Κατεύθυνση: Major in Software & Data Systems: Optional Courses

Information Systems

Learning Outcomes

This course analyses the five main components of an Information System, the different types of IS and issues associated with the implementation and application of IS. With the completion of the course, the student will be in position:

  • to understand and become familiar with the key concepts and principles of information systems, addressing both architectural and implementation aspects.
  • to know the main characteristics of the programming languages used to implement information systems, as well as the key principles for the interconnection of different application components of an information system.
  • to be able to implement code artefacts that realize information systems.

Course Contents

  • Information system.
  • Hardware component, software component, data component, processes component, human actor component.
  • Information system lifecycles, types of ISs.
  • Critical path analysis, business process analysis, IDEF0, IDEF3, DFD.
  • Business process reengineering, business process improvement, factors influencing IS implementation.
  • The impact of information systems on organisation, practical examples of IS, case studies, IS implementation.

Moreover, the EVDOXOS system is utilized to provide additional useful information to the students as well as exercises that respond to the corresponding thematic topics / sessions covered by the course.

Recommended Readings

  • Stair R. & Reynolds G. (2007): Fundamentals of Information Systems, 4th Edition, Thomson Publications.
  • O’Brien J. (2005): Introduction to Information Systems, McGraw Hill.

Broadband Networks

Learning Outcomes

The objective of this course is to provide an introduction to broadband technologies and their applications and familiarize students with broadband networks and relevant protocols.

At the end of this course, students will have acquired advanced/in depth knowledge in the field of Broadband Communications Systems, with particular emphasis on baseband processing physical layer techniques, and Medium Access Control design as well as Broadband Networks design and architectures.

The students will be capable of performing numerical calculations of various broadband network parameters, stochastic modelling of transceivers, signal processing algorithm analysis and design and performance assessment by means of analytical evaluations and simulations.

The students will also be capable of comprehending the design principles of a number of Broadband technologies.

Course Contents

  • Introduction to broadband networks, main concepts: bandwidth, transmission basics, switching, multiplexing, spread spectrum, transmission media.
  • Integrated services networks, access networks, core networks, Integrated services networks: integrated services digital networks (ISDN), broadband integrated services digital networks (B-ISDN).
  • Wireline Access networks/technologies: public switched telephone networks (PSTN), digital subscriber line (DSL), wireless-access (broadcasting, mobile, fixed-wireless access–FWA), fiber to the curb/home (FTTX).
  • Core networks/technologies: Ethernet, ethernet wide area networks, optical technologies, synchronous optical networks (SONET), wave division multiplexing (WDM), passive optical networks (PONs).
  • Wireless wide are broadband technologies:  3G (WCDMA), 4G (LTE, LTE-Advanced), 5G.
  • Wireless Local Area Networks: WiFi- IEEE 802.11
  • Internet of Things network infrastructures

Recommended Readings

  • Behrouz A. Forouzan, “Data Communications and Networking”, Fourth edition, McGraw-Hill, 2007
  • W Stallings, Wireless Communciations and Networks, Pearson, 2004.
  • D. Tse, P. Viswanath, Fundamentals of Wireless Communciations, 2005.
  • T. S. Rappaport, Wireless communications – Principles and practices, Pearson, 2002.
  • Russell Τ. (1997): Telecommunication Protocols (McGraw-Hill Education).
  • Cajetan M. Akujuobi, Matthew N.O. Sadiku (1997): Introduction to Broadband Communication Systems, Chapman & Hall/CRC
  • Andrea Goldsmith, Wireless Communications, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Introduction to Cloud Computing

Learning Outcomes

The main objective of this course is to introduce concepts related to the analysis, design and implementation of computation and storage clouds. With the completion of the course, the student will be in position:

  • to understand the necessary theoretical background for computing and storage clouds environments.
  • to know the methodologies and technologies for the development of applications that will be deployed and offered through cloud computing environments.
  • to be able to realize cloud infrastructures by using IaaS software, while also developing cloud applications by utilizing PaaS software.

