ClassInfo

CSC 435 Distributed Systems I

Clark Elliott

Office: CDM 649
Winter 2013-2014
Class number: 20135
Section number: 810
-
Online Campus

Summary

2.8 CSC435 -- Elliott Syllabus </center>

CSC435 Distributed Systems Syllabus -- Elliott
Winter 2013/2014

Logistics:

Class meets: Thursday 5:45 Loop Campus Lewis 1216
Professor: Dr. Clark Elliott
Class website: http://condor.depaul.edu/~elliott/435
email: elliott AATT cdm depaul edu. Include "435: " prefix in subject line and MEANINGFUL mail header! (no uniformative "Reply: " please)
Grader email: elliottgrading AATT gmail com. (Administration of submissions only)

Textbooks:

Required text: Tanenbaum, Andrew S., and van Steen, Maarten (2007), "Distributed Systems, Principles and Paradigms, 2nd Edition" Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. www.prenhall.com/tanenbaum.

Recommended background text: Kurose, James F., and Ross, Keith W. (2007 -- ) "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, [any] Edition," Boston: Addison Wesley. (2012 is the 6th edition, but any version from 2007 on will contain the bulk of the background material if you want to save money.)


Grading:

Exams 35%
Assignments 65%
 
Grading Scale:  
                95%             A       
                90%             A-      
                86,83,80        B+,B,B-
                78,74,70        C+,C,C-
                65,60           D+,D
 
I reserve the right to raise the grade of a student that has demonstrated exceptional contributions in some particular portion of the class (newsgroup participation, programming, research/study log, etc.).


Topics:

We will follow the chapter outline in the textbook "Distributed Systems: Principles and Paradigms" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Maarten van Steen. Some material from the book will NOT be covered. We will cover many aspects of distributed systems dealing with system structure, models of time, client/server protocols, state maintenance, security, distributed process coordination, and so on. These topics are foundational in almost every contemporary area computer science.

Class structure:

This is primarily a lecture and reading class. However, there is a significant programming component though strictly for developing deep understanding the concepts covered.

Newsgroup discussion participation is required.

Maintaining a written research/study log is required

Class will be challenging. Students are expected to do the reading without prompting from the instructor. Some topics will be covered in the lectures, but because time is short a number of topics will be covered only in the reading, and will appear on exams.

Java or C++ programming background is required. However if you program well in other similar languages you can probably pick up enough java to pass the class. This is primarily a lecture course, but the programming assignments are used to guarantee deep understanding of the material.

Programming assignments are substantial. Programming tips may be discussed, but programming will not be taught.


Learning Goals:

At the end of class you will:
  • Have a broad understanding of the central problems in distributed systems.
  • Have a good understanding of the compromises -- the choices -- that must be made when designing a distributed solution to IT problems.
  • Have a good understanding of algorithmic approaches to distributed systems solutions.
  • Know how to write basic programs that address certain challenging distributed systems problems.
  • Have taken part in high-level discussions of distributed system problems of interest.
  • Demonstrated master's-level knowledge of the course materials on exams.

Office hours for the course are available from my faculty link at cdm.depaul.edu

All assignments, the assignment schedule, and the course materials, are available online at either COL or the class website.

The specific readings are available at the class website.


Submission File Formats:

All text submissions must be made in Microsoft Word format, or in plain ascii HTML, or plain ascii text. (Free programs are available to produce each of these formats.) No other formats will be graded.

Assignments must be submitted to BOTH COL and TurnItIn.com before they will be graded for credit. Students are responsible for downloading their assignments after uploading, to make sure that files have not been corrupted.


Academic Integrity:

Cheating, plagiarism, and unethical conduct are not allowed, and will be sactioned, including referral to the dean's office, and failure in the class. Please refer to the academic handbook by which rules you are expected to abide.

Violations include, but are not limited to: making claims on any checklist for work that has not been done; including ANY uncited work of others in any documents you turn in; turning in work, including any program, that has been authored by someone other than yourself; in some cases including any work of others, whether cited or not --- see the rules for each assignment.



School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296