Certified - CompTIA Server+

Welcome to The Bare Metal Cyber Server Plus Prepcast. This series helps you prepare for the exam with focused explanations and practical context.
This is the final installment of our Server Plus glossary series. In this episode, we are covering all remaining acronyms from the letters P through Z. These include backup techniques, power systems, secure protocols, core networking functions, and technologies for monitoring, updates, and storage. Each of these terms appears across the Server Plus domains and contributes directly to configuration and troubleshooting scenarios you will encounter both in the exam and on the job.
Port Address Translation, or P A T, allows multiple internal systems to share a single public I P address for external communication. It works by assigning unique port numbers to each outgoing session and mapping them back to the internal host. This technique is often used in combination with Network Address Translation and is vital for conserving address space and securing internal networks.
Redundant Array of Independent Disks, or R A I D, is a storage configuration method used to improve performance, add fault tolerance, or achieve both goals simultaneously. Each R A I D level serves a specific purpose. For example, R A I D zero increases speed but provides no redundancy, while R A I D one mirrors data for protection. Administrators use levels like R A I D five and R A I D ten to balance space, performance, and availability.
Just a Bunch of Disks, or J B O D, refers to a group of drives that are not configured in any R A I D format. There is no redundancy or striping. The drives function independently or may be concatenated into a single logical volume. This setup is inexpensive and simple, but it provides no protection if a drive fails.
Mean Time Between Failures, or M T B F, estimates how long a hardware component is likely to function before failing. It is a common metric used when comparing server-grade parts like hard drives or power units. Mean Time to Recover, or M T T R, measures how long it takes to restore full functionality after a failure. These reliability metrics are critical when designing systems that require high availability and rapid recovery.
Recovery Point Objective, or R P O, defines how much data loss is acceptable in terms of time. If the R P O is one hour, that means backup systems must run frequently enough that no more than one hour of data is ever lost. Recovery Time Objective, or R T O, defines how quickly systems must be restored after a disruption. These two concepts are foundational to disaster recovery planning and continuity strategy.
Uninterruptible Power Supply, or U P S, provides emergency power to keep systems running during outages. It prevents immediate shutdowns, allowing servers to either continue operating or shut down gracefully. Power Distribution Unit, or P D U, distributes electrical power to devices within a server rack. Some advanced models also support monitoring, switching, and remote control of outlets.
A Customer Replaceable Unit, or C R U, is any component that can be replaced by the end user without professional service. These components include drives, memory modules, and some power supplies. Understanding which parts qualify under this category helps organizations reduce downtime and avoid unnecessary service costs.
British Thermal Unit, or B T U, is a unit of heat used to measure how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of water. In a data center, B T U calculations help determine how much cooling equipment is required to maintain safe temperatures. Combined with Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems, it ensures hardware longevity and system stability.
Wake on Local Area Network, or W O L, allows administrators to remotely power on servers that are turned off. This is done by sending a special packet, known as a magic packet, over the network. It is useful for remote maintenance, patching, or rebooting systems outside of business hours.
Secure Sockets Layer, or S S L, and its successor, Transport Layer Security, or T L S, are cryptographic protocols that secure data transmission over networks. They are used to encrypt everything from web browsing sessions to email communication and server configuration tools. While S S L is still mentioned, T L S is the modern standard and is supported by almost all current platforms.
Secure Shell, or S S H, provides encrypted command-line access to remote servers. It is commonly used by administrators to manage Linux or Unix systems over untrusted networks. Unlike Telnet, which transmits data in plain text, S S H ensures that passwords and commands are protected end to end.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, or H T T P S, combines standard web browsing with T L S encryption. It secures communications between clients and web servers, protecting login data, personal information, and transactions. Most modern websites default to H T T P S, and servers often require valid digital certificates for full implementation.
For more cyber related content and books, please check out cyber author dot me. Also, there are other prepcasts on Cybersecurity and more at Bare Metal Cyber dot com.
Virtual Private Network, or V P N, creates a secure tunnel between a user’s system and a remote network. All traffic that passes through the tunnel is encrypted, preventing outside observers from reading or altering the data. V P Ns are commonly used by remote workers and traveling employees to access corporate systems as if they were inside the local network.
Multifactor Authentication, or M F A, adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide more than one method of identification before gaining access. This usually combines something the user knows, like a password, with something they have, such as a phone or smart token. M F A reduces the risk of unauthorized access by preventing attackers from relying solely on stolen passwords.
Transmission Control Protocol and User Datagram Protocol—T C P and U D P—serve as the foundation of most network communication. T C P ensures reliable delivery by establishing a connection and checking that all packets arrive in the correct order. U D P skips those checks, making it faster but less reliable. The choice between T C P and U D P depends on whether the priority is speed or reliability.
Internet Protocol, or I P, is responsible for addressing and routing data across networks. It ensures that each packet of data reaches its destination based on the I P address assigned to the receiving device. Together with T C P or U D P, it forms the backbone of how information travels between servers, clients, and the internet.
Internet Control Message Protocol, or I C M P, is used primarily for diagnostics and error reporting in network communication. It supports tools like ping and traceroute, which help administrators determine if a system is reachable or where delays are occurring. Though it does not transport user data, I C M P is vital for verifying network health and connectivity.
