Technical Due Diligence Glossary
Definitions of key terms used in technical due diligence
A comprehensive glossary of terms commonly used in technical due diligence assessments.
A-D
- API (Application Programming Interface)
- A set of protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.
- Architecture
- The fundamental organization of a software system, including its components, their relationships, and design principles.
- Bus Factor
- The number of team members who would need to leave before a project becomes unsustainable due to lack of knowledge.
- CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment)
- Automated practices for building, testing, and deploying software changes.
- Code Review
- The systematic examination of source code to find bugs, ensure quality, and share knowledge.
- Cyclomatic Complexity
- A quantitative measure of code complexity based on the number of independent paths through a program.
E-L
- Escrow
- A financial arrangement where funds are held by a third party pending the fulfillment of specified conditions.
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files rather than manual processes.
- Integration
- The process of combining systems, applications, or data to work together as a unified whole.
- Legacy System
- An older technology system that remains in use but may be difficult to maintain or integrate with modern systems.
M-R
- Microservices
- An architectural approach where applications are built as a collection of small, independent services.
- Monolith
- A software architecture where all components are interconnected and deployed as a single unit.
- MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery)
- The average time required to restore a system to full functionality after a failure.
- Penetration Testing
- Authorized simulated attacks on a system to evaluate its security.
- Remediation
- The process of fixing identified issues or vulnerabilities.
S-Z
- SLA (Service Level Agreement)
- A commitment between a service provider and client regarding measurable aspects of service delivery.
- Technical Debt
- The implied cost of additional work caused by choosing a quick solution instead of a better approach.
- TSA (Transitional Service Agreement)
- A contract where a seller provides services to support a buyer during post-acquisition transition.
- Vulnerability
- A weakness in a system that could be exploited to compromise security or functionality.