COURSE DESCRIPTION

                      CSCI 561 - Computer Networks II

  Description:    Analysis of loosely coupled computer communication
                  communication protocols, and network services; an
                  open systems interconnection model is presented and
                  compared to selected examples of computer networks.

  Prerequisite:   CSCI 423 Introduction to Operating systems or equivalent.

  Textbook:       Stevens, W. Richard, et. al.; Unix Network Programming, 3rd Ed.,
                  Prentice-Hall, 2004.

  Coordinator:    P. Tobin Maginnis, Associate Professor of Computer
                  and Information Science

  Goals:          Graduate students are provided with the conceptual tools
                  and sample programming to analyze computer networks from
                  a system and application perspective.

  Prerequisite by Topic:

          1.      Familiarity with a general purpose high-level language
                  such as C, Pascal, or Ada.
          2.      Familiarity with general programming concepts.
          3.      Familiarity with operating system concepts such as
                  process management, memory management, file structures,
                  device drivers, and the user interface.

  Topics:

          1.      Introduction and overview of the Internet.
          2.      Examination of a transport station.
          3.      Overview of communication protocols.
          4.      Berkeley Standard Distribution Sockets.
          5.      Network Library services.
          6.      Internet Domain Name Service.
          7.      Congestion and flow control.
          8.      Bootp and DHCP service.
          9.      Firewalls, filtering, and traffic shaping
          10.     Performance
          11.     Tests (4 hours plus the final examination period).

  Laboratory Projects

          See: http://pix.cs.olemiss.edu/csci561
          1.      Compile and configure Stevens' Networking software.
          2.      Implement an echo client.
          3.      Implement a talk client and server.

  Graduate vs undergraduate requirements

          PLEASE NOTE: This is a dual graduate/undergraduate course.  For
          those graduate students enrolled in CSCI 561, additional
          programming exercises will be assigned.

  Course Grading
          Undergraduate:
          Three of four written tests @ 100 points each    300
          N program exercises at n/100 points each         100
                                                           ---
          Total course points                              400

          Graduate students must demonstrate proficiency
          with socket programming and general networking
          concepts by completing a semester long program-
          ming project approved by the instructor.
          Three of four written tests @ 100 points each    300
          N program exercises at n/100 points each         100
          Semester long programming project                100
                                                           ---
          Total course points                              500

          No makeup tests!  But, there is an optional final with bonus
          points worth up to one letter grade.  The first ten questions
          of the final replace the lowest test grade of a previous test.
          Please note: You must score your AVERAGE grade on the first
          ten questions of the final BEFORE the last ten questions are
          worth one letter grade in bonus points (40 or 50 pts).

          No curve, just a simple 10% grade scale.  Using the above
          undergraduate example, the scale would be:

          360 to 400  -> A
          320 to 359  -> B
          280 to 319  -> C
          240 to 279  -> D
          Below  240  -> F

          Using the above graduate example, the scale would be:

          450 and up -> A
          400 to 449 -> B
          350 to 399 -> C
          300 to 349 -> D
          Below  300 -> F

Course Objectives 

         Upon course completion the student should be able to:

         1.  Describe the role of networking, transport, and application
             layers in computer networking.
         2.  Describe the basic transport layer services and how they
             are invoked by an application.
         3.  Contrast socket services versus transport layer services.
         4.  Contrast TCP, UDP, and SCTP transport services matching
             application program requirements with a transport service.
         5.  Describe the design trade-offs of 3-way and 4-way handshakes,
             open and close mechanisms, and error control.
         6.  Describe the role of, and give examples of, socket options.
         7.  Contrast concurrent and iterative server design trade-offs.

Fostering Independent Learning

         The graduate student is expected to use concepts, principles, and
         techniques learned in CSCI561 as a foundation in the authoring of
         next generation network-based distributed computer applications.