Lecturers
Prof. Evan Magill, Room 4X3
Dr. Mario Kolberg: Room 4B60

Prerequisites
31P5 (general understanding of system design principles and techniques)

Learning Outcomes

• data communications principles
• open communications architectures
• communication services and protocols in current use, particularly on the Internet
• web scripting approaches
• interpret observed message exchanges in a live data network setting
• display an ability to apply theory and techniques to unseen problems without reference to notes, to work independently, and under a time constraint

Transferable Skills

• understanding of layered systems
• understanding of Internet techniques and applications
• understanding and experience of scripts

Contents Communications Architecture (22 Lectures)

• Data Communications and Networking Overview: communications, networking,
  information technology, standards, equipment
• Architectural Principles: layering, services, protocols, layer-specific mechanisms
• Communications Mechanisms: networking, data transmission
• Medium Access: multiple access, LANs, Ethernet, wireless & Bluetooth.
• Networking: routing, congestion, IP
• ransport: TCP/UDP (Transmission Control Protocol/Unconfirmed Datagram Protocol)
• Application support: DNS (Domain Name System), email, POP (Post Office Protocol),
  & SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol),
  WWW and HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol).

Web Scripting (8 Lectures)

• PHP: data structures, conditions and loop constructs, built-in and user-defined functions
• Client-side WWW scripting using JavaScript

Assessment

• laboratory check points (10%)
• assignment 1 (communications laboratory based exercise, 20%
• assignment 2 (web script exercise, 20%)
• Examination (50%)

In order to obtain a pass grade for the module you must:

• Submit all items of assessed coursework
• Attend the examination

Non-submission of any single item of assessed coursework will result in the award of no grade for the module as a whole. This rule (regarding coursework) may be relaxed for students who can show good cause for failure to submit. 'Good cause' may include illness (for which a medical certificate or other evidence will be required). If a student is unable to attend the exam, he/she must apply to Student Programmes for a deferred exam. There are established procedures for this: further information is available from the Student Programmes Office.

Textbooks

Systems

• Computer Networking: A Top-down Approach, J.F. Kurose and K.W. Ross. Addison Wesley, 4th edition. 2007. (Highly recommended)
• Computer Networks, A S Tanenbaum, Prentice-Hall, 2003, fourth edition, ISBN 0-13-066102-3 (recommended).

If you are going to buy one book, buy one of the above.

The following books are relevant, and form useful background reading:

• Data and Computer Communications, W. Stallings, Prentice-Hall, 2004 seventh edition, ISBN 0-13-183311-1 (background reading).
• Data Communications, Computer Networks and Open Systems, F. Halsall, Addison-Wesley, 1996 fourth edition, ISBN 0-201-42293-X (background reading).
Internet and World-Wide Web - How to Program, H.M. Deitel, P.J. Deitel, T.R. Nieto, Prentice-Hall, 2001, ISBN 0-13-030897-8 (background reading)

Scripting

• Programming PHP, R. Lerdorf and K. Tatroe, O'Reilly and Associates, 2002 (or newer), ISBN 1-56592-610-2 (recommended).