CS356 - Computer Networks (Fall 2006)
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Date
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News & Announcements |
| 12/12 |
Mansoor will be holding extra office hours this Friday
(12/15) in PAI 3.08 from 12:30 to 1:30 for any course-related or
grading-related questions that you may have. |
| 10/20 |
Lab 1 FAQ page is up. Sign up for a time slot of your choice by 5pm Monday Oct 23.
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| 10/19 |
The deadline for the second engaging find has been extended till November 30, 2006. |
10/5
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Exam details (syllabus, format etc.) for Midterm 1 are available here.
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Older announcements are archived
here.
| Course: |
CS 356: Computer Networks
Unique #: 56410.....TTh 12:30-2:00 RAS 310
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| Instructor: |
Chris
Edmondson-Yurkanan Taylor Hall
4.136.....Phone: 471-9546
chris (at sign) cs (dot) utexas (dot) edu
(my for fun email alias: replace the 'chris with 'dragon' -- is it short
for dragonslayer? or
dragon's
lair? You decide.)
Office Hours: Mon 11-12, Tues 2:15-3, Wed 1:30-2:30, or by appointment
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| Teaching Assistant: |
Mansoor Jafry email: mansoor (at sign) cs (dot) utexas (dot) edu
Office Hours: In PAI 3.08 Wed 10:45-11:45, Thu
11:15-12:15, or by appointment
FYI: Mr. Jafry's Master's Thesis: Adaptive QoS Management Mechanisms for Multimedia Applications in Wireless Home Networks
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| Class Information: |
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| Required Textbook: |
Computer Networking Complete Package, 3/e (the package with BOTH the hardback red/black/white cover, and the paperback Study Companion for Computer Networking ), by Jim Kurose and
Keith Ross, Pearson Addison Wesley,with a new ISBN ISBN-10: 0321418492, copyright
2007. The package includes a separate, new
Study Companion along with the 3rd edition that I think you will
like (and they promised no price increase).
Packet of Slides is at the Welch duplication center (WEL 2.228).
The cost is $9.70.
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Course Catalog
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Description: Introduction to computer networks, including common
terminology, basic design issues, and types of networks and protocols.
Prerequisite: The following courses, with a grade of at least C in
each: Computer Sciences 310 or 310H, 336 or 336H, and Mathematics 408D;
While the catalog says CS352 is a pre-req or a co-req, the dept. will give you permission, if you haven't taken CS352.
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Topic Outline
This semester we will examine the principles of modern computer
networking, focusing on current
examples of how we use the Internet and the protocols that implement it.
At the beginning we will discuss network infrastructure, topology,
sources of delay, and use the
"layered" abstraction; then will investigate common applications:
the Web (HTTP, web caching, content distribution, cookies, etc), email
(SMTP/POP/IMAP/HTTP), domain names and DNS (i.e. how do we find
anything?), peer-to-peer protocols (with Skype as the focus), etc.
Later on, we'll examine infrastructure protocols (UDP, TCP, IP,
Ethernet, and "wifi"). Security topics
(firewalls, encryption, certificates) and typical attacks will be
examined as well. We will have 25 lectures (plus the equivalent
of 3 lecture periods devoted to the course intro, exam reviews, exams,
and a
course wrapup)
- (2) Kurose/Ross Chapter 1: Overview
and Network Infrastructure (terminology/components, packet switching vs
circuit switching),
sources of delay and performance basics, modular design via layering,
TCP vs UDP. Home networking.
- (7) K/R Chapter 2: focusing on the web
(HTTP, cookies,
web caching, content distribution, etc), Email protocols
(SMTP, POP/IMAP/HTTP), Naming (DNS), Peer-to-peer protocols.
Content Distribution, others if time.
- (1) K/R Chapter 2: Socket Programming
- (3) K/R Chapter 3: TCP and Reliable
Delivery
- (3) K/R Chapter 4: IP and routing;
including IP
addressing, DHCP, NATs, ISPs
- (3) K/R Chapter 5/6: Broadcast
topologies, focusing on
Ethernet: CSMA/CD, Ethernet addresses, hubs vs Ethernet switches,
wireless 802.11
- (2) K/R Chapter 7 sections: brief description
of the
Internet phone architecture and streaming protocols,
- (3) K/R Chapter 8: Security: public key
cryptography,
certificates, firewalls, Denial of Service, common viruses
Student Evaluation Process
There will be 2 types of assignments: homeworks and projects:
- The
homeworks consist:
- of some network experiments and other fun
activities,
- use of the hands-on
CS
Department's Network Instructional Lab (NIL),
- exercises to help pace
yourself in the reading and in your understanding of lectures,
- the
design of a protocol,
- along with a bit of historical reading.
