Glossary

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is an electronic device that measures and reports a body’s specific force, angular rate, and sometimes the orientation of the body, using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers. When the magnetometer is included, IMUs are referred to as IMMUs.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Inertial Measurement Unit.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Aug. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_measurement_unit.

Initial Program Load (IPL)

Initial Program Load, the process of loading the operating system of a mainframe into the computer’s main memory. IPL is the mainframe equivalent of booting or rebooting a personal computer.

Beal, Vangie. “IPL - Initial Program Load.” Webopedia, 10 June 2002, https://www.webopedia.com/definitions/ipl/.

Job Control Language (JCL)

Job Control Language is a name for scripting languages used on IBM mainframe operating systems to instruct the system on how to run a batch job or start a subsystem.

“Job Control Language.” Wikipedia, 9 Sept. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_Control_Language.

Just-in-time compilation (JIT)

In computing, just-in-time (JIT) compilation (also dynamic translation or run-time compilations) is a way of executing computer code that involves compilation during execution of a program (at run time) rather than before execution. This may consist of source code translation but is more commonly bytecode translation to machine code, which is then executed directly. A system implementing a JIT compiler typically continuously analyses the code being executed and identifies parts of the code where the speedup gained from compilation or recompilation would outweigh the overhead of compiling that code.

“Just-In-Time Compilation.” Wikipedia, 10 Feb. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-in-time_compilation.

Model–View–Controller (MVC)

Model–view–controller (MVC) is a software design pattern commonly used for developing user interfaces that divides the related program logic into three interconnected elements. This is done to separate internal representations of information from the ways information is presented to and accepted from the user.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Model–View–Controller.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model%E2%80%93view%E2%80%93controller.

Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS)

Multiple Virtual Storage, more commonly called MVS, was the most commonly used operating system on the System/370 and System/390 IBM mainframe computers. IBM developed MVS, along with OS/VS1 and SVS, as a successor to OS/360. It is unrelated to IBM’s other mainframe operating system lines, e.g., VSE, VM, TPF.

Wikipedia Contributors. “MVS.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 July 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MVS.

Resource Access Control Facility (RACF)

Resource Access Control Facility, or RACF, provides the tools to help the installation manage access to critical resources.

“Z/OS Basic Skills.” Ibm.com, 28 June 2023, https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/zosbasics/com.ibm.zos.zsecurity/zsecc_042.htm. Accessed 16 July 2025.

Real-time locating system (RTLS)

Real-time locating systems (RTLS), also known as real-time tracking systems, are used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time, usually within a building or other contained area. Wireless RTLS tags are attached to objects or worn by people, and in most RTLS, fixed reference points receive wireless signals from tags to determine their location. Examples of real-time locating systems include tracking automobiles through an assembly line, locating pallets of merchandise in a warehouse, or finding medical equipment in a hospital.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Real-Time Locating System.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 June 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_locating_system.

Time Sharing Option (TSO)

Time Sharing Option (TSO) is an interactive time-sharing environment for IBM mainframe operating systems, including OS/360 MVT, OS/VS2 (SVS), MVS, OS/390, and z/OS.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Time Sharing Option.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 July 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Sharing_Option.

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a framework for building service-oriented applications. Using WCF, you can send data as asynchronous messages from one service endpoint to another. A service endpoint can be part of a continuously available service hosted by IIS, or it can be a service hosted in an application. An endpoint can be a client of a service that requests data from a service endpoint. The messages can be as simple as a single character or word sent as XML, or as complex as a stream of binary data.

Mconnew. “What Is Windows Communication Foundation - WCF.” WCF | Microsoft Learn, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/wcf/whats-wcf. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.