IUP ITS key terms

A framework model showing how an organization's components and activities work together to create value through services, built from guiding principles, governance, the service value chain, practices, and continual improvement.

A documented agreement between a service provider and a customer that defines expected service, measurable targets such as availability or response time, and remedies when those targets are missed.

An internal agreement between teams within the same organization that supports delivery of an SLA by specifying the responsibilities and response times each internal group commits to.

Incident management restores normal service quickly after a disruption, while problem management investigates underlying causes of recurring incidents to prevent them from happening again.

A problem that has been analyzed and has a documented root cause and usually a workaround, allowing support staff to resolve matching incidents faster while a permanent fix is developed.

The act of transferring an incident or request to a higher support tier or to a specialist group when it cannot be resolved within the current team's authority, skill, or time target.

The average elapsed time needed to restore a failed component or service to working condition, used as a reliability and support-performance metric alongside availability targets.

Any component under configuration control that must be managed to deliver a service, such as a server, application, license, or document, recorded with its attributes and relationships.

A repository holding records of configuration items and the relationships between them, used to assess the impact of changes and incidents on dependent services.

A seven-layer reference model describing how network communication is organized, from physical signaling up through data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application concerns.

A four-layer conceptual model covering link, internet, transport, and application layers, matching the protocol suite actually used on the internet and most enterprise networks.

Dividing an IP address range into smaller logical networks using prefix lengths, where classless inter-domain routing notation such as /24 states how many leading bits identify the network.

A virtual local area network that logically segments switch ports into separate broadcast domains, improving security and performance without requiring separate physical hardware.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol automatically assigns IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS servers to devices, reducing manual configuration errors on large networks.

The Domain Name System translates human-readable hostnames into IP addresses through a hierarchical, distributed set of resolvers and authoritative name servers.

A network security device or software that inspects traffic and permits or blocks it according to rule sets based on addresses, ports, protocols, or application behavior.

A layered security strategy that combines administrative, technical, and physical controls so that failure of any single control does not expose the whole environment.

The principle that users, services, and processes receive only the minimum access rights needed to perform their tasks, limiting the blast radius of misuse or compromise.

An access model that grants permissions to roles rather than individuals, so users inherit rights by assignment to a role, simplifying administration and audit.

Authentication requiring two or more independent credential types, such as a password plus a hardware token or push approval, making stolen passwords alone insufficient for access.

A social engineering attack that tricks users into revealing credentials or running malicious content through deceptive email, messages, or lookalike websites.

Malicious software that encrypts or steals data and demands payment for restoration, typically spreading through phishing, exposed services, or unpatched vulnerabilities.

A security model that assumes no implicit trust based on network location and verifies every access request through identity, device posture, and policy evaluation.

Microsoft's directory service that stores users, computers, and groups and provides centralized authentication and authorization through domain controllers and Group Policy.

A Windows mechanism for centrally enforcing configuration settings, security options, and software deployment on users and computers that belong to an Active Directory domain.

The disciplined process of identifying, testing, deploying, and verifying software updates to close vulnerabilities and fix defects across servers, endpoints, and applications.

Technology that runs multiple isolated virtual machines on one physical host, where the hypervisor allocates CPU, memory, storage, and network resources among guests.

A point-in-time capture of a virtual machine's disk and memory state used for quick rollback before risky changes, not a substitute for a full backup strategy.

Integrated software suites that share a common database across finance, procurement, inventory, and human resources, enforcing consistent processes and single-source reporting.

The practice of defining and maintaining authoritative, consistent records for core entities such as customers, products, and suppliers across multiple business systems.

The policies, roles, and processes that define who may access, change, and share data, and how its quality, lineage, and retention are controlled.

The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, determining how frequently backups or replication must occur to meet business continuity requirements.

The maximum acceptable duration of service interruption before a system must be restored, driving decisions about redundancy, staffing, and recovery procedures.

A documented set of procedures for keeping critical business functions operating during and after a disruption, including alternate sites, manual workarounds, and communication plans.

The technical subset of continuity planning focused on restoring IT infrastructure, data, and applications within agreed recovery objectives after a major outage.

A schedule specifying how long each class of record must be kept and when it must be securely destroyed, based on legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.

A chronological, tamper-evident record of system activity and administrative actions that supports investigation, compliance evidence, and accountability for changes.

Three delivery models defining how much of the technology stack a provider manages: infrastructure only, a managed development platform, or complete ready-to-use applications.

A cloud principle dividing security duties between provider and customer, where the provider secures the underlying platform and the customer secures data, identities, and configuration.

A group that reviews proposed changes for risk, impact, and readiness, then authorizes, defers, or rejects them before implementation to protect production stability.

The practice of maximizing successful changes by assessing risk, categorizing change types, scheduling work, and reviewing outcomes, balancing speed of delivery against stability.

A structured investigation technique, such as the five whys or fishbone diagram, that traces an observed failure back to the underlying process or design flaw.

An ongoing cycle of measuring performance, identifying gaps against objectives, and implementing small or large changes that raise service quality and efficiency over time.