MASTER IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY -- Syllabus -Edited by: Luca Chittaro Contributing Professors: Luca Chittaro Gianluca Foresti Stefano

Mizzaro Vito Roberto Carlo Tasso Elio Toppano

LIST OF THE COURSES: Web Technologies Human-Computer Interaction Management Information Systems Multimedia Systems Java Programming Advanced Computer Networks Computer Security

WEB TECHNOLOGIES (TECNOLOGIE WEB) -- Syllabus -Topics 1. Introductory network terminology: services, protocols. Packet vs. message switching. LAN, MAN, WAN, and topologies. 2. The ISO/OSI reference model. Characteristics of each layer. ISO/OSI vs. TCP/IP. 3. Principles of networking. Connecting programs and protocols. Client-server architectures. Client-server programming. 4. Principles of network security. Security from the operating system point of view. Cryptography. Exchanging secure messages. 5. E-mail and the WWW 6. Web objects and formats: Images, Video, Sound; hypertexts. Textbook Kurose-Ross: Internet and Computer Networks, McGraw-Hill, 2001

HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (INTERAZIONE UOMO-MACCHINA) -- Syllabus -AIMS The course illustrates principles, design methodologies and the different implementation choices which allow one to build software which is usable in a simple, intuitive, productive, and reliable way by the users for which it is meant. Achieving this goal requires the study of three different kinds of topics: man (psychological aspects of the user); computer (user interface development tools); interaction (analysis, design, and evaluation of human-machine interfaces). Besides presenting the fundamental concepts of human-computer interaction, the course highlights some recent relevant developments of the field, such as 3D Interfaces, Groupware, and the design of World Wide Web interfaces.
TOPICS

Introduction: Goals of human-computer interaction and its relevance to the applications of interactive computer systems. Psychological Aspects: Cognitive psychology. Sensory channels. Human limitations and expectations in perceptual processes. Visual perception. Auditory perception. Haptic perception. Human memory: sensory, short-term, long-term. Individual differences. Mental models. Metaphors. Human error: slip and mistake. Devices for Human-Computer Interaction: Text input devices. Positioning and pointing devices. 3D devices. Devices for visual, auditory, and haptic output. Interfaces and devices for disabled users. Models and Paradigms of Human-Computer Interaction: Characterizing different phases of interaction. Ergonomic aspects of interaction. Interaction styles: from command language to 3D interfaces. Window interfaces (WIMP). Menu and icon design. Interaction paradigms. Human-Computer Interaction and the Software Life-Cycle: Analysis of usability requirements. Usability principles. User-centred design. Usability engineering. Prototyping techniques. Envisioning design techniques. Design rationale. Environment, User, Task Analysis: Characterizing the context of interaction with socio-technical models.The USTM/CUSTOM technique. Task analysis. The HTA technique. Predictive models: GOMS, KLM. Formal Methods in Human-Computer Interaction: State transition network and other diagrammatic notations. Textual notations. Dialogue analysis and design with state transition network. Guidelines and Standards for User Interfaces: Definition. Choosing and using guidelines. Examples of guidelines: MITRE, Apple, Microsoft, IBM guidelines for 3D interfaces. The ISO 9241 standard. Tools for User Interface Implementation: Windowing System. Programming techniques. Toolkit. Case study: the Java toolkit. User Interface Management Systems. Usability Evaluation: Goals of evaluation. Recording tools. Observing the user. Collecting opinions. Interviews. Questionnaires. Experiments. Predictive evaluation. Cognitive walkthrough. Interpretive evaluation. Help: Assisting the user. Requirements for help systems. Main approaches. Adaptive and adaptable interfaces. Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: Groupware. Computer-mediated communication. E-mail and textual communication systems. Videoconference. Virtual collaborative environments. Workflow systems. Experimental and organizational aspects. Recent Paradigms of Human-Computer Interaction: Ubiquitous computing. Virtual reality. Types of virtual reality. Multi-sensory (or multi-modal) interfaces. Information visualization. Hypertext. Multimedia and Hypermedia interfaces. WWW interfaces. Design of usable Web pages.
TEXTBOOK

A. Dix, J. Finlay, G. Abowd and R. Beale.Human Computer Interaction, Second Edition, Prentice Hall, 1998.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (ORGANIZZ. AZIENDALE PER LA NET-ECONOMY) -- Syllabus -Topics Systems Concepts. System Life Cycle Methodologies. Fundamentals of Computer Processing. Databases and Database Management Systems. Accounting Information Systems. Decision Support Systems. Virtual Office. Enterprise Information Systems. Executive Information Systems. Marketing Information Systems. Information Resources Information Systems.

Textbook Chapters 6 through 18 of R.McLeod Jr. & G.Schell, Management Information Systems 8/E, 2001, Prentice-Hall.

MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS (SISTEMI MULTIMEDIALI) -- Syllabus -1. 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Introduction: Multimedia and Hypermedia Multimedia definitions Taxonomies of multimedia objects Relations (e.g. spatial, temporal syntactic and semantic) among multimedia objects Hypertext and Hypermedia: the Dexter and Amsterdam models Applications of hypermedia Modelling multimedia presentations: the SMIL language Multimedia and information systems Foundamental concepts of Information Theory Communication and information processes: the FRISCO Project Elements of semiotic Semiotic applied to the analysis of web sites, videoclips and banners

3. Multimedia building blocks 3.1 Text 3.1.1 Character sets 3.1.2 Text formats (e.g. RIFF, TIFF, PDF) 3.1.3 Writing texts for the web 3.2 Sound 3.2.1 Spectral and morphological characteristics of sound objects 3.2.2 Typologies of sound objects 3.2.3 Sampling and quantisation of audio signals 3.2.4 Characteristics of human auditory perception: psycho-acoustic models of human hearing, auditory masking 3.2.5 Coding and Compression standards (e.g. A-Law, mu-Law, PCM and differential PCM, Adaptive DPCM, LPC, MPEG audio, MP3) 3.2.6 Basic editing techniques. Examples of editing tools: SoundForge, CoolEdit, CakeWalk 3.2.7 File formats and media supports 3.2.8 Digital audio vs MIDI: MIDI interface, protocol and file format 3.2.9 Audio 3D 3.2.10 Adding sound to multimedia projects 3.3 Images and graphics 3.3.1 Raster vs vector graphics 3.3.2 Sampling and quantisation of analogue images: spatial frequency, sampling frequency, aliasing, colour depth. 3.3.3 Understanding light and colour: colour theory and colour spaces, additive vs subtractive colour mixing 3.3.4 Editing images. Examples of editing tools: Photoshop, Fireworks 3.3.5 Vector graphics: 2D and 3D drawing and transformations 3.3.6 Object rendering 3.3.7 Raster display. The monitor: dot pitch, resolution, white point and gamma correction 3.3.8 Characteristics of human vision perception 3.3.9 Image file formats (GIF, PNG, BMP, PICT, JPEG) 3.3.10 Lossless and lossy compression schemes. JPEG encoding process 3.3.11 Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Virtual Reality Modelling language (VRML) 3.3.12 The use of images on the web: elements of visual semiotics and graphic design 3.4 Animation 3.4.1 Principles of animation. 2D and 3D animation 3.4.2 Making animation for the web: creating/editing animated GIFs, Macromedia Flash 3.5 Digital video 3.5.1 Fundamentals of video 3.5.2 Perception of video 3.5.3 Television standards 3.5.4 Video acquisition: camcorder, IEEE1393, codec, etc. 3.5.5 Video compression techniques: M-JPEG, DV25/50/100, and the MPEG family 3.5.6 Non linear editing. Examples of editing tools: Premiere, iMovie. 3.5.7 Pre-production, production, post-production and distribution of video 6

3.5.8 4. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6

Adding video to web sites

Media integration and design methodology Guidelines for media integration User centred design. Usability and accessibility Multimedia design methodologies Evaluation of Multimedia products Multimedia and copyrights

5. Distributed Multimedia systems and applications 5.1 The HW and SW infrastructure 5.2 Server and storage architectures 5.3 Multimedia operating systems 5.3.1 Scheduling of multimedia processes 5.3.2 Multimedia File systems 5.3.3 Cache mechanisms 5.3.4 Disk scheduling 5.4 Streaming audio and video 5.4.1 Progressive vs pure streaming 5.4.2 Streaming architectures: Quick Time, Real Media, Windows Media 5.4.3 Streaming formats 5.4.4 Unicasting and multicasting 5.5 Videoconference 5.5.1 Quality of Service requirements based on bandwidth, delay and packet losses 5.5.2 Standards for the videoconference: H.261, H.263; H.320 and H.323; T.120 5.5.3 Protocols for videoconference on IP: TCP-UDP, RTP, RTCP, RSVP, RTSP and SIP 5.5.4 Applications of multimedia for e-learning and web-based instruction REFERENCES T. Vaughan. Multimedia: Making it Work. Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, 2001. N. Chapman, J. Chapman. Digital Multimedia. Wiley &Sons. 2000. Al Bovik (Editor). Handbook of Image & Video Processing. Academic Press. 2000. J. R. Wilcox. Videoconferencing: The Whole Picture. 3rd Edition. CMP Books, 2000.

