Glossary

The glossary includes terms and definitions for Control Desk.

The following cross-references are used in this glossary:

See refers you from a term to a preferred synonym, or from an acronym or abbreviation to the defined full form.
See also refers you to a related or contrasting term.

To view glossaries for other IBM products, go to www.ibm.com/software/globalization/terminology (opens in new window).

A

access collection: A group of objects that have data-level access control and to which users are granted role-based access.
action: A defined task that an application performs on an object as a result of an event.
activated processor core: A processor core that is managed or used by a product, regardless of whether the capacity of the processor core can be limited through virtualization technologies.
activity template: A structured collection of tasks that can be reused in specific process workflows.
actual configuration item: A configuration item with the attributes and relationships assigned by a discovery program See also authorized configuration item.
administration server: The database and web interface that software asset managers use for maintaining information about license entitlements and instances of installed products.
agent: A process that performs an action on behalf of a user or other program without user intervention or on a regular schedule, and reports the results back to the user or program.
anchor: An agent that enables discovery programs to access data from machines that have firewalls or another kind of protections.
artifact: Any file, object, or other piece of data that is created or used during the execution of a process.
asset: A manageable object that is either deployed or intended to be deployed in an operational environment. See also configuration item.
attribute: A characteristic or trait of an entity that describes the entity; for example, the telephone number of an employee is one of the employee attributes.
audit: In ITIL, the act of confirming compliance with a standard or set of guidelines, or comparing actual measurements to targets, or verifying the accuracy of recorded information.
authentication: In computer security, verification of the identity of a user or process and the construction of a data structure that contains the privileges that were granted to the user or process.
authorization: The process of granting a user, system, or process either complete or restricted access to an object, resource, or function.
authorized asset: An asset that conforms to specified rules and relationships assigned to it and can therefore be installed. See also deployed asset.
authorized configuration item: A configuration item that is under the control of configuration management and change management processes. See also actual configuration item.
automated creation: An optional process that automatically generates a generic asset or configuration item during automated linking, whenever the counterpart of an authorized asset or CI cannot be found.
automated linking: An optional process that uses link rules and discovered data to automatically match and link authorized assets and configuration items that represent the same IT resource, so they can be managed together.
automated synchronization: An optional process that is used to make equal the attributes and values of an authorized asset and its corresponding configuration item at the time they are first linked. Thereafter, synchronization occurs automatically when triggered by an attribute or attribute value change to either the authorized asset or the CI, whichever changes first.

B

baseline: A snapshot of a configuration item (CI) or a set of configuration items (CIs) frozen at a point in time for a particular purpose. A baseline can be recorded to ensure that the infrastructure can be restored to a trusted state should a change fail or the CI need to be built again. A baseline will also be established for the roll out of new CIs and for use in a disaster recovery situation.
baseline member: A configuration item that has been added to a baseline.
bundle: To package a collection of individually orderable components or products into a single offering, often for promotional purposes. Software manufacturers typically offer a single license to cover all components of a bundled offering.
business rule: A representation of how business policies or practices apply to a business activity.

