Prerequisites:	ECE 528 and 542, or equivalent
Time:	Tuesday 4:30-7:10 pm
Location:	KH, Room 204
Professor:	Bijan Jabbari
Office hours:	Tuesday 1:30 - 3:00pm
Office:	ST2, Room 219
Phone:	703.993.1618
Email:
Web:	http://cnl.gmu.edu/bjabbari
Goal:	Modeling of computer networks using basic concepts in queueing theory, analysis of state-dependent queues, imbedded Markov chains, and networks of queues; throughput-delay analysis of local and wide area networks; routing and IP-based networks; other topics include Multi Protocol Label Switching Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE), OSPF, BGP and other Internet protocol Performance modeling, CSPF and Path Computation; random access and polling schemes, capacity allocation, flow and congestion control, routing and IP-based networks.

Tentative course outline

1. Background and review of basic concepts in computer networks, review of discrete random variables, point processes.
2. Introduction to queueing theory, M/M/1 queue, state probabilities, expected queue size and delay, Little’s formula.
3. Markov chains and M/M/1 queueing systems, imbedded Markov chain: the M/G/1 queue.
4. The imbedded Markov chain analysis of time-division multiplexing.
5. Networks of queues, open queueing systems, closed queueing systems, Independence assumption.
6. Congestion control and modeling using closed queueing networks.
7. Constraint-based routing, Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), and traffic engineering.
8. Statistical multiplexing gain, congestion control and routing in MPLS networks, analysis of leaky bucket rate control algorithm, delay bounds.
9. Performance of local and wide area networks incorporating routers.
10. Performance analysis of polling and random access techniques.
11. Queueing modeling of higher level protocols, or other selected topics.

Textbook

1. Bertsekas, D. and Gallager, R., Data Networks, Prentice-Hall, 1992 (main text).
2. Bijan Jabbari, Lecture Notes, 2005.

References

1. Walrand, J. and Varaiya, P., High Performance Communication Networks, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2nd edition, 2000.
2. Schwartz, M., Telecommunication Networks: Protocols, Modeling and Analysis, Addison Wesley, 1987.
3. Schwartz, M., Broadband Integrated Networks, Prentice-Hall, 1996
4. Hayes, J., Modeling and Analysis of Computer Communications Networks, Plenum, 1986.
5. Class Notes

Grading

There will be homework assignments, a mid-term, projects and a final examination. The projects require a model development on a computer. They will count towards the grade as follows:

    Homework: 5%

    Project: 20%

    Mid-term Examination: 35%

    Final Examination: 40%