Free Computer Networking Ebooks & Reviews

Network Coding Theory

By Raymond W. Yeung, Shuo-Yen Robert Li, Ning Cai and Zhen Zhang

Consider a network consisting of point-to-point communication channels. Each channel transmits information noiselessly subject to the channel capacity. Data is to be transmitted from the source node to a prescribed set of destination nodes. Given the transmission requirements, a natural question is whether the network can fulfill these requirements and how it can be done efficiently.

In existing computer networks, information is transmitted from the source node to each destination node through a chain of intermediate nodes by a method known as store-and-forward. In this method, data packets received from an input link of an intermediate node are stored and a copy is forwarded to the next node via an output link. In the case when an intermediate node is on the transmission paths toward multiple destinations, it sends one copy of the data packets onto each output link that leads to at least one of the destinations. It has been a folklore in data networking that there is no need for data processing at the intermediate nodes except for data replication.

This text aims to be a tutorial on the basics of the theory of network coding. The intent is a transparent presentation without necessarily presenting all results in their full generality. Part I is devoted to network coding for the transmission from a single source node to other nodes in the network. It starts with describing examples on network coding in the next section. Part II deals with the problem under the more general circumstances when there are multiple source nodes each intending to transmit to a different set of destination nodes.

Following are the few topics covered in this Network coding book.

Linear coding
Nonlinear coding
Random coding
Static codes
Convolutional codes
Group codes
Alphabet size
Code construction
Algorithms/protocols
Cyclic networks
Undirected networks
Link failure/Network management
Separation theorem
Error correction/detection
Cryptography
Multiple sources
Multiple unicasts
Cost criteria
Non-uniform demand
Correlated sources
Max-flow/cutset/edge-cut bound
Superposition coding
Networking
Routing
Wireless/satellite networks
Ad hoc/sensor networks
Data storage/distribution
Implementation issues
Matrix theory
Complexity theory
Graph theory
Random graph
Tree packing
Multicommodity flow
Game theory
Matriod theory
Information inequalities
Noisy channels
Queueing analysis
Rate-distortion
Multiple descriptions
Latin squares
Reversible networks
Multiuser channels
Joint network-channel coding

Thinking Networks - the Large and Small of it

By Kieran Greer

The book is titled 'Thinking Networks - the Large and Small of it'. The topics covered span from large global networks to small local neural-like networks, hence the title. The book is mainly a research monograph, but it also contains blue sky research suggestions and also some informative or teaching sections. This book tries to cover research areas that look at adding autonomous or reasoning capabilities to information networks. It would be of interest to both academic or industrial researchers looking to build intelligent networks. For example, the telecommunications sector might want to add intelligent services to the Internet or a mobile environment. The book however could be used to build networks that range in size from large Internet-based networks to small local neural network-like structures, and ultimately suggests an architecture on which to build a network that might even begin to 'think'. Some of the research has been proven, while the more ambitious claims or suggestions are for future research.

The book covers areas such as the Internet/p2p/ mobile networks, SOA, Semantic Networks (Semantic Web, Ontologies, Web Services, Grid), AI (including Autonomous systems, Intelligent, Cognitive or Neural Network-like systems, and Bio-inspired networks), XML-based languages and query processes. It is available from different online stores and is also listed on the ACM portal. The technologies that are described in this book are also strongly related to the new 'Cloud Computing' architecture that is being talked about for the Internet.

Traffic Management For High-Speed Networks

Traffic Management For High-Speed Networks is written by H.T. Kung, Gordon McKay - Professor of Electrical Engineering & Comuputer Science and Harvard University. This network management book is published by National Academies Press.

Abstract
Network congestion will increase as network speed increases. New control methods are needed, especially for handling "bursty" traffic expected in very high speed networks such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. Users should have instant access to all available network bandwidth when they need it, while being assured that the chance of losing data in the presence of congestion will be negligible. At the same time, high network utilization must be achieved, and services requiting guaranteed performance must be accommodated. This paper discusses these issues and describes congestion control solutions under study at Harvard University and elsewhere. Motivations, theory, and experimental results are presented.

Following are the topics covered in this network management book.

Why New Control Methods Are Needed
Rapid Increase in Network Speeds
Network Congestion Problem
Inadequacy of Brute-Force Approach to Providing Large Buffers
Use of Flow Control
Control of Congestion for ATM Networks
Technical Goals of Flow Control for Supporting ATM ABR Services
Two Traffic Models
A Flood Control Principle
Credit-based Flow Control
Credit Update Protocol
Static vs. Adaptive Credit Control
Adaptive Buffer Allocation
Receiver-oriented Adaptive Buffer Allocation
Rationale for Credit-based Flow Control
Overallocation of Resources to Achieve High Efficiency
Link-by-Link Flow Control to Increase Quality of Control
Per-VC Queueing to Achieve a High Degree of Fairness
Rate-based Flow Control
CreditNet ATM Switch
Experimental Network Configurations
Measured Performance on CreditNet Experimental Switches
Summary and Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgments
References

You can download or read this book from the following link.