C

CA: See certificate authority.
capacity planning: The process of determining the hardware and software configuration required to accommodate the anticipated workload on a system.
catalog: A container for one or more offerings that a user can request.
catalog request: One or more offerings that have been ordered by a service requester. Catalog requests are fulfilled via the activities of the Service Catalog approval workflow.
certificate: In computer security, a digital document that binds a public key to the identity of the certificate owner, thereby enabling the certificate owner to be authenticated. A certificate is issued by a certificate authority and is digitally signed by that authority. See also certificate authority, certificate signing request.
certificate authority (CA): A trusted third-party organization or company that issues the digital certificates. The certificate authority typically verifies the identity of the individuals who are granted the unique certificate. See also certificate.
certificate signing request (CSR): An electronic message that an organization sends to a certificate authority (CA) in order to obtain a certificate. The request includes a public key and is signed with a private key; the CA returns the certificate after signing with its own private key. See also certificate, keystore.
change implementation schedule: A view in change management that shows the start and end dates for changes to selected configuration items in the environment, the RFC that defines the change, and other details.
change management: The process of planning for and executing changes to configuration items in the information technology environment. The primary objective of change management is to enable beneficial changes to be made with minimum disruption to services.
change window: A period of time defined for one or more configuration items, which specifies when the CIs can be taken out of service for changes to be made, with minimal impact on services.
change window conflict: A condition that occurs when implementation tasks have been scheduled for a CI outside its change window.
CI: See configuration item.
client: A software program or computer that requests services from a server.
CMDB: See Configuration Management Database.
CMS: See configuration management system.
cold backup: For programs that are resident on backup systems, a configuration in which a copy of the program is installed for backup purposes, but has not been started. See also hot backup, warm backup.
command: A statement used to initiate an action or start a service. A command consists of the command name abbreviation, and its parameters and flags if applicable.
comparison rule: A component of a reconciliation task that is used to compare attributes of linked objects from two data sets. See also link rule, reconciliation task, task filter.
compliance: A state of being in accordance with established software and security specifications on target computers, or the process of becoming so.
component: A software item that is part of a software product, and might be separately identified, but is not individually licensed.
condition code: A code that reflects the result of a previous input/output, arithmetic, or logical operation.
configuration audit: A physical check on the infrastructure to determine whether the Configuration Management database (CMDB) and the physical configuration items correspond.
configuration item (CI): Any component of an information technology infrastructure that is under the control of configuration management. See also asset.
configuration management: The process of planning for, identifying, controlling, and verifying the configuration items within a service, recording and reporting their status and, in support of change management, assessing the potential impact of changing those items.
Configuration Management Database (CMDB): A database that contains details about the attributes and history of each configuration item and the details about the relationships between configuration items.
configuration management system (CMS): A set of databases and tools that are used to manage configuration data. A CMS can include one or more CMDBs, plus data about changes, incidents, and other artifacts and processes. The CMS is maintained by the configuration management process and used by all service management processes.
confirmed instance: An instance of an installed software product that has been explicitly assigned to one or more bundles.
core: A single chip that houses a central processing unit (CPU) and is a component in the larger circuit design of a computer. A single chip can only contain one CPU, but a processor can contain multiple cores. See also dual-core, multi-core, processor value unit.
craft: A work activity performed by a labor, for example, "plumbing."
credential: Information acquired during authentication that describes a user, group associations, or other security-related identity attributes, and that is used to perform services such as authorization, auditing, or delegation. For example, a user ID and password are credentials that allow access to network and system resources.
cron task: A task that is set to run automatically at an appointed time.
CSR: See certificate signing request.

D

DASD: See direct access storage device.
database query tool: Any utility that requests information from a database, based on specific conditions.
data schema: See schema.
data source: The source of data itself, such as a database or XML file, and the connection information necessary for accessing the data. See also integration adapter, mapping.
data space: A separate area of addressable storage that contains only data. A data space can hold up to 2 gigabytes of data.
deciding class: The class whose number of instances in the source database determines how many instances Integration Composer creates in the target database.
definitive media library (DML): A logical representation of one or more locations where all quality controlled versions of all media configuration items (CIs) are held in their definitive form, together with any associated CIs such as license and other documentation.
delta: Data or other content that has changed since a previous benchmark.
deploy: To place or install an asset into an operational environment.
deployed asset: A manageable object that exists in an IT environment, such that its presence can be verified (for example, by using a discovery tool). See also authorized asset.
direct access storage device (DASD): A device that allows storage to be directly accessed, such as a disk drive.
directory server: A server that can add, delete, change, or search directory information on behalf of a client.
discover: To identify resources within a network environment.
discovery: The process of identifying the configuration items present in an IT environment.
discovery server: A server that is used to collect, store, and work with configuration item information using the configuration management database.
discovery tool: A program that scans computers and other devices connected to a network and records information about their installed hardware and software.
distributed: Pertains to non-mainframe hardware platforms, including personal computers and workstations. See also distributed software.
distributed software (DSW): Software that runs on personal computers, workstations, or servers, rather than on mainframes. See also distributed.
DML: See definitive media library.
DSW: See distributed software.
dual-core: Referring to a system that integrates two processors into one virtual processor. See also core, multi-core.

