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Course specification
The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at .
Please consult the web for updates that may occur during the year.

CSC8513 Network Performance Analysis

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: Network Performance Analysis
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Sciences
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 020113 - Networks and Communications
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GDTI or GCSC or MCTN or MCYS or MCOP

Other requisites

Recommended Pre-requisite: CSC3407.
Students who have enrolled in or completed CSC3413 Network Design and Analysis cannot enrol in this course.
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

One of the main areas of work in the expanding field of Information Technology is network planning and administration. One of the tasks a network administrator must undertake from time to time is the installation or major upgrade of a network. Networks in large and even moderate companies nowadays are likely to span more than one site and to include telephony as well as TCP traffic. Security is also a great concern for network administrators, especially when their traffic is exposed to the internet. This course will provide students with the theoretical and practical knowledge, and the experience, to understand the performance of networks, how this is affected by choices of equipment, topology, and configuration and therefore how to design networks using the latest technology.

Synopsis

This course will cover the following subjects: queueing theory; performance of communication networks including measurement, modelling and analysis of network performance including reliability, packet loss, throughput and delay, and security; network architecture including layering of networks; network design including dimensioning (deciding how fast/many of the links switches, routers and servers there should be), routing design (where traffic should go), topological design (where to put new links) and security (authentication, VLAN's, firewalls). Students will tackle a series of example problems of network analysis and designs of increasing complexity and by the end of the course will have a clear understanding of how the traffic level and statistics, on the one hand, and the network topology and specifications on the other hand combine to deliver the performance experienced by network users.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Understand the performance of a link as determined by traffic levels and statistics;
  2. Measure the levels and statistics of traffic and performance of a network;
  3. Analyse a network from the point of view of delay, congestion, security and reliability;
  4. Select and explain the appropriate architecture for a new network;
  5. Understand the routing information which needs to be installed in routers and switches in a network;
  6. Understand the options in relation to hardware, network topology, link capacities and router capacities in a new network and how professional decisions about these should be made;
  7. Understand how to make a series of related decisions about network infrastructure in a financially optimal manner.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Queueing theory 10.00
2. Measurement 15.00
3. Performance analysis 20.00
4. Network architecture 10.00
5. Network design 20.00
6. Security design 15.00
7. Planning 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=CSC8513)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Addie, R.G 2012, Algorithms and models for network analysis and design, USQ, Toowoomba.
(This book is provided as a PDF document. Other references will be provided from the course web site as required.)

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
All references required will be available via the course web site.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 40.00
Private 精东传媒app 130.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
Assignment 1 100 10 25 Jul 2020
Assignment 2 100 12 15 Aug 2020
Assignment 3 100 13 12 Sep 2020
Assignment 4 100 15 10 Oct 2020
Online Examination 50 50 End S2 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This will be an open examination. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via 精东传媒appDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are:
    i. writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination);
    ii. Any type of calculator. (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during the examination).
    iii. One A4 sheet, written or typed on one or both sides with any material the student wishes to have.
    iv. Students whose first language is not English, may, take an appropriate unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    Any deferred or supplementary exams will be held during the next examination period.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. Students must familiarise themselves with the USQ Assessment Procedures (

  2. If electronic submission is specified for a course assessment, students will be notified of this on the Course 精东传媒app Desk. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment irrespective of holidays. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).

  3. If hardcopy submission is specified for a course assessment students will be notified of this on the Course 精东传媒app Desk. The due date for a hardcopy assignment is the date by which a student must submit at USQ or despatch the assignment to the USQ irrespective of holidays.

  4. The referencing system to be used in this course is supported by theSchool. Information on this referencing system and advice on how to use it can be found in the course materials.

Date printed 6 November 2020