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CS439: Principles of Computer Systems

Dr. Alison N. Norman

Schedule for Spring 2024

This schedule, and the links contained in it, are subject to change during the semester. Exam dates, however, are final.

Reading assignments are generally from one of the required textbooks:

Readings from additional sources are linked from the schedule. All reading assignments are recommended and are most beneficial when completed before class on the schedule day.

 Date

 

Topic

Suggested Readings


Wed Jan 17 Introduction & Themes Reading: OSTEP: Chapter 2, except 2.6
Fri Jan 19 Attend discussion section
Section 0 Problem Set due 10:59p
(Electronic Submission through Canvas)

Mon Jan 22 History of Operating Systems
Wed Jan 24 Processes
Reading: OSTEP: The Process, Process API, and Limited Direct Execution up to 6.3
Project 0 available
Fri Jan 26 Section 1 Problem Set due in section
Shell Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Jan 29 More Processes and CPU Scheduling Reading: OSTEP: CPU Scheduling
and The Multi-Level Feedback Queue
Wed Jan 31 Threads and Too Much Milk!
Reading: OSTEP: Concurrency and Threads API (up to 27.3)
Fri Feb 2 Project 0 Design Doc rough draft due in section
Project 0 Code due at 5:59p
Project 0 Design Doc due at 10:59p
Shell Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p

Mon Feb 5 Locks and Semaphores Reading: OSTEP: Locks (skip 28.8-28.11) and
Semaphores (up to 31.5)
Project 1 available
Project 1 group registration due 10:59p
Wed Feb 7 Deadlock and Monitors
Reading: OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at "Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling"), and
Monitors
Fri Feb 9 Section 3 Problem Set due in section
Threads Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Feb 12 More Synchronization
Reading: MH: Atomic Transactions: Intro and Durability (5.1 and 5.4)
Wed Feb 14 The Importance of Safety
  1. Read the Therac-25 paper, following these tips.
    If you are off-campus, this link through the UT libraries Web proxy may be useful.
  2. Read this New York Times article and at least the first two pages of this one.
    To get access to the online NYT through UT, follow the library's instructions.
Fri Feb 16 Project 1 Design Doc rough draft due in section
Project 1 Code due at 5:59p
Project 1 Design Doc due at 10:59p
Threads Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p
Project 2 available

Mon Feb 19 Synch Review
Project 2 group registration due 10:59p
Wed Feb 21 Exam 1 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A
Fri Feb 23 No Discussion Sections Userprog Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Feb 26 Memory: Overview
Reading: OSTEP: Address Spaces and
Mechanism: Address Translation
Project 2 Stack Check Due
Wed Feb 28 Virtual Memory: Mechanisms Reading: OSTEP: Paging: An Introduction
Fri Mar 1 Section 5 Problem Set due in section
Userprog Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Mar 4 Virtual Memory: Policies
Reading: OSTEP: Paging: Smaller Tables and Swapping: Policies
Wed Mar 6 Virtual Memory: More Policies Project 3 available
Fri Mar 8 Section 6 Problem Set due in section
Project 2 Code due at 5:59p
Userprog Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p

Mon-Fri Mar 11-Mar 15 Spring Break! with a bit of Deadlock Revisited on the side :) Reading: Deadlock Notes
from Dr. John T. Bell at University of Illinois, Chicago

Mon Mar 18 Heap Memory Management
Reading: OSTEP: Memory:API
Project 2 Code Reviews begin
Project 3 group registration due 10:59p
Wed Mar 20 Garbage Collection
Fri Mar 22 No discussion sections
Project 3 Data Structures due at 10:59p
VM Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Mar 25 Secondary Storage
Reading: OSTEP: I/O Devices, Hard Disk Drives, and SSDs
Wed Mar 27 File System Fundamentals and Design
Reading: OSTEP: Files and Directories,
File System Implementation,
and Locality and The Fast File System
Fri Mar 29 Section 7 Problem Set due in section
VM Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Apr 1 File System Consistency Reading: OSTEP: Crash Consistency: FSCK and Journaling
Wed Apr 3 Exam 2 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A
Fri Apr 5 Discussion Section Special Event
Project 3 Code due at 5:59p
Project 3 Design Doc due at 10:59p
VM Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p
Project 4 available

Mon Apr 8 Networks and Their Abstractions Reading: An Introduction to Computer Networks, Chapter 1, sections 1-1.3, 1.9-1.14, by Peter L. Dordal
Project 4 group registration due 10:59p
Wed Apr 10 Sockets and Parallel Programming
Fri Apr 12 Section 8 Problem Set due in section
Filesys Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Apr 15 Parallel and Distributed Computing
Reading: OSTEP: Multiprocessor Scheduling
Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
Wed Apr 17 Fancy File Systems
Reading: NFS
The Google File System
Fri Apr 19 Section 9 Problem Set due in section
Filesys Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon Apr 22 The Security Mindset Reading: OSTEP: Why Security,
Introduction to OS Security, and
Authentication
Wed Apr 24 Putting It All Together
Fri Apr 26 No discussion sections
Project 4 Code due at 5:59p
Project 4 Design Doc due at 10:59p
Filesys Evaluation document due at 11:59p
No slip days!

Mon Apr 29 Something Different in UTC 3.110
Final Exam at the time and location scheduled by the registrar
NOT at the time given on the registrar's tentative schedule, but at a uniform time with my other sections of CS439.
The registrar typically publishes the final exam schedule in early April.

The exam may be as late as Monday, May 6th.