E

early support program (ESP)

A program that provides customers with a prerelease level of a product to help IBM evaluate the fitness of the product and the readiness of IBM support.

embedded

Pertains to a version of prerequisite middleware, for example an application server, that is included with and installed by another software product. Embedded middleware usually represents a functional subset of a licensed middleware product.

enclosing software

Any software product to which one or more components are assigned. The product is licensed as a whole and determines the licensing relationship of the components that are defined as its parts.

entitlement

In software licensing, the maximum allowed allocation of capacity as determined by a license agreement.

ESP

See early support program.

exclusion mask

A mask that is used to exclude a type of data from a data collection algorithm.

expectation list

A list of software items that are expected to be installed on the computers in a network. The list can be verified against the results of software scans. See also raw data set, software item.

extended attribute

In configuration management, a configuration item (CI) attribute that is not part of the original CI definition, but is added by the customer.
In change management, a request for change (RFC) type attribute that provides information that is needed to fulfill the RFC. A required RFC type attribute must be specified when an RFC of that type is created.

F

filtering: A technique for selecting the information displayed in a view that uses criteria specified by a user.
foreign key: In a relational database, a key in one table that references the primary key in another table. See also primary key.
full-capacity: Pertains to a software licensing scheme that bases charges on the capacity of the entire machine or cluster of machines that is available to the licensed program, rather than on just one or more partitions. See also processor value unit, subcapacity.

G

generated value: A property whose value is generated automatically when a mapping is executed.
generic asset: An authorized asset that is automatically created during automated linking, whenever an authorized asset cannot be found, matched, and linked to an authorized CI.
generic configuration item: An authorized configuration item that is automatically created during automated linking, whenever an authorized CI cannot be found, matched, and linked to an authorized asset.
global knowledge base: A database of z/OS product information supplied by product software. It defines what products are installed on a system, or made available to the system to use.
Globally Unique Identifier (GUID): An algorithmically determined number that uniquely identifies an entity within a system.
global record: An incident or a problem with a root cause that is the cause of many other issues, or that affects many users.
GUID: See Globally Unique Identifier.

H

host name: In Internet communication, the name given to a computer. The host name might be a fully qualified domain name such as mycomputer.city.company.com, or it might be a specific subname such as mycomputer. See also IP address, network address.
hot backup: For programs that are running or resident on a backup systems, a configuration in which a copy of the program is installed for backup purposes, started, and actively doing work such as applying journaled database transactions. See also cold backup, warm backup.

I

IAS

See item assembly structure.

Identity Markup Language (IdML)

The XML format that is used to store data in the discovery library.

IdML

See Identity Markup Language.

impact analysis

The definition of the impact of a proposed change, including the identification of implementation tasks, targeted and impacted configuration items, and other possible effects to services or business processes.

impacted configuration item

A configuration item (CI) that is not the direct target of a proposed change, but which will be affected by the change. Impacted CIs are Often identified by relationships with target CIs.

implementation task

A task required to carry out a change. The performance of an implementation task might cause the targeted and impacted configuration items to be taken out of service. Identification of implementation tasks is often performed during impact analysis.

incident

An event that is not part of the standard operation of a service and causes or can cause a disruption to or a reduction in the quality of services and customer productivity.

incident management

The process of managing unexpected operational events with the primary objective of returning service to customers as quickly as possible.

inclusion mask

A mask that is used to include a type of data in a data collection algorithm.

