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

Syslog

Standard for message logging, often used in Unix and Unix-like systems for system management and security auditing.
DevOps

System Team

Team responsible for building and maintaining the platforms used by stream-aligned teams.
DevOps

TLS Certificate: DevOps Explained

Digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and enables an encrypted connection.
DevOps

Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)

Patterns of activities or methods associated with a specific threat actor or group of threat actors.
DevOps

Taint Analysis

Technique used to identify and track data in a program that has been tainted with user input.
DevOps

Team Topologies

Organizational design approach focused on optimizing team interactions and boundaries for effective software delivery.
DevOps

TeamCity

Powerful and user-friendly continuous integration server by JetBrains, supporting various version control systems and build tools.
DevOps

Technical Debt

Implied cost of future rework caused by choosing quick, easy solutions now instead of better, more time-consuming approaches.
DevOps

Technology Stack

Set of technologies used to build and run a single application, including programming languages, frameworks, and tools.
DevOps

Telemetry

Automated process of collecting data at remote points and transmitting it to receiving equipment for monitoring.
DevOps

Tenants

In multi-tenant architecture, distinct groups of users who share a common access with specific privileges to the software instance.
DevOps

Terraform

Open-source infrastructure as code software tool that enables defining and provisioning data center infrastructure using a declarative language.
DevOps

Terraform Cloud

Managed service offering of Terraform for teams and organizations, providing collaboration features and workflow management.
DevOps

Test Automation

Use of software to execute tests and compare actual outcomes with predicted outcomes.
DevOps

Test Automation for Everything

Approach of automating all possible tests in the software development process to improve quality and efficiency.
DevOps

Test Data Management

Process of creating, managing, and maintaining test data for software testing, ensuring data quality and relevance.
DevOps

Test Environment

Setup of software and hardware on which the testing team performs testing of a new build.
DevOps

Test Environment Management

Process of planning, creating, maintaining, and managing environments for software testing, ensuring consistency and reliability.
DevOps

Test Kitchen

Tool for testing infrastructure code and software on isolated target platforms, supporting multiple providers and test frameworks.
DevOps

Test-doubles

Generic term for any object used in place of a real object for testing purposes.
DevOps

Test-driven Development (TDD)

Software development process relying on software requirements being converted to test cases before software is fully developed.
DevOps

TestFlight

Apple's platform for over-the-air installation and beta testing of mobile applications before they are submitted to the App Store.
DevOps

Testdatenmanagement

Process of creating, managing, and maintaining test data for software testing, ensuring data quality and relevance for various test scenarios.
DevOps

Testenvironment Self-Service

Ability for testers to provision and manage their own test environments, increasing efficiency and autonomy.
DevOps

Testing-as-a-Service (TaaS)

Outsourcing of testing activities to a third-party service provider, offering specialized expertise and tools for comprehensive testing.
DevOps

The Three Pillars of Observability

Logs, metrics, and traces; key components for understanding the behavior of distributed systems.
DevOps

The Three Ways

Principles underpinning DevOps movements: Flow, Feedback, Continual Learning and Experimentation.
DevOps

Theory of Constraints

Management paradigm that views any manageable system as being limited in achieving its goals by a small number of constraints.
DevOps

Threat Detection and Response (TDR)

Cybersecurity process of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating threats to an organization's IT infrastructure in real-time.
DevOps

Threat Hunting

Proactive cybersecurity technique to detect hidden threats that have evaded existing security solutions.
DevOps

Threat Intelligence

Information about potential or current threats to an organization's security, used to inform better decision-making.
DevOps

Threat Landscape

Comprehensive view of potential security threats facing an organization or industry, crucial for effective risk management.
DevOps

Threat Modeling

Process of identifying, understanding, and categorizing potential security threats.
DevOps

Time to First Byte

Measure of responsiveness that indicates the time between a user making an HTTP request and the first byte of the page being received by the browser.
DevOps

Time to Restore Service

Metric measuring how long it takes to restore a service after an incident, important for assessing system reliability.
DevOps

Time to Value

Duration between the initiation of a process and the realization of its benefits, crucial for measuring efficiency and ROI.
DevOps

Toggle by Geo-location

Feature flag technique that enables or disables features based on geographical location.
DevOps

Toggle by User Rights

Feature flag technique that enables or disables features based on user permissions.
DevOps

