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Course Description - CSCI 551, Fall 2011, TuTh Section

 
Focus
The main focus of this course is on networking (mainly the Internet) protocols. There is no required textbooks (but there are recommanded ones). The required reading materials mainly come from a list of technical papers.
 
Academic Integrity Policy
Please make sure you read the Academic Integrity Policy of this course.
 
Recommanded Textbooks
 
Syllabus / Topics Covered / Academic Calendar
Please see the list of technical papers covered in this course. A link to the USC Fall 2011 academic calendar is provided here for your convenience.
 
E-mail
Most class related announcements will be done through e-mail via an e-mail reflector setup by the instructor. Please see instructions on how to get on this list (you should do this as soon as possible).

Please do not ask the following types of questions in your e-mail:

  • Here is my understanding of X. Am I right (or is this correct)?
    (You can do this for just about everything and in many different ways. I do not have the bandwidth to deal with too many questions like this.) However, often times, you should be able to ask a slightly different question and get the same answer that you are looking for. This type of questions is completely appropriate for office hours.)

  • I don't understand X. Could you explain X to me?
    (It's your responsiblity to come to lectures and ask questions during lectures if there is something you do not understand. If you did attend lectures, then it is appropriate to ask this during office hours.)

Although this is not related to e-mails, it's a type of question I get often. Please do not ask this types of question:

  • Here is what I am thinking of or doing... is it acceptable (or is this okay)?

    (What you are really asking is whether you will receive full credit or not. Wouldn't it be great if you can ask this during exams? It's not an appropriate question for assignments for the same reason it is not appropriate for exams. Although there is a difference between programming assignments and exams, but since you are asking about grading, it's inappropriate.)

 
Homework
There will be 2 to 4 homework assignments consisting of problems.

Some problems will be based on readings and class discussions. Some will be ns/nam simulation problems. Please note that the only allowed file formats are ASCII text, PDF, Postscript, and HTML.

 
Projects
A major programming project to be writeen in C or C++. (Sorry, no Java.) Please see the projects specifications for details.
 
Exams
A midterm and a final examination will be given. The date of the midterm examination will be posted near the top of the class home page. The date of the final examination is firm and it is also listed near the top of the class home page. Any schedule conflicts regarding the midterm exam date must be resolved with the instructor at least one week before the exam date.

Exam Questions

I often get questions such as (1) can I get a copy of an old exam and (2) what types of questions should I expect? The answer to question (1) is "no". I'm sorry, but I do not give out old exams. That's just my policy. The answer to question (2) is the following.

There are two types of exam questions that I usually ask. The first type is illustrated by problems 2, 3, and 4 in the Extra Homework. The second type is in the following form: "In N words or less, what is the answer to the following question?"

For this type of question, you can write as many words as you'd like, but I will only read the first N words of your answer! You don't need to count the number of words in your answer, you just need to make sure that the most important part of your answer appears in the first N words! (There is no need to write complete English sentenses when you answer exam questions. Just give me the important stuff!)

The reason I'm doing this is that I don't want a brain dump of everything you know about a topic and tell me that the answer is there and that I have to look for it! I want you to tell me what part of your answer you think is important and you need to distinguish between answers of different quality and put the best answer up front.

Let me give a couple of silly examples (with questions that's not in the scope of any exam).

  • "In 20 words or less, for our programming assignments, when is 'plagiarism' considered taking place? If your answer is "when you take someone else's work and claim it to be yours", then you will get full credit. If your answer is, "when you submit someone else's work", you probably will not get full credit.

  • "In 20 words or less, what is the fairness policy of this class?" If your answer is, "whatever the instructor offer to one student, he must offer it to the rest of the class," then you will get full credit. If your answer is, "the instructor must be fair to every student," you probably will not get much credit.
Can you tell why the first answers above are better than the second answers?

In general, better answers may score more points. If you give very high level and generic answer that's generally true or basically just repeat the question, you probably will get very little credit for it! You need to answer a specific question with a specific answer.

 
Grading
Class Participation:   3%
Projects:   35%
Midterm Exam:   27%
Final Exam:   35%

Pleaes also note the following:

  • The above percentages will be used to calculate your total score. Final grades (A,B,C,D,or F) will be determined using a modified curve (i.e., we won't necessarily assign an equal number of failing grades as passing grades) based on this total score. No other methods will be considered. (So, please do not ask the instructor to take how much you have improved since the beginning of the semester into account. You are expected to try your best from the beginning!)

  • We will assign grades of C and below to individuals who do not perform satisfactorily in the above areas. (i.e., you should not assume a B- or even C if you perform unsatisfactorily.) However, we hope that everyone will perform well.

