This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2007-2008 (archived)
Module COMP51015: ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING
Department: Computer Science
COMP51015: ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 4 | 15 | Available in 2007/2008 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- None.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- Distributed systems design is based on a number of core principles; the module is designed to address those which are not normally found in undergraduate Computer Science programmes. A modelling approach is taken in this module. This is then set in the context of modern advanced software engineering lifecycle approaches.
Content
- Principles and mathematics: advanced structures - sets, functions, relations, graphs; specifications - propositions, predicates, quantifiers
- Modelling computation: languages and grammars; finite state machines
- Modelling performance: combinations and probability; MArkov chains
- Modelling information: information theory; coding
- Networking and distribution: RPC; protocol definition
- Modelling distributed transactions: time; consistency; concurrency and synchronisation
- Advanced software engineering lifecycle concepts for the internet: open source with examples such as Apache; XP and other 'rapid' techniques; evaluation and metrics
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Specialist knowledge: mathematical modelling of distributed systems, including synchronisation, performance, and information. Networking fundamentals
- Management: modern software engineering methods for the internet
- Design integration: integration of theory with practical methods
- Engineering of software systems: application of theoretical concepts to distributed problems. Software engineering lifecycles; evaluation
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The module comprises 1 week's intensive directed reading and laboratory exercises; 5 days of lectures, tutorials, and reading, and two weeks undertaking a major laboratory assignment. The overall workload conforms to the standard SLAT requirement of 150 hours equivalent to 15 credits.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 25 | 5 per day in week 2 | 1 hour | 25 | |
| Tutorials | 4 | weekly | 1 hour | 4 | |
| Practicals | 5 | daily in week 1 | 6 hours | 30 | |
| Laboratory | 10 | daily in weeks 3 and 4 | 6 hous | 60 | |
| Preparation and Reading | 31 | ||||
| Total | 150 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory report | 100% | Laboratory report | 100% |
Formative Assessment
Staged written feedback of laboratory and practical work by staff/demonstrators.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.