MODULE SPECIFICATION UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES KEY FACTS Module name Module code School Department or equivalent Networks and Operating Systems IN2011 Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering Department of Computing UK credits 15 ECTS 7.5 Level 5 Delivery location (partnership programmes only) MODULE SUMMARY Module outline and aims Operating systems and - increasingly - networks are two parts of the IT platform seen by a user that are easily taken for granted. To understand their effects on the behaviour of a platform as seen by a user, students need some understanding of how the protocols work that ensure reliable communication across a network and support a variety of application-level services, and of the main functions that an operating system performs to support high-level applications. To give students an understanding of the roles of network and operating system services and their components and basic principles of operation, an ability to solve basic problems these may create in professional life, and the basic concepts and confidence for more in-depth study when required in professional life Content outline
- The structure of the Internet; protocols and services; the five-layer TCP/IP model; packets and packet-switching. Link-layer services and protocols; latency and bandwidth; Ethernet and Wi-Fi links; Media Access Control and hardware addressing; hubs and switches. Network-layer services and protocols; host-to-host communication; IPv4, IPv6; ARP; subnetting (CIDR) and routing. Transport-layer services and protocols; process-to-process communication; sockets; TCP and UDP; flow-control and congestion-control. Application-layer services and protocols; HTTP; DNS. Elements of network security; uses of encryption; Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL); HTTPS vs HTTP. Operating Systems; purposes and structure; interrupts; system calls; the OS kernel. Processes; process life-cycle; process management; scheduling. Memory management; Virtual Memory; paging; performance; thrashing. I/O; device controllers and device drivers; Direct Memory Access. File systems; tree vs graph structure; i-nodes; ownership and permissions. - Elements of OS security; protection vs security; authentication and access control; policy vs mechanism. Pre-requisite Modules IN1006 Systems Architecture WHAT WILL I BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE? On successful completion of this module, you will be expected to be able to: Knowledge and understanding: - describe and explain the structure and common functions of operating systems; reason about the behaviour and performance characteristics of specific schedulers and virtual memory configurations; reason about the access policies defined by specific Unix file ownership and permission configurations describe and explain the structure and common functions of networks in terms of the
five-layer TCP/IP protocols and services; reason about IPv4 subnetting (CIDR) and routing; reason about some specific protocol communications - describe and explain key elements of network and OS security Skills: - calculate quantitative and qualitative answers to some basic questions about network and OS performance characteristics work with Unix shells and be familiar with key Unix commands - write simple file manipulation and networking code in a high-level programming language Values and attitudes: NOT STATED HOW WILL I LEARN? Cognitive/Intellectual - Using examples presented in tutorials; coursework. Knowledge and Understanding - Explained in lectures and practiced via coursework questions probing comprehension; simple exercises on paper examples. Subject Specific - Lab based work. Teaching pattern: Teaching component Teaching type Contact hours Self-directed study hours Placement hours Total student learning hours Lectures Lecture 20 40 0 60
Exercises on theory questions plus lab-based examples Tutorial 10 80 0 90 Totals 30 120 0 150 WHAT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK CAN I EXPECT? Assessments Examination and Coursework. In case of failure, the reassessment tasks will be set according to the University Assessment Regulations. Assessment pattern: Assessment component Assessment type Weighting Minimum qualifying mark Pass/Fail? Coursework Written assignment, including essay 30 0 N/A Examination Written Exam 70 0 N/A
Assessment criteria Assessment Criteria are descriptions of the skills, knowledge or attributes students need to demonstrate in order to complete an assessment successfully and Grade-Related Criteria are descriptions of the skills, knowledge or attributes students need to demonstrate to achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment. Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria for module assessments will be made available to students prior to an assessment taking place. More information will be available from the module leader. Feedback on assessment Following an assessment, students will be given their marks and feedback in line with the Assessment Regulations and Policy. More information on the timing and type of feedback that will be provided for each assessment will be available from the module leader. Assessment Regulations The Pass mark for the module is 40%. Any minimum qualifying marks for specific assessments are listed in the table above. The weighting of the different components can also be found above. The Programme Specification contains information on what happens if you fail an assessment component or the module. INDICATIVE READING LIST None