COMP347: Advanced Computer Networks
Semester 2, 2011
Faculty: Science; Department: Computing
General Information
Credit points: 3
Convenor: Dr. Rajan Shankaran
Prerequisites:
COMP247(P) and (COMP225(P) or COMP229(P)) and (MATH237(P) or DMTH237(P) or DMTH137(P) or ELEC240(P))
Students should read this unit guide carefully at the start of semester. It contains important information about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.
About This Unit
This course gives an understanding of advanced topics in the design and implementation of computer networks. It provides an in-depth understanding of key protocols of the TCP/IP protocol suite and its relationship to emerging technologies. This course will allow students to develop knowledge and expertise in key areas such as intra and inter-domain routing protocols, multicast protocols, different transport protocols, application layer protocls, and security. These concepts will be reinforced through tutorials and lab sessions.
Teaching Staff
| Role | Name | Room | Office hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer and Convener | Rajan Shankaran | rajan.shankaran At mq.edu.au | E6A337 | TBA |
| Lecturer | Len Hamey | len.hamey At mq.edu.au | E6A327 | TBA |
| Practical Demonstrator | Jin Lai | jin.lai At mq.edu.au | E6A 256 | TBA |
All emails related to COMP347 must include your full name and your student id number.
Teaching and Learning
Classes
Note: Lectures commence from Week 1 and Practicals commence from week 2.
Each week you should attend three hours of lectures (with tutorial) and a two-hour practical class.
You should have selected a practical at enrolment. If you do not have a class, or if you wish to change one, you should see the enrolment operators in the E7B courtyard during the first two weeks of the semester. Thereafter you should go to the Student Centre.
Please note that you are required to attend all practical classes and hand in prepared work each week. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit (see the Grade requirements) or being excluded from the exam (see the rule).
Resources to assist your learning
iLecture
Digital recordings of lectures will be made available.
Textbook
The textbooks for COMP347 used this semester is:
- [KR] J.F. Kurose and K.W. Ross, Computer Networking, 4th/5th ed. Addison Wesley 2007/2009.
- Computer Networks and Internet: Douglas E. Comer 5th edition Prentice hall
These books can be purchased from the University Co-op Bookshop.
Note: Students are also expected to read the relevant Request for Comments (RFCs) documents which may be found on-line at www.rfc.net. Some RFCs that are relevant to the lectures will be posted on the unit web site.
Additional reading that you may find useful for this unit:
- A.S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, Prentice Hall, 4th ed. (or later) Pearson Education, 2003.
- [C] D. Comer, Internetworking with TCP/IP, vol. 1, 4th ed., Prentice Hall 2000.
- [BDC] W. Stallings, Business Data Communications, 5th ed., Prentice Hall 2001.
- [S] W. Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, 8th ed., Prentice Hall 1997.
Technology
Cisco Routers and Switches, and Wireshark Network Simulator.
Websites
Unit materials for this unit are on Moodle.
The textbooks come with companion websites:
Discussion Boards
The unit makes use of discussion boards hosted within Moodle. Please post questions there, they are monitored by the staff on the unit.
Staff-Student Liaison Committee
The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.
The committee meets three times during the semester. For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at http://www.comp.mq.edu.au/units/300-liaison
Warning: If you are facing any problems or if there are any other issues then please contact your lecturer or unit convener immediately. Do not wait until the next liaison meeting. By not doing so, the problem may get aggravated and sometimes its too late to provide a fix for it.
If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Dr. Christophe Doche) or the Head of Department (Prof. Bernard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/.
Assumed knowledge
As reflected by the prerequisites, this unit requires
- Understanding of the OSI and Internet network models for networks. (COMP247)
- Understanding of key networking and internetworking technologies. (COMP247)
- Understanding of key networking protocols and components. (COMP247)
- Understanding of basic physical and layer medium access control concepts, techniques and protocols. (COMP247)
- Basic level of mathematical sophistication. (e.g. DMTH137)
- Basic programming skills. (COMP115)
Topic List
The following is the plan for the unit. The actual presentation may vary.