  • Your assignments are your own work! No group assignments are allowed or will be tolerated. You are free to talk to other students about assignments but no actual material (files, photocopies etc.) should be shared. We will act harshly at any sign of copying.

  • We will not assign incompletes unless it is for a documented medical reason (in accordance with USC policy).
 
Late Policy
All homeworks and project assignments must be turned in on time. Late submissions will receive severe penalties. Due to clock skews, electronic submissions of projects and homeworks assignments will be accepted within 15 minutes after the specified deadlines without penalties. If you submit with the next 24 hours, you will receive 75% of your grade. You will receive a score of zero afterwards (and your assignment will not be graded).

If you are unable to complete a homework or a programming assignment due to illness or family emergency, please see the instructor as soon as possible to get an extension. A doctor's note is required as proof of illness or emergency. In general, when you get sick, it's best to see a doctor and get a note just in case you may need it later.

 
Note From A Doctor
Recently, there has been a change in the policy at the Student Health Center regarding giving a "note from the doctor" to you to bring to a faculty member so that you can be execused from deadlines. Basically, they will not give you such a note any more. What they would give you is an Authorization for Disclosure of Medical Information form. With this form, you give them permissions to discuss your illness with me.

So, if you visit a doctor at the Student Health Center, please make sure you fill out one of these forms, check the "limited discussion with faculty" checkbox, get it stamped, signed, and dated by someone there (a clerk/receptionist would sign at the "witness" line), and bring it back to me. This would satisfy the "note from a doctor" requirement so that you can get an extension.

If you visit a doctor somewhere else, please either bring a "note from the doctor" or a similar authrozation letter so I can contact them.

 
Regrading Policy
All requests to change grading of homework, programming projects, or exams must be submitted in writing within one week of the time the initial grade was given. Requests must be specific and explain why you feel your answer deserves additional credit. A request to re-grade an assignment can result in the entire assignment being re-evaluated and as a result the score of any part of the assignment be increased or lowered as appropriate.
 
Office Hours
The instructor's office hours are held two hours each week.

You are welcome to make an appointment to see the instructor outside of office hours.

 
Extra Credits
No extra credit assignments will be given for this class. So, there is not need to ask. Try your best from the beginning!
 
Implicit Student Agreement
All work including homeworks, programming assignments and exams must be that of the individual student. It is often productive to study with other students. However, if any portions of homeworks or programming assignments are found to be shared between two (or more) students, zero credit will be given to all students concerned and all students will be disciplined. This policy is in the interest of those students who do their own work, which hopefully applies to all of you in this class. 

This policy also holds for  programming assignments. In this class, we will use sophisticated automated program checkers to detect cheating. Be aware that the program checkers have demonstrated very good results and are widely used within the academic community. Any student caught cheating will be given zero credit and will be disciplined.

It is the students responsibility to submit their assignments to the TA in time. 

For students who satisfied the CSci402 prerequisite at other universities or through work experience, this course assumes that you understand concurrency, synchronization, and UNIX programming. You should be able to write large programs in C/C++. No special assistance or consideration will be offered if your background is inadequate.

 
Student Responsibilities
During the semester you are responsible for completing the assigned readings, homeworks, programs, and exams.

You are expected to read all the papers in detail. Not all details will be covered in class.  We will assume knowledge of material covered in EE450 and a C language programming proficiency from CSci402 or its equivalent. If you covered the introductory material at some other school it is YOUR responsibility to fill in any missing background. Feel free to ask me for advice on appropriate introductory readings if you feel your background is insufficient.

We expect you to attend every class meeting. If you do happen to miss a session, you are responsible for finding out what material was covered and if any administrative announcements were made. You must do so BEFORE the next session (e.g., if there is an assignment given during the missed session, you are still responsible for completing it by the next week along with the other students).  You are advised to read the papers for a particular lecture before attending the lecture. This will greatly enhance your understanding of the subject matter.

 
Fairness
The instructor must treat all students equally and cannot give special treatment to any particular student. Therefore, please do not ask special favors from the instructor because of your circumstances. This may seem unfair to you because you believe that your circumstances are special (understandably, everone does). But the rule the instructor must follow is that whatever he offers you, he must offer to the entire class.
 
Auditing
Auditing is not permitted for this class.
 
Additional Resources
(These resources are provided for your information. Please note that the instructor has not read most of them. Please use these resources at your own risk!)

Programming:

Networking: UNIX:
 

[Last updated Sat Sep 19 2020]    [Please see copyright regarding copying.]