Introduces the fundamentals of computer networks, including network architectures, network topologies, network protocols, layering concepts (for example, ISO/OSI, TCP/IP reference models), communication paradigms (point-to-point vs. multicast/broadcast, connectionless vs. connection oriented), and networking APIs (sockets). Also covers the construction of distributed programs, with an emphasis on high-level protocols and distributed state sharing. Topics include design patterns, transactions, performance trade-offs, security implications, and reliability. Uses examples from real networks (TCP/IP, Ethernet, 802.11) and distributed systems (Web, BitTorrent, DNS) to reinforce concepts.

The official prerequisite for this course is CS 2650. This course will be project-centric, and all students will complete in projects in groups of two (or possibly three, if necessary). Thus, to succeed in this course, you must be able to work in a group. I will allow you to form your own groups, and the Piazza forum has a dedicated thread that can serve matching service if necessary. As you are free to choose your partner(s), I will not be sympathetic to complaints at the end of the semester about how your group-mates did not do any work.

It is also highly recommended that you become familiar with using a debugger, as this will greatly aid you in completing the projects. At a high level, you should be motivated, eager to learn, willing to work hard, and make up, on your own, any prerequisite deficiencies you may have.

This is a junior-level course; I will not mandate you to come to class (you are still responsible for all the material covered in class). The class projects are a major part of this course, and please be aware that you will be working in groups of two. Lastly, note that 5% of your grade is based upon class participation. This is to encourage you to voice your ideas in class and to post them to the forum. Minimally, I must know your name by the end of the term in order for you to get any points for class participation.

We will be using Piazza as a course discussion/bulletin board. You are expected to check it at least once every few days, use it as the first place to ask questions, and answer others' questions. The course staff will regularly monitor the board, and your participation will count towards your grade.

For the projects, we will be using resources and scripts that are available on the CCIS Linux machines. You need to have access to the CCIS Linux machines; if you do not have an account, be sure to sign up for a CCIS account as soon as possible.

You are welcome to use your personal machine if you wish. If you wish to remotely access CCIS resources, you should have an ssh client installed on your machine (they are available for all major operating systems). If you wish to compile and run code on your own machine, we recommend using a Linux distro or Mac OS X (it may be possible to get the code to compile on Windows, but you're on your own). Note that many of the testing scripts assume that they are being run on the CCIS network. Regardless, all of your submitted code must compile and run on the CCIS Linux machines.

Below is a rough schedule for the lectures in CS3700. This is subject to change; please check back often.

 

Lecture	Topic and slides	Due Date(s)
01  01/12 M	Intro, Overview Network programming
02  01/14 W	Network architecture
—  01/19 M	No class—Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
03  01/21 W	Data-link layer	Proj. 0
04  01/26 M	Ethernet / Media access
—  01/28 W	No class—Snow Day
—  02/02 M	No class—Snow Day
05  02/04 W	Bridging	Hw. 1
—  02/09 M	No class—Snow Day	Proj. 1 Milestone
06  02/11 W	Internet Protocol	Hw. 2
—  02/16 M	No class—Washington's Birthday	Proj. 1
07  02/18 W	TCP/UDP
08  02/23 M	TCP/UDP (cont.)	Hw. 3
09  02/25 W	Congestion control
10  03/02 M	Congestion control (cont.)	Hw. 4
—  03/04 W	Midterm exam	Proj. 2 Milestone (03/05)
—  03/09 M	No class—Spring Break
—  03/11 W	No class—Spring Break
11  03/16 M	DNS + NAT + VPN, Intra-domain routing	Proj. 2 (03/17)
12  03/18 W	Inter-domain routing, Quality of Service
13  03/23 M	Distributed systems overview	Proj. 3 Milestone
14  03/25 W	Time + Logical clocks	Hw. 6
15  03/30 M	Security basics	Proj. 3
16  04/01 W	Client-Server Systems: Web	Hw. 7
17  04/06 M	Peer-to-Peer Systems: BitTorrent	Proj. 4 Milestone 1
18  04/08 W	Bitcoin	Hw. 8
19  04/13 M	Bitcoin (cont.)	Proj. 4 Milestone 2
20  04/15 W	Botnets + DoS	Hw. 9
—  04/20 M	No class—Patriot's Day	Proj. 4 Milestone 3
21  04/22 W	Web Tracking, Final Review	Hw. 10, Proj. 4

Homework assignments will be posted here as they become available.

 

Homework 1 is due at the beginning of class on February 04th, 2015.

Homework 2 is due at the beginning of class on February 11th, 2015.

Homework 3 is due at the beginning of class on February 23rd, 2015.

Homework 4 is due at the beginning of class on March 2nd, 2015.

Homework 5 is cancelled.

Homework 6 is due at the beginning of class on March 25h, 2015.

Homework 7 is due at the beginning of class on April 1st, 2015.

Homework 8 is due at the beginning of class on April 8th, 2015.

Homework 9 is due at the beginning of class on April 15th, 2015.

Homework 10 is due at the beginning of class on April 22nd, 2015.

Project descriptions will be posted here as they become available.

 

Project 0, worth 1% of your grade, is due at 11:59:59pm on January 21th, 2015.

Project 1, worth 12% of your grade, is due at 11:59:59pm on February 16th, 2015. The milestone for project 1 is due at 11:59:59pm on February 9th, 2015. No slip days may be used on the milestone deadline.

Project 2, worth 15% of your grade, is due at 11:59:59pm on March 16th, 2015. The milestone for project 2 is due at 11:59:59pm on March 5th, 2015. No slip days may be used on the milestone deadline.

Project 3, worth 12% of your grade, is due at 11:59:59pm on March 30th, 2015 (Be sure read the Implementation Notes). The milestone for project 3 is due at 11:59:59pm on March 23rd, 2015. No slip days may be used on the milestone deadline.

Project 4, worth 15% of your grade, is due at 11:59:59pm on April 22nd, 2015. The milestones for project 4 are due at 11:59:59pm on April 6th, 2015, April 13th, 2015, and April 20th, 2015. No slip days may be used on the milestone deadlines.