Third Generation Distributed Computing Environments

Instructor Corner

Welcome to the instructor corner for this book. It suggests how this material can be, and has been, used in developing courses with a sample course outline and sample projects. You can also download powerpoint slides and the text chapters if you are an instructor.

This corner is still under construction. Additional materials will be posted as they become available.


For additional details, please Contact us.  

  

 


Suggested Usage in Courses

I have developed and taught courses on distributed systems for more than a dozen years at different universities (University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Rutgers University, and Fordham Universsity) and professional settings (Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Frost and Sullivan, and telecommunications sector seminars). Although the courses have evolved over the years and the content varies with audience, a recent and generic course description and outline follows.   

 

Course: Modern Distributed Systems

 

Other Possible Titles for the same course: 

§         Modern Client/server Environments 

§         Object-oriented Client/Server Internet Environments

§         Middleware and the Web Technologies 

§         e-Business/e-Commerce Technologies

 

Course Description: This course introduces the main concepts of modern distributed systems with special emphasis on contemporary middleware, Web Services, platforms, and component-based architecture issues. The topics of this course continually evolve as new technologies and approaches emerge. The course starts with an overview of modern distributed systems and their role in supporting ebusiness initiatives and applications.  The key middleware services and Web technologies (Web clients, Web proxies, Web servers, XML and its variants, web gateways, and cookies) are covered with emphasis on Next Generation Web (i.e., object orientation of Web). Emerging application servers and approaches to build Web applications (e.g., Web Services, .NET, J2EE) are examined to illustrate practical applications. The course concludes with a discussion of how the most recent technologies such as components and Web services can be used to architect and integrate the modern large scale distributed applications. Several case studies, examples, and commercially available products are reviewed. 

 

Prerequisites:    

Basic course in IS/IT with some background in databases, object-orientation, and networks.

 

Main Text:       

Umar, A "Third Generation Distributed Computing Environments", NGE Solutions, Inc. July 2004.

 

Course Grade:   

§         Two Projects that include hands-on experimentation with several packages  (200 points)

§         One Examination  (100 points)

§         Total: 300 points

 

Course Outline

   

Session

Major Topic

Readings

1

 Introduction and Overview

Chapter 1

2

 Modern Distributed Applications (CRMs, ERPs, eMarkets, SCM, ASPs, Portals)

Chapter 2

3

 Middleware Principles and Basic Middleware Services

Chapter 4

4

 Web, XML, and Semantic Web

Chapter 5

5

 Web Services, .NET and J2EE 

Chapter 6

6

 Enterprise Data and Transaction Management

Chapter 7

7

Exam or project

 

8

Mobile Application Servers

Chapter 9

8

e-Commerce Servers

Chapter 10

10

B2B Platforms and Standards -- The B2B Servers

Chapter 11

11

Platforms for Multimedia and Collaboration

Chapter 12

12

Component-based Solution Architectures 

Chapter 14

13

Enterprise Application Integration  

Chapter 15

14, 15

Exam, special topics, or project presentations

 

                                               

 

Discussion of case studies, examples, commercial products, and  trends: 

The course uses several case studies, examples, and commercial products at different points in the course. This material is extracted from the following chapters:   

§         Examples and Case Studies Chapter (Chapter 3)

§         Middleware State of the Practice, Market, and Art (Chapter 8)         

§         Application Servers State of the Practice, Market, and Art (Chapter 13)

 

 

Downloads of Lecture Slides and Text Chapters

When you click on the links below, you will get a zipped file in return with chapter slides and text chapters of the book. You will need ID and PW to access these slides.

If you are an instructor and want a free review copy of the material, please Contact us  with university/college name, possible course title, etc. We will send you the passwords and IDs for the slides plus the text chapters.

 

Lecture Slides (ppt files in a zipped file)

All Text Chapters (pdf files of all chapters in a zipped file, 10 Meg)  

Tutorials and Detailed Discussion on Special Topics (pdf files in a zipped file, 1 Meg)