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

Log Management Process

Systematic approach to collecting, storing, analyzing, and disposing of log data.
DevOps

Log Rotation

Process of archiving filled log files and starting new ones to prevent excessive disk space usage.
DevOps

Log.io

Real-time log monitoring tool that allows users to view and search logs from multiple sources in a single web-based interface.
DevOps

LogShell Vulnerability

Critical security flaw in the Log4j library, allowing remote code execution and posing significant security risks.
DevOps

Loggly

Cloud-based log management and analytics service that helps organizations collect, analyze, and act on machine-generated data from various sources.
DevOps

Logstash

Open-source data processing pipeline that ingests data from multiple sources simultaneously.
DevOps

Logster

Utility for reading log files and generating metrics for monitoring systems like Graphite and Ganglia.
DevOps

Loom

Project aimed at adding lightweight concurrency and new programming models to Java.
DevOps

Low-code

Software development approach requiring little to no coding to build applications and processes.
DevOps

M Silicon

Apple's custom-designed ARM-based processors for Mac computers, offering improved performance and energy efficiency.
DevOps

MITRE ATT&CK

Globally-accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations.
DevOps

MLOps

Set of practices that aims to deploy and maintain machine learning models in production reliably and efficiently.
DevOps

MTTI

Mean Time to Identify; average time between the start of an incident and its discovery.
DevOps

MTTR (Mean Time To Recovery)

Average time required to repair a failed system and restore it to normal operation, a key metric for measuring system reliability.
DevOps

Machine Data

Digital information created by the activity of computers, mobile phones, embedded systems and other networked devices.
DevOps

Machine Learning (ML)

Field of study giving computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.
DevOps

Magecart

Group of threat actors that specialize in stealing credit card data from online stores.
DevOps

Managed Detection and Response

Cybersecurity service that combines technology and human expertise to rapidly identify and respond to threats.
DevOps

Managed SIEM

Security Information and Event Management offered as a managed service, providing expert monitoring and threat detection.
DevOps

Managing Secrets

Process of securely storing and handling sensitive information like passwords and API keys.
DevOps

Mass Assignment

Vulnerability where an active record pattern in a web application is abused to modify data items that the user should not be allowed to access.
DevOps

Maturity Model

Structured representation of improvement across multiple dimensions of an organization or service.
DevOps

Mcollective

Framework for building server orchestration or parallel job execution systems, facilitating large-scale system management.
DevOps

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Average time between system failures, used to measure reliability and predict future failure occurrences.
DevOps

Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR)

Average time required to repair a failed system and restore it to normal operation.
DevOps

Mean Time to Resolution

Average time between the detection of an incident and its full resolution, a key metric in IT service management.
DevOps

Measure everything

Practice of collecting metrics on all aspects of software development and operations to enable data-driven decisions.
DevOps

Memcached

Distributed memory caching system designed to speed up dynamic web applications.
DevOps

Memory Bottleneck

Situation where system performance is limited by the amount or speed of available memory.
DevOps

Mezmo

Cloud-native observability platform for log management and analysis, helping organizations gain insights from their machine data.
DevOps

Micro Frontend

Architectural style where a frontend app is decomposed into individual, loosely coupled components.
DevOps

Microsegmentation

Security technique that creates secure zones in data centers and cloud deployments to isolate workloads from one another.
DevOps

Microservice-Architektur

Architectural style structuring an application as a collection of loosely coupled services.
DevOps

Microservice-Infrastruktur

Infrastructure designed to support the deployment and operation of microservices.
DevOps

Microservices

Software development technique that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services.
DevOps

Microservices Architecture

Architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small autonomous services.
DevOps

Microsoft Azure

Cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services.
DevOps

Mina

Network application framework which helps users develop high performance and high scalability network applications easily.
DevOps

Mobile Analytics

Tools and processes for measuring and analyzing mobile app usage and user behavior.
DevOps

