Course Coordinator:Abigail Koay (akoay@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering
UniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
The modern age is built on seamless and seemingly limit-less networks of technology. In this course you will learn how to build, evaluate, and maintain software defined networks (SDN) that make that possible. Covering topics including data and control plane abstraction and virtualization, network extensibility, automation, security, and scalability. You will gain hands-on experience in SDN, network function virtualisation (NFV) and network application development. You will also develop sought after skills applied in cutting edge technologies.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Asynchronous Learning Material | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On-campus workshop | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
Introduction to and Genesis of SDN
Basic Architecture of SDN
The OpenFlow Specification
Alternative Definitions of SDN
Emerging Protocol, Controller, and Application Models
SDN in the Data Centre and other Environments
Network Functions Virtualisation
Players in the SDN Ecosystem
SDN Use Cases
SDN Open Source
Future of SDN
200 Level (Developing)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Demonstrate advanced knowledge of networking concepts and practice extended into software defined networking. | Knowledgeable |
| 2 | Select, develop and adapt programming constructs (built to coding and documentation standards) to create solutions to complex computer networking challenges. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 3 | Analyse and evaluate ethical, privacy, security and safety concerns in a software defined networking context | Ethical |
| 4 | Communicate software defined networks through writing reports, design documentation and specifications | Engaged |
| 5 | Work as part of a team to produce quality computing artefacts and outcomes. | Engaged |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
ICT220 and ICT221
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Students will complete individual weekly workshop activities under the guidance of the workshop facilitator, providing opportunity for rapid formative feedback throughout the trimester. Moreover portions 1 and 2 of Task 1 will be submitted, marked and returned with detailed feedback prior to census date.
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Portfolio | Individual | 20% | Approx 300 words each |
Refer to Format | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 2 | Case Study | Group | 40% | 3000 words |
Week 10 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 3 | Practical / Laboratory Skills | Individual | 40% | 90 minutes |
Week 12 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1:SDN Topics and Experiences | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | To develop your ability to design, develop, document and debug software defined networking problems and approximate tasks a networking consultant may do in industry. |
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| Product: | Portfolio | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | You will submit weekly responses to stimulus materials provided in the LMS Learning Materials. Activities will include theoretical problem solving as well as programming, debugging and/or documentation to solve a series of small case study problems. Each submission will be the equivalent 300 words of text, code or documentation (note some code or documentation may be supplied). Due Weeks 3, 5, 7 and 9 |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 2:Connection Mastery | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | This task will provide a real-world experience solving a software defined networking problem for an industry case study. |
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| Product: | Case Study | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | You will submit a technical report explaining SDN solutions for a specified industry case study. Further details will be available on LMS in the assignment specification. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Problem solving, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:SDN Skills Demonstration | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The final practical exam will develop your ability to independently apply your skills and knowledge to solve familiar problem based questions with confidence within a set time limit just like a networking consultant working at a client’s office |
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| Product: | Practical / Laboratory Skills | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | Practical examination composed of a small set of SDN programming and documentation problems that the student must solve. Material based on tutorial activities and questions. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Problem solving, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Recommended | Paul Goransson,Chuck Black,Timothy Culver | 2016 | Software Defined Networks | n/a | Morgan Kaufmann |
| Recommended | Guy Pujolle | 2020 | Software Networks | n/a | John Wiley & Sons |
Not applicable
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
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