CS1660/2060 Introduction to Cloud Computing
Fall 2025
Wednesday 6:00 - 8:50 PM EST
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“Cloud Computing” is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of cloud computing technologies and their practical applications. This course covers a wide range of topics related to cloud computing, including virtualization, containerization, orchestration (using popular tools such as Docker Compose and Kubernetes), popular cloud services (object storage, VM, and other managed services), and cloud security models.
The course will also cover the basic design principles and architectures of Cloud Computing, including its usability and utility to deliver efficiently and flexibly metal, infrastructure, platform and software as a service. The course will also discuss public, private and hybrid cloud computing services, data centers architecture and deployment, cloud computing programming models, virtualization and virtual networking and storage, and large-scale distributed processing framework to manage, process and store big data applications running in clustered systems.
The course will be a mix of lectures and hands-on-labs. Students will be responsible for readings, completing labs, and projects.
The final grade will be based on a group project (40%), and assignments (60%). Course prerequisite is CS 1550 – Introduction to Operating Systems, or equivalent course.
COURSE TOPICS (NOT IN ORDER)
- Introduction and Background
- Client-Server Programming
- Virtualization
- Containerization
- Docker, containerd, runc
- Container Orchestration
- Kubernetes/Docker Compose
- Cloud Concepts
- Cloud Computing Services
- Broad Access Network
- Elasticity
- Service Models
- Cloud Data Storage
- “Serverless” Computing
- Authentication/Authorization
- Cloud Security Models
- Multi-cloud strategies
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Successful completion of CS 1550 – Introduction to Systems Programming, or equivalent course.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Dan Mahoney, Primary course instructor
Email: dpm79@pitt.edu
COURSE DELIVERY
In person lectures with online platforms (Canvas, Github Classroom). We will be using Amazon Web Services for the project and some assignment-based work.
OFFICE HOURS AND COMMUNICATION
Primary Instructor office hours: Wednesday: 2:00pm - 5:00pm EST. You can email your questions to course instructors directly and the subject line of the email should begin with “CS1660:” or use the class Discord server. Zoom appointments are possible if scheduled.
Office hours will be 4:45– 5:45pm on Wednesday’s in Sennott Square room 6510, and are available over Zoom.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Add/drop date: 9/6/2025
- Add/drop date: 9/13/2025 (undergraduate)
- Spring break: 3/10 - 3/17
COURSE EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT
Students are encouraged to attend class regularly, read the assigned reading material and participate in class discussions. The final grade will be based on one group project, and homework assignments.
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Group Project | 30% |
| Assignments | 60% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
Assignments: are released throughout the semesters. Students will get 4 assignments and. We will be using Github Classroom and Canvas to complete our assignments. Final Submission of assignments should be through Github (main branch) and Canvas.
Group Project: Will be released during the semester, completed on AWS, and be due the week of finals.
GRADING SCALE
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100% |
| A | 93-96% |
| A- | 90-92% |
| B+ | 87-89% |
| B | 83-86% |
| B- | 80-82% |
| C+ | 77-79% |
| C | 73-76% |
| C- | 70-72% |
| D+ | 67-69% |
| D | 63-66% |
| D- | 60-62% |
| F | <60% |
LATE POLICY
Students are given 48 hours no-questions-asked late hours for the semester in the case of job interviews, sick, or other life events. Submission times will be tracked on Canvas/Github.
After that, the only extensions will be provided in case of medical or family emergency.
If you exhaust your hours reserve, you will be penalized 10% per day.
PROJECT AND ASSIGNMENT POLICY
The assignments and the project will be related. Most of the assignments will be designed to complete work as part of the final project. The project should be completed individually, but collaboration among students is encouraged.
- Students are expected to check the course page on canvas regularly for announcements, class schedules, lecture notes, homework assignments, reading assignments, and other related course material.
- Homework and Project assignments must be turned in prior to their specified deadline. Typically, homework is due two weeks after it is assigned unless otherwise mentioned.
- Students who face emergencies may email the primary instructor to request an extension to the homework/project submissions. Upon approval from the primary instructor, extensions will be provided for a maximum of 48 hours.
- Students are expected and strongly encouraged to actively participate in class discussions.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students are expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh’s Policy on Academic Integrity.
- Unless explicitly stated otherwise, assigned homework and projects in this course are to be carried out independently by each student. Students are encouraged to discuss homework and project assignments, as long as the discussions are limited to gaining understanding of the problem statement, acquiring related background or exploring general approaches to the solutions. Any other form of collaboration, including sharing homework and project solutions with other students is considered cheating.
- Cheating/plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students suspected of violating the University of Pittsburgh Policy on Academic Integrity, from the February 1974 Senate Committee on Tenure and Academic Freedom reported to the Senate Council, will be required to participate in the outlined procedural process as initiated by the instructor. A minimum sanction of a zero score for the quiz or exam will be imposed.
- Students are strongly encouraged to carefully read, understand and abide by the Academic Integrity Code for the University of Pittsburgh.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
Everyone is welcome, and all members of the classroom are expected to act respectfully.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
To accommodate the observance of religious holidays, students should inform the instructor by email, within the first two weeks of the term of any such days which conflict with scheduled class activities.