Syllabus: CSC 478 - Cloud Engineering
General Information
-
Semester: Fall 2026
-
Instructor: Linh B. Ngo
- Office: UNA 138
- Office Hours:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:00AM - 11:45AM
- Monday, Wednesday: 1:30PM - 2:45PM
- Wednesday: 6:00PM - 7:00PM
- Email: lngo AT wcupa DOT edu
- Phone: 610-436-2595
Course Description
This course provides students with more in-depth understanding of advanced cloud computing technical concepts. Through the perspective of infrastructure-as-code and project-based learning activities, we will study how cloud computing orchestation works to enable the deployment of large-scale complex services in business and academic environments.
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLO)
- Be able to write programs that describe the deployment, installation, and configuration of complex services in the cloud.
- Be able to demonstrate understading of -as-a-service (networking, firewall, storage).
- Be able to develop a complex infrastructure that support a full-stack set of services inside the cloud.
CS Program Objectives (CSPO):
- Be able to apply theory, techniques, and methodologies to create and/or maintain high quality computing systems that function effectively and reliably in the emerging and future information infrastructure (CSLO 1, 2, 3, 4).
- Be able to work in teams, demonstrate ethical professionalism in their work, and grow professionally while engaging in life-long learning (CSLO 3, 4).
CS/ABET Program Outcomes (ABET):
- ABET 1: Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions (CSLO 1, 2).
- ABET 2: Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline (CSLO 3, 4).
- ABET 5: Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline (CSLO 3, 4).
Course Topics:
- Infrastructure for Cloud Computing
- Infrastructure as Code
- Configuration as Code
- Storage as a Service
- Networking as a Service
- Load Balancing
- TLS in the Cloud
Prerequisites
- CSC 468: Introduction to Cloud Computing
Required Text (either print or e-book):
There is no required text for this class.
Evaluation Policy:
Grade Distributions
Method of Evaluation
| Assessment | % of Final Grade | Course Objectives Assessed | Program Objectives Assessed | ABET Objectives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 30% | 1,2,3 | 1 | 1 |
| Course Project | 30% | 1,2,3 | 1 | 2 |
| Quizzes | 10% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Exams | 30% | 1,2 | 1 | 1 |
Grade Scale:
| Grade | Quality Points | Numeric | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 100-93 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.67 | 92-90 | - |
| B+ | 3.33 | 89-87 | Superior |
| B | 3 | 86-83 | - |
| B- | 2.67 | 82-80 | - |
| C+ | 2.33 | 79-77 | Average |
| C | 2 | 76-73 | - |
| C- | 1.67 | 72-70 | - |
| D+ | 1.33 | 69-67 | Below Average |
| D | 1 | 66-63 | - |
| D- | 0.67 | 62-60 | - |
| F | 0 | <= 60 | Failure |
Assessments:
- Assignments:
- Accessing and deploying cloud infrastructures based on ready-to-run templates
- Carrying out manual steps to spin up containers and manual setup services inside containers
- Writing bash scripts that automate the deployment processes
- Project: Design, implement, and deploy various services and applications inside small containers.
- Quizzes and Exams: Assessing understanding of theoretical concepts necessary to support the tasks decribed in the assignments and projects.
Lateness Policy:
Assignments that are late are assessed a 10% per day late penalty. Saturday and Sunday are each days.
University Policies
Academic & Personal Integrity
It is the responsibility of each student to adhere to the university’s standards for academic integrity. Violations of academic integrity include any act that violates the rights of another student in academic work, that involves misrepresentation of your own work, or that disrupts the instruction of the course. Other violations include (but are not limited to): cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, which means copying any part of another’s work and/or using ideas of another and presenting them as one’s own without giving proper credit to the source; selling, purchasing, or exchanging of term papers; falsifying of information; and using your own work from one class to fulfill the assignment for another class without significant modification. Proof of academic misconduct can result in the automatic failure and removal from this course. For questions regarding Academic Integrity, the No-Grade Policy, Sexual Harassment, or the Student Code of Conduct, students are encouraged to refer to the Department Undergraduate Handbook, the Undergraduate Course Catalog, the Ram’s Eye View, or the University Website.
Accomodations for Students with Disabilities
West Chester University is committed to providing equitable access to the full WCU experience for Golden Rams of all abilities. Students should contact the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) to establish accommodations if they have had accommodations in the past or if they believe they may be eligible for accommodations due to a disability, whether or not it may be readily apparent. There is no deadline for disclosing to OEA or for requesting to use approved accommodations in a given course. However, accommodations can only be applied to future assignments or exams; that is, they can’t be applied retroactively. Please share your letter from OEA as soon as possible so that we can discuss accommodations. If you have concerns related to disability discrimination, please contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or 610-436-2433
The University’s Americans with Disabilities policy is available on the website. If you encounter an area of this course that is not accessible to you, please contact me.
