Engineering Glossary

From fundamental principles to cutting-edge practices, this glossary covers the full spectrum of software engineering terminology.

DevOps
Cloud Computing
Git
Containerization & Orchestration

Docker Container

A lightweight, portable unit that packages an application and its dependencies, allowing it to run consistently across different environments.
DevOps

Docker Log Management

Process of collecting, storing, and analyzing logs generated by Docker containers.
DevOps

Dokku

Mini-Heroku powered by Docker, helping developers quickly deploy their applications.
DevOps

Domain Drive Design (DDD)

Software design approach focusing on modeling software to match a domain according to input from domain experts.
DevOps

Drone

Cloud-native continuous integration and delivery platform that uses a simple YAML configuration file to define and execute pipelines.
DevOps

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

Security testing methodology that analyzes a running application to find vulnerabilities.
DevOps

Dynamic Infrastructure

IT infrastructure that can be programmatically allocated and managed, often associated with cloud computing and Infrastructure as Code.
DevOps

Dynatrace

Platform for application performance management, AI operations, cloud infrastructure monitoring, and digital experience management.
DevOps

EC2

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud; web service providing resizable compute capacity in the cloud.
DevOps

EKS

Managed Kubernetes service for easy deployment on AWS without the need to install and operate your own Kubernetes clusters.
DevOps

Edge Computing

Distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the location where it is needed.
DevOps

ElasticSearch

Distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine capable of addressing a growing number of use cases.
DevOps

Elasticity

Ability of a system to automatically scale up or down based on demand, crucial for efficient resource utilization in cloud environments.
DevOps

Emergent Design

Design approach where the architecture of a system evolves gradually as the system is developed.
DevOps

Enabling Team

Group that helps other teams to deliver software more effectively, often by providing tools and platforms.
DevOps

Encapsulation

Bundling of data with the methods that operate on that data, restricting direct access to some of an object's components.
DevOps

End-to-End Testing (EE Testing)

Methodology used to test whether the flow of an application is performing as designed from start to finish.
DevOps

Endpoint Security

Approach to protecting computer networks that are remotely bridged to client devices.
DevOps

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

Use of software and architectural principles to integrate enterprise applications.
DevOps

Enterprise Security

Overarching strategy and implementation of security measures across an entire organization.
DevOps

Environment

Set of conditions under which a piece of software is developed, tested, or run, including hardware, configuration, and other software.
DevOps

Environment Variable

Dynamic-named value that can affect the way running processes will behave on a computer.
DevOps

Environments

Different setups where software can be run, such as development, testing, staging, and production.
DevOps

Envoy

High-performance distributed proxy designed for cloud-native applications, often used as a service mesh component.
DevOps

Ephemeral Environments

Temporary, disposable environments created on-demand for testing or development, ensuring consistency and isolation.
DevOps

Error Budget

Acceptable amount of unplanned downtime or errors a service can experience without consequences.
DevOps

Error Log

Record of error messages generated by a software application or system, crucial for troubleshooting and monitoring.
DevOps

Error Tracking

Process of identifying, recording, and analyzing errors in software applications to improve reliability and user experience.
DevOps

Eucalyptus

Open-source software for building AWS-compatible private and hybrid cloud computing environments.
DevOps

Event Log

Record of events taking place in the execution of a system to provide an audit trail.
DevOps

Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)

Design paradigm in which the flow of the program is determined by events such as user actions, sensor outputs, or messages from other programs.
DevOps

Everything as Code (EaC)

Approach to managing all aspects of IT infrastructure and operations through code.
DevOps

Excessive Data Exposure

Security issue where an API returns more data than necessary, potentially revealing sensitive information.
DevOps

Exploratory Testing

Approach to software testing that emphasizes the tester's freedom and creativity to uncover issues.
DevOps

FAI (Fully Automatic Installer)

Tool for unattended mass installation of Linux systems, streamlining the process of setting up multiple machines.
DevOps

Fabric

Python library and command-line tool for streamlining the use of SSH for application deployment or systems administration tasks.
DevOps

Fail Fast

Design principle promoting immediate reporting of failures to enable quick detection and resolution of issues.
DevOps

Failed Builds

Instances where the compilation or integration process of software fails due to errors.
DevOps

False Positive

Error in evaluation where a condition is mistakenly flagged as true when it is actually false.
DevOps

Fargate

AWS serverless compute engine for containers that works with both Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS.
DevOps

Fault Tolerance

Property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of some of its components.
DevOps

Fear-driven Development

Anti-pattern where developers make decisions based on fear rather than best practices or data.
DevOps

Feature Branching

Practice of creating a separate branch in version control for each feature during development.
DevOps

Feature Flagging

Technique allowing teams to modify system behavior without changing code, enabling gradual rollouts and A/B testing.
DevOps

Feature Flags

Technique in software development that turns certain functionality on and off during runtime, without deploying new code.
DevOps

Feature Management

Practice of using feature flags to control and manage the lifecycle of features in software applications.
DevOps

Feature Toggle

Technique in software development for turning features on or off quickly without changing code.
DevOps

Fig

Tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications, now replaced by Docker Compose.
DevOps

File Inclusion

Vulnerability that allows an attacker to include a file, usually exploiting dynamic file inclusion mechanisms implemented in the target application.
DevOps

FinDevOps

Application of DevOps principles to financial services, emphasizing security and compliance.
DevOps

FinOps

Practice bringing financial accountability to cloud spending, enabling teams to balance speed, cost, and quality in business decisions.
DevOps

