Fundamentals of Network Design

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

4-year Electrical Engineering degree or equivalent.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will include:

• Principles of Network Design using economic optimization
• Introduction to search and optimization techniques and to standard network problems including shortest paths, minimal spanning tree, and travelling salesman
• Review of Probability Theory
• Analysis and design of systems for availability and reliability
• Methods of Measurement and Forecasting
• High-level overview of Teletraffic, including Erlang Loss Formula Network dimensioning for teletraffic performance and commercial objectives.

Assessment will be based on a Project (Group work) and a Final Examination.

1. Group Seminar on Project 5% (group mark)
2. Written Report on Project. Maximum 1500 words per student. 25% (group mark)
3. Formally supervised written examination - 3 hours 70% (end of semester). This final exam is a hurdle. A student must pass the exam to pass the subject.

Given the breadth of the topics covered, no single text is required. The following books are recommended as additional resources:

1. Hwei Hsu (1997) "Probability, Random Variables, & Random Processes" Schaum Outline Series, McGraw Hill, 1997
2. Free Download: Linear Optimisation Course at http://ubmail.ubalt.edu/~harsham/opre640a/partVIII.htm
3. Free Download: Teletraffic Engineering Handbook ITC in cooperation with ITU-D SG2, available at http://www.tele.dtu.dk/teletraffic/
4. Free Download: Graph Theory book at http://www.math.uni-hamburg.de/home/diestel/books/graph.theory/ describes Adjacency Matrix and other Graph Theoretic terms.
5. Kershenbaum, "Telecommunications Network Design Algorithms". McGraw Hill International Additions, Computer Science Series, 1993. ISBN: 0-07-112518-3. (Now out of print, but copies are held in the library)
6. David McDysan, Qos and Traffic Management in IP and ATM Networks", McGraw-Hill Professional, 1999

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the end of the course, students will have developed:

• Problem-solving abilities, characterized by flexibility of approach;
• An understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge to the wider community, including business and industry;
• An ability to evaluate and synthesize the research and professional literature in the discipline;
• Advanced working skills in the application of computer systems and software and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies;
• A Capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self directed project work.