- The projects are small programming and research
projects.
- The programming
assignment is to use Java (and its library java.net)
to do
client/server programming (starting off simple, and end with a more interesting project).
- A small research project is designed for
you to explore current network issues, such as spam, wireless, voice
over IP, mobility protocols, and other ideas that you may have.
- Each assignment will specify the turnin
deadline and location, and the maximum number of late days (if any)
that
are allowed for the assignment.
Your performance in this class will be evaluated through the above
assignments along with three exams. The weights of
each of these components is listed below:
- (50%) Exams :
- (15%) Midterm1: in
class
- (15%) Midterm2: in class
- (20%) Final: Dec 16, 2-5p.m.
Location to be announced.
- (10%) Best exam score of the above three exams
- (06%) Class Attendance: -1.5 % per
lecture missed (from Lecture 2 on): up to 4 lectures.
(04%) Participation: Find two "Engaging Finds"! i.e. find something that
is exceedingly relevant to CS356 topics. When you discover an Engaging Find,
then send it to the TA who will add your info to the Engaging Finds web page: it could be a webpage, or an idea of
yours for the class, or a paper that we should read. You should also write a
paragraph describing why you chose it. This will be published with "your find" (e.g. a URL). You
should turn in 1 in September and 1 in October. Double check the Engaging Finds web page, before you submit
your find, to avoid duplicates.
- (30%) Homework and Programming
Assignments: (you may drop
the
lowest homework, but not projects)
There will be no make-up exams.
Attendance Motivation:
Many members of the CS Department
have been discussing that attendance can have a strong association with
both exam performance and overall course grade. Typically,
without an attendance policy, students who miss several lectures are
much more likely to NOT pass the course. Our goal is to help
students balance their heavy course loads and time demands, while
appreciating the heavy cost to missing lectures in courses. The
attendance policy elsewhere has been very successful and generally very
well received by students.
Students will lose 1.5% of their final course grade for each absence,
up to 4. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each
lecture and discussion section. Students who are more than 5
minutes late will be counted at absent. If you know that you are
going to be late to a lecture, please make prior arrangements with your
instructor or TA.
The attendance policy is intended to be both a strong incentive for
attendance and to help students be aware of the importance of
attendance and participation on academic performance in this
course. This is currently an experiment - any feedback is desired.
Classroom Distractions:
- Cell phones should be turned OFF prior to class
- Laptops are NOT permitted during class-time.
CS 356 specifics of the Student Collaboration Policy
- You are free to discuss the course material
with your classmates
and
are encouraged to form study groups for
the exams.
- Collaboration on the projects is allowed with one
other student in the class. When you turn in the assignment write
their name at the top of the solution, and specify that you
collaborated. Both of you must turn in your own summary of the
project and specify your collaborator. You are expected to
contribute equally.
- However,
collaboration on homework
assignments is not
permitted. Helping a friend understand the intent of a homework specification is permitted.
Students who work
together too closely (e.g. discuss the solution together) should be
aware that this is a form of cheating called COLLUSION and is subject
to academic penalties (the CS dept and UT requires you to retake
the
course).
General UT Policies: The
homework, programs, and exams must be the work of students
turning them in. University policy (see Dean of Students' policies on
academic integrity) will be followed strictly.
Acts that exceed the bounds defined by the approved
collaboration
practices will be considered cheating. Such acts include:
- Copying solutions, code, or programs from
someone else or giving
someone else your solutions, code, or programs
- Getting help in debugging an assigned program.
- Participation in a discussion group that
develops a solution that
everyone copies
We urge everyone in the class to take appropriate measures for
protecting one's work. You should protect your files, homework solution
sheets, etc. as deemed reasonable.
Please come
talk to me if you are unsure about how to work together with your
friend in a legal, helpful manner. Remember, it is always ok to "work
together" with your professor or TA!
Your Responsibilities in This Class:
- I subscribe to the Code of
Conduct for CS356 faculty, TAs, and students; please read and
adhere to it: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/ear/CodeOfConduct.html
- You are responsible for all material posted to the class web
site
(to make this easy on you, we will not post required information any
later than 48hrs before an assignment is due or an exam).
- You are responsible for all material presented in lecture.
Lectures will include some material that is not available elsewhere.
- You are responsible for turning in your own work on all
assignments. Unauthorized collusion is not allowed and constitutes a
violation of the university's policies on academic integrity. See above
guidelines for more information on what is or is not allowed.