Class Info

Class: MWF 10:30 AM – 11:20 AM, Science Center 181
Professor: Kevin Webb
Piazza: Q&A Forum
Gradesource: Grade listing
Office: Sci 255
Office hours: Monday, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (immediately after class) and Thursday, Noon – 1:30 PM

Prerequisite: Completion of CS 31 or its equivalent.

The course is composed of the following:

• Readings: The readings serve as a first exposure to new topics from a primary literature source.
• Class meetings: The classroom material will cover the difficult concepts and facilitate student discussions.
• Labs and projects: There are several lab programming assignments that will explore various aspects of cloud systems. Students will also work on a final project to tie the course concepts together.
• Exams: There is a midterm exam and a final exam covering the material in the class meetings and the labs.

Required Textbook:

This course does not have a required textbook that you need to purchase. Typically, we will be reading from primary literature sources (academic papers). Occasionally, we'll read from other sources, such as this collection, which will serve as our textbook.

Goals for the course:

By the end of the course, we hope that you will have developed the skills to:

• Read and critically evaluate computer science research papers. (Tips for effectively reading research papers.)
• Describe the trends in computing that facilitate cloud computing and data center networks.
• Analyze the trade-offs associated with developing and deploying large systems and networks.
• Design and debug programs that utilize multiple forms of parallel processing.
• Characterize the behavior of popular cloud-based software like MapReduce, NoSQL, memcached, and others.
• Implement software systems that take advantage of cloud platforms like Amazon's Web Services.

Schedule

This is a tentative schedule; it may change as we go.

Lab Policy

This course features regular lab assignments that account for the largest component of your course grade. Lab attendance is required by all students, unless you have already completed and submitted the lab assignment for the week. Additionally, the cs labs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you to use for lab assignments. While you must attend the lab session for which you are registered, you may optionally attend additional lab sessions, provided space is available. In case of space constraints, students registered for the lab will have seating priority.

Lab assignments will typically be assigned during the lab sections on Friday will generally be due by midnight on Thursday, one or two weeks later. You are strongly encouraged to start early!

Even if you do not fully complete an assignment, you should submit what you have done to receive partial credit.

Weekly Lab Sessions
Section 1	Fridays 1:15—2:45	Science Center 256
Section 2	Fridays 3:00—4:30	Science Center 256

Accessing the CS labs after hours

You can use your ID to gain access to the computer labs at nights and on the weekends. Just wave your ID over the microprox reader next to the lab doors. When the green light goes on, just push on the door handle to get in (the door knob will not turn). If the green light doesn't go on, then we need to enter your microprox number into the system. If you have issues with the door locks, send an email to local-staff@cs.swarthmore.edu. If the building is locked, you can use your ID to enter the door between Martin and Cornell library. For this class, your ID will give you access to the labs in rooms 238, 240, and 256.

Grading

Grades will be weighted as follows:

40%	Lab assignments (Includes final project)
30%	Final Exam
20%	Midterm Exam
10%	Class Participation

How to Succeed in CS 91

• Read the material before you come to class.
  The better you understand the material before coming into class, the easier it will be to ask questions during class, rather than later when help may not be available. Make a note of any aspects of a paper that are interesting, confusing, or otherwise worthy of further discussion in class.
• Attend class and participate in discussions.
  In class, we'll cover new topics and dig into the more challenging details of the material. Class discussions are a critical part of the learning process, as these exercises give you immediate experience with the material we are covering.
• Ask questions if you don't understand.
  This means both during class and while doing lab assignments. This class continually builds on previous material, so if you don't understand something one week, it will continue to be a problem the next week, and the week after that, and so on. If you need help, ask your classmates (make sure you have read the "Academic Integrity" section below first), post on Piazza, or come talk with me during my office hours.
• Start the lab assignments early.
  I realize this one is not always easy to do, but if you can get in the habit of doing this, you will be much better off. If you get stuck early (i.e., not two hours before it is due), there will be time to look for help. In addition, if you start early enough, you can take a break, go do something else, and come back later. I find I always have at least a few new ideas when I come back to a problem after a break. If you wait until the last minute, you can't do this.
• Practice, practice, practice.
  The only effective way to learn the material and pass the quizzes and exams is to consistently do the labs. Finish all of the assigned programs (and do some extras, for fun!). Even if you don't get them done on time, they will still help you learn the material.
• Seek help early and often.
  Because course material builds on previous material, it is essential to your success in this class that you keep up with the course material. If you are having difficulty with a programming assignment, if you didn't follow something covered in class, if you feel you need some extra help understanding or practicing some of the course material, or if you just want to discuss something from a class, an assignment, or the text, please come to my office hours.
• Attend Labs.
  Lab attendance is required, and the labs constitute the largest portion of your grade. You should be there!

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is required in all your work. Under no circumstances may you hand in work done with (or by) someone else under your own name. Your code should never be shared with anyone; you may not examine or use code belonging to someone else, nor may you let anyone else look at or make a copy of your code. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining solutions from students who previously took the course or code that can be found online. You may not share solutions after the due date of the assignment.

Discussing ideas and approaches to problems with others on a general level is fine (in fact, we encourage you to discuss general strategies with each other), but you should never read anyone else's code or let anyone else read your code. All code you submit must be your own with the following permissible exceptions: code distributed in class, code found in the course text book, and code worked on with an assigned partner. In these cases, you should always include detailed comments that indicates on which parts of the assignment you received help, and what your sources were.

Failure to abide by these rules constitutes academic dishonesty and will lead to a hearing of the College Judiciary Committee. According to the Faculty Handbook: "Because plagiarism is considered to be so serious a transgression, it is the opinion of the faculty that for the first offense, failure in the course and, as appropriate, suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year is suitable; for a second offense, the penalty should normally be expulsion."

Please contact me if you have any questions about what is permissible in this course.

Academic Accommodations

If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact Leslie Hempling in the Office of Student Disability Services (Parrish 113) or email lhempli1 to arrange an appointment to discuss your needs. As appropriate, she will issue students with documented disabilities a formal Accommodations Letter. Since accommodations require early planning and are not retroactive, please contact her as soon as possible. For details about the accommodations process, visit the Student Disability Service website.

To receive an accommodation for a course activity, you must have an Accomodation Authorization letter from Leslie Hempling and you need to meet with me to work out the details of your accommodation at least one week prior to the activity.

You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your academic needs. However, all disability-related accommodations must be arranged through Leslie Hempling in the Office Of Student Disability Services.

External Links

Links that are related to the course may be posted here. If you have suggestions for links, let me know.

• Tips for effectively reading research papers, including an associated quick note-taking form.