Entry requirements

15 credits in mathematics, including 5 credits in probability and statistics, and 60 credits in computer science, including 10 credits in programming and 5 credits in computer architecture.

Learning outcomes

In order to pass the course, the students should be able to:

• Explain in a concise manner how the Internet is constructed and functions.
• Reason about design choices at different layers in the TCP/IP protocol stack.
• Use standard tools to debug a network path and work in a distributed manner.
• Explain basic data and net security.
• Theorize about different types of limitations in an Internet based distributed system.
• Analyse a basic distributed information system.

Content

The course is divided into a theoretical part and a practical part.

Theoretical part consists of:

• Introduction to Internetworking, protocol architectures, and data transport.
• Core Internet protocols.
• Introduction to routing and forwarding, Ethernet and other physical technologies.
• Limitations due to host machines, network, and mechanisms for distributed systems.
• Processes, memory models, portable code and middleware.
• Data security aspects, basic cryptology, and network security.

Practical part consists of:

• Exploring a network
• Handling conflicts in a distributed environment.
• Setting up a small network in a distributed environment.

Instruction

Lectures, lessons, supervised labs and workshops.

Assessment

Written exam (5 credits), oral and written examination of assignments and laboratory work (2 hp). Oral and written examination of project (3 hp).

Other directives

Basic courses in computer networks, e.g. 1DT052 Computer Networks I, nor basic courses in distributed systems, e.g. 1DT064 Distributed systems, can be used in an exam together with this course. The course 1DT066 Distributed Information Systems cannot be used in an exam together with this course.