The course project is a crucial component of CompSci 512. Students may work in groups of 2-4 individuals. There are five steps to complete the course project. All submitted write-ups must follow the USENIX format.

• Step 1: Project proposal, due Feb 17 11:59am (noon). This is a one-page write-up that includes the names of each team member, the overall goal of the project, and a summary of related work in the field. Consider carefully the purpose of the project and the key differences between your project and other works in this space.
• Step 2: Project checkpoint 1, due March 03 11:59am (noon). This is a three-page write-up containing a high-level design, detailed description of background and related work, and a plan for team member responsibilities.
• Step 3: Project checkpoint 2, due March 24 11:59am (noon) This is a five-page write-up containing a detailed description of the design and preliminary results, as well as an update on team member progress and future responsibilities.
• Step 4: Project presentation, April 12 or April 14.
• Step 5: Project report, due April 19 11:59am (noon). This is an eight-page write-up in the same format as papers read in the course. The end of the report must include a detailed description of team member contributions.

We will use four criteria to evaluate a course project: importance, novelty, difficulty, and completeness. (1) Importance: The project should address a significant issue, such as improving the performance of a distributed system or increasing its security. (2) Novelty: The project should investigate something that has not been previously explored. (3) Difficulty: The project should include a substantial, non-trivial programming component. (4) Completeness: The project’s results should provide a complete answer to a research hypothesis.