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Academic year 2014-15

Network Architecture

Degree:	Code:	Type:
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science	21425	Compulsory subject, 3rd year
Bachelor's Degree in Telematics Engineering	-	-
Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Systems Engineering	-	-

ECTS credits:

Workload:

100 hours

Trimester:

1st

Department:	Dept. of Information and Communication Technologies
Coordinator:	Johan Zuidweg
Teaching staff:	Han Zuidweg, Chema Martínez
Language:	Catalan
Timetable:
Building:	Communication campus - Poblenou

Introduction

The objective of this course is to make students familiar with the characteristics of different transmission media currently used to transport digital data and multimedia content. The course will focus on technologies that apply to physical and link levels.

Students will learn how physical phenomena affect the transmission of media data on electrical, optical and wireless bearers, and how to detect and correct data errors. They will also learn to distinguish between different types of local area networks and to understand their advantages and disadvantages.

Thus, this course provides essential information to understand the data transmission technologies that are essential in the world of computing today.

The course is compulsory for students of the Engineering Degree in Computer Science. It serves as a complement to both the Networks and Services course of the first year and the Protocols and Distributed Applications course of the second year to give a complete view of the TCP/IP and OSI protocol stacks.

Students who wish to extend their knowledge of digital communications can complement their studies with the following optional courses:
• Data Transmission and Encoding
• Means of Transmission and Electronic Circuits
• Principles of Telecommunications
• Communication Systems
• Broadband Communications
• Traffic Engineering
• Mobile Communications
• Protocols for Multimedia Transmission
• Architecture and Signage
• Distributed Protocols
• Signalling for Multimedia Services
• Wireless Multimedia Networks
• Applications and Mobile Services

Learning Objectives

The objective of this course is to get students to understand the characteristics of physical transmission media and the most common network topologies, and know how to apply the basic techniques of the data link layer.

More specifically, the student is expected to learn to:

Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different network topologies en specific contexts
Calculate properties such as attenuation and the highest transmission rate for a particular transmission medium
Apply error detection and correction techniques
Program and configure data link level protocols

Prerequisites

To be able to follow this course, the student should have knowledge of mathematics and especially the principles of mathematical analysis (polynomial equations, derivation and integration, etc). This course also builds on basic notions from Computer Science such as binary and hexadecimal calculations, logic, the notion of protocols and operating system calls.

This course uses knowledge acquired in the following preceding courses:

Calculation and Numerical Methods (first year)
Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics (first year)
Signals and Systems (second year)
Computer Architecture (second year)
Operating Systems (second year)

We therefore recommend that the student has successfully passed these courses before enrolling in the Network Architecture course.

Associated competences

Transversal skills	Specific skills
Instrumental G1. Analysis and synthesis skills G3. Ability to apply knowledge to analyzing situations and solving problems G4. Ability to search and manage information G6. Ability to communicate properly in Catalan and Spanish, both orally and written, to experienced and inexperienced audiences. Interpersonal G8. Ability to work in a team Systemic G11. Ability to apply with flexibility and creativity the acquired knowledge and contexts, and adapt it to new situations G12. Ability to progress autonomously and continuously in learning and apprenticeship processes G14. Motivation for quality and achievement G15. Capacity of generating new ideas.	Specific Professional Skills H3 . Ability to define and develop projects within their area of expertise. H4. Independently learn new techniques for the design , development or the operation of computer systems. Specific Skills of Basic Knowledge B7 -A Knowing how to apply the Fourier transforms for analog and digital signals. Knowing the basics of digital signal sampling theory. Ability to solve linear systems, invariants, functions and related transformations. Specific Skills of Computer Engineering IN16 . Knowing how data networks work, and in particular the Internet. IN17 . Knowing the layered protocol architectures which are used in communications networks. IN18 . Understanding the basics of digital communication protocols, services , primitive and encapsulation. IN19 . Being able to analyze and design local area and wide area networks. IN20 . Being able to install and configure the devices needed to deploy a computer network. IN21 . Being able to design distributed applications using knowledge of network architectures and protocols . Specific Skills Common to Telecommunications T5. Ability to evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of different alternatives for the implementation or deployment of communication systems considering signal theory, channel characteristics, noise and modulation techniques. Specific Technology Skills : Telematics TE1 . Ability to build , operate and manage networks , services, processes and telecommunications applications , considering these as systems for capturing, transporting, representing, processing, storing and managing multimedia infromation as telematic services. Specific Technology Skills: Audiovisual Systems N/A

Transversal skills

Specific skills

Instrumental

G1. Analysis and synthesis skills

G3. Ability to apply knowledge to analyzing situations and
solving problems

G4. Ability to search and manage
information

G6. Ability to communicate
properly in Catalan and Spanish, both orally and written, to experienced and inexperienced audiences.

Interpersonal

G8. Ability to work in a team

Systemic

G11. Ability to apply with
flexibility and creativity the acquired knowledge and contexts, and adapt it to new situations

G12. Ability to progress autonomously and continuously in learning and apprenticeship processes

G14. Motivation for quality and achievement

G15. Capacity of generating new ideas.

Specific Professional Skills

H3 . Ability to define and
develop projects within their area of expertise.

H4. Independently learn new
techniques for the design , development or
the operation of computer systems.

Specific Skills of Basic Knowledge

B7 -A Knowing how to apply the Fourier transforms
for analog and digital signals.
Knowing the basics of digital signal sampling theory.
Ability to solve linear systems, invariants, functions and related transformations.

Specific Skills
of Computer Engineering

IN16 . Knowing how data networks work, and in particular the Internet.

IN17 . Knowing the layered protocol architectures which are used in communications networks.