First Input Delay (FID)

Measure of responsiveness that quantifies the experience users feel when trying to interact with unresponsive pages.
DevOps

Five Nines

Discover the gold standard of system reliability: "five nines" uptime. Learn what 99.999% availability means, its importance, and the challenges in achieving this elite DevOps goal.
DevOps

Flaky Test

Test that sometimes passes and sometimes fails without any code changes, often causing frustration in CI/CD pipelines.
DevOps

Flow

The smooth, continuous movement of code from development to production, emphasizing automation, collaboration, and rapid feedback to optimize software delivery.
DevOps

Flow Metrics

Measurements used to understand and optimize the flow of work through a system, crucial in lean and agile methodologies.
DevOps

Flutter

Google's UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.
DevOps

Flynn

Open-source platform designed to simplify deploying and maintaining applications, offering a heroku-like experience using Docker containers.
DevOps

Foreman

Open-source tool for complete lifecycle management of physical and virtual servers, automating repetitive tasks and simplifying provisioning.
DevOps

Four Key Metrics

Set of metrics (lead time, deployment frequency, mean time to restore, change failure rate) used to measure software delivery performance.
DevOps

Four Nines

Explore the concept of "four nines" in system reliability. Learn what 99.99% uptime means, its importance in DevOps, and strategies to achieve this high availability standard.
DevOps

Four-eyes Principle

Security measure requiring two individuals to approve or perform an action, reducing the risk of fraud or errors.
DevOps

Fpm

Tool to easily build packages such as rpms, debs, and more, simplifying the process of creating software packages for different systems.
DevOps

Full Stack Observability

Comprehensive visibility into all parts of a software system, from front-end to back-end.
DevOps

Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)

Cloud computing service that allows execution of code in response to events without complex infrastructure.
DevOps

Functional Testing

Type of testing that verifies that each function of the software application operates according to the specification.
DevOps

Functions as a Service

Cloud computing execution model where developers run and manage application functionalities without the complexity of building and maintaining infrastructure.
DevOps

Fuzz Testing

Automated software testing technique that involves providing invalid, unexpected, or random data as inputs to a computer program.
DevOps

Gain Privileges

Process or action of obtaining higher levels of access or permissions in a system.
DevOps

Ganglia

Scalable distributed monitoring system for high-performance computing systems such as clusters and grids.
DevOps

Gemba

Japanese term meaning "the actual place," used in management to emphasize the importance of direct observation.
DevOps

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area.
DevOps

Gift Card Fraud

Unauthorized or deceptive use of gift cards for financial gain, often involving stolen card numbers or exploitation of card systems.
DevOps

Git Branch

Lightweight movable pointer to a commit in Git version control, allowing for parallel development and experimentation.
DevOps

Git Repository

Storage location for a Git project, containing all the files and their revision history.
DevOps

GitHub

Web-based hosting service for version control using Git, offering collaboration features, code review, and integration with various development tools.
DevOps

GitHub Actions

GitHub's built-in continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) platform, allowing automated build, test, and deployment workflows.
DevOps

GitLab

Web-based DevOps lifecycle tool that provides a Git-repository manager with wiki, issue-tracking and CI/CD pipeline features.
DevOps

GitOps

Framework applying DevOps best practices like version control, collaboration, compliance, and CI/CD to infrastructure automation.
DevOps

GitOps Operator

Software agent that implements GitOps practices, reconciling the desired state in Git with the actual state of the system.
DevOps

Gitflow Workflow

Git workflow that defines a strict branching model designed around the project release.
DevOps

Gitlab CI

GitLab's built-in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment tool, allowing automated testing and deployment of code changes.
DevOps

GoCD

Open-source continuous delivery server to model and visualize complex workflows.
DevOps

Golden Image

Pre-configured template for a virtual machine, used to create standardized instances.
DevOps

Google App Engine

Platform as a Service for developing and hosting web applications in Google-managed data centers.
DevOps

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Suite of cloud computing services running on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally.
DevOps

Governance

The policies, controls, and standards to ensure compliance, security, and quality across the software delivery pipeline while maintaining agility and efficiency.
DevOps

Gradle

Powerful build automation tool that supports multi-language development and offers a flexible, plugin-based architecture for customization.
DevOps

Grafana

Open-source platform for monitoring and observability, allowing users to visualize, alert on, and understand metrics from various data sources.
DevOps

Graphite

Monitoring tool that stores numeric time-series data and renders graphs of this data on demand.
DevOps

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; U.S. legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
DevOps

HTTP Requests

Messages sent by clients to initiate actions on servers, forming the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web.
DevOps

Hadoop Architecture

Framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers.
DevOps

HashiCorp Vault

Tool for securely accessing secrets like API keys, passwords, and certificates, central to modern secret management strategies.
DevOps

Heartbeat Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of a system or service to check if it's operational, often used in high-availability setups.
DevOps

Helm Chart

Package format for defining, installing, and upgrading complex Kubernetes applications, simplifying the deployment process.
DevOps

Heroku

Cloud platform as a service (PaaS) supporting several programming languages, used for deploying, managing, and scaling modern apps.
DevOps

High Availability

Characteristic of a system designed to avoid loss of service by reducing or managing failures.
DevOps

Hybrid Cloud

Computing environment that uses a mix of on-premises, private cloud and third-party, public cloud services.
DevOps

Hypothesis-Driven Development

Approach where features are treated as experiments to validate business outcomes.
DevOps
@mention

