Availability and Performance

The following are Recommended Basic Knowledge (organized by course):

• Introduction to Communication Networks (TCP/IP networking stack basics and Berkeley sockets programming);
• Routing Protocols (Fundamentals of TCP/IP networking, router and routing operation and protocols and configuration);
• Network Services 1 (Operation and configuration of basic networking services – DHCP, NTP, NAT/PAT, etc.);
• Operating Systems (Linux POSIX programming API, command line and bash programming);
• Security  (Access Control Lists (ACLs); Cisco Common Classification Policy Language (C3PL))

It is assumed that the student has mastered these contents, since they will be extensively used but not introduced.

Theoretical classes:

• Presentation and class brainstorming about the covered topics with emphasis on critical thinking about the relevant aspects of the current technological solutions.

Practical classes:

• Setup, configuration, and analysis of the availability and performance levels of communication networks and information processing systems under abnormal conditions.

This course addresses, at a conceptual and experimental level, metrics, strategies and technologies related to the quantification and improvement of the availability and performance of communication and information processing systems.

1. Availability Theory
2. Endpoint Routing Redundancy
3. Multihoming
4. Link and Switch Aggregation
5. Load Balancing
6. Quality of Service (QoS)

This Curricular Unit (UC) will adopt the evaluation methodology known as M1. As explained in an email from the Vice-President of ISEC (2021/11/19; 18:07), in this methodology, the assessment is carried out by continuous and/or periodic assessment types, it ends before the exam period, and there is no place for further evaluation/examination.

Continuous Assessment a) will take into account the verification, without announced deadlines, of the completion (during or outside of contact hours, depending on the topics) of small projects and tests/class questions in theoretical and practical classes. This assessment is subject to a minimum of 50% and accounts for 65% of the overall final assessment.

Periodic Assessment will consist of 1) a mandatory project, subject to a minimum grade of 50% and weighing 35% of the overall grade, and 2) successful completion of the online final exam for the CCNA: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials course, weighing 10% of the overall grade. The project must be completed in groups of two students, but submission and evaluation are individual. The topic, related to the scope of the course, is a) proposed by the group; b) validated by the instructor; c) developed outside of contact hours; d) subject to presentation and final defense during the last week of the first semester.

Students who submit or present assessment elements that they did not genuinely author or to which they did not contribute significantly will have the notation EF (Excluded for Fraud) entered in their records and will be subject to the respective disciplinary procedure in accordance with the regulations in force.

Students who do not meet the deadlines or do not achieve the minimum requirements will have their final assessment recorded as NA (Not Admitted).

Students who have special status, duly recognized by Academic Services, which prevents them from attending classes regularly, must communicate this fact in a duly documented manner by email (lsantos@isec.pt) to the instructor as soon as possible. It is also the responsibility of these students to follow and comply with the course requirements from the beginning of the semester, namely the assessment requirements, through Nónio (or Moodle, if they are unable to register on Nónio for reasons beyond their control).

Any student who is unable to attend a class sporadically, but formally justified by a legal document, must communicate this fact by email (lsantos@isec.pt) to the instructor as soon as possible. They must also respond to the proposal (to be received by email) for an alternative assessment date. They must ensure that their mailbox is operational and has sufficient space to receive regular mail. Failure to comply with these procedures and deadlines will fail the course.

Continuous assessment in this course is mandatory. Alternative weekly times to the current course schedule will be defined for assessment when the student finds themselves in one of the extraordinary situations described above.

Work completed in previous academic years will not be considered. Topics that the student began working on in previous academic years will not be accepted for the Project.

NAO