TABLE OF CONTENTS In this introductory chapter, we will review the unprecedented changes that have occurred in computing and telecommunications-related technologies over the last 30 years. We will also examine the chain of events that caused this extraordinary cascade of technical breakthroughs on multiple fronts. These breakthroughs ultimately helped generate the new high-speed broadband network requirements for which network processors will be indispensable.
The various subjects discussed in this book are documented extensively within the corresponding notes and references provided in this chapter. This chapter is more of an historical overview that intends to provide a context and background against which readers (especially recent college graduates) will be able to properly understand the macroscopic picture of how and why we arrived where we are. This background will enable readers to better view these complementary technologies in relation to each other and to appreciate and understand the main network-processing technologies discussed in this book.
An explosion of information technology (IT) occurred predominantly in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Computers, which were exotic devices to previous generations, have by now become indispensable tools for our everyday work and leisure. Today all branches of industry, processes of workflow, channels and methods of education, manufacturing techniques, financial management tools, audio and video entertainment systems, transportation systems, electronics and engine control systems, and even humble video...
