Dell PowerEdge 4200 Series User Manual page 114

DCE
Acronym for data communications equipment.
Dell diagnostics
A comprehensive set of CD-based diagnostic tests for your
Dell computer. To use the diagnostics, you must boot your
computer from the Dell Server Assistant CD. Refer to your
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for a complete dis-
cussion about how to use the CD-based diagnostics.
device driver
A device driver allows the operating system or a program
to interface correctly with a peripheral, such as a printer or
network card. Some device drivers—such as network
drivers—must be loaded from the config.sys file (with a
device= statement) or as memory-resident programs (usu-
ally, from the autoexec.bat file). Others—such as video
drivers—must load when you start the program for which
they were designed.
diagnostics
See Dell diagnostics.
DIMM
Acronym for dual in-line memory module.
DIN
Acronym for Deutsche Industrie Norm.
DIP
Acronym for dual in-line package. A circuit board, such
as a system board or expansion card, may contain DIP
switches for configuring the circuit board. DIP switches
are always toggle switches, with an On position and an Off
position.
DIP switches
directory
Directories help keep related files organized on a disk in a
hierarchical, "inverted tree" structure. Each disk has a
"root" directory; for example, a
dicates that you are at the root directory of hard-disk drive
C. Additional directories that branch off of the root direc-
4 Dell PowerEdge 4200 Systems User's Guide
prompt normally in-
C:\>
tory are called subdirectories. Subdirectories may contain
additional directories branching off of them.
c:\
c:\windows c:\dos
c:\windows\system
display adapter
See video adapter.
DMA
Abbreviation for direct memory access. A DMA channel
allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a
device to bypass the microprocessor.
DOC
Abbreviation for Department of Communications (in
Canada).
dpi
Abbreviation for dots per inch.
DPMS
Abbreviation for Display Power Management Signaling. A
standard developed by the Video Electronics Standards As-
sociation that defines the hardware signals sent by a video
controller to activate power management states in a video
display or monitor. A monitor is said to be DPMS-compliant
when it is designed to enter a power management state after
receiving the appropriate signal from a computer's video
controller.
DRAM
Abbreviation for dynamic random-access memory. A
computer's RAM is usually made up entirely of DRAM
chips. Because DRAM chips cannot store an electrical
charge indefinitely, your computer continually refreshes
each DRAM chip in the computer.
drive-type number
Your computer can recognize a number of specific hard-
disk drives. Each is assigned a drive-type number that is
stored in NVRAM. The hard-disk drive(s) specified in
your computer's System Setup program must match the
actual drive(s) installed in the computer. The System Setup
root directory
c:\dell
subdirectories