Independent Presentation I:  Topics


1. Explain VPN's (Virtual Private Networks) and the various technologies 
available today and in the future to implement them.  Discuss design issues,
possible functionality, utility, and advisability.

2. Explain NGI (Next Generation Internet), its partners, its goals, its 
time line, and its current status.

3. Explain FLAG (the Fiber-optic Link Around the Globe, its partners, its 
goals, its time line, the technologies involved, and its current status.

4. Explain NIS (Network Information System--from Sun), its functionality, its
utility, and its advisability.

5. Explain Kerberos, its functionality, its utility, and its advisability.

6. Explain ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), its functionality, its
utility, and its advisability.

7. Explain Apple's new OS, Rhapsody, its history, its capabilities, its 
utility, and its advisability.

8. Explain Microsoft's ActiveX technology, its goals, its functionality, its 
utility, and its advisability.

9. Explain RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), its history, its 
implementations, its utility, and its advisability.

10. Explain ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), its functionality, its utility, 
and its advisability.

11. Explain various standards of electronic mail: cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, and 
internet mail standards, including smtp, pop3, imap, MIME.  Compare and 
contrast features, utility, and advisability.

12. Explain Lotus Notes w/ Domino technology, its history, its functionality, 
its utility, and its advisability.

13. Explain DNS (Domain Name Service), its design, its functionality, its 
current implementations, and its utility.

14. Explain the differences between the offerings from Microsoft and Novell: 
NT Server 4 and Novell NetWare 4.11.  Compare their design concepts; their 
implementations; their features; and their interoperability, both with each
other and with other systems.

15. Explain DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology, focusing on ADSL 
(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line).  Explain design, functionality, current
implementations, utility, and advisability.

16. Explain CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) technology and
specifications, their design, current implementations, utility, and 
advisability.

17. Explain JavaOS technology, its goals, its design, its functionality, its
current implementation, its utility, and its advisability.

18. Explain and contrast current implementations of various Network User
Interfaces (aka network desktops, such as those made by Netscape, Microsoft,
Oracle, IBM, Sun, TriTeal, etc.).  Discuss how these technologies change the
ways in which a user interacts with the available computing resources.  Also
discuss and contrast designs, implementations, utility, and advisability.