Computer Networks
CNT5106C
Spring, 2014
Ye Xia
(Pronounced as “Yeh Siah”)
How is the course conducted?
• Please follow the lecture and reading
schedule on course web page
• Assignments are all posted on e-learning.
• Critical dates are posted on the web page.
Course Coverage
• Overview of communication networks
– Focus on the Internet; but also think about other networks
• Will teach networking knowledge
– Pick up concepts, jargons and technologies
• Special attention will be paid to engineering the
network
– Principles and design of the network
– Protocols
– Algorithms
• Always consider: what are the issues and how they are
solved?
Coverage
• Basic: network protocol layers
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Application
Transport
Networking
Data Link
• Integrated or advanced topics
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Quality of service framework and mechanisms
Wireless networks
Peer-to-peer networks
network resource allocation
network security
Principles and Design
• Most communication networks are giant
infrastructure. A lot is at stake. Need
– Careful and good design, and/or
– Can be evolved
• Objective: what is it used for
– Limited or unlimited?
• What is its architecture?
– Specify different components and what they do
– How they are realized: implementation and
technologies
• What are the design principles: for coping with
complexity
– To ease designer, implementer, or user’s lives
Protocols and Algorithms
• Algorithms: formal procedure to accomplishing
some task
• Protocols: governs the information exchange and
collective behavior of distributed entities
– For certain tasks
• These are important components in networks
• Each piece can also be complex
– Also need some design principles
Network Programming
• Learn network programming
– through project
– not a focus of the lectures; but important
• You can do much more yourselves.
Why This Course?
• Obvious:
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Learn about the internals of the Internet
Learn about communication networks in general
Learn network programming
Related to other core areas of CS: (distributed)
operating systems
– For some: continue with advanced network courses
• Less obvious: Learn about distributed, complex
systems
– Typical issues, solutions, design and architecture
– Coping with complexity and scale
Textbook
• Computer Networking: A Top-Down
Approach, 6th Edition
• by James F. Kurose & Keith W. Ross
• Important to have access to the 6th edition
– Homework questions and labs are from the
textbook
• Course home page: http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~yx1
• You will find
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Lecture slides
Project assignments; due dates
Contact information
Announcements
• Please check it frequently
• Check grades on e-learning (Sakai)
– Go to https://lss.at.ufl.edu/, and log in with your
gatorlink account
– Distribute assignments and solutions
• Assignments, lecture notes and
other handouts will NOT be
distributed in class.
• Please get them from the course
web site!
Requirements
• Homework assignments (6) – 10%
• One programming project (25%)
• Exams: each two hours long
– Midterm – 30% (Feb 25, in class)
– Final – 35% (May 1, 7:30-9:30am)
Homework
• Due date will be posted when each
homework is assigned
• Submit homework in hard copy in class
• Some homework contains a lab part;
– only the lab part will be submitted through
Sakai
Homework: Important Note
• Each exam will have at least 10% (maybe
20%) of the points coming directly from the
homework questions.
– This is in addition to the homework’s 10%
direct contribution to your course grade.
• Check homework solutions carefully for
correctness.
Project
• One programming project
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on network programming, spread out
There is a mid-semester checkpoint
Final due date: April 23
Team project: 3 persons per team
Java programming; C/C++ are also alright
• Details will be posted later
Late Policies
• Late homework will face 30% additional
deduction before the solutions are posted (in
one week).
– After that, no points may be earned on the
homework.
• No late project please.
Office Hours
• Instructor:
Fridays: 1:00 – 3:00 pm, or by appointment
• TA: see web page later
Others
• Class participation: Please show up in classes
• Academic honesty: no copying of anything!