Building upon the foundations set in SCC.131, this module investigates the deeper concepts that underpin computer networking and operating systems. Students explore the role, operation, and design rationale of the IP protocol suite –which enables the global internet. Taking a top-down approach, students discover how protocols such as HTTP, DNS, and TCP/IP operate on a fundamental level, the metrics and tools we use to evaluate the performance of computer networks.
Using laboratory-based simulators, students will also explore first-hand how routing protocols ensure user data is efficiently and safely routed across the global internet. They will study the interface between computer networks and operating systems, and how the concept of virtualization has transformed the way computer systems and networks efficiently make use of their hardware resources.