| Week | Topic | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unit Introduction /Introduction to TCP/IP / IP Addressing / Routing | Chap: Kurose-4,Comer-1, 2, 21. |
| 2 | Introduction to Routing (contd), Intra Domain Routing | Chap: Kurose-4, Comer-27. |
| 3 | Intra domain Routing (contd), CIDR/Supernetting and Inter Domain Routing | Chap: Kurose-4, Comer-27 (section 27.16) |
| 4 | Inter Domain Routing (Contd) | Chap: Kurose-4. |
| 5 | IP Multicast | Chap: Kurose-3, Comer-26. |
| 6 | IP Multicast (Contd) Transport Layer Protocol-TCP | Chap: Kurose-3, Comer-26. |
| 7 | Transport Layer Protocol-TCP (contd) | Chap: Kurose-3, Comer-26. |
| Break | Work on Assignment 2 | |
| 8 | Application Layer Protocols | Chap: Kurose-2, RFC 3117. Assignment 1 due |
| 9 | Network Security I: TLS | Chap: Kurose-8. |
| 10 | Network Security II | Chap: Kurose-8 |
| 11 | IPv6 | Chap: Kurose 8, Comer 32-33. |
| 12 | Network Design | Chap: Kurose-8, Comer-32. Assignment 2 due |
| 13 | Review |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
COMP347 is taught via lectures, tutorial discussions in the lecture class, and practicals in the laboratory. The feedback that you receive plays also a crucial role in your learning.
Lectures are used to introduce new material, give examples of the use of networking concepts and techniques and put them in a wider context, and to discuss weekly tutorial questions. While lectures are largely one to many presentations, you are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of.
Practical classes give you an opportunity to practice your practical networking skills under the supervision of a demonstrator. Each week you will be given a number of problems to work on; it is important that you keep up with these problems as doing so will help you understand the material in the unit and prepare you for the work in assignments.
You have many opportunities to seek for and to receive feedback. During lectures, you are encouraged to ask the lecturer questions to clarify anything you might not be sure of. Each week, you will be given tutorial problems to solve. For feedback you can discuss these questions/your solutions with the lecturer in the lecture class. The comments and the solutions provided will help you to understand the material in the unit, prepare you for the work in assignments as well as for the final exam. It is important that you keep up with these problems every week. Assignments have been especially designed to deliver continuous feedback on your work (via the use of portfolio).
Each week you should:
- Attend lectures, take notes, ask questions, and participate in tutorial discussions.
- Attend your classes and seek feedback from your lecturer on your work
- Read assigned reading material, add to your notes and prepare questions for your lecturer.
- Start working on any assignments immediately after they have been released.
Lecture notes are made available each week but these notes are intended as an outline of the lecture only and are not a substitute for your own notes or reading additional material.
Learning outcomes
It is expected that on completion of this unit, students will- Demonstrate an understanding of advanced knowledge in networking (especially in Internet technologies)
- Design TCP/IP based networks with services such as security and multimedia and to integrate such networks with other networking technologies
See the different standards corresponding to these criteria.
Graduate Capabilities
Macquarie University recognises the importance of generic outcomes from study which will be valuable for life and for the workplace over a lifetime's career. These skills include::
- Foundation skills of literacy, numeracy and information technology;
- Self-awareness and interpersonal skills, such as the capacity for self-management, collaboration and leadership;
- Communication skills for effective presentation and cultural understanding;
- Critical analysis skills to evaluate, synthesise and judge;
- Problem-solving skills to apply and adapt knowledge to the real world; and
- Creative thinking skills to imagine, invent and discover.
Assessment
The assessment policy of Macquarie University implies the use of standards based assessment. In this context, the learning outcomes are aligned with the assessment tasks and the performance of each student is evaluated against a set of predefined criteria and standards.
Assessment tasks
The following tables summarizes the different aspects of the assessment in this unit. In particular, it links each task to the learning outcomes of the unit and provides the corresponding weight as well as the split regarding each learning outcome. For instance, quizzes assess learning outcomes #1 and #2 and they account for 10% of your final mark (6% for L.O.#1 and 4% for L.O.#2).
