Advanced Computer Networking

Content

The lecture presents advanced concepts for building computer networks. Examinations of network protocols and network algorithms are the foundation of this lecture. Basic techniques for the construction of local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN) are explained. Mechanisms and protocols for inter-domain and intra-domain routing are discussed and possible attack scenarios are demonstrated. Concepts and mechanisms of modern transport layer protocols are presented. Furthermore, different tunneling protocols for networks are discussed. Measurements of single network nodes and Internet-wide measurements are introduced and explained. Modern techniques (OpenFlow, P4) for software-based packet processing are demonstrated.

Material

After the course has started, the lecture material including exercise sheets can be found at https://acn.net.cit.tum.de.

Exercise

During the semester we will hand out exercise sheets. After a preparation time of one week, exercises are handed in (via git repository) the first time and we will discuss the results in class. A week after the discussion, exercises must be corrected by yourself and handed in for a second time (also via git repository). The first and the second correction are graded afterwards. Overall you can earn up to 60 credits for the grade bonus from the exercise. Exercises will be held on the Thursday slot about each 3 to 4 weeks.

Project

For this course we offer two projects along with the exercise.

  • In the first you will implement your own software router based on the packet processing framework DPDK. For this project you will work in a virtualized testbed with pos.
  • In the second project you benchmark and optimize a user space implementation of the QUIC protocol.

There will be graded milestones for the projects. Overall you can earn up to 10 credits for the grade bonus from the projects.

Grade Bonus

By successfully participating in exercise and project you can earn up to 15 extra credits on top of the credits you achieve for the written exam. You can earn 75 credits from the written exam; the credits from the exam suffice to get a grade of 1.0. The maximum achievable number of credits for the exercise is 60, and 10 for the project. Your final grade is calculated as follows:

bonusCredits = minimum(15, creditsExercise/6 + creditsProject)
finalGrade = grade(creditsFinalExam + bonusCredits)

Only passing grades (4.0 or better) can be improved with the bonus credits. The grade bonus is also valid for the retake exam.

In case of academic misconduct (e.g. copying without citing) in exercise or project leads to a disqualification from the bonus system.

Registration

Please register for the course and exam in TUMonline.

Exam

The date for the exam is centrally planned by the school. The preliminary date for the exam is Wed Feb 12, 2025 16:00 to 17:15 (CET).

The official date will be published on TUMonline.

Retake Exam

There will be a written retake exam. Participation in the retake exam does not require the registration / participation in the regular exam. The grade bonus is also valid for the retake exam.

The date for the exam is centrally planned by the school. The preliminary date for the exam is Wed Apr. 9, 2025 11:00 to 12:15 (CEST).

The official date will be published on TUMonline.