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

A series of documents, created by the Office of Government Commerce in United Kingdom, that are used to help implement a framework for IT Service Management (ITSM). This framework defines how to organize the system and network management departments within specific organizations.

inquisitor

A program that locates load libraries on z/OS DASD devices, reads those load libraries and captures information from load modules.

inquisitor import

A set of programs that load raw Inquisitor data into DB2 tables on z/OS, for z/OS load modules and z/OS UNIX load modules.

instance

A set of servers that share a common runtime database, plus their corresponding brokers and queue managers.
A software product or component that is installed on a server or logical partition (LPAR).
A specific occurrence of an object that belongs to a class.

integration adapter

A set of files, including predefined mapping expressions, that transform data in a data source to the structure required by the target data source. See also data source, mapping, target database.

integration framework

A set of applications that facilitate two-way data exchange between a Tivoli Process Automation Engine-based product and external applications in real time or batch mode.

International Program License Agreement (IPLA)

An IBM licensing agreement for distributed and mainframe software that is sold on a one-time charge basis.

IP address

A unique address for a device or logical unit on a network that uses the Internet Protocol standard. See also host name, network address.

IPLA

See International Program License Agreement.

IT asset management

The process whereby an organization collects, tracks, and reports information about the value, ownership, and location of the IT assets that it owns.

item assembly structure (IAS)

A list of individual items and subassemblies that are required to build a piece of equipment or define the requirements of an operating location.

ITIL

See Information Technology Infrastructure Library.

IT infrastructure

All of the hardware, software, networks, and other facilities (but not people or processes) required to develop, test, deliver, monitor, control, or support IT services.

J

Java Database Connectivity (JDBC): An industry standard for database-independent connectivity between the Java platform and a wide range of databases. The JDBC interface provides a call level interface for SQL-based and XQuery-based database access.
Java Runtime Environment: See Java SE Runtime Environment.
Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE): A subset of the Sun Microsystems Java Development Kit (JDK) that contains the core executable programs and files that constitute the standard Java platform. The JRE includes the Java virtual machine (JVM), core classes, and supporting files.
JDBC: See Java Database Connectivity.
JRE: See Java SE Runtime Environment.

K

key: One or more characters within an item of data that are used to uniquely identify a record and establish its order with respect to other records.
keystore: In security, a file or a hardware cryptographic card where identities and private keys are stored, for authentication and encryption purposes. Some keystores also contain trusted, or public, keys. See also certificate signing request, truststore.
knowledge base: See software knowledge base.

L

labor: A person who carries out a specific job (a labor performs a craft).
LDAP: See Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
license: A legal agreement that authorizes the use of proprietary information including, but not limited to, copyrighted or patented information.
license scope: The breadth of a license in terms of enterprise, site, machine, or partition. If discovered software is found within the scope of a license, then that license might be used for that discovered instance.
lifecycle state: One of a defined set of status values that indicates the current state of a configuration item, such as development, test, production, or decommissioned.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP): An open protocol that uses TCP/IP to provide access to directories that support an X.500 model and that does not incur the resource requirements of the more complex X.500 Directory Access Protocol (DAP). For example, LDAP can be used to locate people, organizations, and other resources in an Internet or intranet directory.
linear asset: An asset that is maintained in segments, such as a road, pipeline, or railroad track. Measurements are made along the linear asset to specify work, monitoring, metering, or placement of signs. See also point asset.
link rule: A required component of a reconciliation task that is used to link instances from two data sets based on one or more common attributes. See also comparison rule, reconciliation task, task filter.
LMO: See logical management operation.
load module: A program in a form suitable for loading into main storage for execution.
local knowledge base: A database of z/OS product information in which the user can define their own software or occasional changes that they have made to the global knowledge base.
logical management operation (LMO): A generic function that is supported by a set of devices. For example, configuring an IP address on a network interface is a logical management operation supported by all operating systems. Although this is logically the same function, the steps for performing this function on each operating system are different. These steps are supported by provisioning workflows for that operating system.
logical partition (LP, LPAR): One or more virtualized images of a hardware computing system that can include shared and dedicated resources assigned from the pool of resources available on a physical server. Each image appears to the operating system running within it to be a unique instance of a physical server. See also virtualization.
log viewer: In Tivoli software, a utility that filters logs stored in a common XML format, and generates output in text or HTML format for easier viewing. See also Tivoli common directory, Tivoli XML log format.
LP: See logical partition.
LPAR: See logical partition.

