Instructor: Dr. Ken Christensen Department: Computer Science and Engineering Office location: ENB 319 Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Call or email
to schedule an appointment. Phone: 974-4761 Email:christen@csee.usf.edu Homepage: http://www.csee.usf.edu/~christen
Teaching assistant: Ravi Krishnan Email:rkrishn2@csee.usf.edu Office location: ENB 327 Office hours: Monday 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Required textbook: There is no required textbook, but there is a
required software package called CSIM (student version cost is $65). How
to obtain CSIM will be discussed in class. There will be assigned readings
to complement the lectures. These readings will come from handouts and/or
material available from the Internet.
Catalog course description: This special topics course is an introduction
to discrete-event simulation for performance modeling of communication and
computer systems. At the completion of this course, a student will be able to
model a system and predict its performance.
Course objectives:
As a result of successfully completing this course, students will:
Understand the basic principles of performance modeling.
Be able to select and use appropriate performance metrics when modeling a
system.
Understand the basics of queueing theory including Little's Law and the
M/M/1 queue.
Know how to collect and characterize performance measurement data.
Know how to generate workload using probability distributions and using
a trace.
Understand the basic concepts of a discrete event simulation model including
model components, flowchart, and event list.
Learn how to design and implement process-oriented simulation models using
CSIM.
Know how to determine when a simulation program can be terminated using
confidence intervals
Know how to compare two designs using statistical hypothesis testing.
Understand the modeling and analysis process from a project perspective and
how to define experiments and present results.
Course topics:
This course will cover the following topics:
Week 1: Introduction to performance modeling
Week 2: Review of probability theory
Week 3: Generating random values and workload
Week 4: Introduction to queueing theory
Week 5: Organization of a discrete-event simulation model
Week 6: Review and mid-term exam
Week 7: CSIM part #1
Week 8: CSIM part #2
Week 9: Model validation, verification, and output analysis
Grading: Students will earn a grade based on assignments, project,
midterm exam, and a comprehensive final exam. The grade breakdown is:
Assignments: 15% (six assignments with lowest score dropped -- due on
05/21/09, 05/28/09, 06/04/09, 06/11/09, 06/25/09 and 07/02/09 at the
beginning of class)
Project: 30% (due on 07/17/09 at 5pm - early submission is very highly
recommended)
Midterm exam: 25% (held in class on 06/18/09)
Comprehensive final exam: 30% (held in class on 07/16/09)
The grading scale is "no worse than" (note that there are no "+" or "-"
grades):
A = 90% through 100%
B = 80% through 89%
C = 70% through 79%
D = 60% through 69%
F = Less than 60%
Course policies:
If you must submit work late you need to talk to me at least one-week
before the due date in question. Otherwise, late work cannot be
accepted except in cases of verifiable emergencies.
It is highly recommended that you attend class. I will track attendance.
However, class attendance does not directly factor into you grade.
We will be observing all university policies regarding
religious holidays and disability policies. Any student with a disability who
needs special accommodations must bring a current Memorandum of Accommodations
from the Office of Student Disability Services (this is the prerequisite for
receiving accommodations). Accommodated examinations through the Office of
Student Disability Services require two weeks notice. For information regarding
religious holidays, please see
http://isis.fastmail.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm.
Incomplete ("I") grades will only be given in the case of severe hardship
including verifiable medical emergencies or legal troubles. Simply being
"overloaded" and unable to complete your work is not grounds for an "I"
grade.
You may tape the lectures and take notes for personal use, but you may not
make monetary profit from the tapes and/or notes.
Out of courtesy to other students please make sure that you turn off, or
place in silent mode, your cell phone.
Academic Integrity/Academic Dishonesty: I expect students to be honest
and not cheat on their assignments, project, and exams. Students may work
together on assignments and the project with one other person in the class.
All student pairs must then submit one copy of the assignment with both names
on it. Both students will earn the same grade. The exams must be completed
without giving or accepting assistance from other students. Any source code
copied from another source must be credited as such. Open source software used
must maintain all headers and other information as required by the Open source
license used. I expect you to know the University's policies on student conduct,
academic dishonesty, etc. Please see the University's Undergraduate Catalog
regarding these policies at
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0708/adadap.htm.
Students found cheating in any form will receive an FF grade for the
course.
