Add-on devices
Devices that are traditionally added to the base server system to increase functionality, such as audio, networking, graphics, and so on. Add-on devices fall into two categories: devices built onto the system board set and devices on expansion cards added to the system through a system-board connector such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI).
Intel Architecture
Refers to computers based on 64-bit and 32-bit microprocessors that use the Intel Architecture instruction set, such as Intel® Pentium®, Intel Pentium with MMX™ technology, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium II Xeon™, or compatible processors. MMX technology refers to Intel’s media-enhancement technology that includes new instructions added to the Intel Architecture instruction set.
DEC Alpha
Refers to Windows NT-compatible computers based on reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architecture.
System devices
Also on-board devices. Refers to devices on the system board set such as interrupt controllers, keyboard controller, real-time clock, direct memory access (DMA) page registers, DMA controllers, memory controllers, floppy disk controller (FDC), AT-Attachment (ATA) ports, serial and parallel ports, PCI bridges, and so on. In today’s servers, these devices are typically integrated with the supporting chip set.
Windows NT or Windows NT Server
Refers to the Microsoft Windows NT Server version 5.0 operating system, including any add-on capabilities and any later versions of the operating system.
For a list of acronyms and definitions of technical terms, see the Glossary later in this guide.