INFS6230-A - Networks & Data Comput/Comm - RMU - Fall 2007

First Class Meeting Instructions and Prior Preparation

Room: Center for ACE (Pittsburgh), Room 204; Instructor: Valerie J. H. Powell, R.T.(R),Ph.D.

Meeting time: Tuesdays, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

This page contains:

If you have questions, e-mail to powell@rmu.edu with INFS6230-A Question first in the SUBJECT line. Please include your name and return e-mail address (phone if needed) in the e-mail.

Course Description:

This course provides the student with terminology and concepts related to data communications in an Internet driven world. Emphasis is placed on the integration of software and hardware considerations with systems analysis and design for computer networks. The role of telecommunications in systems design for networking and distributed processing is presented, along with the architecture of data communication systems ranging from local area networks to international wide area networks. Current technologies that include hardware, software, and protocols are presented, and an emphasis is placed on the application of the technology to the solution of problems. Other topics include the definition of network requirements, evaluation of technology, design and installation of the network, security management, and network performance. Hands-on experience are provided with an actual LAN. 3 Credits

Web pages:

·        See this web page link for course and other information: http://www.infroref.org/i6230gap.htm 

·        See VlabNet Virtual Laboratory Network Learning Environment

·        Textbook web page: http://www.prenhall.com/tanenbaum

Texts and Software Sytems/Products:

Required

·        Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 4th ed. (Prentice Hall PTR, 2003)

Each student is required to have an individual copy of the textbook and is expected to bring it to the first meeting Oct. 23rd

Recommended supplemental texts

·        Jerry Fitzgerald and Alan Dennis, Business Data Communications and Networking, 7th ed. (Wiley & Sons, 2002).

·        Douglas E. Comer, Computer Networks and Internets with Internet Applications, 4th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2003)

·        William Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, 7th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2004)

·        Albert-László Barabási, Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life (Penguin Plume, 2003)

Software systems/products to be used for most work in this course:

  • UNIX - supported by RMU academic UNIX server.
  • Windows 98, Windows NT/2000/XP.

Other software systems/products to be used (including utilities) include:

  • FTP software
  • Telnet (PuTTY or EWAN, available in RMU labs)
  • For editing files in a Windows environment, Wordpad, Notepad, etc. (available in RMU labs)
  • For editing files in a UNIX environment, a UNIX editor (available in RMU labs through academic UNIX server)
  • InterSystems Caché for certain practices (optional). Can be set up at home (files in passouts directories; see instructor for installation advice). Available to download (without charge) from http://www.intersys.com for those needing to use it.

Goals and Activities prior to first class meeting Oct. 23rd:

  • Obtain your required textbook copy.
  • Make sure you can successfully access your RMU network account. Test your RMU Novell account before coming to class and make sure you know your password. (If you don't have your userid or password, use the on-line facility to activate your account and set your password:
    If you have never used your account, use the RMU web site (http://www.rmu.edu) to activate it. Link to Students, then to E-services, then Activate Account. At the end of the 2nd form, check *both* boxes (one is about the Novell client, for example) before executing the submit.)
    (If you intend to attempt remote access, go to the Hale or Pgh Ctr lab for assistance and try to get remote access working before October 23rd. If you are not successful, then simply access required software systems at home or on campus in the labs until you can make remote access work). RMU Help Desk number in case of problems with remote access: 412-397-2211.
  • Familiarize yourself with VLabNet. See i6230vlabnet.htm
  • Send an e-mail assignment #1 (see below) to the instructor at powell@rmu.edu with INFS6230-A - Assignment #1 on the SUBJECT line. Due by 11:59, Monday, Oct. 22nd You are expected to have a personal, individual e-mail address set up so that your class roster name will show up on the FROM line of your e-mail post. (If you have an aol account with a handle, you may need to obtain an alias reflecting your roster name or use a free web-browser-based e-mail service, like Yahoo (www.yahoo.com)). Contents of e-mail assignment #1:
    (1) summary of your prior networking, data communications, and web/internet experience     (what products/systems you have worked with, what proficiency with them you have, etc. ).
    (2) what networking, data communications, and web/internet involvement do you have at home?
    (4) what experience do you have with VoIP and wireless networking technologies?
    (5) what experience do you have with routing?
    (6) what experience do you have with RFID technologies?
  • If you send your e-mail with correctly you should (eventually, not always immediately) get a confirmation from the RMU e-mail system.)
  • Read through and do the best you can to understand the general ideas of the following introductory chapters of your required text: 1 (Introduction), 2 (The Physical Layer), 3 (The Data Link Layer). Focus on the sections listed below. Please mark what you regard as the most important concepts you do not understand so you can request explanation and class discussion.
    Pay particular attention to the following sections which we will discuss:
    1.1.4 Social Issues
    1.2 Network Hardware [and types of networks]
    1.3 Network Software [and layers]
    1.4.2 TCP/IP Reference Model
    1.5 Network examples including pp. 58-59 Internet Architecture and 1.5.2 (connection-oriented networks vs. connectionless networks)
    1.6 Network Standardization
    1.7 Metric Units
    2.1 Basis for Data Communications
    2.2 Guided Transmission Media
    2.3 Wireless Transmission
    2.4 Communications Satellites
    2.5 Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (note simplex/half-duplex/full-duplex; multiplexing; circuit, message, packet switching)
    2.6 Mobile Telephone System
    2.7 Cable Television
    3.1 Data Link Layer Design Issues (note 3.1.2 framing and message delineation)
    3.2 Error Detection and Correction (note parity p. 194,
    3.3 Elementary Data Link Protocols (note 3.3.1 simplex, 3.3.2 Stop-and-Wait ARQ)
    3.4 Sliding Window Protocols (note Go-Back-N ARQ)
    3.5 Protocol Verification (note Finite State Machine Models)
    3.6 Example Data Link Protocols (note 3.6.1 HDLC)

    Obviously we can not cover all the material in these chapters in one session. The idea of our discussion will be to introduce the most important topics (from these chapters) which we will develop during the course.
  • Please see if you can use ping and traceroute (tracert) and bring (some of your) your results for each with you to class Oct. 23rd. – enter each command with a web address or IP address, such as ping www.rmu.edu
  • Project/presentation topics will relate to spam, electronic voting technology, spoofing, Internet bandwidth, UWB, FSO, spread-spectrum technology, IPv6 implementation, virtual hosting, smart antennas, etc. Initial assignments will be agreed on the first week and refined the second week.
  • Test your access to the web site for the text: http://www.prenhall.com/tanenbaum

Goals and Activities for the first class meeting Tuesday, Oct. 23rd:

  • Gain familiarity with required textbook. Please be sure to bring your individual textbook copy with you to class. Review chapters assigned.
  • Introduce major course topics and goals - first:
    (1) understanding how networks are used,
    (2) understanding bits and bytes (bit patterns) and the networking and data communications environment in terms of binary and hex representation,
    (3) understanding the basic idea how signals (and messages) are sent in local and wide-area networks,
    (4) understanding the basic ideas of bytes and packets.
  • Check success using RMU network account
  • Practice with VLabNet
  • Check success sending in e-mail assignment #1
  • Check ping/traceroute exercise, that you prepared as best you could.
  • Prepare to use the software environments
  • Prepare for assignments for subsequent meetings
  • Review schedule and reading assignments for Fall Semester

E-mail assignment information:

E-mail address for all work in this course (unless otherwise advised): powell@rmu.edu. Your class roster name must appear in the From: line of all course e-mail.

Please include on the subject line:
INFS6230-A - Assignment #n [n = assignment number] or
INFS6230-A - Question [or whatever or what the e-mail is about]

Please always send your message as (inline) text for these assignments (not as an attachment). If you wish to prepare your work in word processing, then copy/paste to e-mail.
Each assignment post is to be a new mailing (not a forward or reply.)
Each E-mail assignment must be sent as a separate post (please do not combine assignments).

E-mail assignments will be posted in the e-mail assignment section of the course web page.

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