| Task | Due Date | Duration | Feedback | Learning outcomes assessed | Total Weight and Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practicals | Weekly | 2 hours/week | During prac sessions and immediately after the completion of prac exercise | #1 and #2 | 10% (Each practical is worth 1 mark and you need to complete 10 exercises to achive full marks) |
| Quizzes | Week 7 and 12 | 30 mins in Tutorial class (2 hours) | In the next class week following submission | #1 and #2 | 10% (Each quiz worth 5%) 8%#1, 2%#2 |
| Assignment 1 | Week 8 | Via marked copies of the assignment. Additional feedback can be made available by consultation with the marker and the lecturer (week 8) | #1 | 15% 15%#1 | |
| Assignment 2 | Week 12 | Via marked copies of the assignment. Additional feedback can be made available by consultation with the marker and the lecturer (week 13. | #2 | 15% 15%#2 | |
| Final Examination | TBA | 3 hours + 10 minutes reading time | Individual feedback is available by consultation with the lecturers after final results are received by the student | #1 and #2 | 50% |
Note that a certain number of requirements
must be fulfilled in order to pass this unit.
If you cannot complete a
piece of work on time because of special circumstances please contact the convenor (preferably via email) before the due date. See the
Special
Consideration policy; for assignments affected by special circumstances, see "Assignments" below.
A more detailed description of each task is given
below.
Tutorial Discussions in Lectures
Tutorial question sheets will be available the week before the tutorial is scheduled (for example, the tutorial sheet for week 2 will be available in week 1). While no marks are assigned to these sessions you should try to attend the tutorial in the lecture slot and take part in the discussion as this enables you to do well in your quizzes as well as in the final exam.
Quizzes
There will be two quizzes in the following weeks: 7 and 12. A quiz is a short test that will be based on your previously attempted tutorial exercises and previous lecture material. For example, week 7 quiz will be based on tutorial exercises/lectures done in weeks 1-6. The quiz questions will be handed over to you at the beginning of your practical class. You will also participate in your regular practical exercises after having completed the quizzes. These quizzes contribute 10% of the total mark and serve as a feedback mechanism to monitor your progress in the unit.
Practicals
The practicals in this unit contribute 10% of the total mark. Practical marks are obtained by attendance of practical sessions and attempting the practical work. There are 10 Practical sections. Each practical is worth 1 mark and you need to complete 10 sections to achive full marks. To an extent you can work through the sections at your own pace, however we suggest aiming for one section per week (and the practical material is structured against the lecture material with this in mind). Note that there are 10 sections but 12 sessions. This allows you to miss one or two but still complete the material. Some practical sections may contain more than one exercise but for evaluation purposes you will get assigned 1 mark for completing all the exercises in the section. Practical Section sheets will be available the week before the practical is scheduled (for example, the practical section sheet for week 2 will be available in week 1). Each practical is worth 1 mark if you attend the practical and make a satisfactory attempt to do the prescribed work; your practical supervisor will mark your attempt in the class. The answers to practical questions must be recorded in the practical section sheet that you download from the unit web site. Please keep the marked copy of practical exercise with you and do not lose it. You do not have to complete a practical to earn the mark, but you do have to make an honest attempt. You must attend the practical session in order to get your practical section marked. You must not be late for your practicals. If you are late, the Practical supervisor will not accept your solution.
Assignments
There will be two assignments in this unit. Assignments 1 and 2 attract significant marks towards your final result. Assignment 1 will focus on IP addressing and routing. The assignment 2 focusses on network security/design. Assignment due dates are specified in the table above.
Note: Each assignment will include a statement of the criteria and standards against which it will be judged.
All assignments should be submitted by placing a hard copy in the assignmnent box located in building E6A ground floor before the time specified in the assignment description (see the assignment page for more details).
Deadlines are firm in this unit. You are encouraged to:
- Set your personal deadline earlier than the actual deadline, so that you have time to deal with unexpected problems.
- Keep backups of all your important files.
- Make sure that no-one else picks up your printouts.
Late assignments will receive no marks. If you cannot submit work on time because of illness of other circumstances, you may apply for special consideration for the assignment. You should note the following carefully.
- You must contact the convenor before the due date if at all possible and discuss the circumstances of your need for special consideration. You may contact the convenor by email (preferred), but you should include a contact telephone number for the convenor to contact you.
- You should make every effort to submit what you have achieved by the due date.
- The convenor may grant you an extension for the submission of your final work, but this extension will be conditional upon you also submitting a valid application for special consideration for the assignment.
- You should apply for special consideration for the assignment in accordance with the University's procedures.
- Late assignments for which an extension is sought should be submitted with the supporting documentation to the Science Centre.
