Course unit details:
Advanced Distributed Systems

Course unit fact file
Unit code COMP38311
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Offered by Department of Computer Science
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Distributed Systems: The Big Picture

  • Categories and Characteristics
  • Historical Perspective
  • Architectural Paradigms
  • Cloud Computing Concepts and Economics

Resource Management

  • Provisioning
  • Scheduling
  • Load Balancing
  • Energy Management
  • Quality of Service

Big Data as an Application Driver

  •   Big Data: Drivers and the 4Vs
  •   Batch: MapReduce
  •   Interactive: NoSQL
  •   Streaming

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Database Systems COMP23111 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Distributed Systems COMP28112 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
COMP28112 and COMP23111 are pre-requisites.

COMP28112 and COMP23111 are pre-requisites.

Aims

The course unit aims to provide insights into and experience of techniques relating to advanced distributed systems. Fundamental drivers, concepts and techniques associated with advanced distributed systems and cloud computing are explored, while the applicability of different approaches is examined with reference to data intensive applications and big data.

Learning outcomes

ILO 1: Describe different categories of distributed systems, in terms of their capabilities and limitations. 

ILO 2: Compare and contrast the suitability of current distributed paradigms with respect to real-world applications. 

ILO 3: Explain the principles, outline the problems, and discuss methods and techniques applied to managing resources for current distributed paradigms such as Clouds. 

ILO 4: Identify the application and technology drivers behind distributed data management paradigms for big data. 

ILO 5: Explain the constraints and trade-offs that influence the design and utilisation of big data platforms. 

Syllabus

Distributed Systems: The Big Picture

•    Categories and Characteristics

•    Historical Perspective

•    Architectural Paradigms

•    Cloud Computing Concepts and Economics

Resource Management

•    Provisioning

•    Scheduling

•    Load Balancing

•    Energy Management

•    Quality of Service

Big Data as an Application Driver

•     Big Data: Drivers and the 4Vs

•     Batch: MapReduce

•     Interactive: NoSQL

•     Streaming 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Feedback methods

Formative Assessment: Workshop Activities

Approximately 1 hour per week of in-workshop activities

There and then, by reviewing outcomes

Formative Assessment: Online activities.

Approximately 30 minutes most weeks, through quizzes / online activities

Quizzes will include explanations

Formative Assessment: Laboratory

There will be a single 2-hour lab

In the lab from staff / TAs; through reflections in workshops

Recommended reading

  1. Foster, Ian. (2017). Cloud computing for science and engineering. The MIT Press. ISBN: 9780262343992
     
  2. Kleppmann, Martin. (2017). Designing data-intensive applications : the big ideas behind reliable, scalable, and maintainable systems. O'Reilly. ISBN: 1491903112
     
  3. Miner, Donald. (2013). MapReduce design patterns. O'Reilly. ISBN: 9781449341992
     
  4. Fabian Hueske. Stream Processing with Apache Flink. O'Reilly. ISBN: 978 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Practical classes & workshops 11
Independent study hours
Independent study 89

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Rizos Sakellariou Unit coordinator

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2027 will be £10,050 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £39,700 per annum.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

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For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our  undergraduate student finance pages .

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