Computer Networks Project (PXC)

The aim of this subject is for students to get to know the principles behind the design, organisation, functioning, configuration and evaluation of computer network applications, protocols and specific formats for use on the Internet.

Knowledges

1. Distributed applications
   E-mail (character sets, mime, smtp, pop, imap)
   Name services (DNS, ldap)
   Multimedia objects (html, xml, style sheets)
   Object transfer (ftp, system files, http, cache)
2. Data representation
3. Remote invocation (rmi, corba, xml-rpc, Web services)
4. Security
5. Real time protocols

Abilities

1. - Choose a suitable protocol and format for a given application.
   - Design and configure the elements of an application or network service.
   - Define or extend elements of a corporate application, taking into considerations such as: inter-operability, performance, scalability, and security.
   - Organise, deploy, and install the applications providing the services needed by an organisation.

Competences

1. Teamwork, oral expression, work planning, ability to seek information, assess alternatives, and defend a project.

Description

The PXC labs provide various guided sessions (6-8) and a project. The programme reflects the themes dealt with.





Description of guided practical sessions.



The aim is to carry out various guided practical assignments which separately demonstrate how the applications mentioned in the programme can be installed, configured, and made to work.







Project description



Students will work in groups of 3-4 to draw up a project that incorporates the knowledge and experience acquired during the guided practical assignments. The project will be developed and tested over several weeks and the results and conclusions will be presented before the whole class at the end of the course.

Development plan

The work is carried out in groups and is divided into three blocks:







Block 1: guided assignments (isolated themes)



- Guided practical assignments (groups of 2, with 6-8 sessions of 2-3 hours each).







Block 2: project proposal (integration of concepts)



- Preparation, negotiation, and writing up of the project proposal (groups of 4 negotiate with the teacher regarding the project content in a structured fashion. Some of the negotiation will be in class. (This is carried out at the same time as Block 1).







Block 3: Project development (skill integration and development)



- Project development.



- Project presentation.

Project-based learning is employed, which helps students learn new concepts, put these into practice, and deepen their knowledge of them.







The work is student-centred, involving individual and tasks in groups of two (groups of 4 in the case of the project).







The activities are:



- Lectures and reading of complementary material.



- Group work.



- Guided practical assignments (in groups of 2).



- Drawing up a project proposal (in groups - some of the work will be in class).



- Project development and presentation (in groups of 4)

Guided practical assignments (30%)



Project (50%)



Monitoring (20%)

• James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross Computer networking : a top-down approach featuring the Internet, Addison-Wesley, 2005.
• Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Maarten Van Steen Distributed systems : principles and paradigms, Prentice Hall, 2002.

• Artículos (web de la asignatura) , , .
• George F. Coulouris, Jean Dollimore, Tim Kindberg Distributed systems : concepts and design, Addison-Wesley, 2001.

1. http://studies.ac.upc.edu/FIB/PXC/
   

Course XC: Learn the elements and workings of local network and Internet protocols, particularly Ethernet local networks and TCP/IP networks.

Programming knowledge: Java, C.

Basic knowledge of operating systems.