Book excerpt: Foundations of Modern Networking is a comprehensive, unified survey of modern networking technology and applications for today’s professionals, managers, and students. Dr. William Stallings offers clear and well-organized coverage of five key technologies that are transforming networks: Software-Defined Networks (SDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Quality of Experience (QoE), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloudbased services. Dr. Stallings reviews current network ecosystems and the challenges they face–from Big Data and mobility to security and complexity. Next, he offers complete, self-contained coverage of each new set of technologies: how they work, how they are architected, and how they can be applied to solve real problems. Dr. Stallings presents a chapter-length analysis of emerging security issues in modern networks. He concludes with an up-to date discussion of networking careers, including important recent changes in roles and skill requirements. Coverage: Elements of the modern networking ecosystem: technologies, architecture, services, and applications Evolving requirements of current network environments SDN: concepts, rationale, applications, and standards across data, control, and application planes OpenFlow, OpenDaylight, and other key SDN technologies Network functions virtualization: concepts, technology, applications, and software defined infrastructure Ensuring customer Quality of Experience (QoE) with interactive video and multimedia network traffic Cloud networking: services, deployment models, architecture, and linkages to SDN and NFV IoT and fog computing in depth: key components of IoT-enabled devices, model architectures, and example implementations Securing SDN, NFV, cloud, and IoT environments Career preparation and ongoing education for tomorrow’s networking careers Key Features: Strong coverage of unifying principles and practical techniques More than a hundred figures that clarify key concepts Web support at williamstallings.com/Network/ QR codes throughout, linking to the website and other resources Keyword/acronym lists, recommended readings, and glossary Margin note definitions of key words throughout the text