1 Introduction
Verkkoke 1.1 is an online teaching environment for telecommunications software and routing, based on “learning by doing” philosophy. It is designed for use in conjuction with a programming assignment. The assignment introduces students to socket programming and simplified routing protocols. Students write client programs, which connect to the Verkkoke 1.1 server. The server simulates a network of routers. The student's client represents one router in the simulated network.
First, the student's client authenticates with the server. Upon successfull authentication, the server sends routing protocol messages to the student's client. The client then builds its routing table according to the received routing protocol messages. Finally, the client submits its routing table to the server.
Key features of Verkkoke 1.1:
- Creates individual simulated networks with representative topologies for the students.
- Simulates two simplified routing protocols, one distance vector protocol and one link state protocol. Sends protocol messages to the client.
- Automatically checks the submitted routing tables.
- Gives feedback to students, so that they can learn from their mistakes, fix them and resubmit the corrected solutions.
- Compatibility with modern learning management systems through its adherence to the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) specification.
- Graphical Configuration Interface (GCI) to easily setup and maintain Verkkoke.
- Modularity and extensibility, which allows using the sophisticated network simulation engine for teaching other network protocols in addition to the routing protocols.