Enterprise Technology Glossary

6,173 results · page 296 of 309

• Virtual LAN

  Virtual LAN (VLAN) is a logical network segmentation method that creates separate Layer 2 broadcast domains over shared Ethernet infrastructure, enabling traffic isolation, policy separation, and structured network organization for enterprise, campus, and data center environments.

• Virtual Machine

  Virtual machine is a software-based emulation of a physical computer that runs its own operating system and applications, used in enterprises to consolidate workloads, isolate tenants, and manage compute resources in data centers, private clouds, and public cloud platforms.

• Virtual Network

  Virtual network is a software-defined, logically isolated network that emulates physical networking functions on shared infrastructure and matters in enterprise contexts because it enables controlled segmentation, consistent policy enforcement, and managed connectivity across data center, private cloud, and public cloud environments.

• Virtual Network Function

  Virtual network function is a software-based implementation of a discrete network function that runs on virtualized or cloud infrastructure instead of proprietary appliances, enabling flexible deployment, orchestration, and lifecycle management of network services in carrier and enterprise environments.

• Virtual Networking

  Virtual networking is the software-based abstraction of network connectivity, policies, and functions from underlying hardware, enabling enterprises to build isolated, multitenant logical networks that support virtualization, cloud, and automation requirements across data center, campus, and wide area network environments.

• Virtual Network Interface Card

  Virtual network interface card is a software-defined network adapter presented to a virtual machine or container that connects it to virtual and physical networks, enabling per-workload connectivity, policy enforcement, and monitoring in virtualized data center and cloud environments.

• Virtual Power Plant

  Virtual power plant is a software-based control system that aggregates and coordinates distributed energy resources as a single portfolio for grid operations and electricity markets, enabling enterprises and utilities to manage flexibility, support reliability, and monetize distributed assets.

• Virtual Private Cloud

  Virtual private cloud is a logically isolated network environment hosted by a public cloud provider for a single tenant, used to run workloads with controlled connectivity and security policies in support of enterprise network segmentation, governance, and compliance requirements.

• Virtual Private LAN Service

  Virtual Private LAN Service is a carrier Ethernet offering that emulates a multipoint Ethernet LAN across a provider’s MPLS or IP backbone, enabling geographically separated enterprise sites to share a common layer 2 broadcast domain for WAN connectivity and workload mobility.

• Virtual Private Network

  Virtual private network is a network security service that uses encrypted tunnels over public or shared networks to provide private, authenticated connectivity between users, sites, and cloud resources, supporting enterprise remote access, inter-site communication, and compliance with data-in-transit protection requirements.

• Virtual Radio Access Network

  Virtual radio access network is a mobile network architecture that delivers radio access baseband and control functions as virtualized software on commercial off-the-shelf hardware, relevant for operators and enterprises building flexible 4G and 5G infrastructures and private mobile networks.

• Virtual Reality

  Virtual reality is a computer-generated, three-dimensional interactive environment delivered through specialized hardware and software that simulates user presence in a digital world, relevant in enterprises for training, remote collaboration, design workflows, and controlled simulation of complex or hazardous scenarios.

• Virtual Resource Migration

  Virtual resource migration is the process of moving virtualized compute, storage, or network resources between physical or cloud environments while preserving workload availability and configuration integrity, which supports continuity, maintenance, and capacity management requirements in enterprise IT operations and architectures.

• Virtual Router

  Virtual router is a software-based routing function that runs on virtualized or cloud infrastructure and provides IP packet forwarding and routing control. It matters in enterprise networks because it supports flexible deployment, multi-tenant routing, and integration with software-defined and NFV-based architectures.

• Virtual Routing and Forwarding

  Virtual routing and forwarding is a method for running multiple isolated routing and forwarding instances on a single router, allowing separate routing tables, address spaces, and policies so enterprises and service providers can segment traffic and support multi-tenant environments on shared infrastructure.

• Virtual Security

  Virtual security is the set of security controls and policies that protect virtual machines, virtual networks, and other virtualized workloads in cloud and software-defined environments, enabling consistent protection, segmentation, and governance across dynamic enterprise infrastructure and hybrid or multicloud architectures.

• Virtual Sensor Data

  Virtual sensor data is data generated by software models that estimate sensor readings from existing measurements instead of direct hardware sensing. It matters in enterprise environments because it extends observability, supports control and analytics, and reduces reliance on additional physical instrumentation.

• Virtual Switch

  Virtual switch is a software-based Layer 2 switching component that connects virtual machines or containers and enforces network policies in virtualized and cloud environments, enabling workload connectivity, segmentation, and control without relying exclusively on physical switches.

• Virtual Testbed

  Virtual testbed is a software-based environment that emulates or simulates systems, networks, or devices to enable controlled testing, experimentation, and analysis, which supports risk management, security evaluation, performance assessment, and planning in enterprise, industrial, and research contexts.

• Virtual World Engine

  Virtual world engine is a software framework that supplies core runtime, rendering, physics, networking, and content management capabilities for building and operating persistent, interactive multiuser 3D virtual environments in enterprise contexts, including collaboration, training, simulation, and digital twin applications.