ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at physical, virtual, and software-defined networks spanning local, metropolitan, wide-area, and cloud. It suggests that the conversation to look at server input/output (I/O) hardware along with networks for local, metropolitan, and wide-area access. The chapter explains logical networks, including upper-level protocols, to cover physical networks and devices along with services. Network hardware needs software; software needs hardware including networking components as well as services. Networking services are made up of hardware and software defined to provide management, control, and data movement local and over distance. Wireless networking continues to gain in popularity; however, physical cabling using copper electrical and fiber optic cabling continues to be used. With the increased density of servers, storage, and networking devices, more cabling is being required to fit into a given footprint. To help enable management and configuration of networking and I/O connectivity, networking devices, including switches, are often integrated or added to server and storage cabinets.
