Glossary

kilobits per secondA data rate equal to 1024 bits per second.

K Desktop EnvironmentUser-friendly graphical desktop environment for Linux.

A type of packet sent as a request to a remote peer. A response is usually sent back to the peer sending the request. A keep-alive packet serves as a continuous link confidence test at the access interface, sent at a specified time period. Also called a "tickle packet."

An authentication protocol in which a trusted third party, an arbitrator, is relied upon to perform the authentication of clients on a TCP/IP network. Encrypted tickets, rather than traditional plaintext passwords, are transmitted over the network, providing for secure network authentication.

The portion of server memory used by the NetWare operating system. Also known as operating system memory space.

A service that issues Kerberos tickets, usually run on the same host as the Ticket Granting Server.

A Novell Directory Services (NDS) object that stores trusted root certificates along with a single service certificate and its associated private key. The Key Material object also contains, as a trusted root, the signer of the single service certificate. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) service is configured to use a specified Key Material object during the start of a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) session. Each server links to the appropriate Key Material object so that its certificate can be found during the establishment of an SSL session.

An encryption technology consisting of a public key (available to everyone) and a private key (owned by and available only to a specific individual or entity).A key pair is used to encrypt or convert information into a format that is difficult or impossible to read. In a digital signature system, the key pair creates and validates the digital signature. In an encryption system, the key pair encrypts and decrypts the message body.The public and private keys have the following relationships:

• Data encrypted with the public key can be decrypted with the private key only.
• Data signed with the private key can be verified with the public key only.

Exposing a public key does not expose the corresponding private key.

The size (in bits) of the public key. Generally, the larger the key size, the more resistant the private key is to cryptanalysis (subversion of cryptosystem).

The language for which a computer keyboard is designed.

The act of pressing a key on a keyboard.

On Linux, part of the Red Hat operating system used to help install Red Hat. Using Kickstart, a system administrator can create a single file containing the answers to all the questions that would normally be asked during a typical Red Hat Linux installation. Kickstart files can be kept on single server system, and read by individual computers during the installation. This installation method can support the use of a single Kickstart file to install Red Hat Linux on multiple machines, making it ideal for network and system administrators.

Approximately one thousand bits (1024 bits, to be exact).

Kbps, kbit/sA data rate equal to 1024 btis per second.

An amount of computer memory, disk space, or document size consisting of approximately one thousand bytes. Actual value is 1024 bytes. Often used to refer to file sizes.

Key Material ObjectThe PKI framework used to securely exchange information, using certification authorities (CAs) and digital signatures to verify and authenticate the validity of persons engaged in Internet, Intranet, and Extranet transactions. A reliable PKI system is necessary before implementing a secure e-commerce strategy.