Q

Q.931

An International Telecommunication Union Specification for establishing,

maintaining, and clearing Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connections.

See ISDN.

QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation)

A modulation technique used to transmit 9,600 bits per second over a 2,400-baud

line. See modulation.

QBE (query by example)

A query method (also known as "find similar") that enables the user of an

information retrieval system to obtain search results by using examples — such as

text strings or document names — that are characteristic of the information sought.

QCIF (Quarter Common Intermediate Format)

Part of the H.261 video format standard. QCIF offers 176x144 pixel resolution, onequarter

that of Full CIF (FCIF). See CIF and FCIF.

QMF (Query Management Facility)

An IBM mainframe query and report-writing product for relational database

management systems.

QOS (quality of service)

A negotiated contract between a user and a network provider that renders some

degree of reliable capacity in the shared network.

QPM (QoS Policy Manager)

A Cisco Systems offering.

QSIG

A private branch exchange (PBX) networking protocol produced by the European

Computer Manufacturer's Association. The QSIG standard defines a private signaling

system for interconnecting PBXs to achieve corporate networking. See PBX.

quadrature amplitude modulation (see QAM)

quality of service (see QOS)

Quarter Common Intermediate Format (see QCIF)

query

A request for information placed to a computer system or database. Queries may be

performed by human beings (for example, a Web user entering a query into a search

engine), but are also commonly performed by computers themselves (for example, a

program placing an automated query to a database).

Query Management Facility (see QMF)

queue

1. Any series of data streams, such as a print queue, waiting to access a device.

2. In telephony, a series of telephone calls awaiting handling by an operator or

agent.