CSci 553
Spring 2006
Project Proposal Ideas


1) Basic Database client/server application

   Implement the basics of a database client/server setup.  Create a
   database client, that maintains a collection of information (for
   simplicity use a flat file, or multiple flat file, to store the
   data).  Allow multiple clients to connect to your server to get the
   data, update the data, create new data types.  Read a bit about
   actual relational type databases like Oracle, or mysql and think
   about issues of concurrency resolution, etc.

2) Basic http web server

   A similar alternative to #1, instead of the server serving database
   information, have your server serve basic http web pages.  The
   client will request data in the form of a url.  For more advanced
   students, have your server actually conform to real (but a small
   subset) http requests, so that your server can serve any web
   browser requesting a page from your application.


3) Multi-player game

   Create a game server that allows 2 or more players to connect with
   clients and play some sort of a multi-player game.  The game can be
   fairly simply, you could use something like checkers, chess or a
   board game, or something more graphical if you are more ambitious.
   You game can be turn based (where the player can only make a move
   when it is their turn) or real-time (where moves are legal anytime,
   and whenever a player makes a move their actions must be updated to
   all players that should be able to see them).  You will of course
   need to develop an appropriate client application so that a player
   can connect with your game server and play the game.

4) File transfer server

   Build a basic file transfer client/server.  Allow clients to
   connect to your file transfer server in order to download files
   from the server, and to also upload files to the server.

5) Distributed computing batch server

   Our courses machine (10.5.7.185 called nisl.tamu-commerce.edu) is
   actually a cluster of 6 machines: nisl01, nisl02, nisl03, nisl04,
   nisl05, nisl06.  When you are logged onto the head node, you can
   easily access any of the other machines, using ssh:

   $ ssh nisl02  # so that you are now logged into and using nisl02

   Create a distributed processing batch server, that accepts requests
   for jobs to run.  The server should talk with clients that you have
   running on the nisl02 - nisl06 machines.  It should process jobs by
   sending them to one of the clients on these nodes that is not
   currently busy processing any jobs.  In this way, jobs submitted to
   your batch server actually get distributed and executed on other
   available nodes of the cluster.

6) xml-rpc type of a CORBA or COM server

   Explore the xml-rpc protocol and build an application around the
   idea of CORBA or COM objects.  The basic idea behind these is that
   programs running on machines can act as servers that can process
   function calls from a remote client, and their services can be
   discovered and offered to anyone with access to the machine
   (whether it is local or remote to the server).  Build a suite of
   cooperating applications that use xml-rpc to perform some tasks by
   communicating and cooperating with each other.

7) Variations of the above or your own different ideas for projects
are also welcomed and encouraged.