Advanced Topics in Communications Networks and Services

Code:

M.EEC058

Acronym:

TARSC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Telecommunications

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M.EEC	23	Syllabus	2	-	6	39

Teaching language

English

Objectives

The objective of this course is to provide students with in-depth understanding and complex reasoning skills about networked services and applications, as well as the allocation of network resources to support them. This course intends that students acquire consolidated knowledge in the area of the distribution of different types of content on computer networks, including multimedia, and also on how a network can support the quality of service in the delivery of different types of content. In this context, network neutrality will be introduced and discussed.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the course, students will be able to 

• Explain application layer protocols and algorithms used by relevant applications
• Reflect critically on design and performance of networked applications and solutions
• Explain challenges in the interactions among application, transport and network protocols
• Propose and discuss solutions for the challenges of interactions among application, transport and network protocols
• Design networked applications from functional requirements and considering performance
• Support the operation of networked applications given functional requirements and considering performance
• Develop adequate methodologies for performance evaluation of networks and network applications
• Analyse and measure the performance of networks and network applications
• Explain resource allocation mechanisms in networks supporting multiple applications
• Organise resource allocation mechanisms in networks supporting multiple applications
• Discuss network neutrality

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Knowledge in computers and data communication networks, including principles and concepts of computer and OS architectures, network architectures, main networking technologies and solutions in use, TCP/IP protocol stack, common networking tools, including wireshark, programming and Linux OS.

Program

• Networked Applications
  
  
  
  • The contentes in this module will be adapted to the evolution of network utilization, keeping an up-to-date perspective of the challenges to the design, operation and performance of networked applications. Next, example contents on this topic are identified:
  
  
  • Web: HTTP, Caching
  
  
  • Overlay networks: CDN, structured and unstuctured P2P networks
  
  
  • Multimedia: VoIP, IPTV, video streaming, video over HTTP
  
  
  • Internet of Things: architecture, protocols, plataforms, challenges
  
  
  • Quality of Experience
  
  
  
  


• Network resource allocation
  
  
  
  • Network performance metrics
  
  
  • Congestion control and avoidance in best effort: TCP congestion control, active queue management, QUIC
  
  
  • Resource allocation mechanisms: queueing policies, scheduling, tocken bucket, leaky bucket, traffic engineering
  
  
  • Resouce management paradigms: e.g. IntServ, DiffServ, MPLS, connections with SDN and slicing
  
  
  • Network neutrality
  
  
  
  

Mandatory literature

Peterson Larry L.; Computer Networks. ISBN: 978-0-12-374013-7
Kurose James F.; Computer networking. ISBN: 9781292153605 ((Online access possible))

Complementary Bibliography

Douglas E. Comer; Internetworking with TCP/IP. ISBN: 0-13-187671-6

Comments from the literature

Support material will consist also of survey papers and books available online. The references to these materials will be made available per topic in the moodle page of the UC.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Fundamental aspects will be covered in lectures by lecturers or guests connected to companies with strong technological know-how in the areas covered, e.g. IPTV or SDN. These classes should include moments of interaction with the students, using the interpellation and spaces for questions, will not occupy more than 2 of the 3 hours per week, and should on average occupy a maximum of 1,5 hours. In addition to the lectures, active learning methodologies will be adopted.

Topics from the state of the art and in the sphere of research will be covered through a seminar, with presentation in class and summary of an article. Students should choose an article from a list proposed by the teacher, or agree with it an article of their choice that corresponds to an equivalent effort.

The practical component of the CU will have two laboratory works and one project proposed by each group of students. The laboratory work will serve to deepen theoretical concepts. The realisation of these projects will be supported by questions that guide the students to the discovery and own construction of solutions. The project will allow to deepen a concrete theme constructively, to the students' choice, and that should be presented at the end in a didactic way, allowing the sharing of the know-how and experience acquired among the various groups of students.

Software

tc (traffic control)
wireshark
apache web server
bittorrent

keywords

Technological sciences > Technology > Internet technology
Technological sciences > Engineering > Communication engineering

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	15,00
Exame	40,00
Trabalho laboratorial	25,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	10,00
Estudo autónomo	52,00
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Trabalho laboratorial	24,00
Elaboração de projeto	24,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

 

Completion of all proposed laboratory assignments and article review with seminar presentation, and minimum grade of 40% in each component.

Calculation formula of final grade

0.45L + 0.4E D + 0.15 S
L - lab  
E - exam 
S - seminar

Examinations or Special Assignments

The grade of the distributed component is given based on the laboratory assignments and seminar (review and presentation of one article). As such, the fulfillment of all laboratory assignments is mandatory for all students enrolled in the course, regardless of their type of registration

Internship work/project

N/A

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The fulfillment of all laboratory assignments and the article review is mandatory for all students enrolled in the course, regardless of their type of registration.

Classification improvement

The improvement of the classification obtained in the distributed component is not possible

Observations

Temporary lnk for lectures: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/86987351685?pwd=VDhmVTAzbmdmd2FvNEpaNGtRd2orZz09