Prior to Lab

-      Download and print the lab exercise. 

-      You are required to read the exercise ahead of time

-       Review the applicable theory covered during the lecture portion

-       Review any additional references provided in the lab and create a sample running configuration

-       You must obtain permission prior to attending a different lab section than the one you registered for.

Failure to properly prepare for the lab exercises may result in VERY long lab times in excess of the normal class time and potential inability to complete required lab exercises

Lab Report Submission

-      For each lab exercise, you will need to submit a written Lab Report at the following lab class (usually 1 weeks after the lab is completed). 

-       Lab Reports are due at the beginning of class.  Any lab reports submitted after class has begun will be considered late. 

-       If you are not able to attend class that night you must email your lab report to me  prior to 4:30 pm on the day it is due. 

-       For Lab Reports submitted electronically, I will email you a grade for that report with no comments. (I do not print out reports that are emailed to me. )

-       Hard copy reports will be returned during the subsequent lab session. 

-       Late Reports will be penalized 10% per day they are late.

-       Each student will be able to drop one lab assignment at the end of the semester.

-       Each Lab Report needs to be turned in to your respective lab instructor.

-       If you obtained permission to attend a different lab section than the one you registered for, you will need to turn in your lab to the instructor whose lab section you attended.

Lab Report Content 

The lab report should include the following:

-       Answers to all questions asked within the lab

-       Analysis of the tasks completed (e.g.: what are we attempting to prove, what its significance is, are there alternative options, etc.)

-       Grading is not based on the thickness of the report, i.e. pages and pages of running configs or command outputs with no supporting analysis will not earn you any points and may count against you. 

-       You are graded based on critical thinking, analysis, and understanding of the objectives of the lab.

-       Sections:

·         Analysis (responses to questions posed within lab exercise)

·         References (see below “Use of References”)

·         Additional Analysis (optional)

·         Conclusion Section:

§   Additional knowledge gained as a result of lab

§   Was it easier / harder than you expected

§   Overall observations References Section

§   List any problems / issues encountered and their cause

Lab Report Format / Visual Guidelines

-          All reports must be typed (no exceptions!).

-          Diagrams may be drawn by hand

-          On the 1st page, list

·         Name / email address

·         TCOM 515, lab# / name

·         name(s) of the devices you configured

-       Include your name and page number at the bottom (footer) of every page

-       All labs are divided into multiple sections; use these section numbers as subheadings within your report to indicate the section of the question to which you are responding

-       Use “Courier” font to denote all text that is router output / screenshot

-       Use italics and a different font to denote your response only (you may also use a different color)

Use of References

I encourage you to use additional references to complete the lab exercises.  These may include the course text, lectures, websites and other books or manuals.  All additional material MUST be referenced in the lab report.  Failure to properly cite references is in violation of the GMU honor code. 

The Lab Report must be an individual effort.  You are permitted to collaborate with other members of the class, however the final submitted report must be the individual effort of each student.

Quality of Lab Report

Keep in mind that this is a Masters level course, so higher grades will only be given for graduate level work. An applicable frame of reference would be to write each lab report as if you were a consultant and each report was going to be sent to your client – this means that the report should be both aesthetically pleasing and content rich. The response should not be limited to only what the question asks –providing additional analysis / observation of the results is recommended. Your grade will be determined by the completeness, accuracy and thoroughness of your report.  I expect you to use the knowledge and material covered during the lecture series coupled with external references to support your findings and analysis.