This book provides practical knowledge and skills on high-speed
networks, emphasizing on Science Demilitarized Zones (Science DMZs). The
Science DMZ is a high-speed network designed to facilitate the transfer
of big science data which is presented in this book. These networks are
increasingly important, as large data sets are now often transferred
across sites. This book starts by describing the limitations of
general-purpose networks which are designed for transferring basic data
but face numerous challenges when transferring terabyte- and
petabyte-scale data.
This book follows a bottom-up approach by presenting an overview of
Science DMZs and how they overcome the limitations of general-purpose
networks. It also covers topics that have considerable impact on the
performance of large data transfers at all layers: link layer (layer-2)
and network layer (layer-3) topics such as maximum transmission unit
(MTU), switch architectures, and router's buffer size; transport layer
(layer-4) topics including TCP features, congestion control algorithms
for high-throughput high-latency networks, flow control, and pacing;
applications (layer-5) used for large data transfers and for maintenance
and operation of Science DMZs; and security considerations. Most
chapters incorporate virtual laboratory experiments, which are conducted
using network appliances running real protocol stacks.
Students in computer science, information technology and similar
programs, who are interested in learning fundamental concepts related to
high-speed networks and corresponding implementations will find this
book useful as a textbook. This book assumes minimal familiarity with
networking, typically covered in an introductory networking course. It
is appropriate for an upper-level undergraduate course and for a
first-year graduate course. Industry professionals working in this field
will also want to purchase this book.