@mention

A feature in Git platforms that allows users to notify specific team members or reference issues by using the @ symbol followed by a username.
API preview

API preview

A feature allowing developers to test and provide feedback on new Git API functionality before it's officially released.
Bare Repository

Bare Repository

A Git repository containing version control information without a working directory, typically used as a central repository for collaboration.
Bisect

Bisect

A Git command used to perform a binary search through a repository's history to identify the commit that introduced a bug or issue.
Bitbucket Pipelines

Bitbucket Pipelines

An integrated CI/CD service in Bitbucket for automating builds, tests, and deployments.
Blame

Blame

A Git feature that shows which user last modified each line of a file, helping developers trace changes and understand code history.
Blamestorming

Blamestorming

A collaborative process of analyzing Git blame information to identify the source of bugs or issues in a codebase.
Branch

Branch

A parallel version of a repository, allowing developers to work on different features or experiments without affecting the main codebase.
Branch policies

Branch policies

Rules enforced on Git branches to ensure code quality, require reviews, or restrict certain actions before merging.
Business plan

Business plan

A premium subscription tier offered by Git hosting services, providing advanced features and support for enterprise users.
CA certificate

CA certificate

A digital certificate issued by a Certificate Authority, used in Git to establish secure HTTPS connections and verify server identities.
Cache

Cache

A temporary storage area that holds frequently accessed data for quick retrieval, improving system performance.
Checkout

Checkout

A Git command used to switch between different branches or restore files from a specific commit in a repository's history.
Cherry-Pick

Cherry-Pick

A Git operation that applies the changes from a specific commit to the current branch, useful for selective code integration.
Cherry-picking

Cherry-picking

The practice of selecting and applying specific commits from one branch to another in Git, often used for targeted bug fixes.
Clone

Clone

The process of creating a local copy of a remote Git repository, allowing developers to work on the codebase independently.
Code owners file

Code owners file

A file specifying individuals or teams responsible for code in different parts of a repository.
Commit

Commit

Operation in version control systems that saves changes to the local repository, creating a new revision with a unique identifier.
Conflict

Conflict

A situation in Git where incompatible changes have been made to the same part of a file, requiring manual resolution before merging.
Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration

Practice of merging all developer working copies to a shared mainline several times a day.
DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)

DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)

Directed Acyclic Graph, the underlying data structure used by Git to represent the commit history and relationships between commits.
Detach HEAD

Detach HEAD

A Git operation that moves the HEAD pointer to a specific commit, allowing for temporary exploration of historical states.
Diff

Diff

A Git command or operation that shows the differences between two commits, branches, files, or other Git objects.
Downstream

Downstream

Refers to the direction of change propagation in Git, typically from a parent branch to its child branches or forks.
Explorer

Explorer

A feature in Git platforms for browsing repository contents, viewing files, and navigating through different branches.
Feature branch workflow

Feature branch workflow

A Git pattern where each new feature is developed in a dedicated branch, then merged back to the main branch.
Fetch

Fetch

A Git command that retrieves changes from a remote repository without automatically merging them into the local branch.
Force Push

Force Push

A Git push operation that overwrites the remote branch's history with the local branch, potentially causing data loss if used carelessly.
Fork

Fork

A personal copy of another user's repository on a Git hosting platform, allowing independent development without affecting the original project.
Free plan

Free plan

A no-cost tier offered by Git hosting services, typically with limited features and storage for individual users or small projects.
GPG (GNU Privacy Guard)

GPG (GNU Privacy Guard)

An encryption software used with Git for signing commits and tags, enhancing security and verification.
Gist

Gist

A simple way to share code snippets, notes, or small files using Git, often integrated into Git platforms.
Git

Git

Distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during software development.
Git Alias

Git Alias

A custom shortcut command defined by users to simplify complex or frequently used Git operations.
Git Alternates

Git Alternates

A mechanism in Git allowing a repository to borrow objects from another repository, useful for saving disk space in large projects.
Git Annotate

Git Annotate

A Git command that shows the author and commit information for each line in a file, similar to the "blame" feature.
Git Assume Unchanged

Git Assume Unchanged

A Git feature that tells the system to temporarily ignore changes to a tracked file, useful for local configuration files.
Git Attributes

Git Attributes

A mechanism in Git for defining attributes on a per-path basis, controlling how Git handles certain files or directories.
Git Bisect

Git Bisect

A Git command used to perform a binary search through the commit history to find the commit that introduced a bug.
Git Bisect Run

Git Bisect Run

An automated version of Git Bisect that uses a script to determine if each checked-out commit is "good" or "bad".
Git Blame -C (Copy Detection)

Git Blame -C (Copy Detection)

An enhanced version of Git Blame that detects lines moved or copied from other files, providing better change tracking.
Git Bundle

Git Bundle

A Git command that creates a single file containing all the data needed to recreate a repository's branch or history.
Git Bundle Create/Verify

Git Bundle Create/Verify

Commands to create and verify Git bundles, useful for transferring repository data without using a network.
Git Cheat Sheet

Git Cheat Sheet

A quick reference guide summarizing common Git commands and their usage, helpful for both beginners and experienced users.
Git Cherry

Git Cherry

A Git command used to find commits that haven't been merged upstream, useful for identifying changes to be applied to another branch.
Git Clean

Git Clean

A command to remove untracked files from the working directory, helping to maintain a clean repository state.
Git Commit --amend

Git Commit --amend

A command that allows you to modify the most recent commit, adding new changes or updating the commit message.
Git Commit Amend

