This course focuses on the technology that underlies cloud computing. Thus, the course will mainly concentrate on the architecture of client cloud computing systems, the evolution of the Internet in order to support the cloud, the architecture of modern cloud data centers, and the technologies used in the cloud. In particular, the main interest is in the cloud components in the first and second tiers which focus on the elasticity, scalability, responsiveness, and forms of security required to support cloud transactions. At the end of this course, students will not only gain an in-depth overview of how cloud computing works, but also understand the theory underlying cloud computing, cutting-edge research, engineering challenges, and some of the latest cloud computing technologies that are put into practice.