Mobile App Automation

Tools and processes for measuring and analyzing mobile app usage and user behavior.
DevOps

Mobile App Testing

Process of testing mobile applications for functionality, usability, and consistency.
DevOps

Mobile Applications Security Testing (MAST)

Process of testing mobile applications for security vulnerabilities, ensuring protection of user data and app integrity.
DevOps

Mobile Artifacts

Data or files generated during mobile app development and testing, including binaries, logs, and test results.
DevOps

Mobile Testing

Process of testing mobile devices and applications to ensure proper functionality and user experience.
DevOps

Model-Based Testing (MBT)

Software testing technique in which test cases are derived from a model that describes the system under test.
DevOps

MongoDB

Popular open-source document-oriented database program classified as a NoSQL database, known for its flexibility and scalability.
DevOps

Monitoring

Continuous observation and checking of a system's performance, health, and security to ensure optimal operation and detect issues.
DevOps

Monitoring as Code (MaC)

Practice of defining and managing monitoring configurations using code and version control systems.
DevOps

Monolithic Architecture

Software design where all components of an application are interconnected and interdependent.
DevOps

Monorepo

Development approach where code for many projects is stored in the same repository.
DevOps

Muda

Japanese term for waste in lean methodologies, referring to any activity that doesn't add value to the final product or service.
DevOps

Multi-Cloud Strategy

Use of multiple cloud computing and storage services in a single heterogeneous architecture.
DevOps

Mura

Japanese term in lean methodologies referring to unevenness or irregularity in processes, which can lead to inefficiencies.
DevOps

Muri

Japanese term in lean methodologies referring to overburden or unreasonableness, which can lead to stress and inefficiencies.
DevOps

Mutable Infrastructure

Infrastructure that can be updated or modified after it is deployed, contrasting with immutable infrastructure approaches.
DevOps

NFRs

Non-Functional Requirements; requirements that specify criteria for judging the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors.
DevOps

NIST SIEM Requirements and Standards

Guidelines set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for Security Information and Event Management systems.
DevOps

NPM

Node Package Manager, the default package manager for Node.js, used for installing and managing JavaScript packages and dependencies.
DevOps

Nagios

Open source monitoring system for computer systems, networks and infrastructure.
DevOps

NestJS

Progressive Node.js framework for building efficient and scalable server-side applications.
DevOps

Network Bottleneck

Point in a network where bandwidth is limited, causing slowdowns in data transfer.
DevOps

Network as a Service (NaaS)

Cloud model where network services are delivered over the internet, offering flexibility and scalability.
DevOps

New Relic

Cloud-based observability platform that helps developers monitor, debug, and optimize their entire stack.
DevOps

Next Generation WAF (Web Application Firewall)

Advanced WAF that uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to protect web applications.
DevOps

Nexus

Repository manager that organizes, stores, and distributes software components, facilitating dependency management in development.
DevOps

Nexus Repository

Software repository manager for storing and distributing build artifacts, supporting various package formats and integrations.
DevOps

Nginx

Web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy and HTTP cache.
DevOps

NoOps

Concept where an IT environment becomes so automated that there's no need for a dedicated team to manage software in-house.
DevOps

NoSQLi

NoSQL Injection; security exploit targeting databases that use non-SQL query languages.
DevOps

Node Logging

Process of recording events and data from individual nodes in a distributed system.
DevOps

Node Pool

Group of nodes within a cluster, typically with the same configuration, used in container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.
DevOps

Node.js

JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine for building scalable network applications.
DevOps

Nomad

Flexible workload orchestrator to deploy and manage containers and non-containerized applications.
DevOps

Non-Functional Testing

Testing of non-functional aspects of software like performance, usability, and reliability.
DevOps

OSV

Open Source Vulnerabilities; database of vulnerabilities affecting open source software.
DevOps

OWASP

Open Web Application Security Project; nonprofit foundation working to improve software security.
DevOps

