The usual note:

• A cover page with "COSC 4377, Fall 2001, Assignment #1", your NAME, and your E-MAIL address on it.
• Prefer typed report. Writing and hand-draw are OK if it's legible.
• Show all steps. Please don't just write your final answer. (Well, no need for this assignment.)
• Staple if there are more than one sheet.
• You can discuss with your classmate, but don't copy.

Problems:

1. Internet standards are defined by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) (www.ietf.org) and published as RFCs (Request For Comments).
   1. How many RFCs have been published?
   2. When is the latest RFC published? What is the topic? Who submitted it?
   3. There have been many RFCs published over the years. Filling the following table with the dates that RFCs were issued starting with first RFCs and following by increment of 500. And then calculate how many years and months elapsed from previous date. Please note that RFCs might not be published in chronicle order.
      

      RFC no.	Issue Date	Time Elapsed
      1	(Month-Year)1	--
      501	(Month-Year)501	(Month-Year)1 - (Month-Year)501
      1001	(Month-Year)1001	(Month-Year)501 - (Month-Year)1001
      .....	.....	.....

      
      [Hint: look for index of RFCs from www.rfc-editor.org.]
   (21 points)
2. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C; www.w3c.org) is considered as the leading organization for World Wide Web standard development, such as HTTP, HTML, XML, etc. Visit W3C's web site and find answers for the following questions.
   1. What is the latest version of specifications of the following standards (not draft)?
      • HTML
      • HTTP
      • XML
   2. PNG is a replacement of which graphic format?
   3. URL stands for what?
   (15 points)
3. Internet2 (www.internet2.edu) is said to be the platform for next generation of Internet.
   1. List 2 Texas Universities outside Houston which are participating Internet2.
      [Hint: Look for member universities.]
   2. Name two benefits that current Internet users will get from Internet2.
      [Hint: Look for "Frequently Asked Question".]
   (12 points)
4. If you wrote down your name and e-mail address on the cover page, you earn 2 points.

Posted: September 5, 2001
Last modified: September 5, 2001.
tihuang at cs . uh . edu