ECE 453/553 -- Computer Networks --- Spring 2021
Instructor: Micah Beck
Office: Min Kao 433
Office Hours: Request an appointment by email.
Email: mbeck@utk.edu
Class Time: 2:15-3:05 pm MWF
Classroom: 100% Online
TA: TBA
TA Office Hours: Gerald Jones
TA Office: Make an appointment by email.
TA email: gjones2@vols.utk.edu
Course Curriculum
Textbook
We will use Version 6.1 of this book available for free download from https://github.com/SystemsApproach/book/releases:
Title: Computer Networks: A Systems Approach
Authors: Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie
Copyright: Elsevier, 2012
Source: https://github.com/SystemsApproach
License: CC BY 4.0
Homework
An Interview With the Inventor of the Spanning Tree Protocol
Radia Perlman is an American computer programmer often described as the 'Mother of the Internet' for her invention of the spanning-tree protocol.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06jxlfh
Tutorial on Netowrk Port Address Translation
http://www.rhyshaden.com/nat.htm
Some recent papers on Network Architecture
"Interoperable Convergence of Storage, Networking and Computation"
Micah Beck, Terry Moore, Piotr Luszczek, Anthony Denalis
Future of Information and Communication Conference, 14-15 March 2019, San Francisco.
Course Requirements and Grading
- There will be a midterm exam and a final exam.
- Homework will be assigned on a regular basis.
The final course grade will be calculated as
10%(H) + 50%(M') + 40%(F)
where
- H = homework grade
- M' = MAX(final exam grade, midterm grade)
- F = final exam grade
For example, a student who scores 70 on midterm 1, 84 on the final, and 75 on the homework will have an overall score of
10%(75) + 50%(MAX(84, 70)) + 40%(84) = 83.10
The intention of this grading scheme is that students have two chances to show their mastery of the material covered in the midterm: on the midterm and on the cummulative final.
The 90% of the course grade that is awarded on the basis of exams is available to every student at the time they take the final.
While it is possible for a student to skip the midterm exams and rely solely onn the homework and final for their course grade, students are strongly advised against this approach.
Here are some reasons for this advice:
- Taking the midterm exam is a no-risk proposition: it can only improve a student's final course grade.
- The midterm is more focused, and so it should be easier to study the material covered deeply and get a good grade.
- There is less presure on students when taking midterm than during the final exam period.
- Taking the midterm is the best preparation for the final exam.