CS 538 is a graduate-level course in computer networks at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Class sessions will focus on discussions of paper readings, supplemented by background lectures. Students will carry out a research project in groups, with the goal of achieving publishable results in top-quality venues.
The course consists of:
Each of these components of the course is discussed below, along with several other administrative issues.
Class sessions combine discussions of readings, background lectures, and presentations by students.
In all cases, the class is centered on discussion. Please comment, question, and interact! We ask that you refrain from using laptops during class. This way, we'll all be maximally engaged.
In-class participation will account for 10% of the grade. It is easy to receive the full 10% credit: you only need to come to class prepared and share your own opinions about the assigned papers in N ≥ 10 classes over the course of the semester. Partial credit will be given proportionally otherwise (N% for N < 10).
I know what you might be thinking: "I'll just attend the first 10 classes, speak up, and then never have to show up again!" Well, no one will stop you from doing so, but I truly believe that class participation is key to having a memorable and fun experience! Meanwhile, consuming technical content (such as research papers) and engaging in technical discussions is a valuable skill that will serve you well in your future career, whether in academia or industry.
Most classes will have only one assigned reading, which we will all read thoroughly prior to class and discuss during the session. We intentionally focus on one paper per class, as we expect you to study the paper closely and actively search for the necessary background knowledge on the topic.
Reading the papers is essential to get the most out of this course. Depending on your past familiarity with the topic, you should expect to spend at least 3 hours (and potentially up to 8 hours!) reading the paper in order to fully comprehend the material.
For each required reading, you must submit a paper review containing at least four comments, formatted as a numbered list with one item per comment. Your reviews should not summarize the paper or repeat the abstract; we have all read the paper already. Instead, each of your comments should supply information that is not found in the paper itself. For example, a comment might be:
Four valid comments are required to receive full credit. Longer is usually not better, and we will provide feedback for unnecessarily lengthy reviews. Here is an example of a review that is not good:
This review is unhelpful because it summarizes the paper (old news: we already read the paper!) and gives no interesting new thoughts or information. Here is an example of a review that is good:
You may find skipping reviews useful if you are busy with other coursework. If you did not skip (or skipped only once), we will drop 2 (or 1) of your lowest review scores when grading. Except in extreme cases, we will not grant additional free passes on the reviews.
Students will work in groups (likely 2 to 4) to deliver an in-class presentation on one assigned reading during the semester, much like presenting in a reading group or seminar. The primary goal is to help everyone gain a deeper understanding of the paper while fostering critical thinking and a lively discussion.
Early in the semester, you will sign up for one of the required readings from the course schedule based on your topic preference. Students who choose the same topic will be presentation partners.
Presenters should assume that most of the audience has only skimmed the paper and may not have fully grasped its details or nuances. This assumption is likely true based on past observations, even though other graduate courses with paper readings tend to assume otherwise! With this in mind, you should think empathetically and present the paper in a way that you would find helpful if you were in the audience.
For example, you can provide extended background for parts that confused you the most during your reading, or highlight results or figures that you found particularly interesting or surprising. In any case, your presentation should be self-contained and comprehensible on its own, in case anyone skipped the paper or struggled to parse it.
You may split the presentation (including question answering and the discussion period) however you want among your group, but every member is expected to participate. This is a great opportunity to practice technical presentation skills, so take advantage of it! You may use speaker notes or any supporting materials on stage — the focus is on the quality of technical content and the effectiveness of its delivery, rather than the means of communication.
While preparing the presentation, you are encouraged to attend the office hours to flip through the slides and seek feedback. Make sure you have a dress rehearsal within your group before the presentation date. After the presentation, post the slides in PDF format (so avoid fancy animations) on the class discussion board for others to review and ask follow-up questions.
We will grade your presentation based on your understanding of the content, presentation structure and flow, question handling, and class engagement. Feedback will be provided along with the grade.
Can a presentation use the paper author's slides? Yes, if you like. But if you do this, you must clearly credit the source of the slides in your presentation. In any case, you should not repeat the paper author's presentation.
The research project is the absolute highlight of the course. The goal is to conduct novel research broadly related to networking that, by the end of the semester, could be publishable as a short (6-page) paper in a high-quality workshop like HotNets, HotMobile, HotOS, or ANRW.
An alternative target is conferences that accept 6-page submissions, such as IMC, CoNEXT, USENIX ATC, or SoCC. The difference is that workshop papers present early-stage work with preliminary ideas that are not yet fully evaluated, whereas short conference papers are finished work whose descriptions fit within 6 pages.
We recommend designing your class project with HotNets in mind as the primary target venue, with the hope that, when expanded into a full (12-page) paper in the future, the work could be publishable at a top conference like SIGCOMM or NSDI.
No actual paper submissions are required to complete the course, but you are encouraged to continue the study afterward. If you decide to submit a paper after the semester (e.g., HotNets submissions are typically due at the end of June), the instructor will be happy to assist with the submission. Regardless, throughout the semester, you are expected to meet regularly with the course staff during office hours (or through additional appointments) and seek advice on the project.
The steps in the research project are as follows:
Taking CS 538 has been rewarding for students, with many past projects in this class being quite successful. Below are some projects that went on to be published, and we look forward to your work adding to the list! (Only the CS 538 student author is shown for each publication below; click the link to view all authors.)
Can a project be shared with another course's project or independent research? It is OK to work on a class project that complements your other ongoing projects with a related topic. However, you should clearly define the piece of the larger project that you are working on for CS 538, with separate pieces for another course or independent research. Please discuss with the instructor first if you plan to share your class project. Be sure to check with your teammates and any other instructors or advisors involved as well.
Guidelines on paper submissions: If you plan to submit a paper (short or long) largely based off of your class project at some point, you are welcome to consult with the instructor for guidance on improving the manuscript and identifying suitable venues for submission. Before submitting the paper, we recommend having an open conversation with your project collaborators, including anyone who provided non-negligible advice or assistance, to determine appropriate authorship. If your paper is accepted at a venue, please report back to the instructor so we can add it to the CS 538 list of publications!
There is no required textbook. If you need a refresher, we recommend looking at:
There are also books focusing on mathematical aspects of networking:
The overall score will be converted to a letter grade. The minimum score needed for each grade is at most the following values:
A+: 97 | B+: 87 | C+: 77 | D+: 67 |
A: 93 | B: 83 | C: 73 | D: 63 |
A-: 90 | B-: 80 | C-: 70 | D-: 60 |
You are allowed to skip up to 2 paper reviews during the semester, with any late submission automatically counting as a skipped review. For each other required submission, extensions will only be granted in cases of exceptional circumstances.
The author of all writing, ideas, and other work must be clearly credited. For example, if your presentation uses slides from someone else, you must credit the author. Please note that even a single sentence, or fragment of a sentence, directly copied from another work without being a clearly attributed quotation can constitute plagiarism.
Generative AI tools such as GPT must be used with caution in this course. For example, you may use them as grammar checkers to proofread your writing, but they must not be used to create the initial drafts. You may use them as search engines to gather background information, but they must not be used to directly generate solutions to your assignments. You may not abuse or misuse generative AI in any way that compromises academic integrity.
The standard penalty for a first instance of cheating is a grade of zero on the assignment in question, plus a reduction of one full letter grade in your final course grade.
For details, please see the departmental honor code.