NSC Syllabus 2001-2002
                                                        
G e o r g e   M a s o n   U n i v e r s i t y

School of Information Technology and Engineering

Course Description 2001-2002 
NETWORK SCIENCE CERTIFICATE
IT 557 Introduction to Network Science
IT 657 Advanced Network Science

Distributed education available in the classroom and also delivered to the desktop at home and office via Internet. 

Certificate Manager Professor J. Mark Pullen 
ST2 Room 403; Office hours 2-6PM Monday and by appointment 
Address: Computer Science, MS4A5, George Mason University, Fairfax VA 22030 
Contact by email: mpullen@gmu.edu phone: 703-993-1538 fax: 703-993-3692 

Instructors: 
Dr. Qiang Lin, SAIC. 
Mr. Phillip Gross, OneMain.com 
Dr. Mark Pullen, GMU Computer Science Dept. 
Dr. Robert Simon, GMU Computer Science Dept. 
 

DESCRIPTION

This course is derived from GMU's Network Science Certificate (NSC), which is intended to educate technical professionals to become entry-level network engineers. The Network Science Certificate provides a graduate-level technical background in telecommunications principles, electronic telecommunications practices for both fixed carrier and wireless systems, data communications, local and wide-area networking protocols, network security, and network management. 

Prerequisites: bachelor's degree and working experience in any branch of engineering, mathematics, or physical science discipline. Students are expected to have a working knowledge of mathematics to include calculus and statistics/probability. 

Delivery: In addition to regular delivery in an electronic classroom, these course are available over the Internet. Receiving class sessions requires a multimedia Pentium workstation with 28.8 kbps modem, running Microsoft Windows (95 or NT) and PowerPoint, plus ClassWise learning station software from Magideas Corporation which is available for free download. Class sessions will be available synchronously at the time of presentation (generally, 7:20 to 10:00 PM on Thursdays) or asynchronously from a recording of the scheduled session, played back via the ClassWise software. 

GRADING POLICY

IT 557 and IT 657 students receive normal graduate course grades and are allowed up to the end of the semester for completion. Grades are proficiency-based. Curoffs will be in the vicinity of (and no higher than) A-90% B-80% C-70%. 
 

REFERENCES

1. Noll, Introduction to Telecommunications Electronics, 2nd Ed., Artech House, 1995 

2. Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, 5th Ed., Prentice-Hall, 1997 

3. Tanenbaum, Computer Networking, 3rd Ed., Prentice-Hall, 1996 

4. Comer, Internetworking with TCP/IP, Vol. I, 3rd Ed., Prentice-Hall, 1996 

5. Stallings, High-Speed Networks, Prentice-Hall, 1998 

6. Opplinger, Internet and Intranet Security, Artech House, 1998 

7. Freeman, Fundamentals of Telecommunications, Wiley, 1999 

8. Pullen, Understanding Internet Protocols Through Hands-On Programming, Wiley, 2000 

9. Peterson and Davie, Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, 2nd ed., Morgan Kaufman, 2000

10. Subramanian, Network Management: Principles and Practice, Addison-Wesley, 2000

ADMINISTRATION

Course notices will be provided via email. Students will be provided with a password on netlab.gmu.edu for download of slides They may use GMU or other account for email, which they are responsible to read regularly. Homework assignments will be posted to and submitted through the HyperLearning Meter (HLM). Slide files will be available on netlab.gmu.edu three days before they are presented in class. Students are responsible for all material presented in class as outlined in the lecture slides. 
 

SYLLABUS OF IT 557

NOTE: References 7 and 9 above will be required texts in Fall 2001. 

COM: Telecommunications Principles (Lin) 

1. introduction/overview; circular trigonometric functions review; electromagnetic waveform properties; waveform analysis; spectra; filters, Fourier representation 

2. speech signals; oscillators; frequency translation; spectrum sharing; frequency translation; spectrum sharing; frequency division multiplexing; analog modulation; decibels measurements 

3. double sideband full carrier amplitude modulation; demodulation of amplitude modulation;  frequency modulation; modulation index; FM spectrum; FM gain 

4. sampled signals; delta modulation; adaptive delta modulation; pulse amplitude modulation; pulse code modulation; time division mutliplexing; digital communications 

5. data codes; baseband line codes; noise and its effects; modulation and demodulation methods; amplitude shift keying; frequency shift keying; phase shift keying; differential phase skift keying 

LAN: Data Communications and Protocols (Pullen) 

1. link and LAN basics; vocabulary; review of communications model; network concepts; OSI reference model and layering; data coding; analog/digital communications review; Shannon's law 

2. sampling theorem; quantization; quantization noise; aliasing; North America/Japan T carriers; European E-carriers; ; multilevel signalling; hybrid signalling 

3. physical layer and data link control; transmission media; link performance; bit stuffing/destuffing; digital transmission; switching and multiplexing; commercial digital link standards; DLC functions 

4. DLC protocols; timing and efficiency; flow control; stop-and-wait; alternating bit protocol; selective repeat; go-back-n; framing and bit stuffing; error control; link management; common link protocols 

5. local area networks; basics/definitions; media access control; LAN performance; LAN standards, rings and buses; bridging and frame relay 

WAN: Wide Area Networks and  Protocols (Simon) 

1. OSI reference model review; packet network layer functions; connection-oriented and connectionless packet switching; X.25 and X.75 standards 

2. routing methods; internetworking; Internet Protocol concepts; IP subnet protocols; ICMP; Internet routing protocols; multicasting; multimedia; multicast routing 

3. transport protocols; User Datagram Protocol; Transmission Control Protocol; OSI transport layer; advances in TCP/IP; IPv6 (address space, variable headers, auto-configuration); effective of mobility and wireless on IP and TCP (mobile routing, naming, effect of losses) 

4. client-server model; Domain Name system; telnet; File Transfer Protocol; Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; Simple Network Management Protocol; Hypertext Transfer Protocol; NET2 summary and homework review 

5. ATM and cell switching; PNNI; AALs; next generation switched networks; high-throughput and QoS constrained applications; overview of 100Mbps LANs, frame relay, ATM, NG Internet; advanced flow control mechanisms; congestion avoidance 
 

SYLLABUS OF IT 657

NOTE: References 6 and 10 above will be required texts in Spring 2002. 

SEC: Network Security (Pullen) 

1. security objective, threats and techniques; network firewalls: packet filtering and proxies 

2. firewall architectures; firewall limitations; secret key and public key cryptosystems 

3. cryptographic services and building blocks; authentication and key distribution protocols 

4. cryptography in network protocols; IPSEC; SSL; secure RPC 

5. securing the networking infrastructure: secure DNS and routing protocols 

MOB: Mobile and Wireless Telecommunications (Lin) 

1. fundamentals of radio transmission; the wireless communication channel (terrestrial and satellite); digital modulation for wireless communications, digital receiver principles 

2. cellular and satellite communication networks; multiple access methods; mobility management 

3. wireless LANs, existing and emerging standards, IEEE 802.11 

4. mobility support in wide area networks, CDPD 

5. Mobile IP; case study 

MGT: Network Management (Gross) 

1. introduction to network management; network management Functions 

2. standards bodies; network monitoring; SNMP network management concepts 

3. management interface bases; ASN.1; RMON 

4. network management security issues, SNMP V2 and V3; CMIP; network management tools 

5. network management case study and review 
 
 
 


Updated: 3/23/2001
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