15.564 | Spring 2003 | Graduate

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-MailFortune. 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