Experiences on Teaching Software Engineering Concepts for the Design of Communication Protocols

Protocols undoubtedly play a key role in computer networks and distributed and real-time embedded software. Therefore, Telecommunications Engineering and other related curricula usually include a specific subject for the design of communication protocols at the undergraduate level. Traditionally, these subjects focus on using standards and formal methods related to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Because the academic focus is generally on design (and validation) these approaches are indeed appropriate, but a gap exists between high-level protocol designs and their actual implementation as part of complex systems in industry. This paper describes the experiences in one of these subjects that now includes software engineering concepts and methods for the design of protocols. The objective is to fill the gap between design and implementation through the use of communication frameworks and middleware, with a focus on high-performance and reliability.