M

managed software system (MSS)

An installed management system product that implements the managed operations that are targets for logical operations. An MSS contains information about configuration items, and this information is discovered by a sensor or discovery library adapter. Its functions might be invoked by a system integration module.

mapping

A target value expression.
A set of expressions that define how to create data in the target database using data from a source. See also data source, integration adapter, target database.

mapping expression

An expression that determines how Integration Composer transforms data instances in the original data source to a data instance in the target data source.

mapping file

A file that provides predefined mapping expressions to use to transform data instances in the original data source to data instances in of the target data source.

mask

A pattern of bits or characters that controls the keeping, deleting, or testing of portions of another pattern of bits or characters.

master release calendar

A view that displays timelines for all of the releases that are defined in the environment. The view provides general release information as well.

match engine

A program that identifies groups of load modules or executable files in the Inquisitor tables as belonging to certain products.

middleware

Software that acts as an intermediate layer between applications or between client and server. It is used most often to support complex, distributed applications in heterogeneous environments.

migrate

To move data from one location to another.

MSS

See managed software system.

multi-core

Referring to a system that integrates multiple processors into one virtual processor. See also core, dual-core.

N

network adapter: A physical device, and its associated software, that enables a processor or controller to be connected to a network.
network address: An identifier for a node in a network, for example an IP address. See also host name, IP address.
network device: A router, switch, hub, or other device that maintains network communication.
network scan: An automated process that discovers hardware devices, such as computer and printers, that exist in a network. Network scan results include details of the discovered devices, including IP addresses and device names. See also scan, software scan.

O

offering: An item or a service that can be ordered by a user from a catalog.
offering catalog taxonomy: A classification of offerings in a catalog.
operating system (OS): A collection of system programs that control the overall operation of a computer system.
operational management product: A product in the IT environment that supplies information about configuration items to the discovery process.
OS: See operating system.
overscanning: A situation in which more than one agent is scanning the same file system. See also underscanning.

