Baochun Li, Professor (bli@ece.toronto.edu)

In the first part of the course, we present a collection of fundamental design principles related to basic networking concepts. These include some basic properties of networks, the layering principle, the link, network and end-to-end layers, as well as flow and congestion control. This part of the course follows Chapter 7: "The Network as a System and as a System Component," in J. Saltzer and M. Frans Kaashoek's book, titled "Principles of Computer System Design: An Introduction," as well as Chapters 5, 6, 13 and 16 in S. Keshav's book, titled "An Engineering Approach to Computer Networking," published by Addison-Wesley in 1997.

This part offers an accelerated coverage of important networking concepts, with an emphasis on fundamental design principles. Some details will also be covered for important protocols and algorithms.

Part II. "Fairness."

In the second part of the course, we progress to present a detailed view of scheduling disciplines in a network switch, so that some degree of Quality of Service (QoS) can be achieved. We will also cover recent research advances towards managing resources in datacenters, including datacenter networks. Quality of Service is concerned with the "peace of mind" that resources are set aside to guarantee a particular level of performance, even with competition from other network flows sharing the same pool of resources. This part of the lectures are heavily based on Chapter 9 and 14 in S. Keshav's book, titled "An Engineering Approach to Computer Networking," published by Addison-Wesley in 1997; as well as a number of recent research papers in datacenter networks.

Part III. "Dynamics."

In the third (and final) part of the course, we switch to a macroscopic, rather than a microscopic, view of large-scale networks. We study dynamics, evolution, and resource allocation in these networks from a game-theoretic and an economic market point of view. This part of the course closely follows Chapter 6-15 in D. Easley and J. Kleinberg's book "Networks, Crowds, and Markets," published by Cambridge University Press in late 2010.

With respect to formatting, it is required that you use LaTeX (it is available as free downloadable tools regardless of your operating system of choice), as well as the IEEE Transactions LaTeX template (version 1.8b, released August 25, 2015). You are also required to use the IEEE Transactions BibTeX style for bibliography and citations (version 1.14, released August 26, 2015). Both are downloadable from the maintainer's web site, and from numerous other sites on the Web (such as CTAN mirrors). Do not change the default parameter settings of these templates. Use 11 point font, and two columns per page. This implies that you should start your LaTeX source file with the line:

\documentclass[11pt,twocolumn]{IEEEtran}

If you are not familiar with LaTeX, please start early to learn from the vast amount of resources available on the Web. I assure you the time you spend with LaTeX is worth it.

Refer to the lecture notes, titled "Writing Your Course Paper," for more detailed information about the evaluation criteria for your paper. For examples of two tutorial papers that I have written in the past, please refer to:

Sample tutorial paper #1:

Baochun Li, Yuan Feng, Bo Li. "Rise and Fall of the Peer-to-Peer Empire," in Tsinghua Science and Technology, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-16, February 2012.

Sample tutorial paper #2:

Wenting Wei, Huaxi Gu, and Baochun Li. "Congestion Control: A Renaissance with Machine Learning," IEEE Network, 2021.

Marking rubrics for the midterm course paper draft

Sample 1

Sample 2

Accommodations

The University of Toronto supports accommodations for students with diverse learning needs, which may be associated with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, autism spectrum, ADHD, mobility impairments, functional/fine motor impairments, concussion or head injury, visual impairments, chronic health conditions, addictions, D/deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, communication disorders and/or temporary disabilities, such as fractures and severe sprains, or recovery from an operation. If you have a learning need requiring an accommodation the University of Toronto recommends that students register with Accessibility Services as soon as possible. We know that many students may be hesitant to reach out to Accessibility Services for accommodations. The purpose of academic accommodations is to support students in accessing their academics by helping to remove unfair disadvantages. We can assess your situation, develop an accommodation plan with you, and support you in requesting accommodation for your course work. The process of accommodation is private; we will not share details of your needs or condition with any instructor.

If you feel hesitant to register with us, we encourage you to reach out for further information and resources on how we can support. It may feel difficult to ask for help, but it can make all the difference during your time here.

Phone: 416-978-8060

Email: accessibility.services@utoronto.ca

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

U of T Engineering strives to create equitable and inclusive learning environments for all individuals. Each person has their own lived experiences and socio-cultural identities that shape their worldview and their experiences with privilege and oppression.