OWASP API Top 10

List of the ten most critical API security risks, providing awareness and guidance for developers and security professionals.
DevOps

OWASP Top 10

Standard awareness document for developers about the most critical security risks to web applications.
DevOps

Observability

Measure of how well internal states of a system can be inferred from knowledge of its external outputs.
DevOps

On Premise Infrastructure

Computing infrastructure physically located within an organization's facilities.
DevOps

One-Stop Shop

Single location or service providing multiple resources or capabilities, often used in IT service management.
DevOps

Open Authorization (OAuth)

Open standard for access delegation, commonly used for secure authorization in web applications.
DevOps

Open Integration Framework (OIF)

Set of standards and practices for integrating different software systems, promoting interoperability and flexibility.
DevOps

Open Source

Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance, promoting collaboration and transparency.
DevOps

Open Source Applications

Software applications whose source code is openly available for modification and distribution.
DevOps

OpenShift

Container application platform by Red Hat that brings Docker and Kubernetes to the enterprise.
DevOps

OpenStack

Free, open-standard cloud computing platform, primarily deployed as infrastructure-as-a-service.
DevOps

OpenTelemetry

Collection of tools, APIs, and SDKs used to instrument, generate, collect, and export telemetry data.
DevOps

Operational Intelligence

Real-time dynamic business analytics that delivers visibility and insight into data, streaming events, and business operations.
DevOps

Operations Engineering (Ops)

Discipline of designing and managing systems for maximum efficiency and reliability.
DevOps

Ops (from DevOps)

Operational aspect of DevOps, focusing on system administration, infrastructure management, and deployment.
DevOps

OpsGenie

Incident management and alert notification tool designed to help teams handle critical issues quickly and efficiently.
DevOps

Opsbot

Chatbot designed to assist with operational tasks and incident management, streamlining IT operations and support.
DevOps

Opskeleton

Basic structure or framework for operations in a software project, providing a starting point for implementing DevOps practices.
DevOps

Orchestration

Automated configuration, coordination, and management of computer systems and software.
DevOps

Otto

Holistic, single command developer tool for managing development environments across multiple platforms and languages.
DevOps

Out-of-the-Box

Feature or functionality that works immediately after installation without any modification.
DevOps

Out-of-the-Box Tools

Tools that are ready to use immediately without additional configuration or customization.
DevOps

Overcast

Tool for spinning up and tearing down multi-VM Vagrant environments, facilitating the creation of reproducible development setups.
DevOps

PCI Compliance

Adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard for organizations that handle credit card information.
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.

Workflows as Code

Defining and managing complex business processes using code in cloud environments.

Workload Placement Optimization

Techniques for efficiently distributing applications and data across cloud resources.

Workload Portability

Ability to move applications and data between different cloud environments with minimal modifications.

Workload-Aware Data Placement

Optimizing data storage location based on application requirements in cloud environments.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device accessing cloud resources.

Zero Trust Security Model

Approach assuming no automatic trust, requiring continuous verification in cloud environments.

Zero UI Cloud Interactions

Interfacing with cloud services through ambient intelligence, without traditional user interfaces.

Zero-Knowledge Proof Services

Cloud-based cryptographic methods allowing data verification without revealing the data itself.

Zero-Knowledge Proof Systems

Cryptographic protocols enabling data verification without disclosing the actual data in cloud environments.

Zero-Trust Microsegmentation

Fine-grained network segmentation approach in cloud environments, limiting lateral movement of threats.

Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Security framework requiring strict authentication and authorization for all cloud network access.

Zoned Namespaces (ZNS) SSDs

Storage devices optimized for cloud workloads, improving performance and reducing write amplification.

eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter)

Technology for running sandboxed programs in the Linux kernel, often used in cloud environments.

eBPF-based Networking

Using eBPF technology to enhance network performance and security in cloud environments.