Toil

Manual, repetitive, automatable work in running production services that lacks long-term value and scales linearly with service growth.
DevOps

Tool Sprawl

Proliferation of tools within an organization, often leading to inefficiency and integration challenges.
DevOps

Toolchain

Set of programming tools used to perform a complex software development task or to create a software product.
DevOps

Traffic Management

Process of monitoring, controlling, and optimizing network traffic to ensure efficient data flow and prevent congestion.
DevOps

Travis CI

Distributed continuous integration service used to build and test software projects hosted on GitHub.
DevOps

Trunk-Based Development

Source control branching model where developers collaborate on code in a single branch.
DevOps

Tsuru

Open-source Platform as a Service (PaaS) that makes it easy to deploy and manage applications.
DevOps

TypeScript

Typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript, offering enhanced tooling and error detection in large-scale applications.
DevOps

TypeScript First

Development approach prioritizing TypeScript over JavaScript for enhanced type safety and tooling support.
DevOps

UEBA

User and Entity Behavior Analytics; process of tracking, collecting and analyzing user and machine data to detect anomalies.
DevOps

UI Testing

Process of testing a product's graphical user interface to ensure it meets its specifications.
DevOps

Ubuntu

Popular, user-friendly Linux distribution based on Debian, known for its ease of use, regular release cycle, and strong community support.
DevOps

Unit Testing

Software testing method where individual units or components of a program are tested in isolation.
DevOps

Uptime

Measure of system reliability, expressed as the percentage of time a machine has been working and available.
DevOps

Uptime Robot

Service for monitoring websites and alerting users when their sites go down, providing 24/7 uptime monitoring.
DevOps

Uptrends

Website and server monitoring service that helps businesses ensure their online presence is always available and performing optimally.
DevOps

Use Mockups

Practice of creating simplified versions of system components for testing purposes.
DevOps

User Acceptance Test

Final phase of software testing where intended users test the software to ensure it can handle required tasks in real-world scenarios.
DevOps

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Final phase of software testing where actual users test the software to ensure it meets business requirements and is fit for purpose.
DevOps

Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities

Security risk of utilizing software components with documented security issues in applications.
DevOps

VMFest

Clojure library for managing virtual machines on various virtualization platforms, simplifying VM lifecycle management.
DevOps

VPC Flow Logging

Feature that enables you to capture information about the IP traffic going to and from network interfaces in your VPC.
DevOps

VPC Peering

Networking connection between two VPCs that enables you to route traffic between them using private IP addresses.
DevOps

Vagrant

Tool for building and managing virtual machine environments, streamlining the setup process for development environments.
DevOps

Vagrant-lxc

Vagrant plugin that allows the use of LXC (Linux Containers) as a provider, enabling lightweight, OS-level virtualization for development environments.
DevOps

Validate Compliance

Process of ensuring that systems and practices meet specified standards or regulations.
DevOps

Value Stream Management

Practice of optimizing the flow of value through the software delivery lifecycle.
DevOps

Value Stream Mapping

Lean technique for analyzing current state and designing future state of events that deliver a product or service to the customer.
DevOps

Vault

Secure secret management tool for storing and controlling access to tokens, passwords, certificates, and other sensitive data.
DevOps

Vaurien

Chaos Monkey-style tool for introducing delays and errors into TCP connections, useful for testing system resilience.
DevOps

Veewee

Tool for easily building custom Vagrant base boxes, KVMs, and virtual machine images.
DevOps

Velocity

Measure of the amount of work a team completes during a sprint or iteration, used in agile project management.
DevOps

Version Control

System that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later.
DevOps

Version Control System (VCS)

Software tools that help software teams manage changes to source code over time.
DevOps

Vieraugenprinzip

German term for the "four-eyes principle", requiring two individuals to approve an action before it can be taken.
DevOps

Virtual Machine (VM)

Emulation of a computer system, providing the functionality of a physical computer.
DevOps

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

On-demand configurable pool of shared computing resources allocated within a public cloud environment.
DevOps

Virtualization

Creation of a virtual version of something, such as a server, storage device, network or operating system.
DevOps

Vulnerability Assessments (VA)

Systematic review of security weaknesses in an information system, often involving scanning and analysis of potential vulnerabilities.
DevOps

Vulnerability Scanning

Automated process of proactively identifying security vulnerabilities of computing systems in a network.
DevOps

