Chapter 2 - Data Center Evolution—Mainframes to the Cloud

Abstract

The evolution of computer technology sets an important foundation for understanding the cloud data center. In this chapter, we provide a brief history of how corporate data center resources have evolved from mainframes to the cloud. We also provide some background on key networking technologies that have been used over the years, with a focus on Ethernet. We describe the differences between enterprise data centers and cloud data centers along with the reasons that many corporations are moving their data centers into the cloud. Finally, we describe several cloud services that are some of the driving forces behind the movement to the cloud.