Git Commit Amend

A command that allows you to modify the most recent commit, changing its message or contents, and update it without creating a new commit.
Git Commit Hooks

Git Commit Hooks

Scripts that run automatically before or after a commit, allowing you to enforce rules, format code, or perform checks on changes.
Git Commit Templates

Git Commit Templates

Predefined structures for commit messages, helping maintain consistency and include necessary information in commits.
Git Commit Trailers

Git Commit Trailers

Metadata added to the end of commit messages, often used for things like issue references or sign-offs.
Git Commit-graph

Git Commit-graph

A file format used to store commit graph structure, improving performance for operations that traverse commit history.
Git Commit-graph Verify

Git Commit-graph Verify

A command to check the integrity and validity of the commit-graph file in a Git repository.
Git Commit-tree

Git Commit-tree

A low-level Git command used to create a new commit object from an existing tree object.
Git Config

Git Config

A command and system for setting configuration options for Git on a global, local, or repository level.
Git Count-objects

Git Count-objects

A diagnostic command that provides statistics about the number and size of objects in a Git repository.
Git Credential Helper

Git Credential Helper

A system that securely stores and retrieves credentials for Git operations, reducing the need for manual authentication.
Git Daemon

Git Daemon

A lightweight server for the Git protocol, allowing anonymous read access to Git repositories.
Git Dangling Objects

Git Dangling Objects

Objects in Git that are not reachable from any reference, often created during rebasing or other history-altering operations.
Git Describe

Git Describe

A command that generates a human-readable name for a commit based on the most recent tag and additional commit information.
Git Diff

Git Diff

A command that shows changes between commits, branches, files, or the working directory and the index.
Git Diff Algorithms

Git Diff Algorithms

Various methods used by Git to compute differences between versions of files, optimizing for different scenarios.
Git Diff Tool

Git Diff Tool

An external program or interface used to visualize differences between files or commits in a more user-friendly manner.
Git Fetch --All

Git Fetch --All

A command that fetches updates from all remote repositories configured in a Git project.
Git Filter-branch

Git Filter-branch

A powerful tool for rewriting Git history, allowing for large-scale changes across many commits.
Git Flow

Git Flow

A branching model for Git that defines a strict branching structure designed to support multiple parallel developments.
Git Fork

Git Fork

The process of creating a personal copy of someone else's project, allowing for independent development without affecting the original.
Git Fsck

Git Fsck

A command that verifies the connectivity and validity of objects in the Git database.
Git Fsck (File System Check)

Git Fsck (File System Check)

Verifies the integrity of objects in the Git database, checking for corruption and inconsistencies.
Git GPG verification

Git GPG verification

A security feature in Git that uses GPG to sign and verify commits and tags, ensuring authenticity.
Git Garbage Collection (gc)

Git Garbage Collection (gc)

A process that optimizes the Git repository by removing unnecessary files and compressing objects.
Git Gc (Garbage Collection)

Git Gc (Garbage Collection)

Short for Git Garbage Collection, a command to clean up unnecessary files and optimize the repository.
Git Grep

Git Grep

A command for searching files in a Git repository using regular expressions or simple string matching.
Git Hook

Git Hook

A script that Git automatically runs before or after specific events, like commits or merges, to customize workflows and enforce rules.
Git Hooks

Git Hooks

Same as Git Hook, scripts triggered by various Git actions to automate tasks or enforce policies.
Git Ignore

Git Ignore

A mechanism to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore, typically defined in a .gitignore file.
Git Index Format

Git Index Format

The internal format used by Git to store the staging area information, representing the next commit to be made.
Git Init

Git Init

A command used to initialize a new Git repository, creating the necessary directory structure for version control.
Git Interactive Rebase

Git Interactive Rebase

A feature allowing users to modify commits in their branch history, useful for cleaning up before merging.
Git Internals (objects, refs, etc.)

Git Internals (objects, refs, etc.)

The underlying data structures and mechanisms Git uses to store and manage version control information.
Git Interpret-trailers

Git Interpret-trailers

A command to parse and manipulate the trailer lines typically found at the end of commit messages.
Git LFS (Large File Storage)

Git LFS (Large File Storage)

A system that manages large files by storing them outside the main repository, replacing them with lightweight pointers to improve performance and efficiency.
Git Large File Storage (LFS)

Git Large File Storage (LFS)

An extension that replaces large files with text pointers in Git, while storing the file contents on a remote server.
Git Log

Git Log

A command to display the commit history of a repository, showing details like author, date, and commit message.
Git Maintenance

Git Maintenance

A set of tasks performed to keep a Git repository in good condition, including garbage collection and optimization.
Git Merge Strategies

Git Merge Strategies

Different algorithms used by Git to combine separate development histories when merging branches.
Git Merge Tools

Git Merge Tools

External programs or interfaces used to resolve merge conflicts in a more visual and user-friendly manner.
Git Merge-base

Git Merge-base

A command that finds the best common ancestor between two commits, useful for determining the point where branches diverged.
Git Multi-pack Index (MIDX)

Git Multi-pack Index (MIDX)

A feature that improves performance for repositories with many pack files by creating an index across multiple packs.
Git Namespaces

Git Namespaces

A feature allowing multiple references (like branches or tags) with the same name to coexist by separating them into different namespaces.
Git Notes

Git Notes

A way to add or inspect object notes, allowing additional information to be attached to Git objects without changing their SHA-1 hash.
Git Object Storage

