CS176A - HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 1
Due: April 17 (By 11:59pm)
Objectives
One of the more important aspects of the Internet is its organization,
its architecture. The first objective of this assignment is to go beyond
the short topology overview given in class and really try to understand
the Internet's national and international organization.
A second objective of this assignment is to improve your writing skills,
in particular, your paper structure and presentation style, use of
figures, and use of the Internet to search for content and related
literature. (You may not agree now, but some day you will recognize
that your communication skills are as important as any other skill you
have learned at UCSB.)
Assignment Details
Write a 1500-2000 word essay describing the Internet's network architecture.
Besides using the
textbook, you very likely will make use of various online resources and
articles. Feel free to add in charts, pictures, or graphs that you find
relevant to your essay. Proper citations are mandatory(see below).
In writing this essay, you will want to cover the major architecture
components. For example, maybe think about ISPs, ASes, XYZs, routers,
NAPs, PoPs, etc. (this list is neither inclusive nor exhaustive).
However, you should also
do what you can to make the essay your own. After covering the few
basic high-level points you should focus on a particular aspect of
Internet architecture. For example, you may
want to focus on international exchange points, international networks,
the organization in a particular region, organization of a particular
company's broadband network, how wireless fits into the Internet, how
cellular networks tie in, etc.
In general, there are almost no restrictions on the content. Start
with a basic overview, and then investigate in a direction that you
were always curious about.
Resources/Help
- Tips on writing a good essay.
Google for more!
- Any paper that quotes or refers to the work of another person should
include a "citation" or reference to that work. The following is a
guide to writing citations. You
might also look at the NMSL's publication page for a sample of references for which you can simply duplicate the format. Note: web references should include, at a minimum, the title of the page, the URL, and the date you retrieved the page.
- And of course, you can always consult with Kevin or Hangjin for
more information.
Grading Guidelines
The following guidelines will help you better understand how your essay will be graded.
- Content (including the novelty of your own particular angle)
- Presentation style and layout
- Proper citations
- Length of the essay (more than 1500 words but less than 2000)
Assignment Turnin
The assignment should be submitted using the course web site. The file
format must be either Micosoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF). Your
essay should be only one file (no zipping or taring files).
Cheating Policy
This assignment is to be done individually. Cheating will not be
tolerated. Please read the
UCSB Academic Code of Conduct
to find out more about Student Conduct and Discipline. Of particular
relevance to this assignment is the need to properly cite material you
have used. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.