Department of Computer Science, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
CM50123 Networking |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 25%, EX 75% |
| Requisites: |
|
Aims: To understand the Internet, and associated background and theory, to a level sufficient for a competent domain manager.
Learning Outcomes: After taking this unit a student should be able to: * explain the acronyms and concepts of the Internet and how they relate; * state the steps required to connect a domain to the Internet and explain the issues involved to both technical and non-technical audiences; * understand the ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet, and have an "intelligent layman's" grasp of the legal issues and uncertainties; * understand fundamental security issues, and advise on the configuration issues surrounding a firewall; * be aware of the impact on networking of the latest developments in technology and software; * perform principled analysis and evaluations of network designs. Skills:A thorough understanding of the concepts and models of networks and the application of these to practical networks at the local, area and global level (T, F, A). Critical analysis a particular network and assess its fitness for purpose (T, A). Content: The ISO 7-layer model. The Internet: its history and evolution - predictions for the future. The TCP/IP stack: IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, DNS, XDR, NFS and SMTP. Berkeley Introduction to packet layout: source routing etc. The CONS/CLNS debate: theory versus practice. Various link levels: SLIP, 802.5 and Ethernet, satellites, the "fat pipe", ATM. Performance issues: bandwidth, MSS and RTT; caching at various layers. Who 'owns' the Internet and who 'manages' it: RFCs, service providers, domain managers, IANA, UKERNA, commercial British activities. Routing protocols and default routers. HTML and electronic publishing. Legal and ethical issues: slander/libel, copyright, pornography, publishing versus carrying. Security and firewalls: Kerberos. |