Infrastructure Technologies and Protocols

The Course Unit on Infrastructure Technologies and Protocols aims to provide core background on Computer Networks, promoting knowledge and skills in current and emerging technologies and protocols both in fixed and mobile network environments. The corresponding syllabus is envisioned to offer advanced learning outcomes in these subjects.

The course unit Infrastructure Technologies and Protocols when aggregated to the course unit Networks and Services Engineering 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
• Alexandre Teixeira Santos
• Paulo Martins Carvalho
• Pedro Nuno Sousa
• Maria Solange Lima

Learning Outcomes

General:

• initiative, innovation and advanced competences within the networking area;

• a deep understanding of technologies and communication protocols used in today's fixed and mobile networks;

• to analyse, plan and implement enginneering projects on network infrastructures and related services.

Specific:

• to explain the main theoretical concepts sustaining the major access and core network technologies, exemplifying and discussing the use of such technologies over distinct networking scenarios;

• to describe the several types of mobile networks, explaining their evolution and discussing their functionality, complementarity and use;

• to describe the architecture of cellular networks, interrelating the main components of the architecture and understanding their role;

• to characterize the underlying protocol stacks of WLANs and WPANs; to select the most convenient network services to support applications in mobile environments;

• to identify and discuss the concepts underlying IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, and their main characteristics and functionality; to understand the principles and functionality of Mobile IP, explaining its concretization in IPv4 and IPv6;

• to recognize the need for service integration and discuss the problematic of Internet QoS; to explain, evaluate and exemplify current QoS architectures and QoS mechanisms;

• to identify the QoS requirements of applications and services; understand theoretical and practical concepts behind services such as VoIP and Video/TV over IP.

Modules

This course unit has the following structure:

• Access and Core Network Technologies
• Wireless and Mobile Communication Networks
• Advanced IP Networks
• Multiservice Networks
• Seminars

Partners

(under negotiation)