CSE 222A is a graduate course on computer networks. The continued exponential growth of the Internet has made the network an important part of our everyday lives. Companies use the network to conduct business, doctors to diagnose medical issues, etc. This course will provide a broad understanding of exactly how the network infrastructure supports distributed applications. Topics covered in the course include: Internet architecture, Internet routing, Software-Defined Networking, datacenters, content distribution networks, and peer-to-peer systems.

This is a research-oriented course focusing on current and classic papers from the research literature. Further, all students will work on an original research project, culminating in a project writeup and conference-style presentation. In the past, the very best of these course projects have resulted (with additional work) in publication in top conferences.

As with many other research seminars, the course will be predominately a discussion of a set of research papers. However, we will also discuss the origins of these research projects, the impact that they had on the research community, and their impact on industry (spoiler alert: the impact on industry generally is hard to predict).

Prerequisites

Students should have taken an undergraduate networking course. Although this perquisite is strongly recommended, we will also provide you with access to readings in an undergraduate networking textbook if you would like to catch up on your own time.

Grading Criteria

If you are taking the course for full credit (4 credits - letter grade), grading will be based on the following breakdown: Individual or group project (50%), quizzes (40%), and class participation (10%).

If you are taking the course for partial credit (2 credits - pass/fail), grading will be based on the following breakdown: quizzes (50%) and class participation (50%).

Instructions for Reading Papers Before Class

This class is focused on discussing papers rather than lectures. You should read the assigned papers before each class. While reading the papers, keep in mind that your goal is not necessarily to understand the details about every single paragraph. Rather, you should be able to answer the following high-level questions about the paper before we discuss it in class. If you have any questions while reading, write them down and bring them to class!

• What is the problem the paper addresses?
• Why is the problem important?
• What is the proposed solution?
• What were the challenges that the authors faced?
• How did the authors evaluate their solution?
• What falls outside the scope of this paper?

Reading Schedule