Looking for community? Feeling isolated? Not being understood or heard?

You are not alone. You can talk to anyone in the Faculty that you feel comfortable approaching, anytime — professors, instructors, teaching assistants, department academic advisors, student leaders or the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism.

You belong here. In this class, the participation and perspectives of everyone is invited and encouraged. The broad range of identities and the intersections of those identities are valued and create an inclusive team environment that will help you achieve academic success. You can read the evidence for this approach here.

You have rights. The University Code of Student Conduct and the Ontario Human Rights Code protect you against all forms of harassment or discrimination, including but not limited to acts of racism, sexism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism and ageism. Engineering denounces unprofessionalism or intolerance in language, actions or interactions, in person or online, on- or off-campus. Engineering takes these concerns extremely seriously and you can confidentially disclose directly to the Assistant Dean for help here.

Land Acknowledgement & Indigenous Students Supports

Land Acknowledgement

I wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Learn more about Canada's relationship with Indigenous Peoples here.

Indigenous Students' Supports

If you are an Indigenous engineering student, you are invited to join a private Discord channel to meet other Indigenous students, professors, and staff, chat about scholarships, awards, work opportunities, Indigenous-related events, and receive mentorship. Email Professor Bazylak or Darlee Gerrard if you are interested.

Indigenous students at U of T are also invited to visit Nations House's (FNH) Indigenous Student Services for culturally relevant programs and services. If you want more information on how to apply for Indigenous specific funding opportunities, cultural programs, traditional medicines, academic support, monthly social events or receive the weekly newsletter, go to the FNH website, email or follow FNH on social media: Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. A full event calendar is on the CLNX platform. Check CLNX often to see what new events are added!

As part of the Faculty's commitment to improving Indigenous inclusion, all U of T Engineering faculty, staff and students are called upon to start or continue their personal journeys towards understanding and acknowledging Indigenous peoples' history, truths and culture. The Faculty's 2018 Blueprint for Action report identified many actions to (re)building relationships between U of T Engineering and Indigenous peoples. These actions also align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action.

One action is for non-Indigenous people to make a Land Acknowledgement in lectures and/or before important meetings. For reference, here are examples from the University and the COU: University of Toronto's Statement of Acknowledgement of Traditional Land and Council of Ontario Universities' Acknowledgement of Traditional Land.

To combat the fear that land acknowledgements have become largely performative and rote, we advise that the acknowledgement is done with sincerity and reflection on how you benefit from using the land, and on your commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. Take this training to learn more.

As an environmentalist, I have always been appreciative of the fact that right now we are in the territory covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt. This is a treaty originally by the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas, and the Haudenosaunee. It is not a rights-based agreement, but rather a responsibility-based agreement. Hundreds of years ago the First Nations People in this area recognized our responsibility to share and protect the land. Since that first wampum belt many other First Nations and Europeans have joined in this treaty. The First Nations close ties to the land enabled them to see the needs of the land when others could not or choose not to see. For that I am thankful to the Indigenous People of this land we work and study on.

Looking for help personalizing the land acknowledgement? Professor Jason Bazylak is the Dean's Advisor on Indigenous Inclusivity. He is willing to chat with anyone on how to go about presenting and/or discussing this with your class. He can be reached at jason.bazylak@utoronto.ca (after January 2024). In 2023, you can contact Darlee Gerrard in the Outreach Office at darlee.gerrard@utoronto.ca or Marisa Sterling, P.Eng. in the Dean's Office at marisa.sterling@utoronto.ca.

Wellness and Mental Health Support

As a U of T Engineering student, you have a Departmental Undergraduate Advisor or a Departmental Graduate Administrator who can support you by advising on personal matters that impact your academics. Other resources that you may find helpful are listed on the U of T Engineering Mental Health & Wellness webpage, and a small selection are also included here:

U of T Engineering's Mental Health Programs Officer

Accessibility Services

Graduate Engineering Council of Students' Mental Wellness Commission

Visit the SGS Grad Hub and click on Resources & Supports. Navigate to Health & Wellness: Graduate Wellness Services at SGS

Academic Success

We encourage you to access these resources as soon as you feel you need support; no issue is too small. If you find yourself feeling distressed and in need of more immediate support, consider reaching out to the counsellors at U of T Telus Health Student Support or visiting U of T Engineering's Urgent Support — Talk to Someone Right Now.