Chapter 1
The Evolution of Cloud Computing
1.1 Chapter Overview
It is important to understand the evolution of computing in order to get an appreciation of how we got into the cloud environment. Looking at the evolution of the computing hardware itself, from the first generation to the current (fourth) generation of computers, shows how we got from there to here. The hardware, however, was only part of the evolutionary process. As hardware evolved, so did software. As networking evolved, so did the rules for how computers communicate. The development of such rules, or protocols, also helped drive the evolution of Internet software.
Establishing a common protocol for the Internet led directly to rapid growth in the number of users online. This ...
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