CS 176B: Network Computing

CS 176B: Network Computing
Winter 2002

Course Description

CS176B is a focus on networking technologies used in the Internet. The OSI model is used as a guide for exploring and understanding how the Internet works. Topics include snooping packets in the network, socket programming, and implementing application-layer protocols.

Course Objectives

Understand the basics of network communication.
Understand the operation of the protocols that are used inside the Internet.
Understand how to write applications that communicate over the Internet.
Understand exactly what is going on inside the Internet by looking at frames/packets/segments and identifying each bit.
Understand what information is available about the status, health, and behavior of the network using monitoring/management tools.

Course Objectives and Department Mission

Because the Internet is such an important part of the communications infrastructure, understanding how it works is of benefit to everyone. Understanding the Internet in detail is especially critical for Computer Science students. Not only do students learn how communication takes place, but the Internet serves as an excellent example of a highly distributed and complex computer system. As a consequence, understanding the Internet fits well with the CS Department's Mission.

Course Information

Lecture Time/Place

Tuesday/Thursday--9:30am to 10:45am (Engr I 1104)

Discussion Time/Place

Friday--10:00pm to 10:50pm (Phelps 1401), or
Friday--12:00pm to 12:50pm (Phelps 1160)

Course WWW Page: Archived at http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~almeroth/classes/W02.176B/
Course Material
- Two different styles of the class textbook:
  - J. Kurose and K. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet", Addison-Wesley, 1st edition, July 2000.
    - Good descriptive text, but top-down instead of bottom-up.
  - Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, Prentice Hall, 3rd Edition, January 1996.
    - Terse but thorough.
- Reference material to help with programming:
  - M. Donahoo and K. Calvert, Pocket Guide to TCP/IP Sockets (C Version), Morgan Kaufmann, 1st edition, October 2000.
    - Thorough and cheap.
  - M. Donahoo and K. Calvert, TCP/IP Sockets in Java: Practical Guide for Programmers, Morgan Kaufmann, 1st edition, October 2001.
    - Thorough and cheap.
  - W. Richard Stevens, UNIX Network Programming, Volume 1: Networking APIs--Sockets and XTI, 2nd Edition, October 1997.
    - Large, long, and complete.
  - Douglas E. Comer, Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume 1: Principles, Protocols and Architecture, Prentice Hall, 4th Edition, February 2000.
    - Alternative to Stevens and also large, long, and complete.
  - Deitel and Deitel, Java: How to Program, Prentice Hall, 3rd Edition, August 1999.
    - Java version and large, long, and complete.
Required Prerequisites: CS176A or a fundamental understanding of network communication and programming skills.

Instructor Information

Teaching Assistants

Kimaya Sanzgiri (kimaya@cs.ucsb.edu)	Pan Guo (guopan@cs.ucsb.edu)
Office Hours Location: PSL (Engr I #2116)	Office Hours Location: CSIL
Office Hour Times: Tue/Thu: 3:30pm - 4:30pm	Office Hour Times: Wed 11:00-12:00am and Fri 3:00-4:00pm
Responsibilities: Discussion sections	Responsibilities: Homework grading

Student Evaluation

00%: HW0--Class Mailing List
10%: HW1--Basic Socket Programming
15%: Quiz #1
10%: HW2--Streaming UDP with Feedback
10%: HW3--Snooping the Network
15%: Quiz #2
10%: HW4--Network Utilities
20%: Final Exam
10%: Class Participation
NOTE: All quizzes and the final exam are closed notes/books/etc.

Course Outline

Date	Description	Reading
Jan 08, Tu Jan 10, Th Jan 13, Su	Internet Evolution Sockets Homework #0 due by 11:59pm	Tanenbaum, 1.4,1.7 Kurose/Ross, 1.1,1.2,1.8,1.9 "A Brief History of the Internet" Online Maps Programming Ref (Ex: Kurose/Ross 2.6-2.7)
Jan 15, Tu Jan 17, Th	Physical Layer Data Link (Point-to-Point)	From lecture Tanenbaum, 3.1 Kurose/Ross, 5.1,5.6,5.8 See Latency Article
Jan 22, Tu Jan 23, We Jan 24, Th	Data Link (Shared Media) Homework #1 due by 11:59pm Ethernet, VLANs	Tanenbaum, 4.1,4.2,4.3.1,4.5 Kurose/Ross, 5.3,5.4,5.5 See above See above
Jan 29, Tu Jan 31, Th	Quiz #1 Network Overview & IP--Part 1	Tanenbaum, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5 Kurose/Ross, Chap 4
Feb 05, Tu Feb 06, We Feb 07, Th	IP--Part 2 Homework #2 due by 11:59pm Transport Overview & TCP--Part 1	See above Tanenbaum, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4 Kurose/Ross, Chap 3
Feb 12, Tu Feb 14, Th	TCP--Part 2 TCP--Part 3, UDP	See above See above
Feb 19, Tu Feb 21, Th Feb 21, Th	Routing Catch up Homework #3 due in class	Tanenbaum, 5.2 Kurose/Ross, 4.2, 4.5, 4.6
Feb 26, Tu Feb 28, Th	Quiz #2 DNS & HTTP/WWW	Tanenbaum, 7.2, 7.6 Kurose/Ross, 2.5, 2.2
Mar 05, Tu Mar 07, Th	Internet2 More on Advanced Services	"Internet2: The Once and Future Net"
Mar 12, Tu Mar 12, Tu Mar 14, Th	Campus Network Architecture Homework #4 due in class Review for Final	UCSB Network Information
Mar 19, Tu	FINAL EXAM (8:00am-11:00am)

Last updated 06-Mar-02 at 8:30am