Data Center and Cloud Computing

(3 Credits)

Data center and cloud computing are key technologies in building large-scale Internet services. Nearly all major service providers—such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, TikTok, NASDAQ, NYSE, and Netflix—rely on data center and cloud platforms for storage, computation, and data exchange. Likewise, traditional computing and networking vendors—including Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Fortinet, HP, Dell, and Lenovo—have identified data center and cloud computing as strategic areas for innovation and growth. This course introduces the fundamental concepts of data centers and cloud computing while providing hands-on learning opportunities. Topics include data center and cloud platform architectures, data center network designs, software-defined networking (SDN), virtualization technologies, traffic engineering, and resource management. To encourage active learning, the course incorporates examples, animations, and research paper discussions. Coursework consists of labs, quizzes, homework, and two exams. By the end of the course, students will gain both conceptual understanding and practical experience with tools commonly used in software-defined networking, data centers, and cloud computing. | Co-requisites: ECE-GY 6353 or another computer networking course and proficiency in Python.