Course Contents

  • Introduction to cloud computing.
  • Objectives, challenges, application domains, advantages.
    • Computational and storage cloud architectures
    • Service level agreements, service lifecycle management
  • Infrastructure deployment, federation and management models.
    • Cloud service model, service provisioning and access models
    • Elasticity and scalability techniques
    • Information, account and billing management
  • Implementation and operation / management of computational clouds.
    • Software as a Service layer
    • Platform as a Service layer
    • Infrastructure as a Service layer
    • Virtualization and resource management
  • Implementation and operation / management of storage clouds.
    • Distributed object storage clouds
    • Data storage and retrieval based on content
    • Computational tasks execution in storage clouds
  • Quality of service approaches.
    • Requirements and parameters classification
    • Monitoring and control mechanisms
    • Quality of service guarantees
  • Laboratory exercises.
    • Google AppEngine
    • OpenStack
    • Apache Hadoop / MapReduce

Moreover, the EVDOXOS system is utilized to provide additional useful information to the students as well as exercises that respond to the corresponding thematic topics / sessions covered by the course.

Recommended Readings

  • Α. Velte, T. Velte, R. Elsenpeter, «Cloud Computing: A practical approach»
  • T. Erl, «Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture»
  • B. Sosinsky, «Cloud Computing Bible»G. Reese, «Cloud Application Architectures: Building Applications and Infrastructure in the Cloud»
  • R. Buyya, J. Broberg, A. M. Goscinski, «Cloud Computing, Principles and Paradigms»

Computer Networks II

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course “Computer Networks II” is to complement the course “Computer Networks I”, in order for the students to deepen their knowledge in Computer Networks and their functions. In particular, through this course the students will get familiar with the operation of the data link layer, the Medium Access Control (MAC) sub-level and the Logical Link Control (LLC) sub-level.

Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be in position to:

  • select and apply parity bit, CRC and hamming techniques,
  • select and apply information retranslation techniques through the computer network,
  • use the corresponding communication protocols,
  • combine their knowledge in the field routing,
  • use the most appropriate protocol according to the needs of the network, based on correction and retransmission techniques, thus developing a critical way of thinking.

Course Contents

  • Section 1: Introduction to the functionality of the Data Link Layer (DLL), Medium Access Control (MAC) and Logical Link Control (LLC) layers, error control, error detection, error correction, retransmission techniques, error detection techniques.
  • Section 2: Cyclic Redundancy Codes (CRC), error correction techniques.
  • Section 3: Hamming techniques, Forward Error Correction (FEC), retransmission techniques.
  • Section 4: Stop-and-Wait (S&W), Alternating Bit Protocol (ABP), Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), sliding window techniques, Go Back N (GBN), Soptional Repeat (SRP).
  • Section 5: MAC protocols; Aloha; Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA); MAC protocols in Wireless Section 6: LANs/MANs/PANs; ΙΕΕΕ 802; x standards; LLC protocols; 802.2 standard.
  • In addition, articles, web addresses for useful information, as well as exercises for practicing students are posted in the platform Evdoxos.

Recommended Readings

  • Walrand J. (1997): Communication Networks, Prentice Hall.
  • Russell T. (1997): Telecommunications protocols, McGraw-Hill.

Associated scientific Journals

  • ΙΕΕΕ Computer Networks
  • IEEE Communications Magazine
  • EEE Access
  • IEEE Wireless Communications
  • International Journal of Network Management
  • Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies
  • EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Quantum Computing

Learning Outcomes

The course seeks to familiarize students with the basic principles governing the use of quantum pheonomena for solving computational problems. It focuses on the presentation of the mathematical background that is required to model quantum phenomena related to computational processes and to the analysis of quantum operations and algorithms capable of being executed by quantum computers. Furthermore, the course analyzes the relation between classical and quantum computations and provides a survey of the many open problems that exist in the quantum computing field. At a more applied level the course describes modern programming environments for quantum computing.

