Date: 01/01/2010
In addition to part-I (General handout for all courses appended to
the timetable) this portion gives further specific details regarding the
course:
Course Title: Computer
Networks
Instructor-in-Charge: RAHUL BANERJEE
Instructor: Avinash Gautam
1. Objective and Scope of the Course:
This
course aims at providing a sound conceptual foundation in the area of Computer
Networks with emphasis on the design aspects. The course attempts to provide a
balanced treatment of the state-of-the-art in the area and thus prepares the
students for taking more rigorous and specialized courses in this and related
fields. At the end of this course, students should be able to analyze, design
and maintain commonly used network types.
2.
Course Material:
A> Text Book:
Larry L. Peterson & Bruce S. Davie: Computer
Networks: A Systems Approach, Fourth Edition, Morgan Kaufmann / Elsevier,
C> Course Home Page:
URL for the Webpage of the Course: http://discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/rahul/CompNet
IntraBITS course page shall host additional material
for local viewing, assignment upload facility, performance and grade details of
all students and notices. IntraBITS page shall be enabled latest by January 21,
2010.
3. Course Plan: Interaction
points corresponding to each lecture shall be up at least a day before at the
course page / IntraBITS portal so as to allow interested students to come
prepared for the class. Topics marked as self-study may also be covered, but in
extra classes only, if the students feel the need for it.
|
Lecture No. |
Topic(s) to be discussed
|
Section Nos. of the Text Book / online
reference |
|
1. |
Introduction to Computer Networks and their applications
|
1.1 |
|
2. |
What do the different people need of
Computer Networks: Designer, Provider, Application Programmer and the User? |
1.2 |
|
3. |
Elements of Computer Networks, Concepts
related to Switching, Resource Sharing, Services, Types of Networks,
Reliability |
1.2 |
|
4. |
Network Architectures & Reference
Models: Layered versus End-to-End Approaches, Protocols, Services, |
1.3 |
|
3. |
Writing Networking Software : APIs, Protocol Implementation aspects, Best
Current Practices |
1.4 |
|
4. |
Performance modeling, evaluation and
monitoring aspects |
1.5 |
|
5 |
Concept Summarization and discussions, part-1 |
1.6,
On-line material at the course page |
|
6. |
Building Computer Networks by physical
and logical linking: Nodes, Links, connectivity and media options, linking
issues |
2.1 |
|
7. |
Data encoding requirements and related
schemes |
2.2 |
|
8. |
Building Link Layer Protocol Data Units
/ Frames: Framing for Bit-oriented, Byte-oriented and other variant of
Protocols |
2.3 |
|
Self-study
Topic: Error Detection mechanisms |
2.4 |
|
|
9. |
Reliable data transmission / reception
schemes and protocols: Basics, Stop-and-Wait Protocols, Building Concurrent
Logical Channels through multiplexing |
2.5, 2.5.1, 2.5.3 |
|
10. |
Sliding Window Protocols |
2.5.2 |
|
11. |
Network Topologies, The IEEE 802
Architecture and the IEEE 802.x family of L1/L2 Protocol Standards |
On-line material at the course page,
IEEE 802 standard |
|
12. |
Principles behind the Ethernet, IEEE
802.3 family of standards, current practices: Physical and Link Layer
Perspectives |
2.6 |
|
Self-study
Topic: Ring Networks: IEEE 802.5, FDDI, RPR: A brief introduction |
2.7 |
|
|
Self-study
Topic: Select Wireless Networks: WPANs
(Bluetooth / IEEE 802.15.1, ZigBee / IEEE 802.15.4) , WWANs
(Satellite-Microwave-based: Regular & Terrestrial Microwave-based) |
2.8, 2.8.1 |
|
|
13. |
The IEEE 802.11 / Wi-Fi WLANs |
2.8.2 |
|
Self-study
Topic: The IEEE 802.16 / Wi-Max WMANs |
2.8.3 |
|
|
Self-study
Topic: Brief Introduction to Cellular Networks:
2G / 2.5G/ 3G (GSM / GPRS / EDGE, CDMA, UMTS, WCDMA etc.) |
2.8.4 |
|
|
14. |
Satellite WANs: VSAT-based Satellite
WANs |
On-line material at the course page |
|
15. |
Case
Study: Case study of the relevant aspects of
the BITS-Pilani Intranet (and its external connectivity status) in contrast
with the Intranets at any two major universities outside |
On-line material at the course page,
websites of respective Institutes |
|
16. |
Concept
Summarization and discussions, part-2 |
2.9,
On-line material at the course page |
|
17. |
Introduction to Packet Switching,
Storing, Forwarding: Switching / Routing, An overview of Packet Switching
Networks <Focus on IP-type systems> |
3.1, 3.1.1 |
|
|
An overview of Virtual Circuit Switching
Networks <Focus on ATM-type systems> |
3.1.2, 3.3 |
|
18. |
Bridges, LAN Switches: Two-layer /
