29-letter words containing o, a, h, u
- synchronous digital hierarchy — (communications, standard) (SDH) An international digital telecommunications network hierarchy which standardises transmission around the bit rate of 51.84 megabits per second, which is also called STS-1. Multiples of this bit rate comprise higher bit rate streams. Thus STS-3 is 3 times STS-1, STS-12 is 12 times STS-1, and so on. STS-3 is the lowest bit rate expected to carry ATM traffic, and is also referred to as STM-1 (Synchronous Transport Module-Level 1). The SDH specifies how payload data is framed and transported synchronously across optical fibre transmission links without requiring all the links and nodes to have the same synchronized clock for data transmission and recovery (i.e. both the clock frequency and phase are allowed to have variations, or be plesiochronous). SDH offers several advantages over the current multiplexing technology, which is known as Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy. Where PDH lacks built-in facilities for automatic management and routing, and locks users into proprietary methods, SDH can improve network reliability and performance, offers much greater flexibility and lower operating and maintenance costs, and provides for a faster provision of new services. Under SDH, incoming traffic is synchronized and enhanced with network management bits before being multiplexed into the STM-1 fixed rate frame. The fundamental clock frequency around which the SDH or SONET framing is done is 8 KHz or 125 microseconds. SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) is the American version of SDH.
- the royal ulster constabulary — (formerly) the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001, superseded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
- to err on the side of caution — If you err on the side of caution, for example, you decide to act in a cautious way, rather than take risks.
- to have sb's guts for garters — to be extremely angry with someone
- to have the time of your life — If you have the time of your life, you enjoy yourself very much indeed.
- to have your back to the wall — If you have your back to the wall, you are in a very difficult situation and can see no way out of it.
- to keep your head above water — If you keep your head above water, you just avoid getting into difficulties; used especially to talk about business.
- to laugh someone out of court — If you laugh someone out of court, you say that their opinions or ideas are so ridiculous that they are not worth considering.
- to let the cat out of the bag — If you let the cat out of the bag, you tell people about something that was being kept secret. You often do this by mistake.
- to run the gamut of something — To run the gamut of something means to include, express, or experience all the different things of that kind, or a wide variety of them.
- to see the error of your ways — If someone sees the error of their ways, they realize or admit that they have made a mistake or behaved badly.
- to take the bull by the horns — If you take the bull by the horns, you do something that you feel you ought to do even though it is difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant.
- to thumb your nose at someone — If you thumb your nose at someone, you behave in a way that shows that you do not care what they think.
- to wash your hands of someone — If you wash your hands of someone or something, you refuse to be involved with them any more or to take responsibility for them.
- training opportunities scheme — a former government scheme offering vocational training to unemployed people
- until one is blue in the face — to the utmost degree; indefinitely
- valley of ten thousand smokes — a volcanic area in SW Alaska, in Katmai National Monument.
- virtual storage access method — (database) (VSAM) An IBM disk file storage scheme first used in S/370 and virtual storage. VSAM comprises three access methods: Keyed Sequenced Data Set (KSDS), Relative Record Data Set (RRDS), and Entry Sequenced Data Set (ESDS). Both IMS/DB and DB2 are implemented on top of VSAM and use its underlying data structures.
- war of the spanish succession — a war (1701–14) fought by Austria, England, the Netherlands, and Prussia against France and Spain, arising from disputes about the succession in Spain after the death of Charles II of Spain.
- windows hardware quality labs — (body, standard) (WHQL) A Microsoft body that produces and supports the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility Test kit for current Microsoft operating systems. Products are tested with the kit to ensure that they meet Microsoft standards for compatibility with Windows and to qualify to use the "Designed for Microsoft Windows" logos.
- within earshot/out of earshot — If you are within earshot of someone or something, you are close enough to be able to hear them. If you are out of earshot, you are too far away to hear them.
- you can't hear yourself think — If you say that you can't hear yourself think, you are complaining and emphasizing that there is a lot of noise, and that it is disturbing you or preventing you from doing something.