Address Resolution Protocol, or A R P, maps I P addresses to physical M A C addresses on a local network. This translation is necessary for devices to deliver packets correctly on a subnet. A R P tables store these mappings temporarily, and understanding how to manage or clear them can resolve issues like duplicate I P conflicts or unreachable hosts.
Server Message Block, or S M B, is a network file sharing protocol used mainly in Windows environments. It allows applications and users to read, write, and modify files on a remote system as if they were local. Network File System, or N F S, provides similar capabilities in Linux and Unix systems. Common Internet File System, or C I F S, is an older implementation of S M B, but the term is still widely used in documentation and on the exam.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, or S M T P, is used to send email messages between servers. Post Office Protocol version three, or P O P three, allows email clients to retrieve messages from the server and usually downloads them locally. Internet Message Access Protocol version four, or I M A P four, also retrieves messages but keeps them on the server, allowing synchronized access from multiple devices.
Structured Query Language, or S Q L, is a language used to manage and query databases. Server systems use S Q L to store and retrieve data for applications, websites, and services. Understanding basic S Q L commands can be useful for troubleshooting and administration, especially when working with database servers in the enterprise.
Visual Basic Script, or V B S, is a scripting language developed by Microsoft that is commonly used in Windows environments to automate administrative tasks. Although it is largely being replaced by PowerShell, V B S still appears in legacy systems and scripted deployment tools. Knowing how to read and interpret basic V B S scripts can help when maintaining older server infrastructures.
Internet Information Services, or I I S, is the web server role in Microsoft Windows Server. It supports web hosting, F T P services, and application frameworks like A S P dot N E T. Administrators use I I S to host websites, configure SSL certificates, and manage service logging on Windows-based web servers.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, or L D A P, enables applications and services to query directory structures for user accounts, groups, and permissions. It is commonly used with Microsoft Active Directory, but also functions across other directory services. L D A P is essential for centralized authentication and authorization across enterprise networks.
Simple Network Management Protocol, or S N M P, allows administrators to monitor devices and systems across a network. It uses a centralized management station to collect data like interface usage, uptime, or failure conditions from network equipment. S N M P is widely used in server health dashboards, alerting systems, and automated maintenance tools.
System Center Configuration Manager, or S C C M, is a Microsoft platform used to deploy operating systems, manage software updates, and enforce compliance policies across many devices. It supports remote management, asset tracking, and patch automation in enterprise environments. Understanding what S C C M can do helps administrators plan efficient and secure infrastructure.
Windows Server Update Services, or W S U S, allows organizations to manage the distribution of Microsoft updates within their internal network. Administrators use W S U S to approve or decline patches, schedule update windows, and generate reports on compliance. This tool is particularly useful in environments where update timing needs to be carefully controlled.
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or U E F I, is the modern replacement for legacy BIOS. It provides faster boot times, better security, and support for larger drives using the G P T format. Unlike BIOS, which operates in 16-bit mode, U E F I can use full graphics and mouse input for system configuration screens.
Master Boot Record, or M B R, is the older method of partitioning drives and initiating the boot process. It supports up to four primary partitions and disks no larger than two terabytes. While M B R is still used on legacy systems, most modern servers have moved to G P T for greater flexibility and performance.
Globally Unique Identifiers, often seen as U U I D, are 128-bit values used to identify devices, files, or configurations uniquely across systems. A related concept is Unique Identifier, or U I D, which is commonly used to represent users or objects within a system. Security Identifier, or S I D, is a Windows-specific term used to define access control across Active Directory and file systems.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or P C I D S S, outlines requirements for systems that handle credit card transactions. It enforces secure encryption, data retention limits, access control, and other practices to prevent data breaches. If a server handles payment data, compliance with P C I D S S is mandatory to avoid fines and protect customer information.
Z File System, or Z F S, is an advanced file system that combines features like high capacity, volume management, data integrity checks, and snapshots. It was originally developed by Sun Microsystems and is widely used in systems that prioritize long-term reliability. Z F S is not native to Windows but is often encountered in FreeBSD, Solaris, and some Linux distributions.
Execute Disable, or X D, is a security feature found in modern processors that helps prevent certain types of malicious code from executing in memory. When enabled, it marks specific areas of memory as non-executable. This stops some buffer overflow attacks and contributes to defense-in-depth strategies.
Revolutions Per Minute, or R P M, is used to measure the rotational speed of spinning hard drives. Faster drives, such as those operating at 10,000 or 15,000 R P M, provide lower latency and higher throughput. R P M can also refer to Red Hat Package Manager, which is the file format used to install and manage software in Red Hat and related Linux distributions.
Request for Comment, or R F C, refers to the formal documents that define internet standards and protocols. Each R F C is published by the Internet Engineering Task Force and describes technical specifications, use cases, or implementation details. Many core technologies, including I P, T C P, and D N S, are all defined through these open standards.
You have now completed the full glossary set for the Server Plus exam. From A C L to R F C, these acronyms represent the language of the server world. Understanding them in both exam and operational context will help you navigate technical questions, interpret logs, and troubleshoot issues with clarity and confidence.