TDC 594: Network Capstone Preliminary Draft Syllabus (not for

TDC 594: Network Capstone
Preliminary Draft Syllabus
(not for redistribution)
Jean-Philippe Labruyere
Course Overview
In this class students will synthesize knowledge from previous courses to design, build,
test, and demonstrate a comprehensive network project as members of a project team.
Topics introduced or reviewed, and used in completing the project, will include network
requirement analysis, network architecture design, vendor evaluation, planning,
experimental design, physical design, logical design, security design, testing strategy,
documentation, change management, and network management strategy. Other topics
include reasoning about uncertain user requirements, negotiation, online meeting
techniques, and group dynamics.
Text book
Top-Down Network Design, 3rd Edition
By Priscilla Oppenheimer.
Book
ISBN-10: 1-58720-283-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-58720-283-4
eBook
ISBN-10: 1-58714-000-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-58714-000-6
WARNING
This course will require a large amount of work outside the class through lab exercises
and design work. A student with full time employment should consider taking no other
class during the term.
Course Description
The Network Engineering and Management Capstone course brings together topics
learned throughout the students’ graduate coursework in a format that combines lectures,
laboratory assignments, reflective research and group design.
The students will participate in the following activities:

Lectures. A few lectures on selected topics will be presented by the
lecturer or guest speakers.

Lab exercises. These exercises will require the students to configure a
wide variety of network services.

Presentation and discussions. The students will research areas of interests,
and present it in a 10-15 minutes classroom presentation.

Major Case Study. Students will work in small groups to design a
complete networking infrastructure for a realistic IT environment.

Final exam – This exam will cover critical topics that you should have
learned through your MS studies.
Grading






Lab exercises - 20%
Main infrastructure Design/Case Study – 40%
Router/switch configuration of selected devices in your main design – 10%
Individual Student Presentation – 10%
Final exam – 15%
Class attendance, forum discussion and participation - 5%
Preliminary class schedule
Week 1:
Class Overview – Enterprise Infrastructure Design Part I
Week 2:
Enterprise Infrastructure Design II – Case Study Discussion
Week 3:
BGP
Week 4:
Firewalls, NAT, PAT
Week 5:
MPLS
Week 6:
IPv6 part I
Week 7:
IPv6 part II
Week 8:
Guest speaker or topic
Week 9:
Overall MS NEM review
Week 10:
Main Case Study Design Presentations