Computer networks are among the most important and influential global infrastructures that humanity has created. CS 538 will explore the guts of the systems that have given rise to so much innovation, how networking is continuing to evolve to support new environments, and challenges in building networked systems that are simultaneously robust, efficient, flexible, and secure.

This course provides both a foundational and current view of computer networks in order to enable students to perform high-quality research in the area. Topics will include Internet architecture and core protocols for congestion control, forwarding, naming, and routing; approaches to achieve reliability, scalability, and security; and design of hyperscale cloud networks, data centers, content delivery networks, enterprise networks, and more. The material will range from the classics to the latest results, and from analytical foundations to systems design and real-world deployment.

Prerequisite: This course assumes that you have taken an undergraduate networking course, such as CS/ECE 438 or equivalent. If you need a refresher, you could take a look at these textbooks.