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Google Professional Cloud Architect/Acronyms/Part 16

Acronym study

Google PCA Acronyms — Part 16 of 20

Terms 451–480 of 595 Google PCA acronyms and key terms. Each entry includes a plain-English definition and a link to the full 800-word glossary page with exam context and practice questions.

← Part 15Part 16 of 20Part 17 →

Term 451

Security group

A security group is a virtual firewall that controls inbound and outbound traffic to AWS resources, such as EC2 instances, based on defined rules.

Full entry →
Full Security group glossary entry →

Term 452

Security kernel

The security kernel is the core, trusted part of an operating system that enforces access control and security policies for all system operations.

Full entry →
Full Security kernel glossary entry →

Term 453

Security model

A security model is a formal framework that defines how subjects (users, processes) can access objects (files, resources) based on rules, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Full entry →
Full Security model glossary entry →

Term 454

Segment

A segment is a division of a larger network, such as a collision domain, broadcast domain, or a portion of a TCP data stream, used to organize traffic and improve performance.

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Full Segment glossary entry →

Term 455

Semi-structured data

Semi-structured data is information that has some organizational tags or markers but does not fit into a strict table format like a spreadsheet row and column.

Full entry →
Full Semi-structured data glossary entry →

Term 456

Serial console

A serial console is a direct, low-level connection to a computer or network device that uses a serial port to let you send commands and receive text output, often for initial setup or emergency troubleshooting.

Full entry →
Full Serial console glossary entry →

Term 457

Serverless architecture

Serverless architecture is a cloud computing model where the cloud provider automatically manages the infrastructure, allowing developers to build and run applications without thinking about servers.

Full entry →
Full Serverless architecture glossary entry →

Term 458

Service

A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.

Full entry →
Full Service glossary entry →

Term 459

Service account

A service account is a special type of account used by an application or a virtual machine, rather than a human user, to authenticate and interact with cloud services and APIs securely.

Full entry →
Full Service account glossary entry →

Term 460

Service account key

A service account key is a credential file used to authenticate and authorize a non-human user, like an application or a virtual machine, to access Google Cloud resources.

Full entry →
Full Service account key glossary entry →

Term 461

Service endpoint

A service endpoint is a specific network address (URL or IP/port) that client applications use to access the functionality or data of a cloud or web service.

Full entry →
Full Service endpoint glossary entry →

Term 462

Service Set Identifier

A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the public name of a Wi-Fi network that devices use to identify and connect to it.

Full entry →
Full Service Set Identifier glossary entry →

Term 463

Session Initiation Protocol

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used to start, maintain, and end voice and video calls over IP networks.

Full entry →
Full Session Initiation Protocol glossary entry →

Term 464

SFTP

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a secure method for transferring files over a network using an encrypted SSH connection.

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Full SFTP glossary entry →

Term 465

Shared VPC

A Shared VPC allows multiple projects or accounts within a cloud environment to use the same Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) network, enabling centralized management and isolation of resources.

Full entry →
Full Shared VPC glossary entry →

Term 466

Shield

A shield in IT networking is a conductive layer around a cable or device that blocks electromagnetic interference to protect signal integrity.

Full entry →
Full Shield glossary entry →

Term 467

Shielded Twisted Pair

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) is a type of copper cabling that uses a metallic shield around twisted wire pairs to reduce electromagnetic interference and protect data signals.

Full entry →
Full Shielded Twisted Pair glossary entry →

Term 468

Shielded VM

A Shielded VM is a Google Cloud virtual machine with enhanced security features that protect against rootkits and boot-level malware by verifying the integrity of the boot process and firmware.

Full entry →
Full Shielded VM glossary entry →

Term 469

Side-channel attack

A side-channel attack is a type of security exploit that gathers information from a system by observing its physical or secondary outputs—such as timing, power consumption, or electromagnetic emissions—rather than directly attacking the software or cryptographic algorithm.

Full entry →
Full Side-channel attack glossary entry →

Term 470

SIEM

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a system that collects and analyzes log data from across an IT environment to detect and respond to security threats in real time.

Full entry →
Full SIEM glossary entry →

Term 471

Signed URL

A Signed URL is a time-limited, authenticated web link that grants temporary access to a private resource without requiring the user to log in.

Full entry →
Full Signed URL glossary entry →

Term 472

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the standard internet protocol used for sending and relaying email messages from a client to a server or between servers.

Full entry →
Full Simple Mail Transfer Protocol glossary entry →

Term 473

SLA

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service expected, including metrics like uptime, response time, and penalties for non-compliance.

Full entry →
Full SLA glossary entry →

Term 474

SLI

An SLI (Service Level Indicator) is a carefully chosen metric that measures one specific aspect of a service's performance, such as request latency or error rate, to help determine whether the service is meeting its reliability goals.

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Full SLI glossary entry →

Term 475

SLO

A Service Level Objective is a measurable target for a specific aspect of a service's performance or reliability that a team commits to meeting over a defined period.

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Full SLO glossary entry →

Term 476

Small Form-factor Pluggable

A Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) is a compact, hot-swappable transceiver module used to connect networking devices to fiber optic or copper cables, converting electrical signals into light signals for data transmission.

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Full Small Form-factor Pluggable glossary entry →

Term 477

SMB

SMB (Server Message Block) is a network protocol used primarily for sharing files, printers, and other resources between computers over a local network.

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Full SMB glossary entry →

Term 478

SMTP

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard internet protocol used to send emails from a client to a server or between email servers.

Full entry →
Full SMTP glossary entry →

Term 479

Snapshot

A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a system's data or state, used for backup, recovery, or testing without disrupting the original.

Full entry →
Full Snapshot glossary entry →

Term 480

SNMP

A network protocol used to collect and organize information about managed devices on IP networks and to modify that information to change device behavior.

Full entry →
Full SNMP glossary entry →
← Part 15Part 17 →

Acronym parts

Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7Part 8Part 9Part 10Part 11Part 12Part 13Part 14Part 15Part 16currentPart 17Part 18Part 19Part 20

Study resources

All Google PCA Acronyms→Google PCA Practice Tests→Google PCA Study Guide→Exam Domains→