Course Title: Server Systems Engineering

Part A: Course Overview

Course ID: 004797

Course Title: Server Systems Engineering

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
EEET1268	City Campus	Postgraduate	125H Electrical & Computer Eng	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006
EEET1270	City Campus	Undergraduate	125H Electrical & Computer Eng	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006

Course Coordinator: David Jones

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99255318

Course Coordinator Email: davejones@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 87.3.02

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

It is assumed that students have significant experience with at least one programming langauage.  Some experience with windows operating system installation and management is desirable although not mandatory.

Course Description

This course covers Server Systems Engineering of Enterprise Systems such those used in eCommerce. Emphasis is upon implementation in a scalable, reliable, maintainable, extensible, adaptable, secure and robust manner. The course covers both the server systems required to implement such systems as well as the client front-ends. It examines the high level tools available for system development as well as the required distributed high performance hardware and software services. Their integration and management into complex systems is the end point of this course.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Capabilities

1. Discuss the key concepts of systems of servers..
2. Recognise and describe the factors affecting the scalability, reliability, maintainability, extensibility, adaptability, security and robustness of distributed systems.
3. Determine the key server elements of a server system such as an e-Comerece system in terms application servers, database servers, message servers, routers and firewalls.
4. Implement a server system using Virtaulization sofware.
5. Implement a server system using real harware including blade server array and clustered database.
6. Be able to discuss performance and security aspects of such systems

- To be conversant with key server concepts.
- To be able to implement the following services in a Windows 2003 context for eCommerce:
……….Database Server (SQL), including fail-safe clustering
……….Web Service (Using C# programming language) (Including .NET Web Services), including web farming
……….Business to Business document interchange (eg BizTalk)
.............Messaging
……….Firewall (ISA Server)
- To be conversant with key security issues with eCommerce systems.
- To be able to critically review server journal articles.
- To be able to apply a systems approach the design and implementation of eCommerce Systems.
- To be able to use key server hardware and software for implementation of eCommerce systems.
- To experience the setup and configuration of clustered hardware and use it in an eCommerce system.

Overview of Learning Activities

- Lectures (1 hr pw)
- On-line learning
- Industry standard training - modules.
- Lab based tutorials.
- Server hands-on use.
- Research activities using journal and newspaper articles.
- Individual and group work.

Use will be made of Virtual Servers (multiple) running on desktop machines.
Much programming will be done using .NET.
There will be hands-on experience with a Cluster Server and an array of Blade Servers.
There will also be some PDA (hand-held) device programming as client interfaces to eCommerce systems.

Overview of Learning Resources

Server operating systems will be used for application development platforms, system configuration and networking. They will be available as “virtual machines” running on a lab desktop.
Server hardware will also be used such as a database cluster and an array of blade servers, for hands-on student use.
Server software will be available for student use at home.

Overview of Assessment

Class Test to do with fundamental eCommerce concepts: 15%

Assignments (1) 10%
Lab activities (as 2 lab diaries) 5%
Projects (2): 40%

Examination 30%