COS 461, Spring 2007: Home Page

Princeton University
Computer Science Department

Computer Science 461
Computer Networks

Jennifer Rexford

Spring 2007

Directory
Summary | Administrivia | Schedule | Assignments | Exams

Collaboration Policy

Programming, like composition, is an individual creative process. Individuals must reach their own understanding of the problem and discover a path to its solution. During this time, discussions with friends are encouraged. However, when the time comes to write the code that solves the problem, such discussions are no longer appropriate; the program must be your own work.

Do not, under any circumstances, copy another person's program. This includes relevant Linux source. Writing code for use by another or using another's code in any form is academic fraud and will be dealt with harshly. You are also responsible for ensuring that the code you write for the assignments is not readable by others.

Computing Facilities

The assignments will be implemented on the Linux machines in Friend 010. You can SSH to the machines from other computers in the Computer Science department (e.g., portal.cs.princeton.edu). Please contact us if you have any trouble accessing your account.

Programming Assignments

The first programming assignment will provide an introduction to socket programming. The remaining three programming assignments will use the Virtual Network System created at Stanford University, and will cover the network (IP), transport (TCP), and application layers (HTTP):

Assignment 0: Introduction to socket programming (due 9am Monday February 19)

Assignment 1: Building a HTTP proxy (due 6pm Saturday March 10 or 9am Monday March 13 with 10% penalty)

Assignment 2: Building your own Internet router (due 9am Monday April 23)

Assignment 3: Simple Transmission Control Protocol (due 6pm Tuesday May 15)

Assignment details will be posted shortly. To get a sense of what's involved in the last three assignments, see the HTTP proxy assignment at Stanford, as well as the Internet router and STCP assignments from last year's offering of the course. The specific details of the assignment will be posted soon. Graduate students have the option of doing only the first two assignments, and focusing on a research project during the second half of the semester. The project should be discussed with the professor. Projects must include a software component. A written report should be completed by the end of reading period describing the work.