> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nuvolos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nuvolos.com/getting-started/glossary.md). # Glossary ### Application A containerised software tool - for example, JupyterLab, RStudio, VS Code, MATLAB, or Stata - that runs within a Nuvolos Instance. Applications include their full dependencies and can be distributed, snapshotted, and scaled. Most Applications can be customized by installing additional dependencies. See [Concepts › How Applications work](/concepts/applications.md). ### Application library files One of the three persistent storage locations accessible in a Nuvolos Application. Shared across all users for a given Application in a given Instance. Used to store Application packages, libraries, and shared configuration. Alternatively referred to as the LIBRARY area. See [Reference › File storage](/reference/file-system-and-storage.md). ### Credit A unit of measure for additional on-demand resources and professional services beyond those provided within the Nuvolos subscription itself. Credits can be purchased at any time provided you have a Nuvolos subscription. See [Billing › Subscription and Credits](/billing/pricing-structure.md). ### Distribution In this documentation, distribution refers to the dedicated functionality in Nuvolos for sharing Nuvolos artefacts - code, data, files, Applications, and so forth. Distribution is a push operation: objects are first staged, then send them to other Instances, Spaces, or organisations. See [How distribution works](/concepts/distribution.md#distribution-the-push-mechanism) for a conceptual intro, or [How-to › Common Workflows › Distribution](/how-to-guides/common-workflows/object-distribution.md) for procedures. ### Distributed Instance A special Instance that exists in every course Space alongside the Master Instance. It serves as the shared destination for content distributed at the Space level, making shared files, Applications, and other objects available to all members of the Space. The Distributed Instance is only relevant in teaching workflows - research and dataset Spaces do not have one. ### GPU computing GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. In essence, it is the separate processor controlling and coordinating image processing. Because they rely on parallel operations, GPUs can be better than regular processors at certain high-end algorithmic tasks involving stream processing of large amounts of data. Nuvolos supports the use of state-of-the-art general purpose GPU computing for this purpose as an additional service purchasable with credits. ### HPC (High Performance Computing) The use of high-end computer clusters to solve complex computational challenges. Nuvolos supports interactive HPC use cases through credit-based Application sizes that allocate exclusive CPU, RAM, and GPU resources. HPC usage is paid for with Credits. See [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md). ### Identity provider An identity provider (IdP) is a service that verifies online identities for 3rd party applications. For example, among many other things, Google is an identity provider - you can access many different websites not operated by Google only by logging in to your Google account. Many institutions, companies and universities also run their own IdP services for validating user identity. Nuvolos is integrated with support for the following identity providers: * Nuvolos (an IdP managed by Nuvolos) * Google * Institutions in the [eduGAIN ](https://edugain.org/)network When you sign up to Nuvolos, you identify yourself via one of the above IdPs. For any subsequent login, you must use the same IdP to access your Nuvolos account. ### Included size An Application size that runs on shared infrastructure and consumes Nuvolos Compute Units (NCUs) from your subscription. Self-service scaling is possible between 1 and 16 NCUs. Contrasted with Credit-based size. See [Reference › Applications](/reference/applications.md). ### Instance A working environment within a Space, holding files, data, and Applications. Instances act as branches of a project, allowing experimentation with different data sources, Application configurations, or collaborators. Each Space has a Master Instance; course Spaces also have a Distributed Instance. See [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md). ### Large File Storage (LFS) A persistent storage option in Nuvolos for cost-efficient handling of data above 100 GB. LFS is suitable for large, static files that do not need to be snapshotted or distributed. Purchased separately with Credits and attached per Space. See [Reference › Storage and file access](/reference/data-storage.md). ### Master instance A master instance is the main instance in a space. In a single-user setup, it is generally the primary working environment of the space and serves as the main place where workflows are created and managed. ### NCU (Nuvolos Compute Unit) The unit of measurement for regular (non-HPC) Application runs, and the unit of account used to define the Nuvolos subscription. One NCU equals 1 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM. See [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md). ### Organisation In Nuvolos, the organisation is the highest level of the [organisational hierarchy](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts/organisational-hierarchy.md). It represents the basic organisational unit through which a user interacts with our product, and is primarily used for access control purposes. See [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md). ### Resource Pool A cost-centre unit used to manage and track budgets for computational resources, storage, and services. Resource pools are mapped to organisations, Spaces, or specific resources, and all usage is accounted against the pool's budget. See [Billing › Resource pools and budgets](/billing/resource-pools-and-budgets.md). ### Resting A feature that reduces storage costs by moving data you do not currently need to a more affordable storage class. When a Space is not actively used for a set period, its data transitions from the high-performance Nuvolos Filesystem to resting storage. Resting is configured at the organisation level. See [Administration › Space and Instance management](/administration/space-management.md). ### Scientific Data Warehouse (SDW) The integrated data warehouse where tabular data is stored on Nuvolos. The SDW uses Snowflake as the underlying database engine and is accessible from inside Nuvolos Applications and from external Applications via ODBC. See [Concepts › Data storage](/concepts/data-integration.md). ### Snapshot A complete, immutable, persistent, restorable, and shareable copy of the current state of an Instance. Captures files, database tables, Application data, settings, and dependencies as a single unit. See [Concepts › Snapshots](/concepts/distribution.md). ### Space The intermediate level of the Nuvolos hierarchy. Each Space corresponds to a project - typically a course, research project, or dataset. Access control and budgeting can be applied at the Space level. See [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md). ### Staging In the Nuvolos architecture, 'staging' refers to the temporary area where you assign objects for distribution. Each source has its own staging area, so to distribute from multiple sources to the same target, you must distribute multiple times. ### State / Current state A state is a version of an instance at a given point in time. The current state is the only mutable state of an instance and represents its active working version. Other states, such as snapshot states, are immutable and are used to preserve safe versions of the instance for versioning and restoration. ### Vintage A point-in-time version of a dataset, created via the snapshot mechanism and stored in a dataset Space. Vintages allow analyses to reference the exact data that was available at a particular date, which is essential for replicability when underlying data is revised over time. See [Concepts › Data storage](/concepts/data-integration.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.nuvolos.com/getting-started/glossary.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.