Hour 23. Recent and Emerging Technologies

What You'll Learn in This Hour:

• IPv6

• Total cost of ownership

• Clustering

• Web Services

Anyone who has followed TCP/IP for the last 20 years will tell you that the world of networking changes rapidly. Even when you expect it to change, it still manages to slip out from under you. And many experts will tell you that the next few years will witness some of the biggest and most revolutionary changes yet, as computers and computerized gadgets grow more integrated with the routine of everyday life.

Some of these changes are the result of technological advance. Others result from economic forces and the complex interplay of marketing with personal choice. The following sections discuss some technologies emerging in the world of TCP/IP networking. At the end of this hour, you will be able to

• Describe IPv6 and explain the reason for the change to IPv6's 128-bit address format

• Describe the recent developments in network client design, including the downloadable workspace, automated updates, network computers, and terminal clients

• Discuss recent data-related technologies, such as the storage area network and LDAP

• Describe clustering and list the advantages and disadvantages of using clustering