A thread is a the entity within a process that Windows schedules for execution. A thread has. The contents of a set of CPU registers representing the state of the processor. 2 stacks, 1 for the thread to use in kernel mode, and 1 for user mode. Private storage called Thread Local Storage for use by subsystems, run-time libraries, and DLLs and;. A thread ID.

To achieve maximum efficiency and reliability a mode of operation known as symmetric multiprocessing is used. In essence, with SMP any process or threads can be assigned to any processor.

It is a phenomenon in virtual memory schemes when the processor spends most of its time swapping pages, rather than executing instructions. This is due to an inordinate number of page faults.

Bus Interface Gate Array. Technology that allows the Catalyst 5000 to receive and transmit frames from its packet-switching memory to its MAC local buffer memory without the intervention of the host processor.

Physical connection between an interface processor or card and the data buses and power distribution buses inside a Cisco chassis.

Feature on Cisco routers that provides faster packet processing by allowing the ciscoBus to switch packets independently without interrupting the system processor.