CURRICULUM PROPOSAL FORM #3
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
NEW COURSE
Effective: Fall, 2001 If adding a Graduate component to an existing course, check here ___
Course Number: * 765-481   Cross Listed Number:  
Course Title: Web Server and Unix Administration  

(limited to 65 characters)
 
15 Character Abbreviation: Web Server/Unix
25 Character Abbreviation: Web Server and Unix Admin

 
 
Sponsor: Bennette Harris   E-mail Address: harrisb@mail.uww.edu
Department: Mathematical and   College: Letters and Sciences
  Computer Sciences      
Co-sponsor:     E-mail Address:  
Department:     College:  
  * You MUST verify course numbers with Registrar's Office prior to submitting (x1211)

 
 
Other Programs Affected: None

 
 
Check if course is to meet any of the following requirements:
__ None __ Writing __ Computer __ Diversity __ General Ed and Area  

 
 
Credit/Contact Hours: (per semester)
Total lab hours: 0   Total lecture hours: 48
Number of credits: 3   Total contact hours: 48

 
 
Check if course is repeatable: X No _ Yes (if yes, answer the following questions)
  • No of times in major 
     No of credits in major  
  • No of times in degree 
     No of credits in degree  

 
 
Enter the appropriate titles if the course is required in any of the following:
Major Title(s)          
Minor Title(s) Web Site Design and Administration        
Emphasis Title(s) Cert. in Web Site Design and Admin.        

Course justification:
Web site design and administration is perhaps one of the fastest growing areas in the modern information and technology-driven world. Typical programs of study tend to focus on either document design or web server technologies and systems. The minor and certificate programs offered by the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences is designed to bridge the gap smoothly between these two extremes by combining skills in the latest document design systems and paradigms with a deep understanding of the background technologies that drive document delivery and processing.

Most web servers run on some form of the Unix operating system, and the Linux variation of Unix is growing in popularity with tremendous speed. Low cost together with high reliability makes it a popular choice for web site hosting, especially when combined with Apache, the most popular web server software. This combination of operating system and server software forms a standard configuration with which every web site designer and administrator need to be familiar.
 

Relationship to program assessment objectives:
The proposed course extends the Department’s ability to expose students to cutting-edge technologies, and to allow them to compete in the current job market. This course is a key component in the Department’s overall strategy for offering programs that offer the very latest in skills needed by our graduates.

The course provides a wide range of problem-solving opportunities designed to enhance students’ critical thinking skills.
 

Budgetary impact:
The Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department currently has faculty able to teach the proposed course. The Department also has been allocated an additional position by the College of Letters and Sciences and is conducting a search for a person to augment the skills already present within the Department. With the additional staff, and with the computer facilities already available, no additional resources should be required initially.
 

Course description:
This course is intended to introduce students to Web Server software and UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems from the perspective of the System Administrator. Linux, the fastest growing operating system, will be studied in detail, together with the Apache web server. Web server configuration will be studied, including optimization, security issues and virtual server administration. Additional topics will include shell programming, system monitoring, file systems and the X Windows GUI. This course will focus on common system administration duties on the Linux platform. Students will acquire competency in using shell programming skills to automate the maintenance of server activity. Emphasis will be placed on using Linux as an Internet server.
 

Course requisites:
Prerequisites 765-381 JavaScript and DHTML and 765-382 Perl and CGI Scripting, or equivalent preparation and consent of instructor.
 

If dual listed, list graduate level requirements for the following:

1. Content (e.g., What are additional presentation/project requirements?) N/A

2. Intensity (e.g., How are the processes and standards of evaluation different for graduates and undergraduates? ) N/A

3. Self-Directed (e.g., How are research expectations differ for graduates and undergraduates?) N/A


Course objectives and tentative course syllabus:
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be familiar with


Tentative Syllabus:

Text:  Frisch, ?leen (1995). Essential System Administration, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.
Purpose of the Course:
This course is intended to introduce students to Web Server software and UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems from the perspective of the System Administrator. Linux, the fastest growing operating system, will be studied in detail, together with the Apache web server. Web server configuration will be studied, including optimization, security issues and virtual server administration. Additional topics will include shell programming, system monitoring, file systems and the X Windows GUI. This course will focus on common system administration duties on the Linux platform. Students will acquire competency in using shell programming skills to automate the maintenance of server activity. Emphasis will be placed on using Linux as an Internet server.

Grading:
Hour Exams: 3 @ 150 pts each: 450
Projects: 450
In-class work: 100
Final Exam: 500
Total: 1500

The final course grade will be assigned as follows: A: 90% or better; B: 80 - 89%; C: 70 - 79%; D: 60 - 69%; F: below 60%. Passing course grades will be awarded only to those students who turn in all programming assignments and take all scheduled examinations.
 

Tentative Course Outline:

Week 1:

Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13 Week 14: Week 15: Week 16: Bibliography: (Key or essential references only. Normally the bibliography should be no more than one or two pages in length. Indicate current library holdings by placing an asterisk [*])

Albitz, Paul & Cricket Liu (1998). DNS and BIND, 3rd Edition. O’Reilly.

Anonymous (1999). Maximum Linux Security. Sams.

Barkakati, Naba (1996). UNIX Webmaster Bible. IDG Books.

Costales, Bryan & Eric Allman (1997). sendmail, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.

Frisch, ?leen (1995). Essential System Administration, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.

Garfinkel, Simson & Gene Spafford (1996). Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.

Guelich, Scott, Shishir Gundavaram, and Gunther Birznieks (2000). CGI Programming with Perl, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.

Hunt, Craig (1997). TCP/IP Network Administration, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.

Killelea, Patrick (1998). Web Performance Tuning: Speeding Up the Web. O’Reilly.

Laurie, Ben & Peter Laurie (1999). Apache: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition: Vital Information for Apache Programmers and Administrators. O’Reilly.

Loosley, Chris & Frank Douglas (1998). High-Performance Client/Server. Wiley.

Loukides, Mike (1990). System Performance Tuning. O’Reilly.

Petersen, Richard (1998). Linux Programmer’s Reference. Osborne/McGraw-Hill.

Purcell, John & Amanda Robinson (1996). The Linux Bible. Yggdrasil Computing.

Purcell, John (1997). Linux Man: The essential Man pages for Linux. RedHat Software.

Robbins, Arnold (1999). Unix in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition. O’Reilly

Spainhour, Stephen & Robert Eckstein (1999). Webmaster in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition. O’Reilly.