WAAP (Web Application & API Protection)

Security solution that protects web applications and APIs from various types of attacks.
DevOps

WAF (Web Application Firewall)

Application firewall for HTTP applications that applies a set of rules to an HTTP conversation.
DevOps

Waste

Any activity in a process that does not add value to the customer, a key concept in lean methodologies for process improvement.
DevOps

Waterfall

Traditional, linear approach to software development with distinct phases, often contrasted with more iterative methodologies like Agile.
DevOps

Weave

Network plugin for Kubernetes that creates a virtual network for connecting containers across multiple hosts.
DevOps

Web API Security

Set of practices and measures taken to protect web APIs from various security threats and unauthorized access.
DevOps

Web Application Development

Process of creating web applications, including design, coding, testing, and deployment, often using various web technologies.
DevOps

Web Application Security

Discipline of protecting websites and web applications against security threats.
DevOps

Web Scraping

Automated process of extracting data from websites, often used for data mining, price monitoring, or content aggregation.
DevOps

WebSockets

Protocol providing full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection.
DevOps

Webhooks

Automated messages sent from apps when something happens, allowing real-time data transfer and integration between different systems.
DevOps

White Box Testing

Method of testing where the internal structure/design/implementation of the item being tested is known to the tester.
DevOps

Wildcard Certificate

SSL certificate that secures a domain and its subdomains, allowing for flexible and cost-effective implementation of HTTPS.
DevOps

Windows Event

Record of an occurrence in a Windows operating system or application, crucial for system monitoring and troubleshooting.
DevOps

Windows Event Log

Detailed record of system, security, and application notifications stored by Windows.
DevOps

Windows Performance Counters

Measurement tools built into Windows that provide information about system operation.
DevOps

Windows Services

Programs that operate in the background on Windows systems, similar to daemons in Unix-like operating systems.
DevOps

Work in Progress (WIP)

Partially completed work or any task that has been started but is not yet finished.
DevOps

Workflow

Sequence of processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.
DevOps

XDR

Extended Detection and Response; security technology that provides holistic protection against cyber threats.
DevOps

XML External Entities (XXE)

Web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with an application's processing of XML data.
DevOps

Xcode

Integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS containing a suite of software development tools.
DevOps
stash entry

stash entry

A single set of stashed changes in Git, which can be reapplied later to the working directory.
status checks

status checks

Automated tests or processes that run when changes are proposed in a Git repository, ensuring code quality and compatibility.
subscription

subscription

Notifications or updates a user receives about activity in Git repositories they're interested in or contributing to.
superproject

superproject

The main Git repository that contains submodules, managing references to specific versions of nested repositories.
symref

symref

A symbolic reference in Git that points to another reference, most commonly used for HEAD pointing to the current branch.
tag object

tag object

A Git object containing metadata about a tag, including the tagger, date, and optional message.
team

team

A group of users on a Git platform with shared access permissions to repositories within an organization.
team maintainer

team maintainer

A user with administrative privileges for managing a team's membership and access rights in a Git organization.
timeline

timeline

A chronological display of events and activities in a Git repository or user profile on hosting platforms.
topic branch

topic branch

A short-lived Git branch created to develop a specific feature or fix a particular issue.
topics

topics

Keywords or categories assigned to Git repositories to help users discover related projects on hosting platforms.
traffic graph

traffic graph

A visual representation of visitor activity and clone statistics for a Git repository on hosting platforms.
transfer

transfer

The process of moving Git objects between repositories during push, fetch, or clone operations.
tree

tree

A Git object representing a directory structure, containing references to blobs (files) and other trees (subdirectories).
tree object

tree object

A Git object that stores the hierarchy of files and directories in a repository at a specific point in time.
tree-ish (also treeish)

tree-ish (also treeish)

