Unit Overview Report
B345 Internet Science & Technology


Objectives

-Understand Components  Understand and be able to describe the technical components of Internet technologies.
-Understand Architectures  Understand the architectures by which the Internet components relate to each other.
-Able to View from Multiple Perspectives  Be able to view Internet technologies from a multitude of perspectives, from that of a user, manager, hardware or software architect, analyst, software designer, programmer, support personnel, and content developer.
-Understand Software Development  Understand the practicalities of Internet software development and be able to decide on appropriate methodologies to adopt for individual projects.
-Understand Data Issues  Understand the fundamental issues relating to data and traffic on the Internet, and how to manage them.
-Understand Economic and Social Issues  Have a basic understanding of how the economy and society impact on Internet developments, and how the Internet impacts on the economy and society.
-Have Life-Long Learning Skills  Have skills and attitudes appropriate for further in-depth self study in Internet sciences and technologies.

Contents

-Introduction  This topic gives an introduction to the area of Internet Science and Technology from the perspectives of more established fields of Computer Science, Information Systems, and Information Technology. In this topic, we explore where the body of knowledge that constitutes Internet Science and Technology emerges from, and what roles and careers this field leads to. The information from this topic will influence all subsequent topics in this unit. We will return again and again to the question of how Internet Science and Technology reflects on more traditional computing fields.
-Architecture  In this topic, we consider the concepts of Network and Software Architecture.We look at how network architectures are usually defined and viewed, and use the Internet as a specific example of the views. We also explore the field of software architecture and what is necessary to be able to define the architecture of a piece of software. We explore the various frameworks that exists to describe software architectures. We concentrate on using UML as a method of describing software, and look at World-Wide-Web technologies as examples of software architectures.
-Development  This topic deals with how software is developed for the Internet. We explore the various traditional methodologies for software development, and consider their strengths and weaknesses in developing Internet-based software. We also look closely at a new class of software development methods called Agile methods, that are particularly suited for a rapidly changing environment like the Internet. We also look at the evolution of programming from structured designs, to object-oriented frameworks, to the current emphasis on patterns and specifically design patterns.
-Data  This topic explores the issues relating to data on the Internet. We discuss how the concept of data is considered with the advance in many technologies. We compare the concept of data with that of metadata, control and program. The topic also describes how databases are connected to the World-Wide-Web, and the architecture of how this is achieved using current technologies like ODBC, JDBC, scripting technologies (PHP, ASP.NET, JSP), etc.
-Measurement  This topic explores how we measure the traffic and workloads on the World-Wide-Web. We look at models of measurements and apply them to web measurements. We also look at how to use measurements to determine the effectiveness of web-sites.
-Context  This topic explores the economic and social implications of the Internet. We place the Internet in the context of the current knowledge-based economy and society. We consider how the economy and the society impacts on Internet developments, and how the Internet impacts on the economy and society.

Learning Activities

-Lectures  3 hours per week. Mainly consist of lecturer speaking with simple overhead notes, and some hand-drawn examples of concepts and processes using the overhead projector or whiteboard. Supplemented by extra required reading material. Lectures are recorded and available by online streaming through the iLecture system.
-Tutorials  1 hour per week. Involves completing simple exercises before coming to session, then tutor mediated discussions about solutions to the exercise problems, and how the solutions were derived.
-Independent Research  Research, reading and preparation for tutorials, and for the assignment.

Assessments

-Assignment  Report and Analysis. Weight: 40%
-Tutorial Exercises and Discussions  Tutorials assessed on quality of solutions to exercises, and participation in discussions. Weight: 10%
-Final Examination  3 hour closed-book written exam at during final exam period. Weight: 50%