Git Object Storage

The system Git uses to store all the versions of files, commits, and other objects in a content-addressable filesystem.
Git Pack Files

Git Pack Files

Compressed files containing Git objects, used to efficiently store and transfer repository data.
Git Packfile Format

Git Packfile Format

The internal format used by Git to store multiple objects efficiently in a single file, reducing disk usage and improving performance.
Git Partial Clone

Git Partial Clone

A feature allowing users to clone a repository without downloading all of its objects, saving bandwidth and storage.
Git Patch

Git Patch

A file format representing changes between versions, used for sharing and applying modifications across different repositories.
Git Plumbing Commands

Git Plumbing Commands

Low-level Git commands that expose the internal workings of Git, primarily used for scripting and advanced operations.
Git Porcelain Commands

Git Porcelain Commands

User-friendly commands for everyday tasks, like git status and git commit, designed for ease of use and clear output.
Git Protocol

Git Protocol

The native network protocol used by Git for efficient data transfer between repositories.
Git Prune

Git Prune

A command that removes objects that are no longer reachable from any references in the repository.

Edge ML

Machine learning models deployed and executed on edge devices, often with cloud-based training or updates.

Edge Model Compression

Techniques for reducing the size of AI models to run efficiently on resource-constrained edge devices.

Edge Natural Language Processing

Performing text analysis and language understanding tasks on edge devices with cloud support.

Edge Orchestration

Managing and coordinating distributed edge computing resources and their interaction with the cloud.

Edge Predictive Maintenance

Using AI on edge devices to forecast equipment failures, with cloud-based model updates and analysis.

Edge Reinforcement Learning

Training AI agents on edge devices through interaction with the environment, supported by cloud resources.

Edge Security

Measures to protect data, devices, and applications at the network edge in cloud-connected systems.

Edge Service Mesh

Distributed network layer for managing service-to-service communication in edge computing environments.

Edge Storage

Data storage systems designed for edge devices with intermittent connectivity to cloud backends.

Edge Transfer Learning

Applying knowledge from pre-trained cloud models to new tasks on edge devices with limited data.

Edge-Native Development

Creating applications specifically designed to run on edge devices with cloud integration capabilities.

Edge-native Programming Models

Software development paradigms optimized for creating applications that run on edge devices.

Edge-to-Cloud Continuum

Seamless integration of edge computing resources with centralized cloud infrastructure and services.

Egress-only Internet Gateway

Cloud networking component allowing outbound internet communication while blocking inbound traffic.

Elastic Beanstalk (AWS)

Fully managed service for deploying and scaling web applications and services on AWS infrastructure.

Elastic IP

Static public IP address that can be dynamically assigned to cloud resources, providing consistent access points for applications.

Elastic Network Interface (ENI)

Virtual network interface that can be attached to instances in a VPC, providing flexible networking capabilities.

Elastic Network Interfaces

Virtual network cards that can be attached, detached, and moved between cloud instances.

Embedded Analytics

Integration of analytical capabilities directly into cloud-based applications and workflows.

Emotion AI Cloud Services

Cloud-based platforms for analyzing and responding to human emotions in various applications.

Emotional AI-driven Cloud Interfaces

Cloud services using AI to detect and respond to user emotions for enhanced interactions.

Encryption (at rest and in transit)

Protecting data by encoding it both when stored and while moving between cloud systems.

Encryption at Rest and in Transit

Techniques for securing data both when stored in cloud systems and while being transmitted.

Energy-Aware Auto-Scaling

Cloud resource scaling that considers energy consumption alongside performance metrics.

Energy-Aware Scheduling

Allocating cloud resources to tasks with consideration for energy consumption and efficiency.

Energy-Efficient Algorithms

Computing methods designed to minimize energy consumption in cloud environments.

Energy-aware Cloud Scheduling

Allocating cloud resources to optimize energy efficiency while meeting performance requirements.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Cloud Reporting

Documenting cloud providers' sustainability and ethical practices for stakeholder transparency.

Envoy Proxy

Open-source edge and service proxy designed for cloud-native applications, providing features like load balancing and observability.

Ethical AI Guidelines Compliance

Adherence to principles ensuring fair and responsible use of AI in cloud environments.

Event Grid (Azure)

Fully managed event routing service for building event-driven applications in Azure.

Event Sourcing

Storing the state of a system as a sequence of events in cloud-based applications.

Event Stream Processing

Real-time analysis of data streams in cloud environments for immediate insights.

Event-Driven Architecture

System design where actions are triggered by events in cloud environments, enabling responsive and scalable applications.

Event-Driven Integration

Connecting cloud services and applications based on event occurrences, enabling real-time data flow and processing.

Event-driven APIs

APIs that trigger or respond to events in cloud-native applications, enabling real-time data processing and integration.

Event-driven Programming Models

Developing cloud applications that respond to and generate events, enabling reactive and scalable architectures.

EventBridge (AWS)

Serverless event bus for building event-driven applications in AWS, facilitating communication between various services.

Eventual Consistency

Data consistency model where all replicas eventually reach a consistent state in distributed cloud systems.

Exascale Cloud Computing

Cloud systems capable of at least one exaFLOPS, or a billion billion calculations per second.

Execution Environment

The runtime context in which cloud functions or applications operate, including libraries, dependencies, and configurations.

Experiment Tracking

Monitoring and recording parameters and results of machine learning experiments in cloud environments.

Explainable AI (XAI) Platforms

Cloud services for making AI decision-making processes more transparent and interpretable.

