Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ >> Definitions: API, PHP, FTP, mySQL and more.

The myRepono.com website includes a range of technical terms and acronyms such as API, PHP or mySQL. Below you will find a series of basic definitions which we hope will aid novice users in understanding the system, and these terms in general.
 
API
Application Programming Interface
An application programming interface (API) is a software interface which is designed for use by other software. Whereas a normal software program is used by a (human) computer-user, an API is a software program which is used by another software program. In the case of myRepono, the API is a software program which enables our system to connect to yours in order to generate and process backups. Where a standard software program would have an interface which is designed for a human (with plain text), an API is optimised so for example, instead of saying 'Thank you, your backup was successful!', it simply returns a '1' for the highest efficiency.
 
Byte, KB, MB, GB, TB
Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte
These are file sizes indicating the size of a particular file or collection of files, for more information please refer to our Understanding file sizes documentation.
 
HTTP/HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure)
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a networking protocol for distributed information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web/Internet. Most website URLs include the http:// protocol at the beginning of the address, however the https:// protocol may also be used for transferring data with encryption and other protocols may be used for different purposes (such as FTP).
 
FTP
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to copy a file from one host (network/internet connected computer) to another over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is the standard method used for transferring files to a website or server and FTP is supported/offered by almost all web hosting companies/providers. If you are using a web hosting company/provider then they should supply you with your FTP login details when you sign-up, FTP details consist of a host address (a URL or IP address), a username and a password. Many web hosting providers offer control panels which allow you to manage your FTP accounts, and they often provide online file management tools allowing you to upload files to your website using your web browser. An online file management tool can be used in the same way as FTP.
 
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language
HTML is the predominant markup language for web pages, and is often called 'the building-blocks of the web'. HTML is used to create almost all webpages, including the page you are viewing now, and popular websites including Google, Bing and Yahoo. Other languages and technologies may be used in addition to HTML, these include JavaScript and CSS/Stylesheets. HTML documents are viewed/read using a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.
 
PHP
Hypertext Preprocessor
PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that was originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. PHP can be embedded in an HTML document to enable the document to behave dynamically (reacting to user inputs and other changes). PHP is a commonly-used open-source scripting language which is widely supported, popular software which is written with PHP includes WordPress, Joomla and phpBB.
 
mySQL
My Structured Query Language
mySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. Free-software projects that require a full-featured database management system often use mySQL, these include software like WordPress, Joomla and phpBB.
 
mysqldump
The mysqldump client is a backup program which is used to create backups of mySQL databases. It can be used to dump a database or a collection of databases for backup or transfer to another SQL server. The dump typically contains SQL statements to create the table, populate it, or both. However, mysqldump can also be used to generate files in CSV, other delimited text, or XML format. mysqldump is a command-line program, meaning it is run with computer system commands as opposed to via a graphic, software or web interface.
 
MongoDB
From "humongous"
MongoDB is an open source, scalable, high-performance, schema-free, document-oriented database. Being 'schema-free' means MongoDB works differently from mySQL allowing for software to store data in a more natural way, whilst still being able to quickly search the data.
 
Compression
When we refer to compression we are referring to computer file compression. When a computer file is compressed we analyse the data in the file in order to find a more efficient way of storing the data (which uses less storage space on the computer). Once a compressed file has been created it can (usually) not be used for the same purpose until it is decompressed, meaning the compressed version of the file is re-analysed to re-create the original version of the file before it was compressed. Compression is used to reduce the amount of data storage space which is required to store backup data, and is also used to reduce the amount of data which needs to be transferred during the backup process (therefore speeding up the transfer process).
 
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plain-text) using an algorithm (called a cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information (in cryptography, referred to as ciphertext). Encryption is used to protect data when it is stored or in transit, assuming the encryption key is not passed with the encrypted data then any user who stumbles across the encrypted data will be unable to decrypt it - unless malicious attempts are made.
 
Encryption Bit Rates
e.g. 256-bit Encryption
When we refer to encryption as being '256-bit' we are indicating the size of the encryption key which is used when encrypting the data - assuming a strong encryption 'cipher' is used then a large 'bit' value indicates a stronger encryption key, and therefore the encrypted file will be more difficult to decrypt without the key. When attempting to decrypt a file without the key it is common practice to simply attempt the decryption process with every possible key, the higher the 'bit' value the higher the number of possible keys, and therefore this increases the amount of time taken to guess the key (without random luck/chance). With a 256-Bit key means there are 2²⁵⁶ different possible keys, therefore due to the limitations of computing power it is considered 'not possible' to attempt every possible key within a 'reasonable' period of time, and therefore it is not currently possible (without random luck/chance, or plenty of time) to guess a 256-bit key. A higher bit value requires more computer power to encrypt a file, therefore a lower bit value will result in a faster encryption process.

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If you would like us to explain another term or acronym, or if you would like us to explain any of the above terms in more detail, please contact us.

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