Distributed Systems

Instance: 2012/2013 - 1S

Cycles of Study/Courses

Last updated on 2012-11-03.

Fields changed: Objectives, Métodos de ensino e atividades de aprendizagem, Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final, Bibliografia Obrigatória, Obtenção de frequência, Programa, Componentes de Avaliação e Ocupação, Melhoria de classificação final/distribuída

Teaching language

Objectives

Address the issues related to distributed software applications, study typical solutions to typical problems in that domain (distribution transparency, remote invocations, addressing, information dissemination, consensus, etc.), study the software technologies needed to build distributed applications, develop the skills to use such technologies and to build concrete applications of small and medium size.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course unit, students should have acquired programming skills adequate to build small and medium size distributed applications, being able to select and use the most adequate software technologies, from programming languages for distributed frameworks to middleware layers with specific cooperation models. They should also be able to devise simple fault-tolerance mecahnisms based on spatial redundancy.

Working method

Program

Distributed architectures and their context. Communication models (message passing, remote invocations), cooperation models (client-server, publisher-subscriber, peer-to-peer) and synchronization models (rendez-vous, clock synchronization, distributed mutual exclusion). Distribution middlewares. Aspects of fault-tolerance (replication and consistency).

Mandatory literature

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theory component (lecturing) plus a lab component  based on two phases: 1st phase, development of guided experiments, 2nd phase, development of a mini-project in groups of two students with oral presentation and demonstration at the end.

Evaluation Type

Assessment Components

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Eligibility for exams

- General FEUP regulations - engagement in the lab component

Calculation formula of final grade

NF - Final Mark

NP - Lab Mark

NT - Tehory mark(mini-test)

NF = 0,5*NP + 0,5 NT

NPP - Programming exam mark (in the exams period)

NTP - Mini-project mark

NP = 0,5*NPP+ 0,5*NTP

Passing requires a minimum mark of 7 in each component.

Classification improvement

- The theory component (mini-test), only, can be subject of improvement through a sumplementary exam.