Master of Research/Science/Computing Discipline: COMPUTING Unit Codes: COMP791, COMP792, COMP793, COMP794, COMP795, COMP796 Unit Name: Research Topic in Computing ELECTIVE UNITS Discipline Unit Name Unit Description Enterprise Application Integration This unit covers a range of topics in business process management,including workflow and integration of distributed systems. With reference to a current case study, we map the information flows in a B2B integration scenario and assess the available technologies. In doing so, we analyse factors such as cost, performance, security and scalability, recommend a design and construct a prototype. Advanced Database Applications Development This unit will focus on the activities, issues and techniques involved in developing database applications. This subject will cover three major phases of software development process for database applications: analysis, design and implementation. The analysis and design topics will concentrate on various methods and techniques of software requirements elicitation, specifications and management. Information Systems Design and Management This unit focuses on enterprise management information systems and the technologies used in their design, implementation and maintenance. The alignment of information systems with business strategy, socio-technical aspects of system development and e-commerce systems are all explored. A case study analysing business processes for an enterprise systems project is conducted. Project and Risk Management Topics include project definition, scheduling and milestones, organisation of development and quality assurance teams, resource allocation, cost estimation, cost/benefit analysis, risk analysis and management, factors that affect costs, version and change control, quality and process improvement methods, the use of quantitative methods, distributed and concurrent engineering, and the management of composite hardware/software systems development. Enterprise Management Topics include competitive positioning, business information and technology, deployment of client- server computing, integrating mainframe and personal applications with a client server network, deployment of client-server computing on an enterprise-wide level, telecommunications, local/global issues, system security, legal issues, general and personnel management issues, R&D management, innovation and technology transfer, marketing and presentation (written and oral) skills Computer Networks This unit concerns itself with the design and implementation of real-world computer networks. We consider the various layers of modern network systems design, from the physical medium, through software protocol layers to the application protocols. Technical issues inherent to each layer are examined including routing, error detection and correction, flow control, connection management, data representation and network security management. Network Management This unit covers architecture, analysis, design, standards and migration issues related to the operation, management and control of distributed systems and communication networks for voice, data, image, and networked computing. Initially the focus is on the fundamental building blocks of network management architecture. These basics are built upon by discussing advanced topics including Broadband and Web-based network management, telecommunications management, security management, management platforms and applications/research issues such as delegated agents and management of mobile or ad hoc networks. System and Network Technologies This unit will look in detail at the following commercial operating systems: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2003, HP/UX Ili, Solaris 10, Red Hat Linux, IBM MVS, IBM OS400 and OpenVMS and explore how secure they are in a commercial environment. This unit will include hands-on tutorials on most of the operating systems and will also include threat and vulnerability analysis of common configurations. As operating systems provide the environment upon which all application processing is based, knowing their strengths and weaknesses will help in understanding how to make commercial environments more secure. Master of Research/Science/Computing Systems Engineering Process Topics include the software development life cycle and its phases, generic and project specific aspects of the life cycle, risk, estimation methods, process models and modelling, process maturity, process improvement, metrics, experimentation, reliability, experience packaging, organisational issues, socio-technical aspects of process, software evolution, process-centred development environments and standards. Object-Oriented Technology Object-oriented design approaches apply methods for producing applications software that place correctness and reusability as principal aims. Its tools include object classes, inheritance, message passing and polymorphism. This unit examines object-oriented design and programming with applications to simulation. Advanced Programming in Software Engineering We consider the influence of advanced programming techniques on the software engineering process. Students study one or more modern programming languages, focusing on features that directly support process phases such as specification, design and validation. Examples include using equational reasoning in functional languages to support specification, or aspects in object- oriented languages to enable system decomposition according to cross-cutting concerns. Network and Systems Security As organisations and users increasingly rely upon networked applications for assessing information and making critical business decisions, securing distributed applications is becoming extremely significant. The unit is concerned with the protection of information in computing systems and networks. It will address concepts and techniques for securing distributed applications. Security Management The intent of this unit is to provide students with a working knowledge of commercial information security governance requirements, tools and techniques. The unit has a practical focus with tutorial and lab work that will include aspects of physical security and hacking, information security architectures and the creation of a dummy company on which the tools and techniques will be developed and tested. Topics include an introduction to information security, standard and governance, risk management concepts, security threats, controls, practical hacking, server hardening, evidence collection, business community planning and DRP, creating an enterprise information security framework, and EISF/ISMS certification. Security and Forensic Discovery This unit covers the fundamental technologies and processes that underpin good systems security management within modern organisations. We consider the underlying mechanics of ICT security infrastructures, security requirements, security architectures and models, cryptography, secure protocols, authentication, key management, PKI, access control, auditing and intrusion detection. Introduction to Distributed Systems This unit covers both fundamental issues and recent trends in distributed computing. We examine the complexities of distributed communications systems such as partial failures, shared memory, scheduling problems and multiple clocks. Networking protocols and other industry standards are discussed. Lectures will mostly be expository and conceptual and aim to provide a solid understanding of distributed systems and related enduring issues. XML Technologies A thorough introduction to the technological fundamentals of web-based e-commerce, emphasising the application of XML(eXtensible Markup Language) as a tool for structuring transactions and organising complex dynamic information. Topics include document computing (webservers, XML, XSLT), web services (application servers, SOAP), XML data formats and standards, meta-data, and XML databases. Web Applications This unit covers the core technologies that make the internet work. Topics include internet standards for web, mail and related protocols, peer-to-peer services, remote procedure calling (RPC), the provision of secure internet services and the design and deployment of XML applications. Web Services This unit covers the standards and technologies that drive modern web servers in providing B2C and B2B services. Topics include the design of and migration to SOAP-based services, webserver toolkits, Java server technologies, J2EE, message-oriented middleware, and server-side XML integration. Data Mining and Business Intelligence This unit covers the relationship that can be established between data mining and smart business practices. It also explains how to develop models for classification, prediction, and customer segmentation with the help of Data Mining for Business Intelligence techniques. The course covers both a theoretical and practical understanding of the key methods of classification, prediction, reduction, exploration, and affinity analysis in data mining and how we can apply these methods to real business cases and data