CIS 101 Course Outline

IS 416 Distributed Computing Systems
Dr. J. Thomas

Office: 163 William, 2^nd Floor, Rm. 219                                                                                                                                                 Tel: (212) 346-1569
Off.Hrs: Mon./Wed. 3:30-6:00pm                                                                                                                                                Email: jthomas@pace.edu
Blackboard: http://blackboard.pace.edu                                                                                                                    URL: http://csis.pace.edu/~thomas
Student Login Instructions: http://www.pace.edu/cit/DE/blackboardlogin.htm

Text Book:
e-Business and Distributed Systems Handbook, Amjad Umar, NGE Solutions, Inc. 2004
Overview Module, Middleware Module, Architectures Module, Platforms Module
Reference Texts:
Orfali, Robert, Harkey, Dan and Edwards, Jeri, Client/ Server Survival Guide, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1999
Understanding Networked Multimedia, Francois Fluckiger, Prentice Hall, 1995.

Prerequisite: IS 351; Corequisite: IS 481

Course Objectives:
To enable the student to identify, analyze and resolve issues that will be encountered in the process of designing multi-user information systems.
Problem solving and troubleshooting will be developed through project development.
Critical thinking skills will be developed through critical analyses of application designs.
Creativity will be developed through idea generation and project solutions.
Communication skills will be developed through written and oral presentations.
Research skills will be developed through Internet and other on- and offline search mechanisms.

Grading:
Weekly cases, Analyses, Question Generation and Question Handling, on- and offline - 70%
Online research and discussions using Blackboard and the Internet - 30%

Format:
The course uses a case-based, problem-solving discovery learning approach. As such, the textbook, Internet, and other resources are to be used in understanding the concepts. These are then to be applied to the analysis of the cases, which will be conducted as part of a team. Teams will be required to debate their respective solutions with other teams and well as to work across teams in developing solutions.

Weeks	Topic	Case
1-	Introduction/Overview Module
2- 6	Middleware Module Middleware Principles and Basic Middleware Services Web, XML, Semantic Web & Web Services Distributed Objects Enterprise Data & Transaction Management	p. 1-3 p. 2-4 p. 3-4 p. 4-4
7- 9	Architectures Module Solution Architecture Overview Components Enterprise Application Architectures Enterprise Data Architectures in Web-XML Environments Implementation Architectures Concepts & Examples	p. 1-47 p. 2-53
10- 14	Platforms Module Mobile Computing Platforms Mobile Application Servers e-Commerce Platforms for C2B Trade B2B Platforms & Standards Platforms for MM & Collaboration	p. 1-57 p. 2-44 p. 3-54 p. 4-37

IS 416 - Homework
Come to first class having read:

1) the Overview Module and Part 1 of the Middleware Module;
2) the case in Part 1 of the Middleware Module, page 1-3.

We will be working on the case on page1-3 of Part 1 of the Middleware Module during class. You will be working in teams to derive solutions to the case so you must come prepared, having read the material before hand. You will not be able to participate if you have not read the material. Each person is responsible for the success of the team and team members will be asked to evaluate each other.

Topic

Case