IN18 . Understanding the basics of digital communication protocols, services ,
primitive and encapsulation.

IN19 . Being able to analyze and design local area and wide area networks.

IN20 . Being able to install and configure the devices needed to deploy a computer network.

IN21 . Being able to design distributed applications using knowledge of network architectures and protocols .

Specific Skills
Common to
Telecommunications

T5. Ability to evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of different alternatives for the implementation or deployment of communication systems considering signal theory, channel characteristics, noise and modulation techniques.

Specific Technology Skills : Telematics

TE1 . Ability to build , operate and manage networks , services, processes and
telecommunications applications ,
considering these as systems for capturing, transporting, representing, processing, storing and managing multimedia infromation as telematic services.

Specific Technology Skills: Audiovisual Systems

N/A

Assessment

This course is graded on the basis of three components:

Written exam (recoverable) on the entire subject matter consisting of a multiple choice part and a set of open questions. The exam covers both theory and practicums.
Practicum assignments (non-recoverable) which are related to the practicum sessions during the quarter and may be done either individually or in pairs. Practicum assignments are mandatory and count as 30% of the final grade.
Seminar assignments (recoverable) which are submitted in preparation of each seminar (4 in total) and may be done either individually or in pairs. Seminar assignments are mandatory and count as 20% of the final grade.

To pass the course the student must have obtained a minimum score of 4,0 in the final exam, a minimum score of 4,0 for practicum assignments and seminar assignments, and a minimum overall average grade of 5,0.

The overall score is calculated as the weighted sum of the following scores: 50% written exam, 30% practicum assignments and 20% of seminar assignments. That is:

Final_grade = Exam * 0,5 + Practicums * 0,3 + Seminars * 0,2

As practicums are not recoverable, the practicum sessions are mandatory for all students and a penalization will be applied for sessions missed without consent of the teacher:

1 missed session: no penalization applies
2 missed sessions: -10% of the grade for the practicum assignments
3 missed sessions: -20% of the grade for the practicum assignments
4 o 5 missed sessions: the student will fail the course irrespective of the grade for the practicum assignments

• Content block 1. Introduction: types of networks and principles of digital communication.
• Content block 2. Data transmission on physical media.
• Content block 3. The data link layer.
• Content block 4. Local area networks.
• Content block 5. Wireless networks.

Specification of content

Content block 1. Introduction

A brief history of communication
Network types and their evolution
Digital communication reference models (OSI and TCP/IP)
Multiplexing
Switching

Content block 2. Data transmission on physical media

Physical media and their characteristics
Threats to the signal on the physical channel: attenuation, noise and distortion
Modulation
The capacity of the physical channel (Nyquist and Shannon theorems)
The quality of the physical channel
Operating at the limit of channel capacities: ADSL

Content block 3. Data link layer

The link layer concept: error correction and flow control
Synchronization
Error detection and correction: Hamming Code and Cyclic Redundancy Check
Link layer protocols: Stop-Wait, ARQ, Go Back N, Selective Repeat
Connecting to the Internet over copper lines: the PPP protocol

Content block 4. Local area networks

Controlling the access to shared media (sub-MAC)
CSMA and CSMA/CD protocols (Ethernet)
MAC Protocols for ring topologies
Other topologies (star, ring, star, dual bus)

Content block 5. Wireless networks

Properties of the electromagnetic (radio) medium
WiFi MAC protocols (CSMA / CA, MACAW)
Cellular networks (GSM, GPRS, UMTS)

Methodology

Session	Type	Description
Theory class	In classroom, plenary	The teacher explains theoretical concepts with the aid of a PC, projector and whiteboard. The theory is explained with the help of powerpoint slides which are available to the students on-line. From time to time the teacher will solve example problems and review sample exams in class.
Seminars	Preparation outside classroom. Discussion in classroom, reduced groups	Before the seminar, the students do an assignment with problems related to the theory. In the seminar, the students present their solutions. The teacher and other students help correct the solutions in class.
Practicums	In classroom, reduced groups	In this course students will do both hardware and software practicums. In the software practicums, the students learn to use networks tools and configure local area networks of the type commonly used in the University. These practicums have to be done individually and each student has to submit a report of the results obtained. In the hardware practicums, students learn to create and configure simple local area networks using Ethernet and modems. The hardware practisums are done in small groups of 3 or 4 students but each student has to submit an individual report of the results obtained.

Session

Type

Description

Theory class

In classroom, plenary

The teacher explains theoretical concepts with the aid of a PC, projector and whiteboard.

The theory is explained with the help of powerpoint slides which are available to the students on-line.

From time to time the teacher will solve example problems and review sample exams in class.

Seminars

Preparation outside classroom.

Discussion in classroom, reduced groups

Before the seminar, the students do an assignment with problems related to the theory. In the seminar, the students present their solutions. The teacher and other students help correct the solutions in class.

Practicums

In classroom, reduced groups

In this course students will do both hardware and software practicums.

In the software practicums, the students learn to use networks tools and configure local area networks of the type commonly used in the University. These practicums have to be done individually and each student has to submit a report of the results obtained.

In the hardware practicums, students learn to create and configure simple local area networks using Ethernet and modems. The hardware practisums are done in small groups of 3 or 4 students but each student has to submit an individual report of the results obtained.

Resources

Basic bibliography

Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Redes de Computadoras, ISBN 970-26-0162-2, Prentice Hall, 2003

Complementary reading

William Stallings, Comunicaciones y Redes de Computadoras, ISBN 84-205-4110- 9, Prentice Hall, 2004

Teaching resources

Powerpoint slides, available on the course web site.

Teaching support