Course Title: Network Design and Performance

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Network Design and Performance

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

EEET2317

City Campus

Postgraduate

125H Electrical & Computer Engineering

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

EEET2317

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2024

EEET2318

City Campus

Undergraduate

125H Electrical & Computer Engineering

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

EEET2318

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Dr. Shuo Li

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3768

Course Coordinator Email: shuo.li2@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 12.08.11

Course Coordinator Availability: Email for appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

You are expected to have knowledge of communication and network engineering principles, 7 layers OSI model, fundamentals of probability and statistics, and TCP/IP. 

You should have taken at least an undergraduate-level networking course (EEET2291 or equivalent). 

You must have basic programs skills (MATLAB, C/C++, Java) to finish the course assessments. 


Course Description

The course will provide you with an introduction to the key concepts of core/backbone network design and operations, including existing core/backbone network technologies, network dimensioning and optimization, queueing theory, network performance monitoring and management, and next-generation core networks.  

In the labs, you will finish your own core network design for a real case and use one simulator to test your design. You will also learn how to use network monitoring software to monitor and manage network performance.  

Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. (This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onwards. See the WAM information web page for more information.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

At undergraduate level this course develops the following Program Learning Outcomes: 

  • 1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. 
  • 2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. 
  • 2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. 

At postgraduate level this course develops the following Program Learning Outcomes for MC234 - Master of Engineering (Telecommunication and Network Engineering): 

  1. High levels of technical competence in the field. 
  2. Be able to apply problem solving approaches to work challenges and make decisions using sound engineering methodologies.


On completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Identify and explain key concepts and algorithms related to network design. 
  2. Apply different queueing models to real world problems.
  3. Simulate data networks to predict performance.
  4. Use network monitoring software to monitor and manage network performance.


Overview of Learning Activities

In the lectorials, you will engage in a discussion with the lecturer on the network design and performance topics as listed below: 

  • Internetworking design considerations 
  • existing core/backbone network technologies 
  • network dimensioning and optimization  
  • traffic modelling & queueing theory 
  • admission and congestion controls 
  • network design for quality of service support 
  • network performance monitoring and management 
  • next generation core/backbone networks  
 

During the labs, you will finish a design of backbone network based on your tutor’s requirements and then use one simulator to check the performance of your design. You will also learn how to use the network monitoring software to monitor and manage backbone networks.   

After the lectorias, you are required to finish some on-line short quizzes based on relevant topics covered in the lectorials.


Overview of Learning Resources

Current research literature, laboratory manuals and bespoke resources will be used as required and as appropriate, given the wide variety of material and references.  

Lecture slices will be available on the course website before classes start.


Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements. 

Assessment will be based on both individual and collaborative performance of requisite laboratory tasks and their subsequent write-up and an in-class shot quiz. These will cover a real network design and simulation case, learning and reporting of network simulators and performance monitoring systems.   

You will also be required to finish an individual project in which you need to write simulation programs to predict the performance of a small core network based on queueing theory. You will also be required to finish two individual assignments which assesses CLO2 and CLO 4.

Assessment Task 1: Laboratory performance and reports  
Weighting 40% 
This assessment is group-based learning activity 
This assessment task assesses CLO1 and CLO4. 

Assessment Task 2:  Assignments
Weighting 20% 
This assessment is individual-based learning activity. 
This assessment task assesses CLO2 and CLO4.  

Assessment Task 3:  Project
Weighting 40% 
This is an individual learning activity. 
This assessment task assesses CLO3.