P

package: In Java programming, a group of types. Packages are declared with the package keyword. (Sun)
parent software: In the software knowledge base, the product that contains a version, or the version that contains a release, or the release that contains a variation. See also software hierarchy, software knowledge base, variation, version.
partition: A logical division of storage on a fixed disk. See also subcapacity, virtualization.
partitioned data set (PDS): A data set on direct access storage that is divided into partitions, called members, each of which can contain a program, part of a program, or data.
path: The route through a file system to a specific file.
PDS: See partitioned data set.
PID: See product identifier.
platform: The combination of an operating system and hardware that makes up the operating environment in which a program runs.
point asset: An asset whose length or measure is not integral to its maintenance, such as an airplane or a train car. See also linear asset.
policy: A document that sets forth high-level statements of how changes, releases, or other processes are to be managed, organized, and performed.
portlet: A reusable component that is part of a web application that provides specific information or services to be presented in the context of a portal.
pricing metric: A measurement that defines how capacity is counted and applied against the customer's entitlement. See also entitlement.
primary key: In a relational database, a key that uniquely identifies one row of a database table. See also foreign key.
priority matrix: A data structure that is used to define and compute internal priorities for tickets by combining values entered for impact and urgency.
problem: Unknown underlying cause of one or more incidents.
process: A series of related activities aimed at achieving a set of objectives in a measurable, usually repeatable manner. A process can specify any of the roles, responsibilities, tools, and management controls required to reliably deliver its outputs.
process database: A database that is used by processes to store artifacts related to their operations.
process manager: A system of managing the execution of a process. A process manager operates the defined and agreed process, ensuring that it interfaces with all other relevant processes, target setting, process audits, effectiveness and efficiency reviews, and managing the process improvement cycle.
processor value unit (PVU): A unit of measure that is assigned to each processor core for software licensing purposes. PVUs vary according to chip architecture. See also core, full-capacity, subcapacity.
process template: A structured collection of activities and tasks that can be reused for specific process workflows. Process templates can be edited, created, cloned, and removed. Users typically apply and modify a process template when they design a workflow for a specific process.
product ID: See product identifier.
product identifier (PID, product ID): A unique value that identifies an IBM software product. Every mainframe and distributed IBM software product has a PID.
product tagger: A batch utility that assigns information to software products so that the software can be identified.
profile: Data that describes the characteristics of a user, group, resource, program, device, or remote location.
program library: A type of partitioned data set extended (PDSE) that contains program objects only. A program library is a PDSE from which programs are loaded into memory for execution by the operating system.
program object: All or part of a computer program in a form suitable for loading into virtual storage for execution. Program objects are stored in partitioned data set extended (PDSE) program libraries and have fewer restrictions than load modules. Program objects are produced by the binder.
promotion: The process of creating an authorized configuration item from an actual configuration item.
promotion scope: A template containing a mapping of classifications between actual configuration items (CIs) and the corresponding authorized CIs, used to promote an actual CI in order to create an authorized CI.
protected state: A lifecycle state requiring a Request for Change (RFC) in order to move a CI into or out of that state, or to modify any aspect of the CI while it is in the protected state.
proxy server: A server that receives requests intended for another server and that acts on behalf of the client (as the client's proxy) to obtain the requested service. A proxy server is often used when the client and the server are incompatible for direct connection. For example, the client is unable to meet the security authentication requirements of the server but should be permitted some services.
PVU: See processor value unit.

Q

query: A request for information from a database that is based on specific conditions: for example, a request for a list of all customers in a customer table whose balances are greater than USD1000.

R

raw data set

A file that contains unfiltered data about software items and manufacturers, obtained through software scans. A knowledge base analyst can use the raw data set as a basis for defining unique software items and signatures in the knowledge base. See also expectation list, signature candidate.

reconciliation

A transaction that compares discovered assets to authorized assets.
The process of synchronizing a file system with the server, and then removing old and obsolete objects from the server.
The process of comparing the actual and authorized versions of a set of configuration items and resolving variances between the two versions.

reconciliation task

A scheduled task that uses a collection of rules and filters to link and compare data from two data sets. See also comparison rule, link rule, task filter.

reference-based licensing

A software license in which charges are based on the capacity of a parent product or product family, rather than on the software product itself.

reference property

A property that points to a primary key property in a reference class.

regular expression

A set of characters, meta characters, and operators that define a string or group of strings in a search pattern.

relationship rule

A rule that is contained in a configuration item (CI) space and defines the relationships among authorized CIs created by the promotion process.

release

The third level in the software hierarchy, located between version and variation. A version of a product can have multiple releases, and a release of a product can have multiple variations. See also software hierarchy, variation, version.

release owner

A user who oversees the process of carrying out a release. The release owner is typically the release manager who creates a release, but ownership can be transferred to another release manager.

report group

A group that lists software items based on license compliance ownership. Typically, a report group contains software items that belong to a single customer for whom an audit report is generated.

repository

A persistent storage area for data and other application resources.

Representational State Transfer (REST)

A software architectural style for distributed hypermedia systems like the World Wide Web. The term is also often used to describe any simple interface that uses XML (or YAML, JSON, plain text) over HTTP without an additional messaging layer such as SOAP.

request for change (RFC)

A formal proposal for a change to any component of the information technology infrastructure or any aspect of an information technology service.

resource value unit (RVU)

A unit of measure by which a program can be licensed that is based on the number of units of a specific resource used or managed by the program.

response file

An ASCII file that can be customized with the setup and configuration data that automates an installation. During an interactive installation, the setup and configuration data must be entered, but with a response file, the installation can proceed without any intervention.

