Networks and Services Engineering

The Course Unit Networks and Services Engineering aims to provide core background on Computer Networks, promoting knowledge and skills in defining, deploying and managing network services both in fixed and mobile network environments. Special attention is given to hot topics in today's networks such as security and management issues, distributed multimedia applications and systems. The corresponding syllabus is envisioned to offer advanced learning outcomes in these subjects.

The course unit Networks and Services Engineering when aggregated to the course unit Infrastructure Technologies and Protocols may also be delivered within a semester in the context of Mestrado em Redes e Serviços de Comunicação (MERSCOM, already registered by DGES). The University of Minho is the coordinator institution of a Erasmus Mundus submitted proposal, EMCoCNS - European Master Course on Computer Networks and Services, in consortium with the Universidad de Vigo (SP), the Czech Technical University (CZ), the University College London (UK) and the Fraunhofer-Institut Digitale Medientechnologie (DE).

Scientific Coordination and Supervision

• Vasco Freitas
• Joaquim Macedo
• Bruno Dias
• António Duarte Costa
• Maria João Nicolau

Learning Outcomes

General:

• to promote initiative, innovation and competences in networks and services engineering;
• to define, deploy and manage network services and devices in fixed and mobile network environments;
• to identify and understand current security and management issues of today's networks and services;
• understand and deploy distributed multimedia applications and systems.

Specific:

• to identify and discuss the concepts of network security and the main architectures used to protect networks and services; at the end of the course, the student must be able to create secure network architectures adapted to the investment and security level required;

• to identify the main network management tasks, including the use of public domain and proprietary management tools; to select and apply appropriate technologies for accomplishing those tasks, identifying costs and limitations in different implementation scenarios;

• to identify application scenarios, analyse requirements, design and be able to develop programs for distributed programming in real-time contexts, selecting adequete development platforms;

• to specify and implement software components for network devices, distinguishing the abstraction level of network applications programming;

• to recognize the requirements and select the appropriate tools for multimedia data acquisition; to define, discuss and compare several loss or lossless media compression methods, algorithms and standards, being able to apply suitable methods and tools for media compression;

• to select and compare suitable tools and devices for multimedia content creation, management, storage and visualization.

Modules

This course unit is structured as follows:

• Network Security
• Management of Networks and Services
• Real-time and Distributed Programming
• Multimedia Systems and Services
• Seminars

Parterns

(under negotiation)