CS 3700 Networks and Distributed Systems Overview

CS 3700 Networks and Distributed Systems Logistics (a.k.a. The boring slides) Revised 1/5/2020

Hello! 2 Welcome to CS 3700 Are you in the right classroom? Okay, good. Who am I? Professor Alden Jackson a.jackson@northeastern.edu Office: Nightingale 132F Office Hours: Kariotis 208, Wednesday, 10:00-11:00 or by appointment

Anti-Social Media 3 I m not on Facebook If you friend Alden Jackson , it s not me, it s a Russian Bot LinkedIn: if you pass the class, you can request to add me

Say Hi to the TAs 4 Eight TAs, shared across the three sections Clifton Robinson, Tariq Sachleben, Arnav Aggarwal, Harshal Savla, Ishan Tripathi, Poorva Sonparote, Ronn George Jacob, and Soumitra Mishra TA office hours are on the class web page There should be at least 2 TAs at each office hours session

Why Take This Course? 5 How many of you have checked your email, FB, texts Today? In the past hour? Since I started talking? Your hand is still down because you re online at this very moment

Networks and Distributed Systems are Ubiquitous 6 Touch every part of our daily life Web search Social networking Watching movies Ordering merchandise Banking Dating Driving directions Requesting a ride or food

Why Take This Course? 7 Networking is one of the most critical topics in CS There would be no Web Streaming media Big Data Cloud Apps or mobile computing without networks

Goals 8 Fundamental understanding about computer networks All the way from bits on a wire across the Internet to a complex, distributed application Focus on software and protocols Not hardware Minimal theory Not software engineering Project-centric, hands on experience Real projects, protocols, etc.

Online Resources 9 Course webpage with schedule and lecture notes https://course.ccs.neu.edu/cs3700sp20/ Class forum is on Piazza Link is on the course webpage Sign up today! Install their iPhone/Android app When in doubt, post to Piazza Piazza is preferable to email Use #hashtags (#homework1, #lecture2, #project3, etc.)

Teaching Style 10 I am a researcher Things make sense to me that may not make sense to you I talk fast if nobody stops me Solution: ask questions! Seriously, ask questions Standing up here in silence is very awkward I will stand here until you answer my questions Help me learn your names Say your name before each question

Textbook 11 Two textbooks, both optional Computer Networks: A Systems Approach (Peterson and Davie, 5th Edition) Distributed Systems: Concepts and Design (Coulouris etal., 5th Edition)

Workload 12 Projects (5) 4%, 12%, 12%, 8%, and 14% (respectively) Homeworks (10) 2% each Exams (2) 10% Final 14% Total 100%

Projects 13 This course is project-centric Designed to give you real networking experience Start early! Seriously, start early! 5 projects Due at 11:59:59pm on specified date Use turn-in scripts to submit your code, documentation, etc. Working code is paramount

Project Logistics 14 Languages You may choose the language for the projects (see course website for fine details) Code must compile on the CCIS Linux machines Project 1will be out this week, due Thursday January 16th Project questions? Post them on Piazza! What's that again: Post them on Piazza!!

Project Groups 15 Most projects will be completed in groups of two Unless we have odd numbers Yes, you can work by yourself, i.e. a group of one Partner selection Pick whoever you want You may switch partners between projects Yes, you can a different partner for EVERY project Do not complain to me about your lazy partner Hey, you picked them Can t find a partner? Post a message on Piazza!

Late Policy 16 Each student is given 4 slip days that they can use at any time to extend a project deadline You don t need to ask me, just turn-in stuff late All group members must have unused slip days i.e. if one member has zero slip days left, the whole group is late Assignments are due at 11:59:59, no exceptions 1 second late = 1 hour late = 1 day late After slip days are used, it s 20% off per day late

Participation 17 This is a high-level college course I m not taking attendance I don t care if you skip lecture That said, please come and participate! Ask questions! Ideally, I want to know everyone s name by the end of the semester

Exams 18 Exams and Final 90 minutes, out-of-class The exams are scheduled for 6-7:30 PM, on February 10th and March 23rd The final will be cumulative All exams are: Closed book, leave the laptop at home If I see a smartphone, I will take it and sell it on ebay You are allowed to bring an 8.5x11, double-sided cheat sheet

Grade Changes 19 Each student is given 2 challenges to use as they see fit Challenges can be spent asking for regrades If you think there has been a grading error, come to my office hours If the grade is incorrect, you keep your challenge If the grade is correct, you lose your challenge When your challenges are exhausted, you cannot ask for regrades Detailed instructions for challenges in on the class website

Grade Changes (Continued) 20 Challenges may be used for: Projects, homeworks, and tests Challenges may not be used for: Late assignments, use of slip days If you want to challenge a project grade, all group members must have an available challenge Your challenge succeeds or fails as a group

Cheating 21 Do not do it Seriously, don t make me say it again Cheating is an automatic zero Must be referred to the university for discipline and possible expulsion Project code must be original You and your groupmates only Unless we give you starter code, obviously If you have questions about an online resource, ask us Homeworks must be done individually Copying answers from anyone or from anywhere is forbidden

Final Grades 22 At the end of the semester, all of your grades will sum to 100 points Exams Final Homeworks Projects 20 + 4 + 12 + 12 + 8 + 14 + 10 + 10 + 10= 100 Final grades are based on a simple scale: A >92, A- 90-92, B+ 87-89, B 83-86, B- 80-82, I don t curve grades

Schedule and Lecture Slides 23 https://course.ccs.neu.edu/cs3700sp20/

Schedule (now to Spring Break) 24

Schedule (Spring Break to end) 25

Questions? 28