RAID
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks - RAID is a system setup that uses multiple drives and writes data across all the disks in a predefined order. RAID typically uses four or five drives, but more are not uncommon. The disk array is seen as a single drive by the user. RAID is also known as drive array.
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RAID (REDUNDANT ARRAY OF INEXPENSIVE DISKS)
A storage technique that enables you to obtain increased storage reliability and performance by writing data to a connected series of disks referred to as a logical volume. Data reliability is achieved with error correction techniques or data duplication. Disk performance is achieved by parallel data transfers to a set of disks--this technique known as 'data striping.'
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RAM
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RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY)
RAM is chip-based working memory, which is the memory used by programs and drivers to execute instructions and to hold data temporarily.
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RANDOM ACCESS
Differs from direct access by the fact that each element can be accessed with the same ease and speed as any other.
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RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
Memory in which each element can be individually addressed and accessed with the same speed as any other element of the memory. The main memory of a computer is usually RAM. One of the earliest forms of RAM was called Core, because it consisted of directly addressed doughnuts or cores of ferromagnetic material each of which represented one bit. A faster, more recent form of RAM is called Dynamic RAM.
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RASTER
Raster or bitmapped images associate information about the pixels of a display or printer. An image is broken down and described in terms of pixels. The term "bitmap" means that each pixel used to describe the image has bits associated with it that describe its color and intensity whether the pixel is off or on. The term "raster" refers to the horizontal scan line of the monitor. A bitmapped image can be anything displayable in the graphics mode of the video display card. Simply put, images that are stored and displayed in bitmap form.
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RASTER DATA
Set of data defining the values of pixels in a raster image.
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RASTER GRAPHICS
Method of representing a two-dimensional image by dividing it into a rectangular two-dimensional array of picture elements. See also electronic image, pixel.
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RASTER IMAGE
Image formed by modulating the intensity of the individual picture elements within a raster array. See also image, pixel, raster.
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RASTER SCAN
Method of generating or recording elements of an image via a line-by-line sweep.
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RASTER TO VECTOR CONVERSION
Conversion of a raster image into a vector data image. See also raster, raster data, raster graphics, vector data.
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RATED THROUGHPUT OR SPEED
The optimum speed that a transport can run, excluding jams and other stoppages.
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RCK
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RDFI
Receiving Depository Financial Institution.
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READ
To sense and retrieve or interpret data from a form of storage or input medium.
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READ AND KEY
This refers to a transaction where the transport reads the scan line and the operator keys in the amount of the check. If the amount keyed equals the amount in the scan line, the transaction continues. If the amount keyed does not equal the amount in the scan line, the operator is normally asked to re-key that amount.
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READ HEAD
The sensing device in OCR machines that picks up the signals of digital characters. This signal is converted into electrical pulses and subsequently interpreted by the systems processor.
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READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
A method of storing information permanently in a memory chip that comes with the computer. Certain basic computer instructions are often programmed into ROM and cannot be changed by the user. Programs in ROM are called firmware. Many microcomputer systems have a small amount of ROM in addition to their standard RAM memory.
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READ/WRITE
A magnetic mechanism that can read, write and erase data encoded as polarized patterns on magnetic disk or tape.
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READ/WRITE HEAD
Small electromagnetic device inside a disk drive that transfers information to and from the disk.
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READER/SORTER
High-speed automated paper handling equipment used by banks that can recognize Magnetic Ink Characters printed with the MICR font. The reading is done through recognition of the waveform of the character, its magnetic pattern, its visual structure or a combination of these techniques.
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READER-SCANNER
Device that scans an image on a microform and produces a bit stream (digital) output which can subsequently be displayed or printed locally or at a remote location.
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REAL TIME
The processing of transactions as they occur rather than batching them. Pertaining to an application in which response to input is fast enough to affect subsequent inputs and guide the process and in which records are updated immediately.
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RECEIVER
An individual, company or organization that authorizes an Originator to initiate a credit or a debit to an account it maintains at a financial institution.
