Course Title: Web Servers and Web Technology

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Web Servers and Web Technology

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COSC1300	City Campus	Postgraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 2 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 2 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 2 2011
COSC1301	City Campus	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 2 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 2 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 2 2011
COSC2171	RMIT Intl University Vietnam	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Viet3 2007, Viet1 2008, Viet3 2008, Viet1 2009, Viet2 2009, Viet3 2009, Viet2 2010, Viet1 2011, Viet3 2011
COSC2265	Taylors College KL	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Offsh 3 10, Offsh 1 11

Course Coordinator: Dr. Ron van Schyndel

Course Coordinator Phone: +613 9925 9677

Course Coordinator Email:ron.vanschyndel@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 10.09.13

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

If this is your first semester/course in the School of Computer Science and IT, you should attend the Unix Survival Skills induction sessions (held during Weeks 0, 1 and 2 of each semester; see http://www.rmit.edu.au/compsci/cgi).

Course Description

This course introduces you to the role of a Web server administrator. To that end, it teaches you about the World Wide Web; networking and the Internet; the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and other related protocols; Web server performance; Web server security issues, and Web caching. You will be given tasks required of a Web server administrator, including installing and configuring the Apache 2.0 Web server.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Capability Development
This course contributes to the development of the following capabilities:

• Enabling knowledge: communications protocols, the Internet and intranets, Web servers, protocols and HTTP standards.
• Critical analysis: Analyse and model requirements and constraints for the purpose of installing and managing Web sites.
• Problem solving: Install and configure a Web server that accommodates specified requirements and constraints, based on modeling or requirements specification.
• Communication: Motivate and explain complex Web server concepts, relevant alternatives and decision recommendations to IT specialists, via technical reports of professional standard.
• Responsibility: Effectively apply relevant standards, ethical considerations, and an understanding of security issues to installing and configuring a Web server.
• International orientation: Adhere to international standards such as HTTP.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course you should be able to:

• Install, configure, and maintain a Web server;
• Identify and successfully manage issues of Web caching, Web security, and Web performance;
• Analyse requirements in installing and managing Web servers;
• Accommodate the differences between popular operating systems such as Unix and Windows NT when installing and managing Web servers.

Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are: 

• key concepts will be explained in lectures, classes or online, where syllabus material will be presented and the subject matter will be illustrated with demonstrations and examples;
  
• tutorials and/or labs and/or group discussions (including online forums) focussed on projects and problem solving will provide practice in the application of theory and procedures, allow exploration of concepts with teaching staff and other students, and give feedback on your progress and understanding;
• assignments, as described in Overview of Assessment (below), requiring an integrated understanding of the subject matter; and
• private study, working through the course as presented in classes and learning materials, and gaining practice at solving conceptual and technical problems.

Attendance:
While a minimum attendance standard is not compulsory, non-attendance may seriously jeopardise the chances of success in this course. Clearly, non-attendance at an assessment will result in failure of that assessment. Where visa conditions apply, attendance is compulsory.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will make extensive use of computer laboratories and relevant software provided by the School. You will be able to access course information and learning materials through the Learning Hub (also known as online@RMIT) and may be provided with copies of additional materials in class or via email. Lists of relevant reference texts, resources in the library and freely accessible Internet sites will be provided.

Use the RMIT Bookshop’s textbook list search page to find any recommended textbook(s).

Overview of Assessment

The assessment for this course comprises practical work involving the development of computer programs, writing a short research report, and a final exam. Part of the assessment will be based on a large group project that involves the design, development and implementation of a Web service.

For standard assessment details, including hurdle requirements, relating to Computer Science and IT courses see: http://www.rmit.edu.au/compsci/cgi