CSCI 5673: Distributed Systems (Spring 2026)

A distributed system is comprised of multiple computing devices interconnected with one another via a loosely-connected network. Almost all computing systems and applications today are distributed in nature for a variety of reasons, including resource sharing, fault tolerance, performance, security and geography. This course provides an in-depth coverage of the underlying principles and practices involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of a distributed system. The course will be divided into two parts. The first part will focus on the foundations of distributed system design, and the second part will focus on the current, state-of- the-art distributed systems technologies, including many of those that form the backbone of modern Internet-scale applications.

Lectures: Tuesday/Thursday, 2:00PM-3:15PM, Hellems Arts and Sciences E1B10
Communications: Piazza
Assignment Submission: Gradescope
Course Notes: Canvas

Instructor

Mark Zhao

Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:30AM-11:30AM, or by appointment. ECCR 1B26, Engineering Center.
Contact: myzhao@colorado.edu

TAs/Course Staff

Md Rezwanur Rahman

Office Hours: See Piazza.
Contact: mdra7255@colorado.edu

Doncey Albin

Office Hours: See Piazza.
Contact: doncey.albin@colorado.edu

Charith Purushotham

Office Hours: See Piazza.
Contact: Charith.Purushotham@colorado.edu