From the first days of computing applications of all kinds, they have faced growing demands for processing increasing volumes of data within diminishing processing times. Up until recently, these challenges were addressed by scaling applications vertically, by adding more memory and higher speed processors. This approach was possible because of growing processor speed, which is described by Moore's law as the following:
"Moore's law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about every two years. ... Moore's prediction proved accurate for several decades, and has been used in the semiconductor industry to guide long-term planning and to set targets for research and development. .... Moore's law is an observation and projection of a historical trend and not a physical or natural...