Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

Second Semester: 2016-17

Comprehensive Examination (Regular)
Open Book
Course No.: CS F 303 Maximum Marks: 90
Course Title: Computer Networks Weight: 30%
Date: May 3, 2017 Starting Time: 0800 Hrs. Duration: Three Hours

1. Is it true that HTTP 2 atop TCP/IP(v6) is as major an improvement over the HTTP 1.x over
TCP/IP(v6/v4) in terms of performance as it is atop the TCP/IP(v4)? Please justify your answer
with the help of brief reasoning. (Note: Please do NOT bring in security and backward
compatibility aspects into the discussion!) 1+3x1=04

2. Why is it said that the TCP/IP Network Architecture is NOT a truly and cleanly layered
architecture, in terms of both its design and real-life implementation?

Please enlist major elements of deign along with brief justification in support of your
observations. 2x4=08

3. Does the most current standard based version of each of the HTTP, TCP, IP and ICMP play
some direct or indirect role in avoiding congestion or controlling congestion? Please provide
brief justifications in support of your reasoning. 1x4=04

4. Design a simple Application Level Protocol for transferring files up to 1 MB in size that could
demonstrate reliable behavior over UDP (over IPv4 or IPv6). Please list relevant design goal,
constraints, assumptions and design issues clearly. Please also show all involved steps and any
required iterations along with brief (one line) justification of your design decisions.

You must provide Timing and Sequence Diagram of the final protocol with unambiguous
labeling. (Note: Providing the State Transition Diagram of the final solution is encouraged but
not mandatory.) 4x3+10+6=28

5. IP is a Routed Protocol, just like ICMP and IGMP; whereas RIP, OSPF, BGP are all Routing
Protocols. Could you please illustrate the respective roles, interactions and co-working of IP
(v4/v6) and ICMP (v4, v6) with the OSPF and BGP in case of a Router that separates and
interconnects Intranet of a large campus to the Internet? You may assume that this Router is
one of the multiple Layer-3 devices that the campus has and that this router has three
connected LAN interfaces and three connected WAN interfaces.

Please also provide the likely view/ structure of routing table(s) that this router may have to
maintain.

Does this kind of interaction require any specific protocol that is NOT explicitly listed above? If
so, which one(s) and why? (Note: Please ignore any IP-based VLAN details as also any IPsec
specific effect!) 4x4+4+2x2=24

6. Assuming that only IEEE 802.3 family of standards may have to be considered (alongside the
IEEE 802.1, IEEE 802.2 and IEEE 802.1q standards, please evolve design of a simple two or
three tier Switched Ethernet Intranet for the following Campus Layout and corresponding
details provided.
Layout description: Campus comprises of one single contiguous geographical area having 01
Administrative Building of two floors (each having 12 rooms of nearly the same size (requiring
two network points each) and an open reception area near entrance (requiring two network
points), 03 Academic Buildings each housing 35 single-person faculty/staff rooms(each
requiring only one network point) on one side of connecting corridor and 10 classrooms (each
requiring only one network point) on the other side of the same corridor on only floor that
every such building has, 03 hostels (each hostel having three single storied wings
interconnected in shape of ‘Y’ through a common circular corridor, with each wing having 20
twin-sharing rooms and one common room for wing mates having two network points) and a
Multi-utility Building, having Gym, Café, four indoor courts and a swimming pool(reception
area of which requires 2 Network point, Gym three network points, Café requires four network
points, pool requires one network point and each of the indoor playing areas requires only one
network point).

Please also indicate the appropriate VLAN type that you would recommend for such an
internetwork.

Here, you need to only consider wired networking aspects, with focus on L1 (PL), L2(DL) and
L3(IP/NL), although you are welcome to consider L4 (TL/TCP) and L5(AL) as well) but may
assume that this campus intranet would be further connected to the Internet via one or more
ISPs.

Please conclude the solution with ONE duly labeled, readable diagram showing all switches
and their interconnections, make suitable assumption about any missing data that you might
consider necessary for proceeding with the design.

Providing details of design calculations along with appropriate justifications is mandatory.

10+2+6+4=22