REST

See Representational State Transfer.

RFC

See request for change.

RFC type

The kind of change that a request for change (RFC) defines. Each RFC is required to have a type. Release management process owners can edit or remove the predefined RFC types and create new types.

RVU

See resource value unit.

S

scan

To systematically search a computer or a network for information about hardware, software, or configuration. See also network scan, software scan.

scan group

A group of agents that share the same configuration parameters, for example the same schedule for discovering distributed software assets.

schema

A collection of database objects such as tables, views, indexes, or triggers that define a database. A schema provides a logical classification of database objects.

script

A series of commands, combined in a file, that carry out a particular function when the file is run. Scripts are interpreted as they are run.

security group

A group defined for the purpose of providing access to applications and optionally to collections of data.

sensor

A program that reads information from a managed software system to create configuration information.

service

A program that is used to implement activities or to perform one-time or recurring system tasks.
An offering, function, or activity that performs a task in an organization, and is fulfilled through the use of an organization's intellectual, financial and physical assets.
A component type in the Tivoli Data Warehouse that is created by the IBM Tivoli Business Systems Manager product, displayed in the Executive Console, and provides independent status for associated SLAs based on violation and trend events.

service desk

The service management component that processes incidents and service requests, and serves as a single point of contact between service providers and users.

service level agreement (SLA)

A contract between a customer and a service provider that specifies the expectations for the level of service with respect to availability, performance, and other measurable objectives.

service request

A request from a user for help, information, advice, or access to an IT service.

shared file system

An operating system extension that allows multiple users or computers to use the same set of files at the same time, across a network. To each user, the shared file system appears to be an extension of the local file system.

shopping cart

A container that holds items that a user intends to order.

signature

The set of unique information that identifies a software application, such as the name, version, and file size of an application. See also signature candidate.

signature candidate

A file, registry entry, or other identifier that has to be verified and tested before it is applied as a valid software signature. See also raw data set, signature.

silent mode

A method for installing or uninstalling a product component from the command line with no GUI display. When using silent mode, you specify the data required by the installation or uninstallation program directly on the command line or in a file (called an option file or response file).

site

A subdivision of an organization that can track inventory and other data separately from other sites.

SLA

See service level agreement.

SMS-managed volume

A volume, managed by the storage management subsystem (SMS), that is defined in the active configuration.

software catalog

A portable representation of the contents of the software knowledge base that serves IT management applications including asset management, license management, and software provisioning. Catalog format and content might vary, depending on the target application. See also software knowledge base.

software hierarchy

The combination of software product, version, release, and variation that represents a software item in the software knowledge base. The product is the root of the hierarchy. See also parent software, release, software item, software knowledge base, variation, version.

software item

Any version of any software product or component. See also expectation list, software hierarchy.

software knowledge base

A collection of information about distributed software products and components, dependencies between them, the means to discover them, and their basic licensing properties. The knowledge base is used to generate software catalogs that asset management tools can use for software inventory identification, license compliance, and software provisioning. See also parent software, software catalog, software hierarchy.

software manufacturer

A business entity that produces software and, when the software is a commercial product, receives the license revenues.

software product

A software item that is licensed independently of other software items. For licensing purposes, software products are sometimes bundled into a single sales offering. See also unconfirmed instance.

software scan

An automated process that discovers instances of software installed on the computers in a network. The software scan results include details about discovered software, such as version numbers. See also network scan, scan.

software suite

A group of software applications licensed as a single unit; for example, an office software suite might include a spreadsheet application, a word processing application, and a photo editor.

software vendor

The source from which a customer purchases software, for example a retail outlet or e-commerce site.

solution

A predefined response to a commonly asked question or problem containing symptom, cause, and resolution information.
A set of one or more related case types, tasks, steps, and other components that provide documents, data, business processing, and routing to case workers. For example, a solution for a human resources department might include a case type for new hires, a case type for retirement, and a case type for employee termination.

source data

Data that is transformed and sent to the target database.