Explainable AI Frameworks

Tools for developing AI models with transparent decision-making processes in cloud environments.

Explainable AI Platforms

Cloud services offering tools to make AI models' decision-making processes more understandable.

ExpressRoute (Azure)

Service for creating private connections between Azure datacenters and on-premises infrastructure.

Extract, Load, Transform (ELT)

Data integration process where transformation occurs after loading data into the cloud target system.

Extract, Transform, Load (ETL)

Process of extracting data from sources, transforming it to fit operational needs, and loading into a target database in the cloud.

Far-Edge Computing

Extending cloud capabilities to devices at the extreme edge of the network, like IoT sensors.

Feature Flag Management

Tools for dynamically enabling or disabling features in cloud applications without code deployments.

Feature Store

Centralized repository for storing, managing, and serving machine learning features in cloud environments.

Federated Analytics

Analyzing data across multiple cloud or edge locations without centralizing the raw data.

Federated Databases

System allowing integrated data access across multiple autonomous database management systems in the cloud.

Federated Learning

Machine learning technique that trains algorithms across decentralized devices or servers holding local data samples.

Federated Learning Orchestration

Coordinating federated learning processes across multiple edge devices or cloud nodes.

Federated Learning Platforms

Cloud-based systems for implementing and managing federated learning across distributed datasets.

Federated Learning at the Edge

Applying federated learning techniques to train models on edge devices connected to cloud systems.

Federated Query Engines

Tools for executing queries across multiple distributed databases or data sources in cloud environments.

File Storage

Cloud service for storing and accessing file data through shared file systems, providing scalable and manageable data storage.

File Storage (e.g., Amazon EFS, Azure Files)

Cloud services providing scalable file storage accessible from multiple compute instances.

FinOps Automation

Tools and processes for automating financial operations and optimization in cloud environments.

FinOps Operating Model

Framework for managing and optimizing cloud costs across an organization, aligning financial and operational goals.

FinOps Optimization Engines

AI-driven tools for continuously optimizing cloud spend and resource allocation.

Firewall

Security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic in cloud environments.

Fission

Open-source, Kubernetes-native serverless framework for building microservices in the cloud, simplifying application deployment.

Fog Computing

Extending cloud computing to the edge of the network, bringing processing closer to data sources.

Forecasting

Using historical data and algorithms to predict future trends or values in cloud-based analytics.

Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) Services

Cloud-based encryption allowing computations on encrypted data without decryption.

Function Composition Frameworks

Tools for building complex serverless applications by combining multiple cloud functions.

Function as a Service (FaaS)

Cloud computing model where developers run and manage application functionalities without complex infrastructure.

GDPR Compliance in the Cloud

Adhering to EU data protection regulations in cloud-based data processing and storage.

GPU Instances

Cloud compute instances equipped with Graphics Processing Units for parallel processing tasks.

Generative AI Platforms

Cloud-based services for creating AI models that can generate new content or data.

Geospatial Data Processing at Scale

Cloud-based systems for analyzing large volumes of location-based data efficiently.

Gesture-based Cloud Interfaces

User interfaces that interpret hand or body movements to interact with cloud services.

GitOps Workflows

Methodology using Git repositories as the source of truth for declarative infrastructure and applications in the cloud.

Global Accelerator

Service that improves availability and performance of applications by optimizing traffic routing across cloud regions.

Globally Distributed Databases

Database systems that replicate and distribute data across multiple geographic locations in the cloud.

Google Cloud Organization Policy

Rules and constraints applied to resources within a Google Cloud organization, enforcing governance and compliance.

Graph Analytics Platforms

Cloud services for analyzing and visualizing complex relationships in large datasets using graph structures.

Graph Databases

NoSQL databases designed to store and query data with complex relationships in cloud environments.

Green Cloud Computing

Practices and technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of cloud data centers and operations.

Green Software Engineering

Practices for developing cloud software that minimizes energy consumption and environmental impact.

Green Software Engineering Practices

Techniques for developing cloud applications that optimize resource usage and reduce environmental impact.

HIPAA Compliance in the Cloud

Adhering to US healthcare data protection regulations in cloud-based systems and applications.

Haptic Feedback over the Cloud

Transmitting touch and motion sensations through cloud-connected devices for immersive experiences.

Health Checks

Automated tests to verify the availability and proper functioning of cloud resources and services.

Heat Reuse from Data Centers

Utilizing excess heat generated by cloud data centers for other purposes, improving energy efficiency.

Helm Charts

Packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources for deploying applications in cloud environments.

Heterogeneous Distributed Databases

Systems managing data across diverse database types and locations in cloud environments.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

Using cloud resources for solving complex computational problems requiring significant processing power.

Holographic Cloud Interfaces

Advanced 3D visualization interfaces for interacting with cloud services and data.

Holographic Data Centers

Conceptual cloud data centers using holographic technology for data storage and processing.

Holographic Data Storage

Experimental technology using holograms to store data in cloud environments, potentially offering high density.

Holographic Storage

Experimental data storage technique using holograms in cloud systems for high-density, long-term preservation.

Homomorphic Encryption Services

Cloud-based offerings that enable computations on encrypted data without decryption.

Homomorphic Encryption as a Service

Cloud-based service offering encryption that allows computations on encrypted data.

Homomorphic Encryption in the Cloud

Encryption technique allowing computations on encrypted data without decryption in cloud environments.

Horizontal Scaling (Scale Out)

Adding more machines to a cloud system to distribute load and increase capacity.

