Information Technology I

Readings

The following readings are required unless otherwise noted. The PC Webopedia links are optional, but highly recommended.

SES #	TOPICS	READINGS
The Basics: Hardware, OS, and Software
1	Introduction: Course Overview; Inside the CPU	Madnick, Stuart. Little Man Computer.
2	Computer Architecture: Processing, Memory and I/O	Optional: How Computers Work. Parts 1-5. PC Webopedia - Hardware Category Page PC Webopedia - PC Definition and Links
3	Computer Representations; Compression	Optional: Blelloch, Guy E. Introduction to Data Compression. Carnegie Mellon University, 2001. Available online at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science. PC Webopedia - Data Formats Category Page  Terms to look up: binary, floating-point numbers, character set, ASCII, HTML, bitmap, Postscript, PDF, data compression, MPEG
4	Operating Systems	Optional: Introduction to Operating Systems. Part of: Mohr, James. The Linux Tutorial, 2003. PC Webopedia - Operating Systems Category Page  Terms to look up: operating systems, multitasking, virtual memory, file management system, file allocation table, Windows, Linux
5	Software Development	Gibbs, W. W. Software’s Chronic Crisis. In Scientific American. September 1994, pp. 86-95. PC Webopedia - Programming Languages Category Page  Terms to look up: programming language, compiler, interpreter, Java
Databases
6	Relational Databases; Database Queries Using SQL	Elmasri, and Navathe. Fundamentals of Database Systems. Benjamin/Cummings, 1989, Chapter 7 (plus pp. 143-144). PC Webopedia - Databases Category Page
7	An Introduction to Microsoft Access	Recommended Textbook: Viescas, John L. Running Microsoft Access 2000. Microsoft Press, 1999.
8	Relational Database Design	Watterson, Karen. Visual Basic Database Programming. Addison-Wesley, 1994, pp. 12-43.
9	Introduction to User Interface Building with Access Examples	Recommended Textbook: Viescas, John L. Running Microsoft Access 2000. Microsoft Press, 1999.
Networks and Telecommunications
10	Telecommunication Concepts; Data Transmission	Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 83-92, 107-129. Optional: Dodd, Annabel Z. Basic Telecom Concepts. Chapter 1 in The Essential Guide to Telecommunications. Prentice Hall, 1999. PC Webopedia - Networks Category Page
11	Local Area Networks; Ethernet; Packet-switched Networks	Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 192-216.
12	Midterm Exam - In Class
13	Wide Area Networks; The Internet	Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 30-33, 164-189. Optional: An introductory (but fun!) tutorial on how the Internet works is available: Tyson, Jeff. How Internet Infrastructure Works at HowStuffWorks. The same site contains lots of interesting tutorials on related concepts as well.
14	Wireless Network Technologies	Noll, A. Michael. Wireless Telephone Service. Chapter 9 in Introduction to Telephones and Telephone Systems (Third Edition). Artech House Telecommunications Library, 1999.
Distributed Computing and Web Technologies
15	Client/Server, Peer-to-Peer and the WWW	Orfali, R., et. al. Client/Server Survival Guide. 3rd ed. Wiley, 1999, Chapters 2-3. Sadoski, Darleen. Client/Server Software Architectures–An Overview. Carnegie Mellon University, 2004. Optional: Milojicic, Dejan S., et. al. Peer-to-Peer Computing. Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Palo Alto, 2002.  Paper No. HPL-2002-57. Available at the HP Labs web site. PC Webopedia - Client/Server Computing Category Page  Terms to look up: client/server architecture, fat client, thin client, two-tier, three-tier, middleware
16	Security I: Public Key Cryptography	Zimmerman, Phil. An Introduction to Cryptography. Included in freeware documentation to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software program, which is downloadable. Behar, R. Who’s Reading Your E-Mail. Fortune. February 3, 1997, 57-70. PC Webopedia - Security Category Page  Terms to look up: biometrics, virus, macro virus, antivirus program PC Webopedia - Encryption Category Page  Terms to look up: symmetric-key cryptography, DES, public-key encryption, RSA, Pretty Good Privacy
17	Security II: Digital Signatures; Network Security	Zimmerman, Phil. An Introduction to Cryptography. Included in freeware documentation to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software program, which is downloadable. pp. 11-36 (also skim Part 2). Introduction to SSL. Available on the Web. PC Webopedia - Encryption Category Page  Terms to look up: authentication, digital signature, digital certificate, PKI, SSL, digital cash, smart card
18	Evolution of Web Technologies	Orfali, R., et. al. Client/Server Survival Guide. 3rd ed. Wiley, 1999. Chapters 26-27. Optional: Wright, R. The Man Who Invented the Web. Time, May 19, 1997. Optional: Technology Forecast. pp. 545-592. PC Webopedia - World Wide Web Category Page
eBusiness Applications
19	Under the Hood of a Commercial Web Site	Davis, Jeffrey. How it Works. Business 2.0. February 2000, pp. 112-140.  Optional: Technology Forecast. Pp. 357-472.
20	Data Mining, Data Warehousing	Two Crows Corporation. Introduction to Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery. Optional: Technology Forecast. pp. 253-310.
21	Software Agent
22	Student Presentations I
23	Student Presentations II
24	Trends in eBusiness Technology; Course Wrap-up
25	Final Exam - In Class