ADV TOP INT COMP
CS 176C, Spring 2021
Course Overview
This course can be broadly divided into three categories:
- Last-mile networks (WiFi, cellular, cable, etc.),
- Content delivery (video streaming, conferencing, etc.) and
- Network measurements (both active and passive)
Last-mile Networks In 176 A, we have primarily focussed on wired networks. Most protocols developed for wired networks do not apply to last-mile networks. We will learn the unique attributes of mobile networks and how to design communication protocols for these networks. We will start with the communication protocols/systems used for wireless LANs (WiFi networks), then explore the cable access networks, and then finally explore the cellular networks, with a specific focus on 5G networks.
Content Delivery In this section, we will learn how modern content providers deliver the content to the end-users. We will especially focus on video streaming applications, understanding the process of encoding, hosting, and delivering the video (and) audio streams to the end-users.
Network Measurements Network monitoring entails keeping track of the state of the network and identifying various network events (e.g., congestion, outages, cyberattacks, etc.) that require intervention (e.g., block attack traffic). In this section of the course, we will learn the design principles for building network monitoring systems. In the process, we will also learn the basics of software-defined networking, programmable data plane and how to enable the development of fine-grained network monitoring systems.
Logistics
Almost all lectures will be delivered asynchronously. The lecture slides and videos will be posted on this website.