Network technologies: evolution and peculiarities

Abstract

Today corporate network is seen as a complex system and traditionally provides the set of interacting essential components, such as: Main Site – a network of head office; Remote Site (Branch) – networks of remote office, WAN – global network uniting networks of the offices; LAN – a local network; WAN Edge – a point of connection to WAN. Internet Edge – a point of connection to the Internet; Data Center – corporate centre of data processing. Some sources also regard Service Block as a component, which is a separate segment of the network with specific services. Every component of corporate network features contains individual set of technologies, each having its history of origination and development. The paper offers short review of basic technologies which form the history of development of corporate network, as well as their evolution from a set of separated network technologies to a unified multiservice network infrastructure. This unified infrastructure is inextricably linked with a global network of Internet which is both a service and a carrier for majority of modern corporate networks. The paper describes origination and development of Internet, local and global networks, Wi-Fi networks and software defined networks. Corporate network has been through a long evolution from co-existence of separated technologies to modern unified intellectual network infrastructure with high security and reliable management. Due to fast-moving development of information technologies the corporate networks have dynamically transformed in several directions: network functions virtualization (NFV – Network Functions Virtualization), utilization of SDN solutions; automation of management processes, analytics, security, cloud services. In the course of such a transformation the corporate network turned into unified, flexible, application oriented infrastructure with high reliability, easily modified and expanded functionality, single management center, unified security policies, fast and detailed analysis of internal network processes.