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RECEIVING DEPOSITORY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (RDFI)
The financial institution that receives an ACH file from an ACH operator.
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RECORD
Items of data that are logically related, e.g. person's name, address and phone numbers could make up a record. Each item in a record is a field. A collection of records makes up a file.
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RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULE
A form that details the categories of records an organization is required to store. It outlines the length of time different categories of records should be stored, and when they can be deleted.
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RECORD TYPE
A record that has a consistent logical structure. In files that include different units of analysis, for instance, different record types are needed to hold the different variables.
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RECOVERABLE ERROR
The type of error that the operator can resolve.
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RECOVERY
The process by which databases are rebuilt after a system fails.
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RECTANGULAR FILE
A physical file structure. A rectangular file is one that contains the same number of card-images or the same physical record length for each respondent or unit of analysis. A Hierarchical file can be stored in a rectangular file structure by storing all units of analysis in a single physical record.
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REDUNDANT ARRAY OF INEXPENSIVE DISKS (RAID)
A way of creating a fault-tolerant storage system. There are 6 levels. Level 0 uses byte-level striping. Level 1 uses mirroring. Level 2 uses bit-level striping. Level 3 stores error-correcting information (such as parity) on a separate disk and uses data striping on the remaining drives. Level 4 is level 3 with block level striping. Level 5 uses block level and parity data striping.
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RE-ENGINEERING
The process of optimizing workflow to increase the productivity of a business process.
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REFLECTANCE
The amount of light of a specified wavelength or range of wavelengths that is reflected from a substrate, ink or other means to create the dark bars and light spaces of a barcode symbol and the printed characters and background of OCR data. The relative brightness of an illuminated paper surface as seen by the human eye. The eye modifies the apparent brightness at different wavelengths according to its response to the human-visible spectrum. Equipment that measures reflectance requires a filter that matches its response to that of the human eye.
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REFLECTANCE FACTOR
Reflectance is measured on a scale of 0 to 1, at a wavelength or bandwidth of light (spectral response) specified in the particular application specification. Barium sulfate or magnesium oxide are used as 'near perfect' reference white standards (a perfect standard of pure white would have a reflectance of 1.00 at any wavelength of light). The absence of any light in a vacuum is used as reference black standard. Samples such as substrates, inks, etc. are tested against the standards under similar illumination.
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REFORMAT
In programming, reformat means changing the record layout of a file or database. In data entry, data may be captured as it appears on the source document and reformatted to record layout specifications for processing. Disk reformat refers to initializing or re-initializing (erasing) the disk.
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REFRESH RATE
Measure of how often the image on the CRT screen is redrawn. Expressed in hertz. Above 70 Hz is considered flicker free. The higher the better because the mind is affected by flicker it cannot see.
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REFRESHMENT
Refers to the transfer of digital files to a new media on a regular basis. This is the most important part of an institution's long-term commitment to digitization. Technology is usually outdated by the time it hits the marketplace. The data we generate today must be retrievable five, fifty, and a hundred years from now. In order to ensure long-term access to the data, it must be transferred to the most recent and stable type of media storage. In a hundred years, it is very unlikely that any of the computers on our desks today will function. We must make sure that the data can be retrieved by future technology.
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REG CC
Regulation CC. A Federal Reserve Board regulation implementing the Congressionally mandated Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA), which establishes time limits for when funds must be made available from deposited items.
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REG E
Regulation E. A Federal Reserve Board regulation governing the rights and obligations of consumers and their financial institutions with respect to the use of electronic systems for fund transfers See EFT Act.
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REGIONAL CHECK PROCESSING CENTER (RCPC)
Processing centers whose operation is similar to the check processing and collection system maintained at each Federal Reserve Bank and branch, but intended to service a smaller group of banks within a given geographic area.
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REGISTERED MAIL
The most secured option offered by USPS to provide added protection for valuable and important documents. Registered articles are controlled from the point of mailing to delivery. First Class postage as well as fees are required. This service can be used for international and domestic mail.
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REGISTRATION
The printing of variable data so it fits correctly into predefined areas.
