CIS 350:

Operating Systems and Networks

Department of Computer Information Systems

College of Business Administration

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

U.S.A.

 

Spring 2008

Jan 23 - May 9, plus Final Exam on May 12

 

2:00 - 2:50 pm MWF

38 Rockwell

 

 

 

 

 

This Syllabus Provides a General Plan for the Course;

Deviations May Be Necessary.

Course Description and Prerequisites (prerequisites will be enforced):

 

Multiuser and network operating systems; basic networking concepts including security, transmission, performance, and topologies.  Prerequisite: BD240.

 

- Colorado State University General Catalog, 2007-2008

 

1. Explain Operating Systems: processes, process management

2. Understand and explain number systems and how binary and decimal are used in networking

3. Work effectively at the Linux command line

4. Manipulate Linux files with full understanding of the underlying directory structure and security

5. Understand and carry out the basics of Linux system administration, including basic security.

6. Explain memory and file systems an how they apply to various operating systems

7. Explain the OSI and TCP/IP networking models, and their roles in networking and the Internet

8. Understand & explain how network addressing and routing is performed in computer networks

9. Understand and explain how to measure network performance

10. Understand the role of wireless transmission in network implementations

11. Manage network and web functions on Linux and Windows

12. Program simple Linux shell scripts

13. Program simple network applications

Textbooks and other references and resources:

 

Recommended Resources:

Stallings, William. (2005, 5^th ed.).  Business Data Communications.  Prentice Hall.  ISBN 0-13-144257-0.  (Main textbook.)

Meadors, Todd.  (2003).  Linux Shell Script Programming.  Thomson / Course Technology.  ISBN 0-619-15920-0.  (Main Linux textbook.)

Newham, Cameron; & Rosenblatt, Bill.  (1998, 2nd ed.)  Learning the bash Shell.  O'Reilly.  ISBN 1-56592-347-2.  (Recommended Linux textbook.)

 

Olenewa, Jorge; & Ciampa, Mark.  (2007, 2nd ed.).  Wireless# Guide to Wireless Communications.  Thomson / Course Technology.

Dean, Tamara.  (2004, 3rd ed.).  Network+ Guide to Networks.  Thomson / Course Technology.

Kirch, Olaf; & Dawson, Terry.  (2000, 2nd ed.).  Linux Network Administrators Guide.  O’Reilly.   ISBN 1-56592-400-2.

Tomsho, Greg; Tittel, Ed; & Johnson, David.  (2003, 3rd ed.)  Guide to Networking Essentials.  Thomson / Course Technology.

Welsh, Matt; Dalheimer, Matthias Kalle; & Kaufman, Lar.  (1999, 3rd ed.).  Running Linux.  O'Reilly.  ISBN 1-56592-469-X.

Books on MS Windows Networking

Grading Categories and Breakdown:

 

Categories:

 

 

Breakdown (Note that +/- grading is used):

 

95        A

90        A-

87        B+

83        B

80        B-

77        C+

73        C

70        C-

60        D

 

NOTE 1:  This breakdown indicates lower limits of the letter grade you will receive if you earn at least the score given in the chart.

 

NOTE 2:  See group project grading handouts (to be provided as the semester progresses) for details of how grades are assigned for group work based on a combination of individual and group performance, and teacher and peer assessment.

 

Notes about Grading:

 

Grades are given based on how well you complete the assignments, not on the amount of time or effort you put in, and not on the amount that you think you have learned.

 

Unfortunately there is great variation in how much time it takes to complete any given assignment.  Just because it takes one person 20 minutes to complete and another person 1 hour complete does not mean they earn different grades; it also does not necessarily imply that the assignment that took 20 minutes will receive a better (or worse) grade than the one that took an hour to complete.  Likewise, the only way I have to assess what you have learned is in how well you perform on assignments and tests, and how well you participate in group and in-class activities.  In order to assess these things, there will be specific tasks required of you, and it is these tasks for which you will earn specific grades.

 

The questions that are used to assign you a grade on any given task include (but are not limited to): How well were the instructions for the assignment followed?  Was the assignment turned in on time?  What level of quality did the final submission possess?  How much of the assignment was done correctly?  Were ideas and principles discussed in class applied and followed in carrying out the assignment?