University-Excused Absences Policy
Students are advised to carefully read and comply with the University-Excused Absences Policy, including absences for university-sanctioned events, contained in the WCU Undergraduate Catalog. In particular, please note that the responsibility for meeting academic requirements rests with the student, that this policy does not excuse students from completing required academic work, and that professors can require a fair alternative to attendance on those days that students must be absent from class in order to participate in a University-Sanctioned Event.
Reporting Incidents of Sexual Violence
West Chester University and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive educational environment for all students. In order to comply with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the University’s commitment to offering supportive measures in accordance with the new regulations issued under Title IX, the University requires faculty members to report incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the University's Title IX Coordinator. The only exceptions to the faculty member's reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by a student during a classroom discussion, in a writing assignment for a class, or as part of a University-approved research project. Faculty members are obligated to report sexual violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age) when the abuse allegedly occurred to the person designated in the University Protection of Minors Policy. Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence and the resources that are available to victims of sexual violence is set forth at the WCUPA Sexual Misconduct website.
Inclusive Learning Environment and Anti-Racist Statement
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to West Chester University’s mission as reflected in our Mission Statement, Values Statement, Vision Statement and Strategic Plan: Pathways to Student Success. We disavow racism and all actions that silence, threaten, or degrade historically marginalized groups in the U.S. We acknowledge that all members of this learning community may experience harm stemming from forms of oppression including but not limited to classism, ableism, heterosexism, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia, and recognize that these forms of oppression are compounded by racism.
Our core commitment as an institution of higher education shapes our expectation for behavior within this learning community, which represents diverse individual beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences. Courteous and respectful behavior, interactions, and responses are expected from all members of the University. We must work together to make this a safe and productive learning environment for everyone. Part of this work is recognizing how race and other aspects of who we are shape our beliefs and our experiences as individuals. It is not enough to condemn acts of racism. For real, sustainable change, we must stand together as a diverse coalition against racism and oppression of any form, anywhere, at any time.
Resources for education and action are available through WCU’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), DEI committees within departments or colleges, the student ombudsperson, and centers on campus committed to doing this work (e.g., Dowdy Multicultural Center, Center for Women and Gender Equity, and the Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy).
Guidance on how to report incidents of discrimination and harassment is available at the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Emergency Preparedness
All students are encouraged to sign up for the University’s free WCU ALERT service, which delivers official WCU emergency text messages directly to your cell phone. For more information, visit https://www.wcupa.edu/wcualert. To report an emergency, call the Department of Public Safety at 610-436-3311.
Electronic Mail Policy
It is expected that faculty, staff, and students activate and maintain regular access to University provided e-mail accounts. Official university communications, including those from your instructor, will be sent through your university e-mail account. You are responsible for accessing that mail to be sure to obtain official University communications. Failure to access will not exempt individuals from the responsibilities associated with this course.
Course Schedules
- Quizzes are typically disseminated once a week.
| Week | Date | Topic | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08/26 | Introduction | - |
| - | - | Introduction to Rancher Desktop | Lab 01 |
| 2 | 09/02 | Pods and Deployment | Quiz 01 |
| - | - | Rancher and CloudLab | - |
| 3 | 09/09 | Project Week | Quiz 02 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 09/16 | Cluster IP and NodePort | Quiz 03 |
| - | - | Multi-Service Communication- | nan |
| 5 | 09/23 | Volume and Persistence | Quiz 04 |
| - | - | - | Lab 02 |
| 6 | 09/30 | Configuration and Secrets | Quiz 05 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 10/07 | Project Day | - |
| - | - | Midterm Review | Quiz 06 |
| 8 | 10/14 | FALL BREAK | - |
| - | - | Midterm Exam | - |
| 9 | 10/21 | Resource Management and Namespaces | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 10 | 10/28 | Ingress and Load Balancing | - |
| - | - | Health and Resilience | - |
| 11 | 11/04 | Scaling and Autoscaling | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 12 | 11/11 | Security and Policies | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 13 | 11/18 | Secutiry and Policies | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 14 | 11/25 | - | - |
| - | - | THANKSGIVING BREAK | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 15 | 12/02 | Final presentation | - |
| - | - | - | - |
| 16 | 12/09 | Final presentation | - |