may cache ROM code in faster RAM.
Or, a disk-cache utility may reserve RAM in which to store frequently accessed
information from your system's disk drives; when a program makes a request to a
disk drive for data that is in the cache, the disk-cache utility can retrieve the data
from RAM faster than from the disk drive.
capability
Refers to the actions that an object can perform, or actions that can be taken on
a managed object. For example, if a card is hot-pluggable, it is capable of being
replaced while the system power is on.
CDRAM
Abbreviation for cached DRAM, which is a high-speed DRAM memory chip
developed by Mitsubishi that includes a small SRAM cache.
CD-ROM
Abbreviation for compact disc read-only memory. CD drives use optical
technology to read data from CDs. CDs are read-only storage devices; you cannot
write new data to a CD with standard CD drives.
CHAP
Acronym for Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol, an authentication
scheme used by PPP servers to validate the identity of the originator of the
connection upon connection or any time later.
chip
A set of microminiaturized, electronic circuits that are designed for use as
processors and memory in systems. Small chips can hold from a handful to tens
of thousands of transistors. They look like tiny chips of aluminum, no more than
1/16 inch square by 1/30 inch thick, which is where the term "chip" came from.
Large chips, which can be more than a half inch square, hold millions of
transistors. It is actually only the top one thousandth of an inch of a chip's surface
that holds the circuits. The rest of it is just a base.