Human-Robot Interaction in the Cloud

Cloud-based systems facilitating communication between humans and robots or AI agents.

Extended Resources

Custom, cluster-level resources in Kubernetes that can be allocated to containers, such as GPUs or FPGAs.

Extender

Kubernetes component allowing custom logic to be added to the scheduling process for advanced pod placement strategies.

External Admission Webhooks

HTTP callbacks that receive admission requests and can modify or reject objects before persistence in Kubernetes.

External Secrets Management Integration

Incorporation of external secret management systems like HashiCorp Vault with container platforms.

ExternalName

Kubernetes service type that maps a service to a DNS name, useful for representing external services within a cluster.

ExternalName Services

Kubernetes services that reference external resources by DNS name, facilitating access to external dependencies.

FPGA Scheduling

Allocation and management of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays as resources in container orchestration platforms.

FaaS on Kubernetes

Implementation of Function-as-a-Service platforms on Kubernetes, enabling serverless architectures in container environments.

Falco

Open-source cloud-native runtime security project, providing real-time threat detection for containerized environments.

Falco for Runtime Security

Use of Falco to monitor and alert on unexpected behavior in running containers and Kubernetes clusters.

Fault Injection

Technique of intentionally introducing failures in containerized systems to test resilience and error handling capabilities.

Feature Gates

Flags in Kubernetes used to enable or disable specific features, allowing for fine-grained control over cluster functionality.

Federated Service Mesh

Implementation of service mesh across multiple Kubernetes clusters, enabling cross-cluster service communication.

Federation

Technique for managing multiple Kubernetes clusters from a single control plane, useful for multi-cloud or hybrid deployments.

Finalizers

Kubernetes feature allowing controllers to implement asynchronous pre-delete hooks, ensuring proper resource cleanup.

Finalizers in Operators

Use of finalizers in Kubernetes operators to perform cleanup operations before custom resource deletion.

Firecracker

Lightweight virtualization technology used for creating and managing secure, multi-tenant container environments.

Firecracker MicroVMs

Minimal virtual machines used by Firecracker to provide strong isolation for containers or functions.

Fission

Open-source, Kubernetes-native serverless framework for running functions, supporting multiple languages and event triggers.

Flagger

Progressive delivery tool for Kubernetes, automating canary releases and A/B testing of containerized applications.

Flannel

Network fabric for containers designed to give a consistent, easily configured layer 3 network across multiple hosts for Kubernetes.

Flannel for Simple Overlay Networking

CNI plugin providing a simple overlay network for container communication across hosts, enabling basic networking.

FlexVolume

Out-of-tree plugin mechanism in Kubernetes for interfacing with third-party storage systems, predating CSI.

FluentD

Open-source data collector for unified logging layer, enabling efficient data collection and consumption for better use of data.

Fluentd DaemonSet

Kubernetes deployment ensuring Fluentd log collectors run on every node for comprehensive log aggregation.

Fluentd Input Plugins

Modular components in Fluentd for ingesting logs from various sources in containerized environments.

Fluentd Output Plugins

Modular components in Fluentd for sending processed logs to various destinations from containerized environments.

Flux CD

GitOps toolkit for deploying applications to Kubernetes, automating the deployment pipeline from Git repositories.

Flux v2

Next generation of Flux, providing a set of continuous delivery solutions for Kubernetes with improved modularity and features.

Function Autoscaling

Automatic adjustment of function instances based on demand in serverless container environments.

Function Buildpacks

Standardized way of building function containers, abstracting away infrastructure concerns for developers.

GPU Scheduling in Kubernetes

Process of allocating and managing GPU resources for containers running machine learning workloads.

Garden.io for Remote Kubernetes Development

Tool facilitating development and testing of Kubernetes applications in remote clusters.

Generic Ephemeral Volumes

Kubernetes feature allowing for dynamic provisioning of short-lived volumes for containers.

Geneve Overlay Networks

Network virtualization technology used in some container networking solutions for multi-tenant environments.

GitLab CI/CD

Integrated CI/CD platform with native container and Kubernetes support for building, testing, and deploying applications.

GitOps Toolkit

Set of composable APIs and specialized tools for building continuous delivery systems on top of Kubernetes.

GitOps Workflow

Operational model where the desired state of a Kubernetes cluster is version controlled and automated from a Git repository.

GlusterFS

Distributed file system that can be used for providing persistent storage to containerized applications in Kubernetes.

Go-based Operators

Kubernetes operators written in Go, leveraging the client-go library for interacting with the Kubernetes API.

Goldilocks for Resource Recommendation

Tool that provides recommendations for resource requests and limits for Kubernetes deployments.

Google Cloud Run

Managed compute platform for deploying containerized applications in a serverless environment.

Google Container Registry (GCR)

Managed Docker registry service by Google for storing, managing, and securing container images.

Grafana Dashboards

Customizable visualization panels for monitoring containerized environments and applications.

Grafana Data Sources

Configurable backends in Grafana for retrieving metrics and logs from various container monitoring systems.

Grafana Loki

Horizontally-scalable, multi-tenant log aggregation system designed for use in containerized environments.

Grafana Provisioning

Automated setup and configuration of Grafana dashboards and data sources in container deployments.

GraphQL in Containerized Environments

Implementation of GraphQL APIs in microservices architectures for flexible data querying and manipulation.

Guaranteed QoS

Kubernetes Quality of Service class ensuring pods receive the exact amount of requested resources, ideal for critical workloads.

Harbor

Open-source container registry providing content trust, vulnerability scanning, and RBAC for storing and distributing container images.

