CSC 435 Distributed Systems I
Summary
CSC435 -- Elliott Syllabus
CSC435 Distributed Systems Syllabus -- Elliott
Spring 2013/2014
Logistics:
Class meets: Thursday 5:45 Loop Campus Lewis 1009
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 but in general will
follow the text, chapters 1-4 and 6, with much additional lecture material.
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.
Point Breakdowns for CSC435 (1,000 points)
350 points, Exams:
- 150 points. Midterm
- 200 points Final
650 points, Programs and assignments:
- 20 points -- class contract, and bio posted to newsgroup
- 10 points -- InetServer (Graded with JokeServer)
- 100 points -- JokeServer
- 100 points -- MyWebserver
- 100 points -- Network labs
- 100 points -- Mimer
- 20 points -- HostServer
- 100 points -- Newsgroup Participation Log
- 100 points -- Written Research / Study Log (Graded with Final Exam Part Two)
I reserve the right to raise the grade of a student that has demonstrated
exceptional contributions in some particular portion of the class.
Assignments must be submitted to BOTH COL and TurnItIn.com, or they
will not be graded. The COL version will be used for grading.
All grades are subject to Academic
Integrity Sanctions
"Minor points" notation:
From time to time I use the point box as a communication vehicle in two
specific ways, and I reserve the right to add minor points for this
purpose:
- One point extra: I am tipping my hat to you for particularly fine
work. That is, if you get 101 points on a 100 point programming assignment,
I may be saying, "Hey, I noticed the five extra modules your wrote, and that
you used SSL instead of sockets! Good job!"
- Two points extra: If you receive two extra
points, I am acknowledging a really exceptional contribution beyond
expectations, so 102 points on a 100 point assignment is something to feel
really good about, and is a rare compliment.
- Grade of "1": used as a placeholder to let a student know that I have
reviewed an assignment, and am waiting for further information or work as
per correspondence. A "1" will always be resolved to a different
grade.
- Grade of "2": a serious warning that you need to communicate with
me about possible plagiarism or some other irregularity that is being
investigated.
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.
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.
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.
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 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