Course Contents

  • Mathematical Background
    • Elements of Linear Algebra, Elements of Complex Analysis
  • Elements of Quantum Mechanics
    • Quantum mechanical behavior in electrons and photons (spin, polarization) – Quantum Mechanical Experiments
  • Qubits and their Attributes
    • Representation, Superposition, Tensor Product, Entanglement, Measurement, Bell’s Inequality
  • Classical Logic, Gates and Circuits
  • Quantum Gates and Circuits
  • Quantum Algorithms
    • Deutsch-Josza, Simon, Grover, QFT, Shor
  • Programming Environments for Quantum Computing

Recommended Readings

  • Nielsen, M. A., Chuang, I. L., Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, Cambridge University Press, 2010.
  • Instructor’s Notes

Network Security

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to present and analyze the measures implemented on a network infrastructure, the policies adopted by the network administrator to protect the network and its resources against unauthorized access, and the effectiveness (or lack of) of them. The course focuses on the security of wired-fixed networks that use Internet technology. The mechanisms and security protocols that ensure the operation of the above networks and the data of their users are presented and analyzed.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be familiarized with and will apply different security measures and techniques applied to wired networks that aim to provide security services to users of a network as well as to its providers.

Course Contents

  • Security at lower layers.
  • Network layer security solutions.
  • Application layer security solutions.
  • Key management protocols; identity management protocols.
  • Firewalls.
  • Trust management.
  • Distributed authentication systems and intrusion detection systems.

Recommended Readings

  • Stallings W. (2007): Network Security Essentials, Applications and Standards, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall.
  • Kaufman C., Perlman R. & Speciner M. (2002): Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall.

Wireless Communications

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to enable students to understand the basic principles of electromagnetic systems for wireless communications. By concluding the course, students are able to

  • identify, describe and distinguish the basic characteristics of electromagnetic systems describe physical laws of electromagnetism using appropriate mathematical tools
  • distinguish the type of antenna and examine its characteristics
  • compute metrics which are extensively used in wireless systems and design basic wireless links
  • analyze and design more complicated wireless systems

By concluding the lab sessions students are able to

  • understand physical phenomenon by using mathematical tools
  • identify and apply theory in real world problems
  • use professional antenna design tools for the first time

Course Contents

Initially, introductory concepts of the Theory of Electromagnetic Fields are provided (Sources of Electromagnetic Fields, Electrostatic Fields, Dielectric Modes and Boundary Conditions, Permanent Magnetic Fields, Biot-Savart Law, Magnetic Flow Density, Gauss Law, Lorenz Power). Subsequently, electromagnetic waves in space are described (Maxwell equations, sinusoidal time variations, free space conditions and wave equation, uniform plane waves in lossless media, wave polarization). Thereafter, the students are introduced to antenna theory and the fields of radiation (potential functions, wave radiation areas, far field assumption, generic calculation methodology of radiation fields by antennas, basic key antenna features, antenna as a circuit element, antenna effective length). Examples of antennas are then studied (Hertz dipole, linear dipole antenna of arbitrary length, dipole λ/2, small circular loop antenna). Finally, the fundamental elements of electromagnetic wave propagation are examined (frequency bands & services/applications, wave classification, Friis’ equation and Free Space Loss, reflection & transmission, plane-earth model).

Papers, lectures, case-studies, examples and web pages with valuable information are uploaded at the course web page (Evdoxos).

Recommended Readings

  • “Wireless Communications” in Greek language, Book code in www.eudoxus.gr: 68393538, Edition: 2nd edition/2017, Authors: Kanatas Athanasios, Pantos Georgios, ISBN: 978-960-491-112-7, Publisher: A.Papasotiriou & Sia I.K.E (1st Book)
  • “Antennas – Wireless Links”, Book code in www.eudoxus.gr: 18548842, Edition: 1st edition/2018, Writers: Kapsalis C., Kottis P., ISBN: 960-8050-96-0, Publisher: A. Tziola & Sons S.A. (2nd Book)

Associated scientific Journals

  • ΙΕΕΕ Transactions on Antennas & Propagation
  • IEEE Communications Magazine
  • IEEE Antennas & Wireless Propagation Letters