SQL

See Structured Query Language.

status

The state of a transaction at a particular point in time, such as whether it failed, was successful, or slow.
An attribute of a configuration item or other record, indicating the artifact's stage in the associated lifecycle.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

A standardized language for defining and manipulating data in a relational database.

subcapacity

Pertains to a software licensing scheme that bases charges on the capacity of the partition where the licensed program is used, rather than on the total capacity in the server. See also full-capacity, partition, processor value unit, virtualization, virtualization.

subscriber

A person who is registered to receive email notifications of events.

subsystem

A secondary or subordinate system, usually capable of operating independently of, or asynchronously with, a controlling system.

sysplex

A set of z/OS systems that communicate with each other through certain multisystem hardware components and software services.

system-level user

A user responsible for running system-level Java processes or cron tasks.

T

table: In a relational database, a database object that consists of a specific number of columns and is used to store an unordered set of rows.
target CI: A configuration item (CI) that is expected to be affected by a proposed change. A target CI can be defined when a request for change (RFC) is created, when an implementation task is defined, or at other points in the change process, especially during impact analysis.
target database: A database that receives transformed data from a source. See also integration adapter, mapping.
task: A unit of work representing one of the steps in a process.
task filter: A component of a reconciliation task that specifies a subset of objects to evaluate when a reconciliation task is executed. See also comparison rule, link rule, reconciliation task.
template: A predefined process of activity roadmap that can be applied to specific process workflows and modified to meet the needs of a specific workflow. Templates can be created, edited, cloned, or deleted.
ticket: A record, such as a service request, incident, or problem report, that can be routed and assigned a status.
Tivoli common directory: A common directory where Tivoli programs store message logs, event logs, or trace logs in XML format, for subsequent filtering by the Tivoli XML Log Viewer utility. See also log viewer, Tivoli XML log format.
Tivoli XML log format: A common format for storing message logs, event logs, or trace logs for subsequent filtering by the Tivoli XML Log Viewer utility. See also log viewer, Tivoli common directory.
topology: A graphical view of a configured item and its relationships.
trace: A record of the processing of a computer program or transaction. The information collected from a trace can be used to assess problems and performance.
truststore: In security, a storage object, either a file or a hardware cryptographic card, where public keys are stored in the form of trusted certificates, for authentication purposes in web transactions. In some applications, these trusted certificates are moved into the application keystore to be stored with the private keys. See also keystore.

U

unconfirmed instance: An instance of an installed software product that has not been explicitly assigned to any license. See also software product.
underscanning: A situation in which shared file system is not scanned at all, or some of its parts are not scanned. See also overscanning.

V

variation: The fourth, optional level in the software hierarchy, located after product, version, and release. A release of a product can have multiple variations. See also parent software, release, software hierarchy, version.
version: The second level in the software hierarchy, located between product and release. A product can have multiple versions, and a version have multiple releases. See also parent software, release, software hierarchy, variation.
viewport: The viewing area on a mobile device, such as a smartphone, to view all or part of a user interface. The viewport will be dependant on the zoom level and display dimensions of the mobile device.
virtualization: The creation of a virtual computing resource such as an operating system, server, storage device, or network resources in a one-to-many or many-to-one association. For example, a single operating system might be divided into multiple partitions that operate as independent systems, or multiple disk devices might appear as a single logical drive. See also logical partition, partition, subcapacity.
virtual machine (VM): An instance of a data-processing system that appears to be at the exclusive disposal of a single user, but whose functions are accomplished by sharing the resources of a physical data-processing system.
VM: See virtual machine.

W

warm backup: For programs that are running or resident on backup systems, a configuration in which a copy of the program is installed for backup purposes and started, but is idle. See also cold backup, hot backup.
WO: See work order.
workflow: The structured sequence of activities and tasks that are used to implement a specific change, release, or other process, including automatic routing and tracking of records for approval and other tasks.
work order (WO): A record that contains information about work that must be performed.

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