VAN

Virtual Area Network, is a network which users meet "face to face" and requires broadband.

Vanilla

The basic version of a software or hardware product.

VAX

Virtual Address eXtension, Digital Equipment Corporation's successor to its PDP-11 line of minicomputer. As its name implies, VAX systems feature an operating system, VMS, that supports virtual memory. It was introduced in 1977.

VB

Visual Basic, is a third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment.

VC

Venture Capitalist. Individual or firm that provides funds for a business because they judge it to have the potential for growth and success.

VCACHE

The disk cache system in Windows 95. VCACHE replaces the Smartdrive system used in older versions of Windows. Whereas SmartDrive is a 16-bit driver, VCACHE is a 32-bit driver. VCACHE can dynamically change the size of the disk cache depending on available disk space and application requirements.

VDU

Visual Dispay Unit.

Vector Graphics

Same as OOG, refers to software and hardware that use geometrical formulas to represent images. The other method for representing graphical images is through bit maps, in which the image is composed of a pattern of dots. This is sometimes called raster graphics. Vector-oriented images are more flexible than bit maps because they can be resized and stretched. Another advantage of vector graphics is that representations of images often require less memory than bit-mapped images do. Almost all sophisticated graphics systems, including CADD systems and animation software, use vector graphics.

Veronica

Very Easy Rodent Oriented Netwide Index to Computerised Archives, can be used to find out what is on a Gopher site.

VFAT

Virtual File Allocation Table, a virtual installable files system driver used in Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95.

VGA

Video Graphics Array.

Video Conferencing

The ability of 2 or more people at different sites to communicate visually by using a network such as the Internet to transmit video.

Virtual Machine

A self-contained operating environment that behaves as if it is a separate computer. For example, Java applets run in a Java virtual machine (VM) that has no access to the host operating system. This design has 2 advantages:

• System Independence: A Java application will run the same in any Java VM, regardless of the hardware and software underlying the system.
• Security: Because the VM has no contact with the operating system, there is little possibility of a Java program damaging other files or applications.

The second advantage, however, has a downside. Because programs running in a VM are separate from the operating system, they cannot take advantage of special operating system features.

Virtualization

To create a virtual version of a device or resource, where the framework divides the resource into one or more execution environments.

Virus

A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across network and bypassing security systems.

VLAN

Virtual LAN, a network of computers that behave as if they are connected to the same wire even though they may actually be physically located on different segments of a LAN. VLANs are configured through software rather than hardware, which makes them extremely flexible. One of the biggest advantages of VLANs is that when a computer is physically moved to another location, it can stay on the same VLAN without any hardware reconfiguration.

VLC

VLC is a free and open-source media player for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is capable of playing and streaming any audio file and many video files, and even DVD movies.

VLIW

Very Long Instruction Word, a microprocessor design technology.

Vlog

Video blog.

Vlogger

A person who video blogs.

VLSI

Very-Large-Scale Integration. The process of creating an integrated circuit by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip.

VLSM

Variable-Length Subnet Mask. Helps optimise available address space and specify a different subnet mask for the same network number on various subnets.

VMM

Virtual Machine Monitor, is computer software, firmware or hardware that creates and runs virtual machines.

VMS

Virtual Memory System, a multi-user, multitasking, virtual memory operating system that runs on DEC's VAX and Alpha lines of minicomputer and workstation.

VOD

Video On Demand.

VoIP

Voice over IP. Using a computer, software and the internet to make a telephone call.

VPN

Virtual Private Network, a network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes.

VR

Virtual Reality, is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings.

VRAM

Video RAM, is special-purpose memory used by video adapters. Unlike conventional RAM, VRAM can be accessed by two different devices simultaneously. This enables the RAMDAC to access the VRAM for screen updates at the same time that the video processor provides new data. VRAM yields better graphics performance but is more expensive than normal RAM. A special type of VRAM, called Windows RAM (WRAM) , yields even better performance than conventional VRAM.

VRML

Virtual Reality Modelling Language, is a 3-dimensional authoring language.

VRRP

Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol, is an election protocol that dynamically assigns responsibility for one or more virtual routers. See RFC 2338 and RFC 2787

VSAM

Virtual Storage Access Method, a file management system used on IBM mainframes. VSAM speeds up access to data in files by using an inverted index (called a B+tree) of all records added to each file. Many legacy software systems use VSAM to implement database systems (called data sets).

VSD

Visible Surface Determination, a type of algorithm.

Vulture Capitalist

A predatory venture capitalist or businessman looking to profit from investing in e-commerce.