The following conventional terms, abbreviations, and acronyms are used throughout this guide.
Add-on devices
Devices that are traditionally added to the base PC system to increase functionality, such as audio, networking, graphics, SCSI controller, and so on. Add-on devices fall into two categories: devices built onto the system board and devices on expansion cards added to the system through a system board connector such as ISA or PCI.
Desktop Management Interface (DMI)
A framework created by the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF). DMTF specifications define industry-standard interfaces for instrumentation providers and management applications.
End user
The person who is using the Net PC to perform his or her job function, such as inputting data or running applications.
Instrumentation
A mechanism for reporting information about the state of PC hardware and software to enable management applications to ascertain and change the state of a PC and to be notified of state changes.
Intel architecture
Refers to computers based on 32-bit microprocessors that use the Pentium instruction set, such as Intel® Pentium®, Intel Pentium with MMX™ technology, Pentium Pro microprocessors, or similar processors.
Limited end-user access
In this document, several features are defined as “not accessible to end users,” meaning that the person who is using the system to input data or run other applications does not have the ability to change the configuration, purposefully or inadvertently. Specific design guidelines might be provided in some cases, but in general, this term means that the configuration can only be changed, for example, by an administrator or service technician who has special network logon privileges, special software, or special tools. This term is equivalent to “no user-serviceable parts” in consumer electronics.
PC 97
Refers to the set of design requirements defined for the “Designed for Microsoft Windows” logo program, as specified in PC 97 Hardware Design Guide (Microsoft Press, 1996). References to PC 97 requirements in this guide include all changes, clarifications, and timelines for implementation of PC 97 requirements as published on http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/desguid/pc97faq.htm.
RISC– based
Refers to computers based on Windows NT– compatible implementations of RISC processors, including computers with Digital Alpha 21064 (EV4) or higher processors.
System administrator
The person who administers the corporate network, servers, and clients, including configuration and management of Net PC systems.
System devices
Also system board devices. Devices on the system board, such as interrupt controllers, keyboard controller, real-time clock, direct memory access (DMA) page registers, DMA controllers, memory controllers, floppy disk controller (FDC), IDE ports, serial and parallel ports, PCI bridges, and so on. In today&rsquo’s PCs, these devices are typically integrated in the supporting chip set.
Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM)
Technology under development by BMC Software, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Intel Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation, based on standards being developed by the DMTF and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), to provide a mechanism for managed components to specify the information that they can provide to management applications and to provide a mechanism that management applications can use to access the information.
Win32 Driver Model (WDM)
A driver model based on the Windows NT driver model that is designed to provide a common set of I/O services and binary-compatible device drivers for both Windows NT and future Windows operating systems for specific driver classes. These driver classes include USB and IEEE 1394 buses, audio, still-image capture, video capture, and HID-compliant devices such as USB mice, keyboards, and joysticks.
Windows
Refers to the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, including any add-on capabilities and any later versions of the operating system.
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Extensions to WDM being developed for Windows NT 5.0 and Windows 98 to provide an operating system interface through which instrumented components can provide information and notifications.
Windows NT
Refers to the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 operating system, including any add-on capabilities and any later versions of the operating system, unless specific design issues are defined that relate to version 5.0. In this case, the version number is specifically cited.
Wired for Management (WfM)
An initiative aimed at increasing the manageability of desktop PCs and servers and improving the management software for these systems.
Zero Administration Windows
A Microsoft initiative that focuses on improving Windows and Windows NT for maximum automation of administrative tasks with centralized control and maximum flexibility.