A Git term referring to an object that resolves to a tree, such as a commit, tag, or tree.
unborn

unborn

A state of a Git branch that has no commits yet, typically seen when initializing a new repository.
unmerged index

unmerged index

The state of the Git index containing conflicting changes from different branches during a merge operation.
unreachable object

unreachable object

A Git object not accessible from any reference, potentially subject to garbage collection if not recovered.
upstream branch

upstream branch

The remote branch that a local branch is set to track, used as a reference for pull and push operations.
user

user

An individual account on a Git platform, associated with personal repositories and contributions.
user-to-server request

user-to-server request

An authenticated request from a Git client to a server, typically for operations like push or fetch.
username

username

The unique identifier for a user account on Git platforms, used for authentication and mention notifications.
visible team

visible team

A team in a Git organization that is visible to all members of the organization, as opposed to secret teams.
watch

watch

A feature allowing users to receive notifications about activity in Git repositories they're interested in.
watching notifications

watching notifications

Alerts received for all notable events in a watched Git repository, including issues, pull requests, and releases.
web notifications

web notifications

Alerts displayed on Git platforms' web interfaces, notifying users of relevant activity or mentions.
working area

working area

The directory on your local machine where you modify files before staging and committing them in Git.
working tree

working tree

The set of files and directories in your project that are currently checked out and available for editing.
worktree

worktree

A Git feature allowing multiple working directories to be associated with a single repository.
write access

write access

Permission to make changes to a Git repository, including pushing commits and modifying branches.

Model Versioning

Managing different iterations of machine learning models in cloud-based development pipelines.

Module Registry

Repository for storing and managing reusable software components in cloud development environments.

Molecular Data Storage

Experimental technique using molecules to store digital data, potentially integrated with cloud systems.

Multi-Account Management

Tools and practices for managing multiple cloud accounts within an organization.

Multi-Cloud

Using services from multiple cloud providers in a single architecture, optimizing for cost, performance, and redundancy.

Multi-Cloud Integration Hubs

Centralized platforms for managing data and application integrations across multiple cloud providers.

Multi-Cloud Load Balancing

Distributing workloads across multiple cloud providers to optimize performance and reliability.

Multi-Cloud Management

Tools and practices for administering resources and applications across multiple cloud providers.

Multi-Cloud Network Fabrics

Technologies enabling seamless networking across multiple cloud provider environments.

Multi-Cloud Service Mesh Management

Coordinating microservices communication and security across multiple cloud environments.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Security system requiring two or more verification methods to access cloud resources.

Multi-Model Databases

Database systems supporting multiple data models (e.g., document, graph, relational) in a single backend.

Multi-Region Replication

Copying data across multiple geographic regions in cloud environments for redundancy and disaster recovery.

Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC)

Bringing cloud capabilities closer to the network edge for improved performance and reduced latency.

Multi-cloud Cost Management

Tools and strategies for monitoring and optimizing expenses across multiple cloud providers.

Multi-cloud Cost Optimization

Strategies to minimize expenses and maximize efficiency when using multiple cloud providers.

Multi-cloud Disaster Recovery

Implementing backup and failover systems across multiple cloud providers for enhanced resilience.

Multi-cloud Networking

Connecting and managing network resources across multiple cloud provider environments.

Multi-cloud Security

Strategies and tools for protecting data and applications across multiple cloud provider environments.

Multicloud Data Controllers

Tools for managing and orchestrating data across multiple cloud provider environments.

Multicloud Networking Fabric

Unified network architecture spanning multiple cloud providers for seamless connectivity.

Multimodal AI Platforms

Cloud services supporting AI models that can process and integrate multiple types of data (e.g., text, image, audio).

Multimodal Cloud Interfaces

User interfaces that combine multiple input/output methods (e.g., voice, touch, gesture) for cloud service interaction.

Multimodal Data Fusion Platforms

Cloud services for integrating and analyzing data from various sources and formats.

NAT Gateway

Service that enables private subnet instances to connect to the internet or other AWS services.

Namespace

Isolated environment within a cluster to organize and manage resources in cloud platforms.

Natural Language Cloud Command Interfaces

Systems allowing users to interact with cloud services using conversational language.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

AI technology for understanding, interpreting, and generating human language in cloud environments.

Natural Language Processing as a Service

Cloud-based platforms offering pre-built NLP models and APIs for text analysis and generation.

Near-Edge Data Centers

Smaller data centers located closer to end-users for reduced latency in cloud service delivery.

Neomorphic Design for Cloud Interfaces

UI design approach mimicking physical objects for intuitive cloud service interaction.

Network ACLs

Rules controlling inbound and outbound traffic for subnets in cloud virtual networks.

Network Access Control List (NACL)

Stateless firewall for controlling traffic in and out of cloud subnets, enhancing network security.

Network Address Translation (NAT)

Process of modifying network address information to route traffic between private and public networks.

