Server-Side Scripting (SWS 212)

This course prepares network administrators and other IT professionals to use server-side scripting to automate, integrate, and secure modern networked and web-based systems.

Course Description

This course prepares network administrators and other networking professionals to use server-sidescripting as part of their daily tasks to support and automate modern networked and web-based systems.It covers the fundamental concepts and practical techniques of server-side application design, scripting,and data management, with an emphasis on APIs and system integration rather than traditional web pagedevelopment alone. Students will explore and apply server-side frameworks in the context of real-worldoperational scenarios, including automation, security, and deployment. Coursework emphasizes secureserver-side development, interaction with databases and external systems, AI-assisted development practices, and the deployment and maintenance of scalable services. Multiple scripting and programminglanguages may be used to illustrate transferable server-side development and automation techniques.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Analyze the architecture of modern server-side applications, including API-first, containerized, and AI-enhanced systems.
Differentiate between client-side, server-side, and AI-assisted technologies and determine their roles within automation workflows.
Implement server-side scripts that process data, interact with external services or AI models, and generate dynamic responses.
Design server-side components that manage client interactions, sessions, and automated configuration or orchestration tasks.
Develop server-side applications that integrate databases and manage persistent data in networked systems.
Apply object-oriented and modular programming techniques to build APIs and AI-enabled server-side services.
Construct secure server-side applications incorporating authentication, authorization, and data integrity controls.
Deploy server-side and containerized applications to data center or cloud environments and maintain their operation.
Evaluate emerging trends in server-side automation and AIOps, including generative AI, retrieval-augmented systems, and agent-based workflows.

Key Topics

Server-side scripting in networked and automated environments
API-first architectures and request–response processing
Lightweight server-side frameworks and services
Secure server-side development and access control
Database integration and data persistence
Deployment models, containers, and operational considerations
AI-assisted development and automation practices
Local language models and server-side inference
Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines
Agent-based and autonomous automation workflows

Course Materials

Reference Textbooks

De Luca, G. FastAPI Cookbook. Packt Publishing, 2024.
Tragura, S. J. C. Mastering Flask Web and API Development. Packt Publishing, 2024.

Online and Instructor-Provided Resources