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REJECT
A character or document that cannot be read by a reading device such as a MICR reader. Item processing application software typically includes special routines for handling rejects (for example, stopping the transport to let the operator key in data, or sending the document to a pocket assigned to rejects). Characters that the recognition equipment is unable to find a match for. It may detect data as present, but it is not in a form that is recognizable. The equipment gives up and flags that character as a reject.
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REJECT REPAIR
The automated or manual repair of characters or documents that cannot be read by one of the recognition technologies. Typically requires operator intervention to inspect and re-enter the correct character.
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RELATIONAL DATABASE
Data stored in table like structures called relations and adheres to a relational model. SQL is the de facto standard of query language. An organization of data into tables with each column containing the values of a data element and each row representing a record.
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REMITTANCE
A payment; invoice stub, coupon, and a check.
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REMITTANCE ADVICE
Notification to the provider by the payer regarding the payment information for services delivered.
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REMITTANCE DATA
Information accompanying payments and used by billers to update their accounts receivable.
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REMITTANCE FROM-THE-ENVELOPE PROCESSING
In remittance from-the-envelope processing, the operator removes checks and payment stubs directly from the payment envelopes and manually hand-drops them. Any missing information is keyed and encoded before the document is endorsed.
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REMITTANCE POWER ENCODING
In remittance power encoding, amounts are read from presorted remittance coupons and encoded on the accompanying checks in the same sequence.
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REMITTANCE PROCESSING
The manual and automatic processes involved in capturing and storing remittance data; encoding, endorsing, and depositing remittance checks; and generating reports from the data captured. Creates a bank deposit and a posting.
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REMITTANCE READ AND KEY PROCESSING
A type of processing in which the operator loads checks and stubs into the read and key hopper for automatic handling. Any missing data is keyed in and encoded. The special read and key hopper enables the operator to read and key the courtesy amount while the document is still in the hopper tray.
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REMOTE
Equipment or site that is located out of the way or at a distance from primary equipment or a larger or primary site. Sometimes used as the opposite of local.
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REMOTE ACCESS
The ability to access a computer from outside a building in which it is housed. Remote access requires communications hardware, software and actual physical links, although this can be as simple as common carrier (telephone) lines or as complex as TELNET login to another computer across the Internet.
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REMOTE DATA ENTRY
An operation where the data entry is performed in a location separate and apart from the main processing functions. In an image-based operation the data entry function can be performed anywhere in the world providing adequate telecommunications are available.
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REMOTE FILE SYSTEM (RFS)
A distributed file system similar to NFS, developed by AT&T and distributed with their UNIX System V operating system.
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REMOTE TERMINAL
A computer terminal located some distance from the CPU, in another room, building or city. It may be connected to the CPU by phone line.
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REPEATER
A repeater is a hardware device that functions at the physical layer of the OSI Reference Model and that is used to connect two segments of the same network. Repeaters connect network segments. This is in contrast to bridges, routers, and gateways, which connect different networks. A repeater receives a signal from one segment, cleans and boosts the signal, and then sends it on to the other segment.
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REPLICATION
The process of keeping a copy of data, either through mirroring, shadowing, or caching. See caching, shadowing.
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REPRESENTED CHECK ENTRY (RCK)
An ACH transaction format for collecting funds represented by a paper check returned for insufficient or uncollected funds.
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
A procedure used to verify that a current provider of a service is qualified before issuing a Request for Proposal. May also be used to solicit ideas from providers on how to address a particular business or operational problem.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
A formal document used to solicit products and services.
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RESIDUAL PIECES
Those individual pieces included with a presort mailing, but which cannot be sorted by 5 or 3-digit zip code prefixes in sufficient volumes to qualify for the presort discount.