Network Function Virtualization (NFV)

Virtualizing network services traditionally run on proprietary hardware in cloud environments.

Network Observability Platforms

Tools for monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting cloud network performance and behavior.

Network Performance Monitoring

Tools and practices for measuring and optimizing network performance in cloud environments.

Network Service Mesh

Technology for managing and securing service-to-service communication in cloud-native environments.

Network Telemetry

Collecting and analyzing network data for visibility and troubleshooting in cloud environments.

Network Traffic Optimization

Techniques for improving the efficiency and performance of data flow in cloud networks.

Network-as-Code

Defining and managing network infrastructure using code in cloud environments, enabling automated and version-controlled networking.

Neural Architecture Search (NAS) as a Service

Cloud-based automated design of optimal neural network architectures for specific AI tasks.

Neuro-Symbolic AI Frameworks

Cloud platforms combining neural networks with symbolic reasoning for more robust AI systems.

Neuro-symbolic AI Systems

Cloud-based AI integrating neural networks and symbolic AI for enhanced reasoning capabilities.

Neuromorphic Cloud Computing

Cloud services using brain-inspired computing architectures for improved efficiency in AI tasks.

Neuromorphic Computing Services

Cloud platforms providing access to brain-inspired computing architectures for AI applications.

Neuromorphic Computing as a Service

Cloud-based offerings of brain-inspired computing architectures for specialized AI workloads.

Neuromorphic Hardware Acceleration

Cloud-based AI processing using brain-inspired chip designs for improved efficiency and performance.

NewSQL Databases

Cloud databases combining the scalability of NoSQL with the ACID guarantees of traditional relational databases.

NoSQL Database (e.g., Amazon DynamoDB, Azure Cosmos DB)

Non-relational databases designed for flexible, scalable data storage and retrieval in cloud environments.

Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) over Fabrics

High-performance storage protocol for accessing SSDs over network fabrics in cloud environments.

OLAP (Online Analytical Processing)

Technology for quickly analyzing multidimensional data from multiple perspectives in cloud databases.

Object Storage

Cloud storage for unstructured data, accessed via APIs and organized as objects rather than files.

Object Storage (e.g., Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage)

Scalable cloud storage services for unstructured data, accessible via APIs, ideal for large-scale data storage and retrieval.

Object Storage Gateways

Devices or software providing local access to cloud-based object storage systems.

Observability Data Lakes

Centralized repositories for storing and analyzing large volumes of observability data in cloud environments.

Observability Data Pipelines

Systems for collecting, processing, and routing observability data in cloud environments.

Observability-Driven Development

Software development approach prioritizing built-in monitoring and debugging in cloud applications.

Olfactory Data Processing in the Cloud

Analyzing and interpreting scent-related data using cloud computing resources, enabling digital olfactory applications.

On-Device Machine Learning

Running ML models on edge devices, reducing reliance on cloud processing for certain tasks.

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

Technology for rapid analysis of multidimensional data in cloud-based data warehouses.

OpenFaaS

Open-source framework for building serverless functions with Docker and Kubernetes in cloud environments.

Operator Pattern

Kubernetes extension for automating application management tasks in cloud-native environments.

Optical Computing in the Cloud

Using light-based processing for high-speed, energy-efficient computation in cloud data centers.

Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates

Remote software updates for devices connected to cloud services, often used for IoT.

PCI DSS Compliance in the Cloud

Adhering to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requirements in cloud environments.

Partitioning

Dividing large datasets or databases into smaller, more manageable parts in cloud storage systems.

Pay-as-you-go Model

Pricing structure where users only pay for the cloud resources they actually use.

Pay-as-you-go Pricing

Billing model where customers are charged based on their actual usage of cloud resources.

Pay-per-execution Model

Pricing scheme where users are billed only when their serverless functions are invoked.

Peering Connection

Direct network link between two virtual private clouds, often in different accounts or regions.

Penetration Testing in the Cloud

Simulated cyberattacks to evaluate the security of cloud-based systems and applications.

Persistent Memory

Non-volatile memory that combines speed of DRAM with data persistence, used in cloud storage systems.

Persistent Volumes

Storage resources in cloud environments that exist independently of any specific pod or container.

Photonic Integrated Circuits for Data Centers

Light-based chips for high-speed data processing in cloud infrastructure, improving energy efficiency.