Final Examination
A three hour written examination will be held at the end of semester. For this unit, a final examination is fully appropriate to test learning outcomes #1 and #2. Indeed, it allows to accurately assess the degree of understanding of a theoretical topic such as network protocols and algorithms along with the written communication skills of students.
The final examination accounts for 50% of the final mark and consists of two
Parts of equal weight.
Regarding the examination process, note that
- You must attend all required classes and submit all required assessments, otherwise the Executive Dean of the Faculty or delegated authority has the power to refuse permission to attend the final examination.
- The University Examination period in Second Half Year 2011 is from Monday 14th November to Friday 2nd December 2011.
- You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable.
- The examination timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations.
- No early examinations for individuals or groups of students will be set. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.
- The only acceptable reason for not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration.
Standards
Four standards, namely F, P, Cr, D, and HD summarize as many different levels of achievement. Each standard is precisely defined to help students know what kind of performance is expected to deserve a certain grade. Typically, the standards corresponding to the learning outcomes and criteria of this unit are given below:
|
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria for L.O.#1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Knowledge development and Application |
|
Represents a student who has demonstrated sound knowledge of Computer Networking. The student: has Knowldege of the domain, has basic design skills, and is capable of writing answers in an understandable way. | Represents a student who has demonstrated creativity in design and expresses ideas clearly. | Represents a student who has demonstrated analysis and critical thinking regarding protocol specifications; and can synthesise inputs, evaluate and elaborate on ideas. | Represents a student who has exceptional analytical and critcal thinking capability and who has exceptional ability to communicate original ideas. | |
| Criteria for L.O.#2 | ||||||
| Network Design literacy |
|
|
|
|
| |
Grading
For each task, those standards translate into a mark and the different component marks are added up. You will then be given a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit. Your grade will be determined from the total of your marks in the individual assessment items giving due consideration to the standards previously stated.
The following specific criteria will be applied in addition to consideration of your total mark:- Pass (P) and above: Must perform to a satisfactory level (A SCORE OF 6 OUT OF 15) in at least one assignment and perform to a satisfactory
level (A SCORE OF 40 OUT OF 100) in the examination.
You must obtain an overall mark of at least 50% in the unit. This implies that if a student who achieves 6 marks on one assignment and 40% in the exam,
and obtains no other marks, would fail the unit.
Note that this means that you will fail the unit if you do not hand in at least one assignment.
- Higher grade: Obtaining a higher grade than a pass in this unit will require a student to obtain the required total number of marks (Credit - 65, Distinction - 75,
High Distinction - 85) and obtain the following minimal results in the final written exmination:
-Credit 55%
-Distinction 65%
-High Distinction 75%.
Note that you must obtain these marks in the examination and get the total across the unit given above (Credit - 65, Distinction - 75, High Distinction - 85).
The grade allocated is as set out in the Bachelor Degree Rules 10(2) as follows:
- HD: High Distinction denotes performance which meets all unit objectives in such an exceptional way and with such marked excellence that it deserves the highest level of recognition
- D:Distinction denotes performance which clearly deserves a very high level of recognition as an excellent achievement in the unit
- Cr: Credit denotes performance which is substantially better than would normal be expected of competent students in the unit
- P: Pass denotes performance which satisfies unit objectives
- F: Fail denotes performance which does not meet unit objectives
Policies
Macquarie is developing a number of policies in the area of learning and teaching. Approved policies and associated guidelines and procedures can be found at Policy Central. There you will find the University's policy and associated procedures on:
- Assessment
- Special Consideration
- Plagiarism
- Grade Appeal
Assessment
The procedure implementing the assessment policy can be found here.
Special Consideration
Special Consideration is intended for a student who is prevented by serious
and unavoidable disruption from completing any unit requirements in accordance
with their ability.
In this case, you should follow the procedure
implementing the policy available here.
The actual application form is available here.
If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as
one's own. The Department, in line with University policy, treats all cases
seriously. In particular, the Department, and the University, keeps a record of
all plagiarism cases. This record is referred to so that an appropriate penalty
can be applied to each case.
More details are available here.
Grade Appeal
In case of problems arising from the final unit grade with the academic staff
members, the first step is to request a review of your grade. The Department
recommends that you submit a request in writing to the convenor of the unit in
order to arrange a review session. If this review does not resolve the problem,
a formal Grade Appeal can be lodged.
A draft version of the policy
explaining the process can be found here.