Instructor

Professor                    Dr. Sam Malek

                                    Electronic Mail: smalek@gmu.edu

                                    Office: 4431, Engineering Building

                                    Office Phone: +1-703-993-1677

                                    Office Hours: Mon 2-4pm or by appointment

Overview

This course covers the state-of-the-art approaches to building dependable Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) software systems. Additionally, the shortcomings of the current approaches are identified, and open research topics and avenues for future advancement are discussed. The course is geared towards advanced MS or PhD students that are interested in gaining an in-depth knowledge of SOA systems and related topics. A variety of topics will be covered in the context of SOA systems, including Software Architecture, Quality of Service, Analysis, Autonomic Computing, Monitoring, and Coordination. The course will be conducted in seminar fashion. The students are expected to energetically participate in the discussions. The students are also expected to work on either an implementation project or a research topic of interest and report on their progress throughout the semester.  

Prerequisites   

1. •MS student with advanced standing or PhD student
   

2. •Good knowledge of software engineering, design, object-oriented programming, distributed systems, and web technology (e.g., XML)
   

 

Textbook and Readings

1. •SOA Principles of Service Design, Thomas Erl, Prentice Hall (optional)
   

2. •Supplemental papers (see the schedule below)
   

Grading

1. •Paper, concept, technology presentation (15%) - Other than papers and concepts covered by the instructor, one (or more depending on the size of class) student leads the discussion of paper or concept in the class. PhD students are expected to present a research paper, while MS students have the choice of selecting either a research paper or a concept/technology for their presentation.
   

2. •Class participation (10%) - All students are expected to read all of the papers and participate in the class discussions. Students who do not participate in the discussions, and students who miss (or sleep through) classes will not receive credit for this portion of the grade. Shyness or lack of English proficiency are not excuses.
   

3. •Quizzes (25%) - Several short quizzes will be given for the readings assigned each week. Each student will be allowed to drop the lowest quiz score during the semester.
   

4. •Project (50%) - Students are expected to work on a project involving research, programming, or ideally both throughout the semester. The project grade is based on the mid-term/final presentation, final paper, and demo.
   

Academic Integrity

George Mason's policy concerning student conduct applies.  Although students are encouraged to discuss the topics covered in class, all homework assignments, exams, and projects are to be completed individually, unless joint work is explicitly authorized by the instructor. If joint work is authorized, all contributing students must be listed on the submission. Any deviation from this is considered an Honor Code violation, and, as a minimum, will result in failure of the submission and, as a maximum, failure of the class.