Harness CD

Continuous Delivery platform supporting various deployment strategies for containerized applications in Kubernetes environments.

Headless Services

Kubernetes services that don't allocate a cluster IP, used for direct pod-to-pod communication in stateful applications.

Helm

Package manager for Kubernetes that helps you define, install, and upgrade even the most complex Kubernetes applications.

Helm Charts

Packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources, facilitating the deployment and management of complex applications.

Helm Hooks

Helm feature allowing custom actions to be performed at specific points in a release's lifecycle, enhancing deployment flexibility.

Helm Operator

Kubernetes operator that manages Helm releases, automating the deployment and lifecycle of Helm-based applications.

Helm Repositories

Storage locations for packaged Helm charts, enabling version control and distribution of containerized application configurations.

Helm Values

Mechanism in Helm for parameterizing chart templates, allowing for customization of deployments across different environments.

Helm-based Operators

Kubernetes operators leveraging Helm charts for managing the lifecycle of complex, stateful applications.

Hierarchical Namespaces

Kubernetes feature allowing nested namespaces, providing finer-grained resource isolation and multi-tenancy capabilities.

Horizontal Pod Autoscaler

Kubernetes controller that automatically adjusts the number of pods in a deployment based on observed metrics.

Horizontal Pod Autoscaler Metrics

Metrics used by HPA to determine when to scale containerized applications, including CPU, memory, and custom metrics.

Horizontal Pod Autoscaler with Custom Metrics

Extended HPA functionality allowing scaling decisions based on application-specific or external metrics.

HorizontalPodAutoscaler

Kubernetes resource defining the behavior for automatically scaling the number of pods in a replication controller or deployment.

Host Networking

Container networking mode where pods use the host's network namespace, bypassing virtual networks for improved performance.

HugePages

Linux kernel feature for managing large memory pages, improving performance for memory-intensive containerized applications.

IPVS

IP Virtual Server, a transport-layer load balancing technology used in Kubernetes for efficient service proxying and load distribution.

IPsec for Container Networks

Implementation of IPsec protocols to secure container-to-container communications across hosts and clusters.

IPv4/IPv6 Dual-Stack

Kubernetes feature enabling pods and services to be assigned both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, facilitating transition to IPv6.

IPv6 in Kubernetes

Support and configuration for using IPv6 addressing in Kubernetes clusters, enabling large-scale container deployments.

Idempotent API Design

Approach to designing APIs that can be called multiple times without changing the result, crucial for reliable microservices.

Image

Lightweight, standalone, executable package that includes everything needed to run a piece of software.

Image Digests

Unique identifiers for container images, ensuring consistency and integrity across different environments and registries.

Image Index (Fat Manifest)

OCI specification for multi-architecture container images, allowing a single image to support multiple platforms.

Image Layer Caching

Technique for reusing unchanged layers when building or pulling container images, improving build and deployment speed.

Image Layer Optimization

Strategies for reducing the size and number of layers in container images, improving storage efficiency and pull times.

Image Manifest

Metadata file describing the contents and configuration of a container image, crucial for image distribution and deployment.

Image Manifest V2 Schema 2

Standardized format for container image manifests, supporting multi-architecture images and content-addressable layers.

Image Promotion

Process of moving container images through different environments (e.g., dev, staging, production) in a controlled manner.

Image Pulling

Process of downloading container images from a registry to a local environment or container runtime.

Image Pushing

Process of uploading locally built container images to a remote registry for distribution and deployment.

Image Retention Policies

Rules defining how long container images are kept in a registry, balancing storage costs with availability needs.

Image Scanning

Automated process of analyzing container images for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues.

Image Signing

Cryptographic process of digitally signing container images to ensure their integrity and authenticity during distribution.

Image Signing and Verification

End-to-end process of cryptographically signing container images and verifying their authenticity before deployment.

Image Squashing

Technique of combining multiple layers of a container image into a single layer, potentially reducing image size and complexity.

Image Tagging

Process of assigning human-readable labels to container images, facilitating version management and deployment workflows.

Image Vulnerability Scanning

Automated security analysis of container images to identify known vulnerabilities in installed packages and dependencies.

ImageService

Component in container runtimes responsible for managing image-related operations like pulling, pushing, and local storage.

Immutable Infrastructure

Practice of replacing entire container instances instead of modifying existing ones, enhancing consistency and reliability.

Imperative Deployments

Approach to deploying containerized applications by directly specifying the desired actions, as opposed to declarative methods.

In-Memory Data Grids

Distributed data management systems optimized for high-performance data processing in containerized environments.

In-Place Upgrades

Technique for updating containerized applications or infrastructure components without full redeployment, minimizing downtime.

In-Tree Plugins

Built-in plugins in Kubernetes for various functionalities, as opposed to out-of-tree or external plugins.

Incremental Image Transfer (eStargz)

Technique for optimizing container image distribution by allowing partial and on-demand loading of image layers.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Testing

Automated testing of infrastructure definitions, ensuring consistency and reliability in container deployments.

Ingress

Kubernetes API object managing external access to services in a cluster, typically HTTP, providing load balancing and SSL termination.

Ingress Controllers

Components implementing the Ingress resource in Kubernetes, managing the routing of external traffic to internal services.

Ingress Gateway

Entry point for external traffic in service mesh architectures, providing routing, security, and observability for incoming requests.

Init Container Pattern

Design pattern using specialized containers that run before app containers in a pod, used for setup or dependency management.