Pipeline as Code

Defining and managing continuous integration/deployment workflows using code in cloud environments.

Point-in-Time Recovery

Ability to restore cloud-based data to a specific moment in the past, enabling granular data recovery options.

Policy Enforcement

Implementing and maintaining security and compliance rules across cloud resources.

Policy Management

Creating, updating, and enforcing rules governing cloud resource usage and security.

Polyglot FaaS (Function as a Service)

Serverless platform supporting multiple programming languages for cloud function development.

Polyglot Persistence

Using multiple data storage technologies to handle varied data storage needs in cloud applications.

Polyglot Serverless Development

Creating serverless applications using multiple programming languages in cloud environments.

Post-Migration Optimization

Refining and improving cloud-based systems after initial migration from on-premises.

Post-Quantum Cryptography Implementation

Deploying encryption methods resistant to quantum computer attacks in cloud systems.

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)

Metric for measuring energy efficiency of cloud data centers, comparing total power consumption to IT equipment power usage.

Predictive Auto-Scaling

Using AI to anticipate resource needs and adjust cloud capacity automatically, optimizing performance and cost-efficiency.

Predictive Capacity Planning

Using data analytics and machine learning to forecast future cloud resource requirements and optimize infrastructure.

Predictive Maintenance

Using data analytics to anticipate and prevent equipment failures in cloud infrastructure.

Prescriptive Analytics

Advanced analytics providing recommendations for actions in cloud-based decision making.

Pricing Calculator

Tool for estimating costs of cloud services based on expected usage, helping in budgeting and resource planning.

Privacy-Enhancing Computation (PEC)

Techniques for processing sensitive data while preserving privacy in cloud environments.

Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs)

Tools and methods for protecting personal data privacy in cloud computing, ensuring compliance and user trust.

Privacy-Preserving Analytics

Techniques for analyzing data in the cloud while maintaining individual privacy.

Privacy-Preserving Data Mining

Extracting useful information from large datasets without compromising individual privacy in the cloud.

Privacy-Preserving Data Science

Performing data analysis in the cloud while protecting sensitive information, balancing insights with data privacy.

Private 5G Networks

Dedicated 5G networks deployed for specific enterprise use, often integrated with cloud services.

PrivateLink

Service enabling private connectivity between VPCs, AWS services, and on-premises applications.

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Tools for securing, controlling, and monitoring access to critical cloud resources and data.

Probabilistic Data Structures in the Cloud

Memory-efficient data structures for approximate data analysis in cloud environments.

Programmable Data Planes

Network architectures allowing customization of data packet processing in cloud infrastructure.

5G MEC Integration

Integration of 5G mobile edge computing with container platforms for low-latency applications and services at network edges.

AIOps for Container Environments

Application of AI and machine learning for automated operations, monitoring, and management of containerized environments.

API Deprecation Policy

Guidelines for phasing out older API versions in Kubernetes, ensuring smooth transitions for users.

API Extensions

Mechanisms to extend the Kubernetes API with custom resources and functionalities, enhancing platform capabilities.

API Gateway Pattern

Containerized service that acts as a single entry point for all client requests to a microservices architecture.

API Server

Core component of Kubernetes that exposes the cluster's API and handles all administrative operations.

API Server Aggregation

Kubernetes feature allowing the API server to be extended with additional APIs without modifying core Kubernetes code.

API-First Development

Approach prioritizing API design before implementation, crucial for developing scalable containerized microservices.

AWS Fargate

Serverless compute engine for containers, allowing you to run containers without managing the underlying infrastructure.

Adapter Pattern

Design pattern in containerized microservices that wraps a service's interface to make it compatible with other services.

Admission Controllers

Plugins that intercept requests to the Kubernetes API server before object persistence, enforcing policies or modifying objects.

Admission Controllers for Security

Admission controllers specifically focused on enforcing security policies and validating security-related configurations.

Admission Webhooks

HTTP callbacks that receive admission requests and can modify or validate objects before they are persisted.

Admission Webhooks in Operators

Use of admission webhooks within Kubernetes operators to enforce custom policies or modify resources.

Advanced Audit

Kubernetes feature providing detailed logging of all requests processed by the API server for security and compliance.

Aggregated API Servers

Extension of the Kubernetes API server to include custom resources and functionalities without modifying core Kubernetes.

