Course motivation and overview

This course is meant to be a research/investigative course into the design and implementation of massive online systems, including search engines, social networks, massively multiplayer games, and commercial sales networks.

Topics to be investigated for each system type include data acquisition, distribution and storage, query handling, load balancing, and efficiency/accessibility concerns.

The course will largely consist of theoretical investigation and study of specific systems, with some lab work focusing on small scale design and application exercises.

Actual topics and ordering will be determined as the semester progresses, but an initial ordering includes:

General introduction to issues in massive online systems:
- data acquisition, storage, queries and retrieval
- distributed models for availability and efficiency
- use of specialized network/architectures versus generalized distribution networks
- coping with variations in processor and connection response times, throughput, and reliability
- overhead versus speedup in distributed processing
- load balancing and response times
- data integrity, security, and consistency
- Exam 1

Case studies:
- peer-to-peer content distribution (e.g. Skype, VoIP)
- massive sales networks (e.g. Amazon, eBay)
- search engines (e.g. Google, Yahoo, Bing)
- social networking systems (e.g. FaceBook, MySpace)
- massively multiplayer games (e.g. W.o.W.,
- virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life)
- cloud computing

Project presentations/review:
- Exam 2 (during final exam period)

Contact information, materials

• Lecturer: Dave Wessels, 753-3245 ext 2436, David.Wessels@viu.ca

• Office hours (in Bldg 315, Rm 222): Mon 10:30-11:30, Wed 1-2, Fri 12:30-1:30
  If you need to see me outside office hours please send me an email (David.Wessels@viu.ca) to arrange a suitable time.
  

• Textbook: None

• Web material: online material may include supplementary lecture notes, practice exercises, etc, accessible through http://csci.viu.ca/~wesselsd/courses/csci485/

Timetable and assessment

• Lectures: Mon/Wed 2:30-r, Bldg 200 room 106
• Labs: Bldg. 315, Rm. 115, Mondays 1:30-2:30pm

• Assessment:
  Each student can complete any four of the following:
  - 25% Midterm exam 1 (held in class, October 24th)
  - 25% Midterm exam 2 (held during final exam period)
  - 25% Lab project (due 5pm November 16th)
  - 25% Set of three lab investigations (due 5pm November 16th)
  - 25% Research project (20% for a paper due 5pm November 26th, 5% for an in-class presentation, times/dates TBA)

Lab work

A lab project (focused largely on network programming issues) can be completed for 25% of your final grade.

There will also be a set of three lab investigation exercises which can be completed for 25% of your final grade.

Details to be discussed in labs.

Research paper

There will be a 2000-4000 word research paper plus short (20 minute) in class presentation which can be completed for 25% of your final grade.

Exams

There will be two exams, worth 25% each. One of the exams will be held in the regular lecture sessions (late October) while the other will be held in the VIU final exam period. Appeals of Grades:

Any exercise or examination grade may be appealed. However, the appeal must be made to the instructor, in writing and attached to the work in question, and within 7 days of the grade being made available to the class. The instructor reserves the right to re-grade the entire piece of work submitted on appeal, not necessarily just the component that the student believes is in error.

Grade Conversion:

The following scale will be used but the instructor reserves the right to lower the numerical score required for a particular letter grade if that seems appropriate, but the same conversion will be applied to all persons in the class. Under no circumstances will the numerical score required for a particular letter grade be raised.

90-100	85-<90	80-<85	76-<80	72-<76	68-<72	64-<68	60-<64	55-<60	50-<55	< 50
A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D	F

Lab and Computer Usage Rules:

See http://www.viu.ca/computerscience/resources.asp#Lab_and_Computer_Usage_Rules

Guidelines Concerning Fraud

These guidelines concern the type of fraud where a student presents another's work as his or her own, or allows another to do so.

• As fraud invalidates the evaluation of a student's progress, it is the duty of instructors, teaching assistants, and laboratory assistants to take measures to prevent fraud and to be vigilant towards symptoms of fraud.

• Students are encouraged to study together. But, unless the contrary is indicated, submitted work is to be done by students individually. Students are to collaborate on submitted work only when this is explicitly permitted by the instructor. In such a case, the names of all students who have collaborated on a piece of submitted work should be indicated on all submitted material.

  As in all academic endeavour, due credit must be given to all reference material. Students should consult the course instructor if they are not certain which outside material is appropriate for use in a course.

  The collaboration is to involve reasonable effort on the part of all students involved. In a situation where this is clearly not the case, appropriate action will be taken with regard to those students who have not fully contributed to the collaborative effort.

• In case fraud is detected, credit is withheld from the work affected. The students involved are reported to the department chair who may take additional disciplinary action commensurate with the severity of the fraud and the past records of the students.