three-layer and Multi-layer types <focus on: L1/L2> |
3.2 |
|
19. |
Select Schemes, Algorithms, Broadcasting and Multicasting related to
Bridging / Switching |
3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, |
|
Self-study
Topic: ATM Networks |
3.3 |
|
|
20. |
Bridges versus Switches |
3.2.4 |
|
21. |
Implementation and Performance Aspects of Packet Switching
Networks |
3.4 |
|
22. |
Concept
Summarization and discussions, part-3 |
3.5,
On-line material at the course page |
|
23. |
Introduction to Internetworking : basics, types, service models, IP-based
internetwoking fundamentals |
4.1, 4.1.1, 4.1.2, |
|
24. |
Global Addressing, IP-packet forwarding
, address resolution / translation schemes |
4.1.3, 4.1.5 |
|
25. |
Host Configuration, Error reporting,
Virtualization, Tunneling, VPNs |
4.1.6, 4.1.7, 4.1.8 |
|
26. |
Elements of Routing |
4.2 |
|
27. |
Select Routing Metrics, Schemes and
Protocols |
4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.4 |
|
28. |
More Routing Metrics, Schemes and
Protocols |
4.2.3, 4.2.4 |
|
29. |
Routing for |
4.2.5 |
|
30. |
Building / implementing a Router |
4.2.6 |
|
31. |
The Internet: basics, subnetting,
supernetting, CIDR, Autonomous Systems, |
4.3, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, |
|
32. |
Interdomain routing, Routing areas |
4.3.3, 4.3.4 |
|
33. |
IPv6, IP Multicasting: Basics , schemes
and related protocols |
4.3.5, 4.4 |
|
Self-study
Topic: Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) |
4.5 |
|
|
34. |
Concept
Summarization and discussions, part-4 |
4.6,
On-line material at the course page |
|
35. |
End-to-End Networking / Internetworking
Protocol Basics: The TCP/UDP family |
5.1, 5.2 |
|
36. |
UDP, Its Design, Merits, Demerits,
Applications, Performance |
5.1, 5.5 |
|
37. |
TCP: Basics, Design, Algorithms, Issues |
5.2 |
|
38. |
TCP: Algorithms, Issues, Merits,
Demerits, Performance, Extensions, Applications, alternatives |
5.2, 5.5 |
|
Self-study
Topic: The Remote Procedure Call, Performance |
5.3, 5.5 |
|
|
Self-study
Topic: Real-Time Transport protocols,
Performance |
5.4,
5.5 |
|
|
39 |
Concept
Summarization and discussions, part-5 |
5.6,
On-line material at the course page |
|
40. |
Select concepts in Congestion Control /
Avoidance and Quality-of-Service <IntServ / DiffServ etc.> |
Extracts
of the Sections 6.1,
6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 |
|
Self-study
Topic: Select concepts in End-to-End Data Presentation Formatting,
Compression and Applications |
Extracts of the Sections 7.1, 7.2 |
|
|
41. |
Application Layer basics, related
protocols, HTTP, FTP, Email systems: SMTP, IMAP, POP, MIME |
9.1.1,9.1.2 |
|
42. |
Naming Services: Basics and Systems:
DNS, Select Elements of Network Security |
9.1.3, 8.1,
8.4 and 8.5 |
|
Self-study
Topic: Web-Services fundamentals, Net-enabled Multimedia Applications |
9.2, 9.3 |
|
|
Self-study
Topic: Overlay Networks: Routing Overlay Networks, Peer-to-Peer, Networks
Content Distribution Networks |
9.4 |
|
|
Special Session: |
Concept
Summarization and discussions, part-6: Design Tutorial: Design methodology and verification
techniques used for designing a simple but modern enterprise internetwork |
On-line
material at the course page |
4.
Evaluation Scheme:
|
Evaluation Component |
Type |
Duration & Notes |
Weight |
Date |
||||||||||||||||
|
Assignments (take-home) |
Laboratory-oriented |
15 days from the date of respective announcement Students may form their
own groups of not more than four members within the first week itself and
sign individually on the Group List Sheet at the Instructor-in-Charge’s
office) |
20% |
Last
column shows submission deadline. |
||||||||||||||||
|
Surprise Quizzes |
Open
Book |
10 Minutes |
10% |
Not
applicable |
||||||||||||||||
|
Test -1 |
Closed book |
50 Minutes |
15% |
February
19, 2010 (1000-1050
Hrs.) |
||||||||||||||||
|
Test -2 |
Closed book |
50 Minutes |
15% |
March
26, 2010 (1000-1050
Hrs.) |
||||||||||||||||
|
Comprehensive Exam. |
Open
Book |
Three Hours (any book, any handwritten
notes, printed slides / handouts can be carried into the examination hall
<but no photocopied notes are allowed>) |
40% |
May
12, 2010 (1500-1800
Hrs.) |
5. Notices: All notices
shall be electronically displayed only on the Course Home Page at IntraBITS and the OnBoard portals only.
6. Make-up Policy: Only in genuine
cases, on a case-by-case basis, Make-ups shall be allowed.
7. Chamber Consultation Hours: Monday: 4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM.
Instructor-in-Charge: CS
C461 / IS C461