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Re: Training the next generation:

  • From: Dana Hudes
  • Date: Tue Aug 24 00:52:56 1999

Darin,
thanks for the feedback. All the bridging issues you mention are covered in Tannenbaum. Packet captures for examples is a good thought.  These students are already familiar with the spanning tree algorithm from a previous course, they just don't know that it is good for bridging. I don't have complete details by section but the book details are at http://www.phptr.com/ptrbooks/ptr_0133499456.html for Tannenbaum and http://www.phptr.com/ptrbooks/esm_0130117021.html for the project book by Grodzinsky


IP addressing is covered in Tannenbaum, as are routing algorithms. Obviously Tannenbaum doesn't cover OSPF to the same depth as Comer or John Moy's OSPF book.

The URL for my syllabus for CSCI 415 Telecomputing is in my original post. A syllabus for a TCP/IP course is posted by Comer at http://www.cs.purdue.edu/~comer/courses.html .

What I'm most concerned for is the special topics course.
There is no time for bridging and other L1/L2 stuff (or ATM wherever layer you stick it). That is in Telecomputing.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Darin Divinia <[email protected]>
To: Dana Hudes <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 1999 11:48 PM
Subject: Re: Training the next generation: 


> I would include some basic stuff on IP addressing.
> Some fundamentals of routing protocols (what makes ones routable)
> Difference between a routing and routable protocol.
> Sniffer traces of protocols.  
> Bridging, specifically how a MAC table works and what a port off a bridge
> should see  Same for a bridge for that fact.  
> 
> Do you have the details of what you are going to teach by section?  That
> would help me see what is missing.
> 
> D.
> 
> 
> At 12:12 AM 8/24/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >Hi !
> > I'm teaching networking this year at CUNY Hunter College here in Manhattan. 
> >I would like your input as industry members what skills would have value to 
> >you in a new graduate computer science major (the students are seniors). 
> >Fall course is "Telecomputing"; the syllabus I created for the course uses 
> >Tannenbaum's _Computer Networks_ and tries to cover a range of things. 
> >Course project will likely be design and implement a bridge, possibly 
> >including source-route and certainly including spanning tree. Early on, 
> >coverage of WAN include project with PCM and such.
> >A syllabus is posted at http://harmony.hudes.org/Telecomputing.html
> >Students will have a broad base in a variety of networking topics. Focus on 
> >Ethernet in the LAN and PPP and ATM in the WAN.
> >
> >
> >Spring is a "special topics" course. I've some flexibility here. I'm 
> >weighing two alternatives, and want some feedback.
> >Of all possible things, the acting chair and I narrowed to two possible 
> >courses:
> >1. A course in TCP/IP. Use Comer, _Internetworking with TCP/IP_ and his 
> >syllabus from Purdue as a starting point.
> >No time in this course for any physical layer or data link stuff beyond a 
> >cursory overview of Ethernet as we move at high speed to the network layer 
> >and IP forwarding.  Comer's graduate course has students build a router but 
> >this is probably too much for undergraduates. Instead an OSPF 
> >implementation, including all the options (especially NSSA) . A cursory 
> >introduction to sockets programming with the course focus on routing 
> >algorithms (i.e. RIP, OSPF, and BGP4).
> >Can this one course (my fall course hasn't sufficient registration to make 
> >the 2 semester sequence in networking we'd hoped; maybe next year).
> >
> >2. Network application programming. Java clients, Perl and Apache server 
> >side (or perhaps Java servlets).  Hunter students know C++ fairly well by 
> >their senior year; Java is an easy transition. The entire class would divide 
> >into teams with assignments that comprise various parts of the client and 
> >server portions.  The project would be a turn-based simulation game (I used 
> >to play these and have a number of appropriate games with play-by-mail 
> >options, game rule design and/or game theory is not part of the course).  
> >While this won't teach them to be router engineers -- or developers, it 
> >should have some industry relevance.
> >
> >
> >Most Hunter graduates stay in the Greater NYC metropolitan area. Given this, 
> >which of these options is better for the industry? who is in shorter supply?
> >
> >Prompt feedback greatly appreciated. Registrar is asking for the course 
> >description ASAP or sooner.
> >
> >Thanks!
> >Dana Hudes
> >CUNY Hunter Computer Science
> >former ISP
> 
>