This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

ECE4045 - Network performance

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Engineering

Organisational Unit

Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering

Coordinator(s)

A Sekercioglu (Clayton); R Parthiban (Malaysia)

Offered

Not offered in 2016

Synopsis

This unit addresses the fundamental concepts and analytical tools for modelling, predicting and improving the performance of telecommunication networks. It also introduces simulation methods. First, performance modelling of a packet switch is covered. Then, a comparative analysis of routing algorithms is covered from a graph theory perspective. Third, methods to provide an integrated service to a set of traffic demands with different qualities of service are studied. Then, congestion in telecommunication networks is covered, and effectiveness of various congestion and flow control algorithms and protocols are investigated. The focus then shifts to individual links and nodes, and queuing theory is introduced and its applications in networks are analysed. Then, recent advances are studied to show how the analytical and simulation knowledge learnt in this unit could be applied in real life.

Outcomes

At the end of this unit, students should be able to:

evaluate network performance problems using node or link-based analysis, graph theory and queuing theory
compare and contrast different routing, traffic management, congestion control and flow control algorithms and protocols.
simulate complex networks and analyse their performance using discrete-event modelling.

Assessment

Continuous assessment: 30%
Examination: (3 hours) 70%.
Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component (assignments, tests, mid-semester exams, laboratory reports) and at least 45% in the final examination component and an overall mark of 50% to achieve a pass grade in the unit. Students failing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 45% in the unit.

Workload requirements

3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory and practice classes and 6 hours of private study per week

Chief examiner(s)

Prof Tom Drummond

Prerequisites

ECE2041 or ECE2401

Prohibitions

ECE5045