Dell PowerEdge 6400 User Manual
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base memory
Synonym for conventional memory. See also
BASIC
Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, a programming language. MS-DOS includes a version of BASIC.
batch file
An ASCII text file containing a list of commands that run in sequence. Batch files must have a filename extension of bat.
baud rate
Data transmission speed. For example, modems are designed to transmit data at one or more specified baud rate(s) through the COM (serial)
port of a computer.
BBS
Bulletin board service. A computer system that serves as a central location for accessing data or relaying messages by modem. For example,
Dell's TechConnect BBS contains the latest version of software such as video drivers and the Dell Directory. If your system has a modem, you can
access the BBS and download the most recent version of this software.
beep code
A diagnostic system message in the form of a series of beeps from your computer's speaker. Refer to your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Guide for a complete discussion of system beep codes.
BIOS
Acronym for basic input/output system. Your computer's BIOS contains programs stored on a ROM chip. The BIOS controls the following:
l
Communications between the microprocessor and peripheral devices, such as the keyboard and the video adapter
l
Miscellaneous functions, such as system messages
bit
The smallest unit of information interpreted by your computer.
block
A typical unit of disk storage consisting of a small number of sectors. This term usually refers to the fundamental unit of storage provided by an
operating system. See also
block size
The size of a block. See also
and
boot routine
When you start your computer, it clears all memory, initializes devices, and loads the operating system. Unless the operating system fails to
respond, you can reboot (also called warm boot) your computer by pressing ; otherwise, you must perform a cold boot by
pressing the reset button (if your computer has one) or by turning the computer off and then back on.
bootable diskette
You can start your computer from a diskette in drive A. To make a bootable diskette, insert a diskette in drive A, type sys a: at the command line
prompt, and then press
bpi
bits per inch
bps
bits per second
BTU
British thermal unit
bus
A bus forms an information pathway between the components of a computer. Your computer contains an expansion bus that allows the