Cloud Computing & Distributed Systems Course | NPTEL IIT Patna | Prof. Rajiv Misra
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 6075 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Categories | Computer Science and Engineering |
| Credit Points | 2 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 13 Mar 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 29 Mar 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Unlocking the Power of Modern Computing: A Deep Dive into Cloud and Distributed Systems
In today's digital-first world, the engines powering everything from your social media feed to global financial transactions are Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems. Understanding these foundational technologies is no longer a niche skill but a core requirement for engineers and architects. This detailed guide explores a premier educational resource: an 8-week course designed and instructed by Prof. Rajiv Misra of IIT Patna, available on the NPTEL platform.
Meet Your Instructor: Prof. Rajiv Misra
Learning from an expert with both academic rigor and practical research insight is invaluable. Prof. Rajiv Misra brings precisely that to the table. A faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Patna, his credentials are impressive:
- Educational Pedigree: Ph.D. from IIT Kharagpur, M.Tech from IIT Bombay, and a B.E. from MNIT Allahabad.
- Research Expertise: His work spans Distributed Algorithms for Mobile, Ad-hoc, and Sensor Networks, Cloud Computing, and Wireless Networks.
- Proven Scholarship: Author of over 70 papers in top-tier journals/conferences (IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, Parallel and Distributed Systems, etc.), 2 book chapters, and an edited Springer book. His work has garnered over 590 citations.
- Industry & Academic Leadership: A Senior Member of IEEE, Fellow of IETE, and Principal Investigator for major R&D projects. He has supervised multiple Ph.D. students in cloud and distributed computing.
Course Overview: What Will You Learn?
This undergraduate/postgraduate level course bridges the gap between theoretical distributed systems concepts and their practical implementation in modern cloud platforms. It answers the critical question: How do today's massive-scale clouds actually work under the hood?
The course is structured to take you from fundamental concepts to advanced architectures, consistently linking theory to real-world industry systems.
Weekly Course Breakdown: A Journey from Fundamentals to Applications
| Week | Core Topics Covered | Key Industry Systems Discussed |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Cloud Computing Intro, Virtualization (VM Migration, Hotspot Mitigation) | – |
| Week 2 | Network Virtualization, Software-Defined Networks (SDN), Geo-distributed Clouds | Google's B4, Microsoft's Swan, Open vSwitch, Mininet |
| Week 3 | Classical Distributed Algorithms: Leader Election (Ring, Bully) | Google's Chubby, Apache Zookeeper |
| Week 4 | Time Synchronization, Global Snapshots, Distributed Mutual Exclusion | Chubby, NTP, Chandy-Lamport Algorithm |
| Week 5 | Consensus, Fault Tolerance: Paxos, Byzantine Agreement, Recovery | Paxos Algorithm, FLP Impossibility |
| Week 6 | Cloud Storage: Key-Value/NoSQL Stores, CAP Theorem | Apache Cassandra, HBase |
| Week 7 | Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Systems | Chord, Pastry, BitTorrent |
| Week 8 | Cloud Applications & Frameworks | MapReduce, Apache Spark, Apache Kafka |
Why This Course is Essential for Your Career
The curriculum is meticulously designed to make you industry-ready. You won't just learn about Paxos; you'll understand how it enables fault-tolerance in real systems. You won't just study NoSQL; you'll delve into the design of Apache Cassandra and HBase.
Industry Support: The technologies covered are the backbone of companies like Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure), Google Cloud, IBM, Facebook, and countless tech startups. Proficiency in these areas is directly aligned with high-demand job roles in cloud architecture, distributed systems engineering, and big data.
Who Should Enroll? Prerequisites
- Minimum Requirement: A solid understanding of Data Structures and Algorithms.
- Ideal Background: Knowledge of Computer Architecture, Basic Operating Systems, and Networking concepts will help you grasp the material more deeply.
- The course is perfect for Computer Science/IT students (both UG and PG), software engineers looking to transition into cloud roles, and tech professionals aiming to solidify their foundational knowledge.
Recommended Textbooks for Further Study
To complement the video lectures, Prof. Misra recommends authoritative texts:
- Primary Texts: Distributed and Cloud Computing by Hwang, Dongarra & Fox; Cloud Computing: Principles and Paradigms by Buyya et al.; Distributed Computing: Principles, Algorithms, and Systems by Kshemkalyani and Singhal.
- Reference Books: Distributed Algorithms by Nancy Lynch (a classic), and Cloud Computing Bible by Sosinsky.
By the end of this 8-week journey, you will have developed an intimate knowledge of the internals of cloud computing. You'll be able to analyze system designs, understand the trade-offs behind consistency models, and appreciate the elegant distributed algorithms that make reliable, scalable cloud services possible.
This course is more than just a syllabus; it's a roadmap to understanding the infrastructure of the modern internet. Whether you're a student building your foundation or a professional aiming to master the cloud, this guided learning path with an expert from IIT Patna is an exceptional opportunity.
Enroll Now →