CO3097 Programming Secure and Distributed Systems

	Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

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CO3097 Programming Secure and Distributed Systems

Credits: 20

Convenor: Dr. N. Ghani

Semester: 2

Prerequisites:	essential: CO1003,CO1004,CO1011	desirable: CO2006,CO3007
Assessment:	Coursework: 40%	Three hour exam in June: 60%

Lectures:	36	Problem Classes:	none
Tutorials:	none	Private Study:	78
Labs:	24	Seminars:	none
Project:	none	Other:	none
Surgeries:	12	Total:	150

Subject Knowledge

Aims

This course will equip students with the knowledge required to build secure and distributed applications in Java. The course covers both the fundamental problems facing distributed applications such as concurrency and security and more practical material describing how these problems can be tackled and implemented in Java.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to: build simple distributed applications using Java's networking and remote method invocation capabilities; build concurrent distributed applications using multiple threads; build distributed applications with security enhancements using Java's security and cryptographic extensions.

Methods

Class sessions together with lecture slides, recommended textbook, worksheets, printed solutions, and some additional hand-outs and web support.

Assessment

Marked coursework, traditional written examination.

Subject Skills

Aims

To teach students how to methodically solve problems given the techniques available to them.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to: breakdown a problem to identify essential elements; apply prior knowledge of subject to analyse problems; design a plan to solve a problem; implement a planned solution and evaluate the implementation.

Methods

Class sessions together with worksheets.

Assessment

Marked coursework, traditional written examination.

Explanation of Pre-requisites

A significant aspect of the module will be the reinforcement of material delivered in lectures with practicals involving students implementing distributed systems in Java. Hence a basic knowledge of Java, as provided in CO1003 and CO1004, will be essential. A basic grounding in discrete mathematics will assumed during the lectures on security.

Although not essential, software design as found in CO2006 will aid the design of distributed systems while the close relationship between distributed computing and concurrency means that knowledge of CO3007 will also be of benefit.

Course Description

The internet has caused a revolution in the way we use and think about computers. One of the key technologies underlying the internet is distributed computing which allows individual computing agents to be located, or distributed, on a network of computers but nevertheless work together on cooperative tasks. There are many motivations for distributing applications including:

Inherent Parallelism: In distributed systems, many computers can work together at the solution of a problem simultaneously. Although this can be done using parallel computers, it is often cheaper to distribute applications over cheaper networks of PCs.
Inherent Distribution: In many applications, distribution arises naturally. For example, in a traffic control system, data may be gathered at different measuring facilities, analysed at a central location and, depending upon the results of this analysis, commands sent back to improve the flow of traffic.
Scalability: Distributed systems are easier to scale than centralised systems. For example, increasing computing power of a centralised system to cope with increasing demand is usually much more expensive than increasing the number of computer nodes in a distributed system.
Data Access: It is often difficult and expensive to move large data sets between different locations. Instead, it can be more efficient to store data in locally and allow other users to remote access using a data server.
Resource Sharing: In distributed systems, expensive resources such as printers can be used by devices distributed across a network. Again, this sharing can produce significant cost savings.

The development and programming of distributed systems is considerably more complex than that of local applications. Distributed applications usually run on spatially separated computers, consist of different components which need to communicate with each other and must ensure a consistent management of shared resources. In addition, of increasing importance is the issue of security in distributed systems, eg how can a component of a system communicate with another component in such away that malicious eavesdroppers cannot interfere. This course will introduce these and other fundamental problems in distributed computing, explain some of the solutions available and cover their implementation in the Java programming language. Students will thus gain insight into distributed computing and security as well as practical skills of immediate use.

Syllabus

Distributed Programming: Networking in Java using sockets and streams, multi-threaded computation, liveness, safety, deadlock, livelock, mutual exclusion, communication protocols, semaphores and monitors, synchronous and asynchronous message passing in Java, client-server architectures.

Security: Security issues and concerns. Key management including generation, translation, agreement protocols and management paradigms. Authentication including message digests, MAC's, signatures, certificates. Symmetric and antisymmetric ciphers, eg DES, IDEA, RSA.

Java Support: Java security, Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA), Java Cryptography Extension (JCE), Java remote method invocation (RMI).

Reading list

Essential:

J. Farley, Java Distributed Computing, O'Reilly. 1998..

M. Boger, Java in Distributed Systems, Wiley. 2001..

J. Knudsen, Java Cryptography, O'Reilly. 1998..

Background:

Resources

Lecture slides, web page, study guide, worksheets, handouts, lecture rooms with two OHPs, past examination papers.

Module Evaluation

Course questionnaires, course review.

Next: MSc Up: Year 3 Previous: CO3096 Compression Methods for Multimedia

Author: N. Rahman, tel: +44 (0)116 252 3902
Last updated: 2003-09-23
MCS Web Maintainer
This document has been approved by the Head of Department.
© University of Leicester.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

CO3097 Programming Secure and Distributed Systems

CO3097 Programming Secure and Distributed Systems

Subject Knowledge

Aims

Learning Outcomes

Methods

Assessment

Subject Skills

Aims

Learning Outcomes

Methods

Assessment

Explanation of Pre-requisites

Course Description

Syllabus

Reading list

Essential:

Recommended:

Background:

Resources

Module Evaluation