Aggregated ClusterRoles

Combination of multiple ClusterRoles into a single role, simplifying RBAC management in Kubernetes.

Air-gapped Registries

Container registries isolated from public networks, used in secure or restricted environments.

Akri

Open-source project for exposing heterogeneous leaf devices as resources in Kubernetes clusters.

Alertmanager Configuration

Setup and management of Prometheus Alertmanager for handling alerts from monitoring systems.

Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR)

Fully managed Docker container registry provided by AWS for storing, managing, and deploying container images.

Ambassador Pattern

Microservices design pattern where a dedicated service acts as an API gateway for other services.

Ambient Mesh

Service mesh implementation that doesn't require sidecars, reducing resource overhead and simplifying deployment.

Anchore Engine for Image Scanning

Open-source tool for deep inspection of container images, including vulnerability scanning and policy enforcement.

Ansible-based Operators

Kubernetes operators implemented using Ansible for automating application lifecycle management.

Antrea Network Policies

Network policies specific to the Antrea CNI plugin, offering fine-grained control over pod-to-pod communication.

Antrea for Open vSwitch-based Networking

Kubernetes networking solution using Open vSwitch for improved performance and advanced networking features.

Apache OpenWhisk

Open-source serverless platform that executes functions in response to events or direct invocations.

AppArmor Profiles

Security profiles for Linux that restrict program capabilities, enhancing container isolation and security.

Application-level Logging

Logging implemented within applications, providing detailed insights into application behavior and performance.

Aqua Security

Platform providing security and compliance for container-based and cloud-native applications throughout their lifecycle.

Aqua Security Platform

Comprehensive security solution for containerized and cloud-native environments, offering vulnerability management and runtime protection.

Argo CD

GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes, automating application deployment and lifecycle management.

Argo Rollouts

Kubernetes controller for advanced deployment strategies like canary and blue-green deployments.

ArgoCD

Declarative GitOps tool for Kubernetes, automating application deployment and synchronization with Git repositories.

Artifact Management

Process of storing, organizing, and managing container images and related artifacts in container registries.

Athenz for Fine-grained Access Control

Open-source platform for fine-grained access control and authentication in distributed systems.

Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

Access control paradigm where authorization decisions are based on attributes of users, resources, and environment.

Audit Annotations

Additional metadata added to Kubernetes audit events for enhanced context and analysis, improving audit trails.

Audit Backends

Components responsible for processing and storing Kubernetes audit logs, supporting various storage and analysis options.

Audit Events

Records of requests and activities within a Kubernetes cluster, used for security monitoring and compliance.

Audit Levels

Configurable detail levels for Kubernetes audit logs, ranging from metadata-only to full request and response details.

Audit Logging

Process of recording API server requests and responses for security, troubleshooting, and compliance purposes.

Audit Logs

Detailed records of activities and operations within a Kubernetes cluster, used for security and compliance monitoring.

Audit Policy

Configuration defining which events should be recorded in Kubernetes audit logs and at what level of detail.

Audit Profile

Predefined set of audit policy rules for common use cases in Kubernetes, simplifying audit configuration.

Audit Stages

Different phases of request processing where audit events can be generated in Kubernetes, providing comprehensive auditing.

Audit Webhook Configuration

Setup for sending Kubernetes audit events to external webhook endpoints for processing or analysis.

Auditing

Process of systematically recording and examining activities within a Kubernetes cluster for security and compliance purposes.

Authenticating Proxy

Intermediary service that handles authentication before forwarding requests to the Kubernetes API server.

Authentication Modules

Pluggable components in container orchestration platforms for verifying user identities using various methods.

Authorization Policies

Rules defining access permissions for users and services in container orchestration platforms.

Azure Container Instances

Serverless container hosting service in Azure, offering rapid deployment of containers without cluster management.

Azure Container Registry

Managed Docker registry service for storing and managing container images in Azure cloud environments.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) in Containers

Implementation of Border Gateway Protocol within containerized network environments for advanced routing.

BGP in Container Networks

In container networks, BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) manages routing information between containers and external networks for efficient traffic routing.

Backend for Frontend (BFF) Pattern

Microservices design pattern where a dedicated service acts as an API gateway for specific frontend needs.

Backup and Restore

Processes for preserving and recovering container data and configurations in orchestration platforms.

Base Image

Foundation Docker image upon which other images are built, containing core OS and runtime components.

