Fall 2006: M 1920-2200, ST1-126 and online at http://netlab.gmu.edu/disted

This course will be taught by Professor Mark Pullen with assistance from Dr. Dennis Moen.

Dr J. Mark Pullen
ST2 Room 403 (mail drop ST2-430).
Office hours 16:00-18:00 Monday and by appointment (including after class and on weekends)
Preferred contact email: mpullen@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-1538

Dr Dennis Moen
ST2 Room 322 (mail drop ST2-422B)
Office hours by appointment
Preferred contact email: dmoen@netlab.gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-1705
 

DESCRIPTION

This course will enable the student to understand the principal factors that influence the performance of packet switched networks supporting data and multimedia applications, predict the impact of these factors on performance by analytical and simulation techniques, and compare the predicted results with actual measured performance.

Prerequisite: CS656 or other comprehensive course in networking basics (includes background in computer architectures, statistics, ability to program in C/C++/Java and use Unix operating system)

Project: Performance analysis of packet networking application using (1) analytical techniques, particularly queueing theory, (2) simulation and/or (3) actual measurement. Report on results. Students work in teams of one or two, with project scope appropriate to the number on the team; each member of team must be familiar with and responsible for all parts of project. Topics and methods for project are proposed by students, confirmed by negotiation with professor. Lab facilities will be made available as needed. Methods are are described above; some example topics are:

Internet Protocol Multicast with Resource Reservation
Internet Protocol Version 6
Internet Protocol with Resource Reservation over SONET
Internet Integrated Services
Internet Differentiated Services
Reliable or Selectively Reliable Multicast
 

GRADING POLICY

Queueing Theory Exam 30%, IETF Summary 15%, Project 55%. Missed assignments must be arranged with the instructor BEFORE the exam date. Assignments are due at 19:30 on the assigned date. Late assignments lose 10% per week credit. Each student is expected to comply with the Honor Code as stated in the GMU catalog, and elaborated for Computer Science.

Grading is proficiency-based (no curve); cutoffs will be in the vicinity of (and no higher than) A - 93; A- - 90; B+ - 87; B - 83; B- 90; C - 70.
 

SYLLABUS

Date Topic/Reading Assignment in Bertsekas
(subject to revision)

8-28 Review of data communications basics/Ch 2

9-11 Review of packet networking basics and key protocols/Ch 2

9-18 IP multicast and RSVP; review of queueing theory basics (presented by Dr. Moen) / Sec 3.1-3.3

9-25 M/M/x queues/Sec 3.3.2-3.4.4; Internet Integrated Services models (presented by Dr. Moen) / appropriate RFCs

10-2 M/G/1 queues/Sec 3.5-3.5.1; Reliable Multicast models; project teams formed (presented by Dr. Moen) / refs TBA

10-10 (NOTE: This is a Tuesday) Queues with reservations, polling, priorities; project options; Inteernet Differentiated Services / Sec 3.5.2-3.5.4;

10-16 Networks of queues; project proposal 5-minute presentations/Sec 3.6-3.8.2

10-23 Queueing theory exam (take home) / Chapters 1-3

10-30 Discrete event simulation; Network Workbench and ns2 simulation systems; exam due; project topics finalized; readings to be assigned

11-6  OPNET simulation system (presented by OPNET; Dr. Pullen will be at IETF meeting)

11-13 Network performance measurements; IETF summary due / Ch 1-6 of Comer Vol III

11-20 No lecture - project discussions with professor

11-27 Project presentations; slides due to instructor by email by 19:30 on 11-26

12-4 No class - work on report

12-11 (Final exam date) No exam - project reports due by 19:30 in place of final exam
 

READINGS

Required textbook:

Bertsekas and Gallager, Data Networks, 2nd Ed., Prentice-Hall, 1992*

References:

Comer, Internetworking with TCP/IP, Volume I, 3rd ed., Prentice-Hall , 1995*
Comer and Stevens, Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume III, Prentice-Hall, 1993
Katezela, Modeling and Simulating Communciations Networks, Prentice-Hall, 1999
Kleinrock, Queueing Systems, Volume 1, Wiley, 1975
Pullen, Understanding Internet Protocols, Wiley, 2000
Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, 7th Ed., Prentice Hall, 2004*
Stallings, High Speed Networks: TCP/IP and ATM Design Principles, Prentice-Hall, 1998*
Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 4th Ed., Prentice-Hall, 2002*

* these books are of sufficient importance in this discipline that serious students of networking should strongly consider investing in copies for their library

Course notices and assignments will be provided via email. Students are responsible to monitor their GMU email account for announcements, Course materials will be available online when appropriate. Students are responsible for assigned readings and all material outlined in lecture slides.

Internet-based course delivery: The course will be presented in Room 126 S&T1 but all classes will be available remotely using distance education technology Network EducationWare. The requirement to participate is a Pentium PC running Windows 2000/XP or Linux. Classes are delivered as graphics and audio to the home or office desktop, with optional streaming video for those with very good Internet connections to GMU.

As part of the distance education approach, all classes are prepared on slides. These will be available in Adobe pdf format for download not later than 24 hours before class.

The Network EducationWare system offers the capability for online students to meet with the instructor and make project presentations to the class from their desktop computer, equipped with sound card and microphone. Alternately, online students may come to the classroom to make their presentation.