MET TC 535 Data Communications and Computer Networks
Spring 2001

Course Objectives

Computer networks dominate the today's information technologies, and become very important with the growing network market. The course is intended to provide students with knowledge and understanding of basic concepts in networks and protocols. The presentation is in the context of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) seven-layer reference model, with particular focus on the data link, network, transport, and application layers. Frequently used protocols are used to illustrate concepts and to provide insight into practical networks. Examples include widely used network protocols, such as IEEE 802.3 and the TCP/IP (Internet) suite, and emerging protocols, such as ATM, and IPv6. Students who have completed the course will have the basic knowledge in networks, expected from each computer specialist.

Course Overview

The course begins with an Overview of Computer Networks, including network hardware, network software, reference models, example networks, example data communication services, network standardization. The Physical Layer is be presented in sense of transmission media, wireless transmission, the telephone system, ISDN, broadband ISDN and ATM. The Data Link Layer presentation deals with design issues, error detection and correction, elementary data link protocols, sliding window protocols, example data link protocols. The Medium Access Sublayer covers the following subjects: the channel allocation problem, multiple access protocols, IEEE standard 802 for LAN's and MAN's, bridges, high-speed LAN's. The basic functions of the Network Layer are explained in sense of design issues, routing algorithms, congestion control algorithms, Internetworking, the network layer in the Internet, the network layer in ATM Networks. The Transport Layer includes the transport service, elements of transport protocols, a simple transport protocol, the Internet transport protocols (TCP and UDP). The ATM AAL layer protocols. The Application Layer issues cover the network security, DNS (Domain Name System), SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), Electronic Mail, and the World Wide Web.

Course Format and Grading Policy

New material will be presented in lecture format. Reviews, exercises and homework solutions will take place in discussion. Participation in the discussions (or in the presentation), although not mandatory, is strongly recommended and may result in extra credit.

Weekly mandatory homework, a midterm and a final examination will provide the basis for the grade. Homework is due one week after handed out. Late homework will not be accepted unless permission by the instructor was given prior to the due date.

No predetermined scale will be used. The final grade will be assigned based on the following weighting

Homework 20%

Project 20 %

Midterm 25%

Final 35%

Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. They will result in no credit for the homework or examination. This should not be understood as a discouragement for discussing the material or your particular approach to a problem with other students in the class. On the contrary - I urge you to share your thoughts, questions and solutions. Naturally, if you choose to work in a group, I will be expecting more than one and highly original solutions rather than the same mistakes.

Text

  Tanenbaum, A. S. Computer Networks (Third Edition), Prentice Hall, 1996

 

Lecture Notes

The lecture notes (TC 535 Data Communications and Computer Networks) are available at http://metcs.bu.edu/~rstainov/tc535dist/notes/

Course Information

Time: Wed. 6:00PM- 9:00 PM

Place: WEB

Office Hours: Fri., 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. - on-line office hours

Office Address: 808 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215.

Telephone: 617-358-0005

E-mail: rstainov@bu.edu

Fax: 617-353-2367

Instructor: Prof. Dr. Rumen Stainov, Associate Professor of Computer Science

Rumen Stainov received his B.S. and M.S. from the Technical University Ilmenau, Germany and his Dr.-Ing. from the Dresden University of Technology, Germany. Before joining Fulda University in 1993 he has been a Professor of time at the University of Aachen, Germany. In Fall 1997 he has been Visiting Professor at BU.

Research Interests

Active networks, internetworking, parallel and distributed processing.

Publications

(over 50)

Books and Contributions:

Midterm Exam as WEB page, or as MS-Word file

Course Calendar

Homework

Project Pages

Some Solutions

Interactive Classroom

Lecture Notes

Sign up for the interactive classroom to view your scores, submit homework, or simply chat about topics discussed in class. All you need is request an account by accessing the Interactive Classroom and clicking at the 'Request an Account' button under the 'Student' heading.

IPv6 Sites

·         IPv6 specifications

·         IPv6 presentation

·         IPv6 implementations

·         6bone home page

·         IPv6 - The Coming Big Bang in Cyberspace

·         Introduction to IPng from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland

·         Layer 3 switching

·         Analyze True IPv6 packets using the professional protocol analyzer

·         IPv6 and CISCO

·         IPv6 and NOKIA

Interested Materials and Tutorials

Useful Resources

Organizations

Page prepared by Rumen Stainov

Boston University, MET Computer Science Department, 808 Commonwealth Ave., room 259, Boston, MA 02215, phone: 617-358-0005, fax: 617-353-2367, e-mail:rstainov@bu.edu
Return to Metropolitan College Home Page/Go to Boston University Homepage