CQUniversity Unit Profile
COIT13229 Applied Distributed Systems
Applied Distributed Systems
All details in this unit profile for COIT13229 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
Corrections

Unit Profile Correction added on 23-02-18

The assessment weightings were changed to acknowledge that Assessment 2 requires considerable effort as you are required to develop a distributed application. The weightings are now: Assessment 1 – 20% Assessment 2 - 30% Examination – 50%
General Information

Overview

Many computer applications and services in use today are distributed systems: they have software running on multiple computers, communicating with each other across a network to achieve a common goal. In this unit you will examine the benefits and challenges of distributed systems versus centralised systems, as well as algorithms and techniques for designing distributed systems. Through laboratory activities you will implement these algorithms and techniques to create client/server software that can perform parallel operations across multiple computers in the Internet. Upon completion of this unit you will be able to apply the concepts and principles of distributed systems design to develop secure, reliable and efficient distributed Internet applications.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisite: COIT11134

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2018

Brisbane
Cairns
Distance
Melbourne
Rockhampton
Sydney
Townsville

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Practical and Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
2. Practical and Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
3. Examination
Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Course evaluation

Feedback

Assessment (feedback)

Recommendation

Will request markers to provide more detailed feedback

Feedback from Course evaluation

Feedback

Course contents

Recommendation

Review the difficulty of the tutorial questions

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Compare the benefits and challenges of distributed systems versus centralised systems
  2. Design software components that can run in parallel and on multiple networked computers
  3. Apply various distributed system algorithms and techniques to create practical distributed applications
  4. Explain the role of operating system services and file systems in creating distributed applications
  5. Evaluate techniques for creating secure, reliable and efficient distributed systems.

Australian Computer Society (ACS) recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is in use in over 100 countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles.

ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile at https://www.acs.org.au/professionalrecognition/mysfia-b2c.html

This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA. The SFIA code is included:

  • Systems Design (DESN)
  • Systems Integration (SINT)
  • Program ming/Software Development ( PROG),
  • Database/Repository Design (DBDS)
  • Testing (TEST)
  • Network support (NTAS)
  • Release and Deployment (RELM)
  • Application Support (ASUP)

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Written Assessment - 30%
3 - Examination - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Written Assessment - 30%
3 - Examination - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Distributed Systems Concepts and Design

Edition: 5th (2012)
Authors: George Coulouris, Jean Dollimore, Tim Kindberg and Gordon Blair
Addison-Wesley
Boston Boston , MA , USA
ISBN: 978-0-13-214301-1
Binding: Other

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • JDK 1.7 or higher
  • NetBeans IDE 8 or higher
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Partha Gangavalli Unit Coordinator
p.gangavalli@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 05 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

An Introduction to Distributed Systems

Chapter

Chapter 1 & Chapter 2

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 12 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

Interprocess Communication

Chapter

Chapter 4

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 19 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

Distributed Objects and Remote Invocation

Chapter

Chapter 5

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 26 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

Process and Thread Management – Operating System Support

Chapter

Chapter 7

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 02 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Replication and Fault Tolerance

Chapter

Chapter 18

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assignment-1 Due: Week 5 Friday (6 Apr 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 09 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Vacation

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 16 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Distributed File Systems

Chapter

Chapter 12

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 23 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Name Services

Chapter

Chapter 13

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 30 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Coordination and Agreement

Chapter

Chapter 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 07 May 2018

Module/Topic

Transactions and Concurrent Control

Chapter

Chapter 16

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 14 May 2018

Module/Topic

Distributed Transactions

Chapter

Chapter 17

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assignment-2 Due: Week 10 Friday (18 May 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 21 May 2018

Module/Topic

Security in Distributed Systems

Chapter

Chapter 11

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 28 May 2018

Module/Topic

Web Services

Chapter

Chapter 9

Events and Submissions/Topic

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 04 Jun 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 11 Jun 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

The unit coordinator contact information for T1 2018

Mr.Partha Gangavalli

School of Engineering & Technology
Central Queensland University
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Email: p.gangavalli@cqu.edu.au

Assessment Tasks

1 Practical and Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Assignment-1

Task Description

Your task for this assignment is to construct a number of Java classes to show your understanding and programming skills about Java UDP Datagram socket, File handling and client/server model.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your skills in connection less protocols used in UDP client server communication.


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Friday (6 Apr 2018) 11:45 pm AEST

Assignment-1 Due


Return Date to Students

Week 7 Friday (27 Apr 2018)

Assignment-1 Results Release


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

The detailed marking criteria can be found from the unit web site.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit from the unit Moodle site

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • understand the principles of distributed systems
  • gain an in depth appreciate for the issues and algorithms found in the distributed systems problem domain
  • demonstrate the ability to solve problems in the distributed systems domain by solving problems by applying the abstract concepts taught in the unit to real problems
  • critically evaluate the methodology taught in the unit


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence

2 Practical and Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Assignment-2

Task Description

Your task for this assignment is to construct a number of Java classes to show your understanding and programming skills about Java Interface, Java Object Serialization, light weight Java RMI, Java multi-threading model and client/server model.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your skills in connection protocols used in TCP client server communication.


Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Friday (18 May 2018) 11:45 pm AEST

Assignment-2 Due


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Monday (28 May 2018)

Assignment-2 Results Release


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

The detailed marking criteria can be found from the unit web site.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit from the unit Moodle site

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • understand the principles of distributed systems
  • gain an in depth appreciate for the issues and algorithms found in the distributed systems problem domain
  • demonstrate the ability to solve problems in the distributed systems domain by solving problems by applying the abstract concepts taught in the unit to real problems


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence

Examination

Outline
Complete an invigilated examination

Date
During the examination period at a CQUniversity examination centre

Weighting
60%

Length
180 minutes

Exam Conditions
Open Book

Materials
Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).
Calculator - all non-communicable calculators, including scientific, programmable and graphics calculators are authorised
Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?