Spring 2017
ENSC 427: COMMUNICATION NETWORKS


TOPICS WEEK IN REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS EXAMS TEXTBOOKS

SCHEDULE STAFF PROJECTS TOOLS WEB SITES INFO

Current count of email messages related to ENSC 427 exchanged this term: 435.
Course description: This course covers the techniques needed to understand and analyze modern data communications networks. It covers the basic architecture of packet networks and their network elements (switches, routers, bridges), and the protocols used to enable transmission of packets through the network. Quantitative performance analysis and design of data and integrated services networks. Re-transmission error recovery schemes, networks of queues, congestion control, routing strategies. Multiple access techniques in data networks, design for specified throughput and delay performance. Wireless networks, routing approaches in mobile networks. Analysis and design of broadband integrated services digital networks, asynchronous time division multiplexing.

Laboratory work is included in this course.

This is a project oriented undergraduate course. Students will be introduced to various tools for simulating communication networks: ns-2, ns-3, and Riverbed Modeler (formerly OPNET from OPNET Technologies).

Pre-requisites: Successful completion of ENSC 327-3 or permission of the instructor.
Note: ENSC Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) does not permit enrollment in ENSC 427 if you have not successfully completed ENSC 327.

TOPICS:
  • Communication Networks and Services
  • Application of Layered Architecture
  • Digital Transmission Fundamentals (overview only)
  • Circuit-Switched Networks
  • Peer-to-Peer Protocols and Data Link Layer
  • Medium Access Control Protocols and Local Area Networks
  • Packet-Switched Networks
  • TCP/IP
    WEEK IN REVIEW:
  • 1. January 2, 2017 (revised)
  • 2. January 9, 2017 (revised)
  • 3. January 16, 2017 (revised)
  • 4. January 23, 2017 (revised)
  • 5. January 30, 2017
  • 6. February 6, 2017
  • *. February 13, 2017
  • 7. February 20, 2017
  • 8. February 27, 2017 (revised)
  • 9. March 6, 2017 (revised)
  • 10. March 13, 2017
  • 11. March 20, 2017 (revsied)
  • 12. March 27, 2017
  • 13. April 3, 2017
    ASSIGNMENTS:
    Posted weekly by Friday. Due by the following week on Sunday (firm deadline).
  • Assignment #1
  • Assignment #2
  • Assignment #3
  • Assignment #4
  • Assignment #5 (revised, extended deadline)
  • Assignment #6 (late posting, revised, extended deadline)
  • Assignment #7 (revised, extended deadline)
  • Assignment #8
  • Assignment #9 (late posting)
  • Assignment #10 (late posting)
  • Assignment #11
  • Assignment #12
  • Assignment #13 (revised)

    GRADING SCHEMES:
  • Assignment #1
  • Assignment #2
  • Assignment #3
  • Assignment #4
  • Assignment #5
  • Assignment #6 (revised)
  • Assignment #7 (revised)
  • Assignment #8
  • Assignment #9
  • Assignment #10
  • Assignment #11
    EXAMS:

    MIDTERM EXAM:

    Wednesday, February 22 2017, 14:30 - 15:20, AQ 5016
    Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 14:30 - 15:20, AQ 5016 (changed from March 15, 2017)

    FINAL EXAM:
    Thursday, April 20, 2017, 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, Room C 9000

    FAS policy on mid-terms and finals is described in Section 5.7 of the FAS Handbook.
    Academic honesty and plagiarism

    PROJECT REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS:

  • Project teams are due January 15, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute).
  • Project proposal(s) are due February 5, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute).
  • Project title, abstract, and a list of five references are due February 12, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute).
  • Web page describing your project and including the list of five references is due February 19, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute).
  • Interim report is due March 19, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute).
  • Project class presentations will be held in class on April 3, 2017 and April 5, 2017.
  • The following files are due on Sunday, April 16, 2017 (midnight: 11:59 PM + 1 minute):
    • Presentation slides (Power Point and PDF files) of your final project,
    • URL for the web pages of your final project, and
    • Final written report (LaTEX or MS Word file and PDF file) of your final project.

    The final project grading policy
    The final project grading form
    GRADING:
    Assignments 10%, Midterm exam 1 10%, Midterm exam 2 10%, Final exam 25%, project class presentation 10%, and final project report 35%.
    Click here to see your scores and midterm exam 1, midterm exam 2, final exam, and overall scores distribution charts.
    RESOURCES: Conflict resolution
    TEXTBOOKS:

    Recommended reading:
  • A. Leon-Gracia and I. Widjaja, Communication Networks: Fundamental Concepts and Key Architectures, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, 2004. Errata page.
  • J. F. Kurose and K. W. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, 6/E, Addison Wesley, 2012.
  • J. Walrand and P. Varaiya, High-performance Communication Networks, 2/e, Morgan Kaufmann, 2000.
        Online version (click on "Full text - Books 24x7 limited to 5 simultaneous users" link once you access the page).
  • S. Keshav, Engineering Approach to Computer Networking: ATM Networks, the Internet, and the Telephone Network, Addison Wesley, 1997.
  • J. Walrand, Communication Networks, A First Course, 2/e, McGraw-Hill, 1998.
  • D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks, Second edition, Prentice Hall, 1992.
  • L. L. Peterson and B. Davie, Computer Networks, A Systems Approach, 3rd edition, Morgan Kaufmann, 1999.