Init Containers

Specialized containers that run to completion before other containers in a Kubernetes pod, used for initialization tasks.

Init Containers Resources

Specification of CPU and memory limits for initialization containers in Kubernetes pods, ensuring efficient resource utilization.

Initializers

Deprecated Kubernetes feature for dynamically modifying resource configurations before they become visible to the system.

Inter-Container Communication

Methods and patterns for containers within a pod to exchange data and signals, utilizing shared volumes or localhost networking.

IoT Edge Patterns

Architectural designs for deploying and managing containerized applications on edge devices in Internet of Things scenarios.

Istio

Open-source service mesh providing traffic management, security, and observability for cloud-native applications.

Istio Control Plane Components

Core services of the Istio service mesh responsible for configuring proxies and implementing policies.

Istio Destination Rules

Istio traffic management resource defining policies that apply to traffic intended for a service after routing has occurred.

Istio Gateways

Istio resources managing inbound and outbound traffic for the service mesh, providing fine-grained control over traffic flow.

Istio Mixerless Architecture

Istio design that removes the Mixer component, improving performance and scalability of the service mesh.

Istio Service Entries

Istio resources allowing the addition of entries to the service registry, enabling traffic to external dependencies.

Istio Virtual Services

Istio traffic management resources defining a set of traffic routing rules to apply when a host is addressed.

Istio's Ambient Mesh

Istio feature providing a sidecar-less service mesh implementation, reducing resource overhead and simplifying deployment.

Jaeger

Open-source, end-to-end distributed tracing system for monitoring and troubleshooting microservices-based distributed systems.

Jaeger Operator

Kubernetes operator for automated deployment and management of Jaeger tracing infrastructure in container environments.

Jaeger Tracing

Implementation of distributed tracing using Jaeger to monitor and optimize performance in microservices architectures.

Jenkins X

Cloud-native CI/CD solution for Kubernetes, automating the entire software development lifecycle for containerized applications.

Jib

Tool for building optimized Docker and OCI images for Java applications without the need for a Docker daemon.

Job

Kubernetes resource that creates one or more pods to perform a specific task and ensures they successfully complete, ideal for batch processes.

K3s

Lightweight Kubernetes distribution designed for edge, IoT, and resource-constrained environments, simplifying cluster deployment.

K9s CLI

Terminal-based UI for managing and monitoring Kubernetes clusters, providing an intuitive interface for cluster operations.

KEDA (Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling)

Kubernetes-based Event Driven Autoscaling, enabling fine-grained autoscaling for event-driven workloads based on event sources.

KUDO (Kubernetes Universal Declarative Operator)

Kubernetes Universal Declarative Operator, a toolkit for writing operators using a declarative spec, simplifying complex application management.

Kaniko

Tool for building container images from a Dockerfile inside a container or Kubernetes cluster, without requiring a Docker daemon.

Kanister for Application-Consistent Backups

Framework for application-level data management in Kubernetes, ensuring consistent backups of stateful apps.

Karmada

Open-source project for multi-cluster application management in Kubernetes, facilitating resource distribution across clusters.

Kata Containers

Lightweight virtual machines that feel and perform like containers, but provide the workload isolation and security of VMs.

Kata Containers 2.0

Major update to Kata Containers, introducing improved performance, reduced footprint, and enhanced security features.

Keptn

Cloud-native application lifecycle orchestration tool, automating deployment, testing, and remediation for containerized apps.

Kernel Bypass Networking

Technique allowing network packets to bypass the kernel, improving performance in container networking scenarios.

Kernel Namespaces

Linux feature providing isolation for system resources, fundamental to container implementation and resource separation.

Kilo for WireGuard-based Overlay Network

CNI plugin using WireGuard to create a mesh overlay network for Kubernetes, enhancing security and simplicity.

Knative

Kubernetes-based platform for building, deploying, and managing serverless workloads, simplifying serverless application development.

Knative Eventing

Knative component providing tools for routing events between publishers and subscribers in cloud-native applications.

