34775 - Telecommunications Networks (2nd cycle)

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Walter Cerroni
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: ING-INF/03
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering for Energy (cod. 8770)

    Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Computer Science and Engineering (cod. 8614)

Learning outcomes

Understand the principles of engineering and design of telecommunication networks. Apply the basics of teletraffic theory to network performance evaluation, dimensioning and planning. Learn engineering practice for circuit switching and packet switching networks. Learn to simulate and analyse the most widespread network protocols.

Course contents

Introduction to performance evaluation in Communication and Computer Networks

TELETRAFFIC THEORY

  • Introduction to teletraffic theory and queuing systems.
  • Markov chains and birth-death processes.
  • Markovian queuing systems and the Erlang formulas.
  • Application to analysis, dimensioning and planning of circuit and packet switched networks.

END-TO-END CONTROL AND TRANSPORT LAYER PROTOCOLS

  • Overview of the TCP protocol.
  • TCP flow and congestion control: the AIMD concept.
  • Mathematical models to estimate the throughput of a TCP connection.

VIRTUALIZATION AND SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORKS

  • Principles of network "softwarization."
  • Separation of the control plane and the data plane.
  • Issues related to virtualization of  network functions.

Readings/Bibliography

For contents related to teletraffic theory:

  • "Elementi di teoria del traffico per le reti di telecomunicazioni", Callegati-Corazza, Esculapio Editore, 2006

For contents related to TCP:

  • K. R. Fall, W. R. Stevens, "TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1"x\, 2nd edition, Addison-Wesley, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-321-33631-6
  • J. F. Kurose, K. W. Ross, "Reti di calcolatori e Internet. Un approccio top-down", Pearson, 2013, ISBN: 978-88-7192-938-5

Teaching methods

Lectures and practical exercises in the classroom.

Case studies will be illustrated related to real-life examples of application of the course concepts.

Assessment methods

The final exam includes a multiple-choice test and/or the solution of a written exercise on the course topics.

Teaching tools

In case of possible practical exercises, open-source software tools will be used for traffic analysis and performance evaluation.

Office hours

See the website of Walter Cerroni

SDGs

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.