 

Scheduled Tests & Final Exam:

 

There will probably be four tests, including the final exam.  They will cover the lecture, book, handout, homework, and project material even if it was not covered in class, and may be any combination of true/false, multiple-choice, matching, programming, short answer, essay styles, and hands-on.

 

All tests will be equally-weighted, including the final exam.

 

Tests are typically closed-book, closed-note, closed-neighbor.  :-)

 

No mp3 players, PDAs, cell-phones, headphones, etc., are allowed in class during tests.  Leave these at home, or, at the very least, keep them put away in your backpack or briefcase during the test.  Make sure they are totally out of site and inaccessible, so there is no question in my mind as to whether you are using them or not - you should not be!

 

On test days, you will typically only need a pencil and an eraser, for filling out ScanTron forms and responding to short-answer test questions.  In general, calculators are not allowed.  If a calculator is allowed, you will be told beforehand, and it must be a simple calculator, and not one on a PDA or cell phone, etc., and not a programmable one.

 

Make sure you take care of all "bathroom breaks" before coming to the test.  If you have a cold, bring tissue with you to the test.  No one will be allowed to leave and return during the test period.

 

Quizzes:

 

There will probably be numerous unannounced quizzes.  These will usually occur at the very beginning of class, but could occur any time.  There are no make-up quizzes.  The lowest quiz score will be dropped.  If you miss a quiz for excused or unexcused reasons, then that quiz becomes the one that will be dropped.  Of course, after missing one quiz, all subsequent missed quizzes will be counted as zeros in your test/quiz score.

 

Individual Homework:

 

A number of individual homework assignments will be given throughout the semester.  The details of these assignments and their due dates will be provided as the course progresses.  These assignments are to be done individually (see “Individual Work” and “Professional Standards of Scholarship” sections below.)  All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date for the assignment.

 

All work turned in for a grade should be done to the same level of quality as would be expected in a professional/work environment.  This means that all submissions should be neatly typed, use proper grammar and punctuation, have correct spelling, follow standard writing style guidelines, give credit when material is quoted, used, and/or referenced, etc.  Staple multi-page submissions; do not turn them in unattached.  Points may be deducted if you do.  (See more detailed explanations below under Individual Work and Professional Standards of Scholarship.)  Sometimes use of various media (slides, computer presentation, live video) and tools/techniques (Powerpoint, Visio, Rational Rose, etc.) are recommended.

 

Group Homework:

 

A number of group homework assignments will be given throughout the semester.  The details of these assignments and their due dates will be provided as the course progresses.  These assignments are to be done in teams.  A single submission for each assignment will be required for each team.  All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date for the assignment.

 

Late HW, Missed Tests, Etc.:

 

Late work is generally not accepted.  All submissions are due at the beginning of class on the date specified unless otherwise explicitly noted in class, via e-mail, and/or on the class web site.  Frequently, the assignment will be reviewed during the first few minutes of class on the day it is due.  Thus, unless otherwise stated, ALL HOMEWORK IS DUE DURING THE FIRST FIVE (5) MINUTES OF THE CLASS PERIOD AT WHICH IT IS DUE.  (If in doubt as to whether you will make it to class on time, submit it to me early!)  If submitted electronically, HW is generally due before the time class starts.

 

There will be NO MAKE-UP TESTS given unless you have a university-approved excuse and contact me BEFORE the test in question is given.  Tests and homework will not be excused simply for vacations, etc.  Schedule your vacations for after the semester is completely finished, including the final exam.

 

Individual Work:

 

For work assigned to be done individually (Individual Homework), you should turn in only work that you yourself have done.  Work submitted as your own, but which was done all or in part by others, will not receive full credit – in fact, it is likely to receive no credit.  This is known as plagiarism, and is dealt with very seriously.  If you draw on previous work done by others, be sure to give appropriate credit when this is the case^[1].  When you are asked to work alone, make sure you do that.  In short, since you are each unique individuals, I expect to be able to easily tell from the work you submit that you worked independently; collaborative work tends to “jump out” at me because it looks “suspiciously similar” to something I’ve already seen.  Make sure you work sufficiently independently so that I can easily tell that you have done your own work.  A penalty will be assigned to those who submit collaborative work when it was assigned to be done individually.  The minimum penalty is usually a ZERO on the assignment, but University Policy allows for more serious penalties when warranted.  If a reduced grade is assigned because of plagiarism or other "academic dishonesty" reasons, I am required by University Policy to report the situation to the University level.  See University policy on Academic Integrity for further details.

