Dell PowerEdge 4200 Series User Manual page 112

BASIC
Acronym for Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruc-
tion Code, a programming language. MS-DOS includes a
version of BASIC.
batch file
An ASCII text file containing a list of commands that run
in sequence. Batch files must have a filename extension of
bat.
baud rate
Data transmission speed. For example, modems are de-
signed to transmit data at one or more specified baud rate(s)
through the COM (serial) port of a computer.
BBS
Abbreviation for bulletin board service. A computer sys-
tem that serves as a central location for accessing data or
relaying messages by modem. For example, Dell's Tech-
Connect BBS contains the latest version of software such
as video drivers and the Dell Directory. If your system has
a modem, you can access the BBS and download the most
recent version of this software.
beep code
A diagnostic system message in the form of a series of
beeps from your computer's speaker. Refer to your Instal-
lation and Troubleshooting Guide for a complete
discussion of system beep codes.
BIOS
Acronym for basic input/output system. Your computer's
BIOS contains programs stored on a ROM chip. The BIOS
controls the following:
•
Communications between the microprocessor and
peripheral devices, such as the keyboard and the
video adapter
•
Miscellaneous functions, such as system messages
bit
The smallest unit of information interpreted by your
computer.
boot routine
When you start your computer, it clears all memory, ini-
tializes devices, and loads the operating system. Unless the
operating system fails to respond, you can reboot (also
called warm boot) your computer by pressing
<Ctrl><Alt><Del>; otherwise, you must perform a cold
2 Dell PowerEdge 4200 Systems User's Guide
boot by pressing the reset button (if your computer has one)
or by turning the computer off, then back on.
bootable diskette
You can start your computer from a diskette in drive A. To
make a bootable diskette, insert a diskette in drive A, type
sys a: at the command line prompt, then press <Enter>.
Use this bootable diskette if your computer will not boot
from the hard-disk drive.
bpi
Abbreviation for bits per inch.
bps
Abbreviation for bits per second.
BTU
Abbreviation for British thermal unit.
bus
A bus forms an information pathway between the compo-
nents of a computer. Your computer contains an expansion
bus that allows the microprocessor to communicate with
controllers for all the various peripheral devices connected
to the computer. Your computer also contains an address
bus and a data bus for communications between the micro-
processor and RAM.
byte
Eight contiguous bits of information, the basic data unit
used by your computer.
BZT
Abbreviation for Bundesamt fur Zulassungen in der
Telekommunikation.
C
Abbreviation for Celsius.
cache
To facilitate quicker data retrieval, a storage area for keep-
ing a copy of data or instructions. For example, your
computer's BIOS may cache ROM code in faster RAM.
Or, a disk-cache utility may reserve RAM in which to store
frequently accessed information from your computer's
disk drives; when a program makes a request to a disk drive
for data that is in the cache, the disk-cache utility can re-
trieve the data from RAM faster than from the disk drive.