COMP28112 Distributed Computing syllabus 2019-2020
COMP28112 Distributed Computing
Level 2
Credits: 10
Enrolled students: 172
Course leader: Rizos Sakellariou
Additional staff: view all staff
Requisites
- Pre-Requisite (Compulsory): COMP18112
- Pre-Requisite (Compulsory): COMP16212
- Pre-Requisite (Optional): COMP25111
Additional requirements
- Students who are not from the School of Computer Science must have permission from both Computer Science and their home School to enrol.
Assessment methods
- 80% Written exam
- 20% Practical skills assessment
| Semester | Event | Location | Day | Time | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sem 2 | Lecture | 1.1 | Thu | 13:00 - 14:00 | - |
| Sem 2 | Lecture | Roscoe TH B | Tue | 16:00 - 17:00 | - |
| Sem 2 B | Lab | 2.25 (A+B) | Wed | 09:00 - 11:00 | F |
| Sem 2 B | Lab | LF31 | Fri | 10:00 - 12:00 | G |
| Sem 2 B | Lab | LF31 | Thu | 14:00 - 16:00 | H |
- Web and Distributed Systems
Overview
Many of the most important and visible uses of computer technology rely on distributed computing. Understanding distributed computing requires an understanding of the problems and the challenges stemming from the coordinated operation of different hardware and software. The course focuses on a set of common techniques required to address the key challenges of distributed computing.Aims
Many of the most important and visible uses of computer technology rely on distributed computing. This course unit aims to build on the course unit in the first year (COMP10052) which introduced students to the principles of distributed computing, and it focuses on techniques and methods in sufficient breadth and depth to provide a foundation for the exploration of specific topics in more advanced course units. The course unit assumes that students have already a solid understanding of the main principles of computing within a single machine, have a rudimentary understanding of the issues related to machine communication and networking, and have been introduced to the area of distributed computing.
Syllabus
Introduction
Revision of the characteristics of distributed systems. Challenges. Architectural models.
Remote Invocation and Distributed Objects
Java RMI, CORBA, Web Services.
Message-Oriented middleware
Synchronous vs asynchronous messaging. Point-to-point messaging. Publish-subscribe.
Concurrency, co-ordination and distributed transactions
Ordering of events. Two-phase commit protocol. Consensus.
Caching and Replication
Security
Service-Oriented Architectures, REST and Web Services
Teaching methods
Lectures
22 in total, 2 per week
Laboratories
10 hours in total, 5 2-hour sessions
Feedback methods
Formative feedback based on assessment of different solutions to problems relevant to the module or area of weakness from previous years. Feedback is also provided by demonstrators in the laboratory.Study hours
- Assessment written exam (2 hours)
- Lectures (24 hours)
- Practical classes & workshops (12 hours)
Employability skills
- Analytical skills
- Innovation/creativity
- Problem solving
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:
- Have knowledge and understanding of the main principles, techniques and methods involved when dealing with distributed systems.
- Have detailed knowledge and understanding of major issues related to the design of a distributed system, such as: - how to communicate between distributed objects by means of remote invocation.
- Have detailed knowledge and understanding of major issues related to the design of a distributed system, such as: - the absence of global physical time in distributed systems.
- Have detailed knowledge and understanding of major issues related to the design of a distributed system, such as: - how processes can coordinate their actions in a distributed setting distributed transactions.
- Have the ability to design and implement prototypical distributed computing applications using different technologies.
- Be aware how the fundamental techniques above are applied in practical systems.
Reading list
| Title | Author | ISBN | Publisher | Year | Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distributed systems: concepts and design (5th edition) | Coulouris, George et al. | 9780273760597 | Addison-Wesley | 2011 | ✔ |
| Distributed systems (3rd edition) | van Steen, Maarten and Andrew S. Tanenbaum | 9781543057386 | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | 2017 | ✔ |
Additional notes
Course unit materials
Links to course unit teaching materials can be found on the School of Computer Science website for current students.