 

There are times when you are asked to "show your work" on assignments.  This means that you will not get full credit if you only give the final answer.  It means that you are required to show the process and logic that you followed in order to obtain the answer.  This may require you to list formulas, and the steps used in applying the formulas, including intermediate values.  Be sure to show your work if you hope to get full credit.

 

Professional Standards of Scholarship:

 

Professional standards of scholarship require that any time an individual relies on another’s work, proper credit must be given.  This means that any time one directly uses textual material that it must be placed within quotes and referenced properly; other non-textual material must be shown with proper credit given citing the original source of the work.  When material is not used in exact form (paraphrased, major ideas relied on or referred to, etc.) it should still be given credit as well, although it is not put within quotes.  Always give credit to ideas or materials that are not yours^[2].  If in doubt, give credit.

 

Violations of these standards are highly disapproved of, and appropriate academic action will be taken depending on the situation.  Be professional, give credit where it is due, turn in work that is your own, and you will be fine.

 

IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES, PLEASE TALK WITH ME.  I AM HERE TO HELP YOU LEARN AND TO HELP YOU WHEN YOU ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT TO DO.  DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS!

 

Besides expecting professional standards of scholarship, generally accepted U.S. standards for written work will applied to documents turned in for this course.  This means that grammar, punctuation, spelling, and citation of references should follow standard guidelines.  APA (American Psychological Association) or another common standard is acceptable for work submitted for this course.  Be consistent; be neat; be professional. 

 

You are receiving a degree from an American university, which you and the University want to be well-respected.  Thus you will be held to relevant American academic standards.

 

See University policy on Academic Integrity for further details.

 

Participation:

 

While participation is not directly taken into account when determining course grades, it is expected both during class lectures, via e-mail, during group project meetings, and during group project work.  This course may involve new ideas and almost certainly requires learning new skills and behaviors with respect to your software development habits.  Thus participation in class is anticipated to be beneficial and full involvement is expected.

 

Teacher-Student Communications (Internet E-Mail, and the WWW):

 

The best way to contact me is via Internet e-mail.  Send e-mail to the address listed on the first page of this syllabus and I will probably respond within 24 hours of receiving your note.  (Mostly likely within just a few minutes or hours ¾ I check mail many times a day almost every day of the week, and expect you will probably do likewise.)  I will expect to be able to send e-mail to each of you and to get prompt replies.  (I will use the College of Business Outlook e-mail addresses automatically provided by the College when you register for this course, so make sure you check it regularly, even if you use some other account as well.)

 

I will use e-mail, the WWW, and the class Outlook Public Folders / Discussion List to post notices, schedule changes, etc.  Numerous handouts, course objectives, and assignments are distributed in electronic form (non-paper) through e-mail / Web pages / Public Folders which I continually update throughout the semester.  You will want to visit the class sites frequently.

 

Finally, I will use a class discussion list to communicate common information to all of you in all sections of the course.  The discussion list is currently set up, and I have already started using it.  It can be found in the Outlook Public Folders, under CIS350S1 Instructor Notes.  If you have questions on how to use or find this, please ask right away.

 

Announcements, Schedule Changes, & Distribution of Assignments, Etc.

 

You are responsible for all announcements and any schedule changes made in class ¾ even if you were not at class.  Find out from your friends/classmates if there were announcements when you were not present!

 

I will use Internet e-mail and the WWW to post notices, schedule changes, etc. that are not able to made in class.  Messages will be sent to your personal College of Business account.  Almost all assignments and handouts are distributed in electronic form (non-paper) through E-Mail and Web pages that I continually update throughout the semester.  You will want to visit them frequently.