JAVA PROGRAMMING: API (PROGRAMMAZIONE JAVA: API) -- Syllabus -Aim The aim of this course is to introduce the Java Language and some of its API (Application Programming Interface). Topics (numbers in square brackets refer to chapters of the textbook) 1. Introduction to Java [2-3] Applications and applets. Command line and graphical User Interfaces. 2. Basic concepts in a Java program [1-4] Primitive data types, variables, arithmetic operators and expressions, assignment. 3. Control structures [4-5] Sequence, selection, and iteration. If, switch/case, while, do/while, and for statements. Top-down development and step-wise refinement. 4. Arrays [7] Unidimensional and multidimensional arrays. Declaration, allocation, use. 5. Methods [6] Definition and use of a method. Parameters. Scope. Lifetime. Recursion. 6. Object based programming [8] Classes and objects (instances). Message passing. Class and instance methods. Abstract data types, information hiding, programming in the large. 7. Object oriented programming [9] Inheritance. Composition. Polymorphism and late (dynamic) binding. Abstract classes and interfaces. 8. Introduction to Java APIs [10] Packages. Javadoc. Classes examples from the API (Object, String, ...) 9. Graphical User Interfaces [11-13] AWT and Swing. Components and event handling model. Listeners interfaces. Adapters abstract classes. Layout. Textbook Harvey M. Deitel, Paul J. Deitel, "Java How to Program (4th Edition)", Prentice Hall, 2001, ISBN: 0130341517 [Chapters 1-13 at least. (if time allows, all the book could be covered)] 8

ADVANCED COMPUTER NETWORKS (RETI DI CALCOLATORI AVANZATE) -- Syllabus -NOTE: This course must be taken after the Web Technologies course. Aims The aim of this course is to introduce principles and fundamental concepts of modern computer networks. In particular, the general characteristics of computer networks, the main structures, topologies, architectures and protocols will be presented. Networking issues are also addressed. Topics 1. Introduction - Networks topologies and architectures, network protocols, error control, flow control, packets and messages, service primitives, circuit and packet switching, routing and internetworking. 2. Principal components of a network and data transmission techniques Optical and electrical transmission media, signal bandwidth, channel bandwidth, cross-talk, attenuation and distortion, analog and digital signal transmission (PCM, multiplexing), principal components of a network (modem, multiplexer, bridge, router, gateway, switch). 3. Design and analysis of the network performances of a computer network Topological design, graph theory, connectivity analysis and delay analysis. Delay analysis, definition of flow and line capacity. Performance analysis of a computer network. 4. Local area networks - LAN technologies, different LAN topologies (ring, bus, star e tree). Medium access protocols (MAC and LLC). Random access protocols (Aloha and slotted aloha), carrier sense multiple access protocols: CSMA and CSMA/CD, reservation protocols: aloha with reservation, token ring, token bus. IEEE 802 standard (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Token ring, FDDI, DQDB). 5. Bridge - Transparent bridge and remote bridge, architecture of a bridge, filtering database, bridging and forwarding processes, learning, flooding, selective, forwarding, transmission error. Spanning tree, root bridge selection, root port selection, designated port selection 6. Wireless and LAN networks - Classification, Spread Spectrum (Direct Sequence, Frequency Hopping), IEEE 802.11 networks 7. ATM and ATM LAN -- Introduction, main characteristics, protocol reference mode. Data trasmission in an ATM network, ATM cell, ATM switch. LAN ATM, differences between Ethernet and ATM, LAN emulation, LAN architecture with ATM technology, LANE protocol, IP over ATM Textbook Andrew S. Tanembaum, Computer Networks, (Third Edition), Prentice Hall, 1996

COMPUTER SECURITY (SICUREZZA) -- Syllabus -NOTE: This course must be taken after the Web Technologies and the Advanced Computer Networks courses. Aims The aim of the course is to complete the main concepts introduced in the Computer Networks course with particular emphasis to the local area networks (LAN). The student will acquire specific competencies in the filed of computer network design: topology, services, quality of services, average packet delay, robustness and performances. Specific lessons will be focused on routing techniques, computer networks security and recent technological trends. Topics 1. Security in computer networks - Security levels (Orange book), network monitoring and diagnostic, network access control, authentication, integrity. Minimum security principle. Evaluation of the security of a network 2. Cryptography - Ciphers, transpostion cipher, monoalfabetic and polialfabetic ciphers (Cesar's cipher, Vigenere's cipher). Composed ciphers. Modern Cryptography, Vernam's cipher, Enigma. Secret key algorithms: DES, IDEA and 3DES. Public key algorithms: RSA. Examples. 3. Screening router and Firewall - Definition and design of a screening router, packet filtering, theory and main firewall architectures: multihomed host, bastion host, DMZ. Circuit level gateways, application level gateways. Proxy server. Example of a commercial firewall: Firewall 1. 4. Non-authorized network intrusions - Modus operandi of an intruder, attacks classification. Preliminar info acquisition, footprinting, network enumeration, DSN queries, scanning (ping scanning, port scanning, etc.), domin enumeration, user enumeration. Denial of Service, smurf, fraggle, syn food, land, udp flood, e-mail bombing. Spoofing, ARP spoofing, IP spoofing, sequence number prediction, ICMP redirect, web and e-mail spoofing. Hijacking, sniffing, firewalking. 5. Virus -- Terminology (trojan horse, chain letter). Worm, Morris's worm. Life cycle of a virus. Main virus classification: file virus, boot virus, macro virus, network virus, TSR virus, stealth virus, tunnelling. Examples of virus: Melissa's virus and the I LOVE YOU virus. Textbook W.R. Cheswick, S.M. Bellovin, Firewalls and Internet Security, Addison Wesley, 1998.

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