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RESOLUTION
The ability of a scanning device to reproduce the details of an image. Usually defined in dpi (dots per inch). Also used in micrographics, as the ability of a photographic system to record fine detail. The higher the resolution, the greater the amount of detail will be shown. Measure of image readability, usually expressed in dots per inch (dpi). The sharpness of an image on a video display or printed output is measured in dots per inch or pixels. The higher the number of dots per inch or pixels, the higher the resolution of the image. Higher resolutions mean more detail in an image, but it also results in larger image files. Refers to the 'image-sharpness' of a document, usually measured In dots (or pixels) per inch (dpi). Documents can be scanned at various resolutions depending on your particular needs. The higher the resolution of a document, the greater the image-sharpness, and the larger the file size will be. Resolution also refers to the image-sharpness that printers and monitors are capable of reproducing.
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RESOURCE
An on-line information set or an on-line interactive option. An on-line library catalog or the local school lunch menus are examples of information sets. On-line menus or graphical user interfaces, Internet e-mail, on-line conferences, telnet, FTP and Gopher are examples of interactive options.
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RESPONSE
A message placed in a conference as a follow-up to a topic or to another response. A reply to an e-mail message.
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RESPONSE TIME
The time it takes for the computer to respond to a given input. Usually sub-second.
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RESTRICTIVE ENDORSEMENT
An endorsement that limits future actions on an item; the most-common example is "For Deposit Only."
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RETAIL LOCKBOX
A high-volume (but usually low dollar) lockbox operation.
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RETENTION PERIOD
The length of time documents must be stored and maintained to satisfy business or legal requirements.
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RETOUCHING TOOL
A user interface for retouching images; previewing and selecting images; adjusting and correcting images; and submitting jobs.
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RETURN ITEM
A negotiable instrument sent to another bank for collection and payment that is returned unpaid. Return items are sent back through the channels from which they came by reading the various bank endorsements on the back of the item.
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RETURNED ITEM FEE
A fee assessed each time a check or other payment instrument is returned to the issuing bank unpaid.
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REVERSE ENGINEERING
The process of going from the more concrete level of code to the more abstract level of models for data and processes.
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REWRITABLE OPTICAL DISK
Optical disk on which data is recorded. The data in specified areas can subsequently be deleted and other data can be recorded.
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RFI
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RFP
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RFS
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RISC (REDUCED INSTRUCTION SET COMPUTING)
RISC is a computer-design strategy in which the machine logic is based on a small number of simple, general-purpose operations, each of which can be executed very quickly. The RISC computer architecture was originally limited to high-end workstations, which were expensive but very fast. Today this architecture has become more widely used, and it now can be found even in ordinary computers for personal use.
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RNAB
Routing Number Administrative Board.
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ROLL FILM SCANNER
Device for scanning microfilm in roll form. See also scanner.
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ROM
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ROM (READ ONLY MEMORY)
ROM is chip-based memory whose contents can execute and be read, but cannot be changed. Programs are put into ROM in order to save storage and working memory.
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ROOT DIRECTORY
The directory that contains all other directories.
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ROTARY CAMERA
A microfilm camera in which documents are filmed "on the fly". As the documents move through the camera on a rotary mechanism picture is recorded on microfilm. This is in contrast to a planetary camera where both the document and the camera are still.
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ROUTER
A router provides a path from a node on one network to a node on another network. The networks could be separated by several intervening networks and, possibly, by many miles. A special-purpose computer or software package that handles the connection of two or more networks. Routers look at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them and decides which route to send them on.
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ROUTINE
A section of program code written to perform specific action.
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ROUTING
The process of finding a path over which a packet can travel to reach its destination.
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ROUTING & TRANSIT NUMBER (RTN)
a nine-digit number contained in a check's MICR line. It identifies the Federal Reserve District, FED office and financial institution on which the check is drawn. Also called ABA Number or RTN. See MICR Code Line.
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ROUTING FIELD
This field is used for the Routing Number and is bracketed on both sides by Transit Symbols.
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ROUTING NUMBER ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD (RNAB)
cross-industry forum, administered by the ABA, that defines and administers policies related to routing/transit numbers.
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RS-232C
The serial data transmission interface standard for asynchronous communications. Data is sent in 10-bit or 11-bit bundles.
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RTN
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RUN
To execute a computer program.
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