CSPs

CSPs is an acronym that refers to several distinct concepts in computing. The three most common meanings are constraint satisfaction problems, cloud service providers, and Content Security Policy. Because the acronym spans multiple domains, context is needed to determine which meaning is intended.

In artificial intelligence and operations research, a constraint satisfaction problem comprises a set of variables, each with a domain of values, and a collection of constraints that specify allowable combinations. A solution assigns values to all variables while satisfying every constraint. Common solving techniques include backtracking, constraint propagation, and heuristics. The general problem is NP-complete, but many practical instances are tractable and applied to scheduling, configuration, and resource allocation.

In cloud computing, CSPs refer to organizations that offer on-demand computing resources and services over the internet. Leading examples provide infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service, along with storage, databases, networking, and analytics. Major providers include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. CSPs operate global data centers and compete on scalability, reliability, security, and cost. They require governance on usage, compliance, and risk management.

In web security, Content Security Policy is a browser-enforced mechanism to control which resources a page may load. It mitigates cross-site scripting by restricting sources for scripts, images, styles, and other content. The policy is delivered via HTTP headers or meta tags and can enforce or report violations. Common directives include default-src, script-src, and img-src.

Other, less common uses of CSPs include Certificate Service Providers in public key infrastructure and Communications Service Providers in telecommunications. Context determines the intended meaning.