Syllabus

1. CS 557: Advanced Networking and the Internet with a grade of C or better. (Strictly enforced)

This seminar course covers advanced topics in the design of computer networks and network protocols. The course schedule lists specific topics and the lecture schedule.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand a current research area in computer networks; results should be at a level where they could be pulbished in ACM and IEEE conferences and workshops.
• Complete a written literature review at the level necessary to pass the department's Research Exam.
• Give a literature review presention at the level necessary to pass the department's Research Exam.
• Show preliminary progress toward a specific research topic, similar to an abbreviated form of the department's Preliminary Exam.

Required Textbook: None

CS 657 Home Web Page: http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~cs657/

Lectures will be a combination of slide presentations, whiteboard presentations, discussions of students' questions, and many student presentations.

Instructor: Dan Massey

Final letter grades are based on the relative distribution of total scores and not on any preset numerical scale.

Students are expected to read papers, write summary reports, and make presentations.

Each student is expected to select one of four themes in the first two weeks of the course and you will follow this topic throughout the semester.

You are expected to find related work, especially ACM and IEEE publications related to your topic. You will read at least one related paper per week and send a half page summary of the paper each week. Mid-way through the semester, you will submit a 10 page research summary and present your summary to the class. Note this is intentionally similar to the department's research exam.

Not coincidentally, the format closely follows that of the department research exam. Students must submit their work in LaTeX and PDF. The final result is worth 30 percent of your grade. You are required to submit and present at least one version during the semester and will receive a grade after each submission. You are strongly encouraged to submit more often, as often as once per week, so that you have a strong sense of where you stand in the class.

You must develop a direction for addressign your problem. This direction must include concrete evaluation. The evalution may be based on simulation or measured data or both. It is expected that either approach will require substantial programming and analysis. For example, you might need to build simulation tools or measurement tools. At the conclusion of the course, you will submit a 12 page report on your efforts and present your results to the class. Note this is intentionally similar to the preliminary exam doctoral students must complete.

Not coincidentally, the format closely follows that of the department preliminary exam. Students must submit their work in LaTeX and PDF. The final result is worth 40 percent of your grade. You are required to submit and present at least one version during the semester and will receive a grade after each submission. You are strongly encouraged to submit more often, as often as once per week, so that you have a strong sense of where you stand in the class.

This is an advanced research classs, not a lecture style course. You are expected to regularly present progress on your topic and provide constructive feedback to other student presentations. You presentations and equally important your feedback to other students constitute 20 percent of your grade.

There will be substantial programming projects that further your research report.

Policies on cheating, plagiarism, incomplete grades, attendance, discrimination, sexual harassment, and student grievances are described in the Student Information Guide ( http://www.CS.ColoState.EDU/advising/student-info.html). All other matters follow the policies set in the current Colorado State University General Catalog. Students are responsible for all the information in these documents.