Knative Serving

Knative component for deploying and managing serverless workloads, handling scaling and routing of containerized applications.

Krustlet for WebAssembly in Kubernetes

Tool allowing WebAssembly modules to run in Kubernetes clusters, enabling language-agnostic workloads.

Kube-OVN

Network virtualization solution for Kubernetes integrating the Open vSwitch software switch to provide advanced networking features.

Kube-OVN for Open vSwitch-based Networking

Implementation of Kube-OVN to leverage Open vSwitch for flexible, high-performance container networking.

Kube-bench for CIS Benchmarks

Tool for checking whether Kubernetes deployments adhere to Center for Internet Security (CIS) best practices.

Kube-bench for Security Auditing

Use of kube-bench to perform automated security audits of Kubernetes clusters against established benchmarks.

Kube-router for Direct Container Routing

Kubernetes networking solution providing direct container-to-container networking with BGP-based routing.

Kube-score for Kubernetes Object Analysis

Tool for static code analysis of Kubernetes object definitions, identifying misconfigurations and potential issues.

Kube-state-metrics

Service that listens to the Kubernetes API server and generates metrics about the state of Kubernetes objects.

KubeEdge

Open-source system extending native containerized application orchestration capabilities to hosts at Edge.

Kubeadm

Tool for bootstrapping a minimum viable Kubernetes cluster, simplifying the process of setting up a production-grade cluster.

Kubeaudit for Kubernetes Auditing

Open-source tool for auditing Kubernetes clusters and workloads for potential security issues and best practice violations.

Kubebuilder

Framework for building Kubernetes APIs using custom resource definitions (CRDs), simplifying the creation of operators and controllers.

Kubecost for Cost Monitoring

Tool providing real-time cost visibility and insights for running applications on Kubernetes, optimizing resource allocation.

Kubefed

Kubernetes Cluster Federation, enabling resource management across multiple Kubernetes clusters from a single control plane.

Kubeless

Kubernetes-native serverless framework, allowing deployment of small bits of code (functions) without managing underlying infrastructure.

Kubernetes API Versioning

System for evolving the Kubernetes API over time, allowing for backwards compatibility and gradual feature deprecation.

Kubernetes Admission Controllers

Plugins intercepting requests to the Kubernetes API server before object persistence, enforcing policies.

Kubernetes Aggregation Layer

Feature allowing the Kubernetes API to be extended with additional APIs, enabling custom resources and controllers.

Kubernetes Annotations

Key-value pairs for attaching non-identifying metadata to objects, used for tooling and client retrieval.

Kubernetes Autoscaling (HPA, VPA, Cluster Autoscaler)

Mechanisms (HPA, VPA, Cluster Autoscaler) for automatically adjusting resources based on demand and metrics.

Kubernetes Conformance Program

CNCF initiative ensuring consistency and portability across Kubernetes distributions and installations.

Kubernetes Events

API objects automatically created when other objects change state, providing a cluster activity audit trail.

Kubernetes Federation

Mechanism for coordinating multiple Kubernetes clusters, enabling multi-cluster application deployment and management.

Kubernetes Finalizers

Field on resources preventing accidental deletion, ensuring proper cleanup of related resources or external dependencies.

Kubernetes Garbage Collection

Process of automatically deleting objects that no longer have owners, preventing resource leaks.

Kubernetes Gateway API

Evolved ingress and service networking, providing a more expressive, extensible way to configure traffic routing.

Kubernetes Labels

Key-value pairs attached to objects for identification and selection, crucial for organizing and selecting object subsets.

Kubernetes Metrics Server

Cluster-wide aggregator of resource usage data, providing CPU and memory metrics for Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.

Kubernetes Operators

Software extensions to Kubernetes that use custom resources to manage applications and their components.

Kubernetes Owners and Dependents

Relationship between API objects where one object owns another, used for cascading deletion and orphan handling.

