CSE 398/498 – Data-Centric Edge-to-Cloud Systems

Lehigh University, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Semester: Spring 2026

Instructor:
Dr. Mushu Li
📧 mul224@lehigh.edu

Lecture Time:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:35 PM – 2:50 PM
📍 Location: TBD

Office Hours: TBD

Course Description

This course explores the design and integration of data-centric systems across edge-to-cloud networks. Core topics include sensor networks, 5G wireless and core architectures, mobile edge and cloud computing, edge intelligence, and networking for AI workloads.

Application domains such as the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial automation, and real-time data analytics will be examined. Students will analyze case studies on efficient mobile data collection, processing, and intelligent decision-making in contexts ranging from autonomous intelligence to immersive applications.

Emphasis is placed on both the modeling and synthesis of edge-to-cloud systems, as well as hands-on experience with data-centric platforms for deploying distributed AI solutions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain the architectural roles of edge devices, networks, and cloud platforms in data-centric networked systems.
2. Understand and evaluate existing data collection protocols and cloud/edge computing methodologies for supporting AI-driven solutions.
3. Analyze trade-offs in latency, bandwidth, energy efficiency, and scalability in edge-to-cloud computing deployments.
4. Apply data management and streaming techniques to AI and analytics workloads across distributed infrastructures.
5. Evaluate case studies in IoT, industrial automation, and immersive communications using performance metrics.
6. Customize computing and communication pipelines to fit within the compute and energy envelopes of edge devices and network infrastructures.
7. Implement a prototype edge-to-cloud application using contemporary platforms and tools (e.g., IoT devices, cloud services, containerized deployments).

Prerequisites

• CSE 017
• AND one of the following: ECE 201, CSE 303, or CSE 202

Tentative Topic List

(Topics are not necessarily in this order.)

• Introduction
  Definition of sensor networks, Internet of Things, network architecture, and mobile computing.

• Fundamentals of Edge/Cloud Computing
  Edge/cloud infrastructure, computing models, virtual machines, microservices, and Kubernetes.

• Networking in Mobile Computing
  Data communications, 4G/5G wireless and core networks, TCP/IP and routing, software-defined networks (SDN), and edge-to-cloud protocols.

• Data Analytics and Machine Learning in the Cloud
  Data analytics in IoT, AI/ML for IoT, training and inference pipelines, and performance evaluation.

• Edge Intelligence
  Distributed AI and network supports, enabling technologies for edge intelligence, system design and optimization, and edge-cloud collaboration.

• Advanced Topics
  Network and computing for AI in connected autonomous driving, extended reality (XR), human-robotic collaboration, smart city, smart grid, etc.

Textbook and Readings (TBD)

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