Matrox 4Sight XV6 Installation And Hardware Reference page 43

• POST.
Power-on self test. This test is performed by the UEFI, as soon as the computer is
turned on. POST gathers information about what the unit contains, and ensures
that everything is working properly. It works by performing a list of tasks related
to testing the RAM, the on-board hardware, the add-on boards, the keyboard, the
hard disk drives, and other installed components. If all the tasks are completed,
the UEFI will proceed to boot the operating system. If a task cannot be completed,
POST will report an error to the UEFI, and a message will be displayed.
• Protocol.
A set of standards (rules/formats) for transmitting information "packets" between
computer software and hardware devices. Information packets are structured
according to the standards of a protocol. On a network, the data link or Media
Access Control protocol standard, such as the CSMA/CD standard, provides the
access method, and TCP/IP provides the control and routing method to transmit
(move) information packets.
• RAM.
Random access memory. RAM is memory in which the operating system,
application programs, and data in current use are stored so that they can be
accessed by the processor. Information stored in RAM is lost when power is cut
off. RAM chips can be typically installed on a memory module (such as a DIMM
memory module) that is plugged into the motherboard.
• Subnet mask.
The sequence of numbers that the router uses to determine which parts of the
32-bit IP address is specific to the subnetwork (that is, common to all of the
machines on the network) and should be used for transmitting the information
"packet" to the subnetwork. This mask saves the router from having to handle the
entire 32-bit IP address; instead, it can look at only the bits enabled (set to "1")
by the mask. For example, if the network and subnet addresses are contained in
the upper 24 bits, and the specific Host address is contained in the lower 8 bits,
then you can convey this information to the router to allow quicker transmission
to the subnet by passing the following mask value: 255.255.255.0
(11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000).
Glossary 43