Kubernetes Selectors

Label query over a set of resources, used for identifying and grouping API objects based on their labels.

Kubernetes Version Lifecycle

Policies and timelines for Kubernetes version releases, support, and deprecation, guiding upgrade planning.

Kubernetes Virtual Clusters

Fully functional Kubernetes clusters running on top of other Kubernetes clusters, enabling multi-tenancy.

Kubesec.io for Kubernetes Manifests Scanning

Web-based tool for security risk analysis of Kubernetes resource manifests, identifying vulnerabilities.

Kustomize

Kubernetes native configuration management tool that allows customization of YAML manifests without templating.

Kustomize Overlays

Technique in Kustomize for creating variations of a common base of Kubernetes resources, enabling environment-specific configs.

Kustomize Patches

Method in Kustomize for modifying existing Kubernetes resources without directly editing the original YAML files.

Lacework for Container Compliance

Cloud security platform providing compliance monitoring and threat detection for containerized environments.

Layer

Unit of a container image representing a set of files or changes, crucial for image building and optimization.

Layered File System

Storage mechanism used by container runtimes, allowing efficient storage and quick updates of container images.

Leader Election Pattern

Design pattern ensuring only one instance of a distributed application component is active at a time.

Leader Election in Operators

Process where multiple instances of an operator elect a leader to prevent conflicts in resource management.

Least Privilege Principle

Security concept of giving a user or process only the minimum levels of access necessary to perform its function.

Lens IDE for Kubernetes

User-friendly, open-source IDE for managing Kubernetes clusters, providing a unified interface for multiple clusters.

Lightstep

Observability platform providing insights into the behavior of highly distributed software systems and microservices.

Limit Ranges

Kubernetes policy for constraining resource allocations (CPU and memory) for pods or containers in a namespace.

LimitRange

Kubernetes object defining the min, max, and default compute resources for pods and containers in a namespace.

Linkerd

Lightweight service mesh for Kubernetes, providing observability, reliability, and security for microservices.

Linkerd Data Plane

Component of Linkerd responsible for proxying traffic between services, implementing service mesh functionality.

Linkerd Service Profiles

Linkerd resource providing service-specific traffic metrics and control, enhancing observability and management.

Linkerd's Ultra-lightweight Proxy

High-performance, minimal-footprint proxy used in Linkerd's data plane for efficient service mesh operations.

Linux Security Modules (LSM)

Framework allowing various security models to be plugged into the Linux kernel, enhancing container isolation.

Load Balancer Integration

Process of connecting external load balancers with Kubernetes services for distributing incoming traffic.

Load Balancing Algorithms

Methods used by load balancers to distribute traffic across multiple container instances or pods.

LoadBalancer

Kubernetes service type that provisions an external load balancer in cloud environments for routing external traffic to services.

Local Persistent Volumes

Kubernetes volume type for locally attached storage, providing high-performance storage options for stateful workloads.

Locality Load Balancing

Technique for routing traffic to geographically or topologically closer endpoints in distributed container deployments.

Log Aggregation Patterns

Techniques for collecting, processing, and storing logs from distributed containerized applications for centralized analysis.

Logging Architecture

Design of systems for capturing, storing, and analyzing logs from containers and orchestration platforms.

Loki

Horizontally-scalable, multi-tenant log aggregation system designed for use with Prometheus and Kubernetes.

Longhorn

Cloud-native distributed block storage system for Kubernetes, providing persistent storage for stateful workloads.

Longhorn Distributed Block Storage

Implementation of Longhorn for providing resilient, replicated block storage in Kubernetes clusters.

Materialized View Pattern

Technique for precomputing and storing query results, improving performance in microservices architectures.

Memory Pressure

Condition where a node or container is running low on available memory, potentially triggering evictions or OOM kills.

Mesh Expansion

Process of extending service mesh capabilities to workloads running outside the primary container orchestration platform.