Base Image Selection

Process of choosing appropriate foundation images for container builds, balancing size, security, and functionality.

Best Effort QoS

Kubernetes quality of service class for pods with no resource guarantees, scheduled when resources are available.

Blue-Green Deployments

Deployment strategy using two identical environments to minimize downtime and risk during updates.

Bootstrap Tokens

Temporary tokens used for secure cluster initialization and node joining in Kubernetes, simplifying cluster setup.

Bottlerocket OS

Minimalist Linux-based operating system optimized for running containers in cloud environments.

BuildKit

Advanced container image building toolkit offering improved performance and caching capabilities.

BuildKit for Advanced Image Building

Use of BuildKit for efficient, concurrent, and cache-optimized container image creation, improving build performance.

Bulkhead Pattern

Isolation technique in microservices to contain failures and prevent system-wide cascading failures.

Bulkhead Pattern in Microservices

The Bulkhead Pattern in microservices isolates failures by dividing services into separate compartments, preventing issues in one from affecting others.

Burstable QoS

Kubernetes quality of service class for pods that can use more resources than requested when available.

CIS Benchmarks for Containers

Security configuration guidelines for deploying containers securely in various environments.

CNI Plugin Chaining

Technique of using multiple Container Network Interface plugins together for advanced networking capabilities.

CPU Manager

Kubernetes feature for fine-grained CPU resource management and allocation to containers, optimizing performance.

CPU Throttling

Technique to limit CPU usage of containers to prevent resource monopolization and ensure fair allocation.

CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation)

Architectural pattern separating read and write operations in distributed systems, often used in microservices.

CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation) Pattern

Architectural pattern separating read and write operations in distributed systems, often used in microservices.

CRI (Container Runtime Interface) Specification

Standard interface between container runtimes and Kubernetes, allowing pluggable runtime implementations.

CRI Image Management

Functionality within CRI for pulling, inspecting, and removing container images, standardizing image operations.

CRI Logging

Standardized logging interface for container runtimes implementing the Container Runtime Interface.

CRI Metrics

Performance and resource usage data exposed by container runtimes adhering to the CRI specification.

CRI Runtime Class

Kubernetes feature allowing selection of different runtime configurations for containers, enabling specialized runtimes.

CRI Socket

Unix domain socket used for communication between Kubelet and the CRI-compatible container runtime.

CRI Validation Testing

Process of verifying that a container runtime correctly implements the CRI specification, ensuring compatibility.

CRI-O

Lightweight container runtime specifically designed for Kubernetes, implementing the CRI specification.

CRI-O Internals

Core components and architecture of the CRI-O container runtime, including its interaction with Kubernetes.

CRI-O as Container Runtime

Use of CRI-O, a lightweight container runtime, as the primary runtime in a Kubernetes cluster.

CSI Controller Plugin

Component of CSI responsible for volume provisioning and attachment operations in container orchestration systems.

CSI Drivers

Plugins implementing the Container Storage Interface for various storage systems in Kubernetes.

CSI Ephemeral Volumes

Short-lived volumes in Kubernetes, created and deleted alongside a pod using CSI drivers, for temporary storage.

CSI Migration

Process of transitioning from in-tree volume plugins to CSI drivers in Kubernetes, improving storage extensibility.

CSI Node Plugin

Component of CSI responsible for mounting volumes and making them available to containers.

CSI Topology

Feature allowing storage provisioning based on topology constraints in Kubernetes, optimizing data locality.

Cache-Aside Pattern

Caching strategy where the application checks the cache before retrieving data from the main data store.

Caching Strategies for Containers

Techniques for implementing and managing caches in containerized applications for improved performance.

Calico

Open-source networking and network security solution for containers, providing a rich set of security policies.

Calico eBPF Datapath

High-performance networking mode in Calico using extended Berkeley Packet Filter for packet processing.

Canary Deployments

Technique of releasing new versions to a subset of users or servers to minimize risk and gather feedback.

Capabilities

Fine-grained privileges that can be assigned to containers, enhancing security by limiting root-level access.

Capability Controls

Mechanisms for managing and restricting Linux capabilities assigned to containers for improved security.

Categories

Groupings or classifications of container-related resources or components for easier management and discovery.

Ceph RBD

Ceph's block storage system, often used for persistent volumes in container orchestration platforms.