    • Other related sources:
  • T. G. Robertazzi, Computer Networks and Systems, Queuing Theory and Performance Evaluation, Third edition, Springer Verlag, 2000.
  • M. De Prycker, Asynchronous Transfer Mode: Solutions for Broadband ISDN, Ellis Horwood, 1991.
  • I. Katzela, Modeling and Simulating Communication Networks, A Hands-on Approach Using OPNET, Prentice Hall, 1999.

    • Check the status of the books on reserve for ENSC 427 by typing "ENSC 427" (with the space) in the search window.

    JOURNALS:
  • IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials
  • IEEE Network, The magazine of global information exchange
  • IEEE Communications Magazine
  • ACM Computer Communication Review
  • IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications
  • IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking
    SCHEDULE:
    Lectures:
    Monday 14:30 - 16:20 in AQ 5016
    Wednesday 14:30 - 16:20 in AQ 5016

    Tutorial:
    Wednesday 15:30 - 16:20 in AQ 5016 and ESIL Lab ASB 1000B/ASB 10803.

    Projects:
    ENSC Undergraduate Computer room: ESIL Lab ASB 1000B/ASB 10803 (open lab).

    PROFESSOR:

    TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

    • Zhida Li
      zhidal at sfu.ca
      Office hours and lab support:
      Tuesdays 13:00 to 14:00 (ESIL Lab ASB 1000B/ASB 10803)
      Wednesdays 13:00 to 14:00 (ESIL Lab ASB 1000B/ASB 10803)

    COMPUTING HELP:

    PROJECTS:
    ENSC 427 Spring 2017 project teams
    ENSC 427 Spring 2017 project proposals
    ENSC 427 Spring 2017 projects
    ENSC 427 Spring 2017 presentation schedule

    Instructions for in class presentations of your ENSC 427 final projects (revised)
    Instructions for writing ENSC 427 final project reports (revised)
    IEEE Tools for Authors for writing papers. See subsection Template for Transactions, "Instructions Only" (updated).

    Samples of past projects:
    Past course web pages are located at: http://www2.ensc.sfu.ca/~ljilja/teaching.html

    SOFTWARE TOOLS:
  • Instructions how to run Riverbed Modeler (formerly OPNET) (under revision)
  • Get familiar with Linux/CentOS. The following sites have links to useful Unix tutorials and documentation:
        http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-unix-commands-cheat-sheets.html
        http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO.html
        http://wiki.centos.org/HowTo To run ns-2 and/or ns-3 on a PC running MS operating system, download:
        Option 1 (easier): Downlaod Ubuntu virtual machine VirtualBox in order to run the virtual machine.
        Option 2: cygwin
  • Review:
        Running tools remotely
  • Riverbed Modeler version 18.0 environment settings
        Riverbed Modeler main page
  • ns-3 website, ns-3 tutorial, ns-3 documentation, and ns-3 wiki page
  • ns-2 simulator and documentation
        BlueHoc: Bluetooth Performance Evaluation Tool
        Network Designer (NetDes) with ns Java applet
  • Ptolemy
  • Omnet++
  • S-PLUS for Unix and S-PLUS for Windows
  • Wireshark network protocol analyzer
  • Quagga Routing Suite
  • GNU Zebra: Free routing software
    TRAFFIC TRACES: locally available short traces
    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
    Email messages with hints and answers to some frequently asked questions.
    (Check FAQ pages from prior ENSC 427 offerings for useful hints.)
    FAQ in 2017
    FAQ in 2016
    WEB SITES OF INTEREST:
  • Communication Networks Laboratory
  • Research with OPNET at SFU
  • Previous offerings of ENSC 427, ENSC 833, ENSC 835, ENSC 894, and ENSC 895
    Acronyms:
  • Dictionary of Acronyms in Communications and Informatics (DACI)
  • http://www.csrstds.com/acro-a-d.html
    General references:
  • What is page
    Documents:
    Internet Requests for Comments (RFC) site:
  • IETF
    Daily news of interest:
  • Wired News: DoS: Defense Is the Best Offense
    Fun things:
  • RFC 1121
  • RFC 1149
  • RFC 2100
  • UC Berkeley EECS20: Structure and Interpretation of Signals and Systems
    INFO:
    TOPICS WEEK IN REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS EXAMS TEXTBOOKS

    SCHEDULE STAFF PROJECTS TOOLS WEB SITES INFO

    Created by
    Ljiljana Trajkovic
    ljilja at cs.sfu.ca
    Last modified: Mon Apr 24 17:49:05 PDT 2017.