CS439 Schedule of Topics and Assignments

CS439: Principles of Computer Systems

Dr. Alison N. Norman

Schedule for Spring 2023

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:

the online book Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces by Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau (indicated by OSTEP; this book is available for purchase at the site above if you prefer a print copy), and

the online book Operating Systems and Middleware: Supporting Controlled Interaction by Max Hailperin (Readings are from edition 1.3 and indicated by MH).

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

Mon	Jan 9	Introduction & Themes	Reading: OSTEP: Chapter 2, except 2.6

Wed	Jan 11	History of Operating Systems

Fri	Jan 13		Attend discussion section Problem Set 0 due 10:59p (Electronic Submission through Canvas)

Mon	Jan 16	Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wed	Jan 18	Processes	Reading: OSTEP: The Process, Process API, and Limited Direct Execution up to 6.3 Project 0 available

Fri	Jan 20		Section 1 Problem Set due in section Shell Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Jan 23	More Processes and CPU Scheduling	Reading: OSTEP: CPU Scheduling and The Multi-Level Feedback Queue

Wed	Jan 25	Threads and Too Much Milk!	Reading: OSTEP: Concurrency and Threads API (up to 27.3)

Fri	Jan 27		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	Jan 30	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 1	Deadlock and Monitors	Reading: OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at "Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling"), and Monitors

Fri	Feb 3		Section 3 Problem Set due in section Threads Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 6	More Synchronization	Reading: MH: Atomic Transactions: Intro and Durability (5.1 and 5.4)

Wed	Feb 8	The Importance of Safety	Read the Therac-25 paper, following these tips. If you are off-campus, this link through the UT libraries Web proxy may be useful. Read this New York Times article and at least the first two pages of this one (make sure you see the pictures).

Fri	Feb 10		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 13	Synch Review	Project 2 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Feb 15	Exam 1 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A

Fri	Feb 17	Discussion Section Special Event	Userprog Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 20	Memory: Overview	Reading: OSTEP: Address Spaces and Mechanism: Address Translation Project 2 Stack Check Due

Wed	Feb 22	Virtual Memory: Mechanisms	Reading: OSTEP: Paging: An Introduction

Fri	Feb 24		Section 5 Problem Set due in section Userprog Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 27	Virtual Memory: Policies	Reading: OSTEP: Paging: Smaller Tables and Swapping: Policies

Wed	Mar 1	Virtual Memory: More Policies	Project 3 available

Fri	Mar 3		Section 6 Problem Set due in section Project 2 Code due at 5:59p Userprog Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 6	Heap Memory Management	Reading: OSTEP: Memory:API Project 2 Code Reviews begin Project 3 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Mar 8	Garbage Collection

Fri	Mar 10	No discussion sections	Project 3 Data Structures due at 10:59p VM Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon-Fri	Mar 13-Mar 17	Spring Break!

Mon	Mar 20	Secondary Storage	Reading: OSTEP: I/O Devices, Hard Disk Drives, and SSDs

Wed	Mar 22	File System Fundamentals and Design	Reading: OSTEP: Files and Directories, File System Implementation, and Locality and The Fast File System

Fri	Mar 24		Section 7 Problem Set due in section VM Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 27	File System Consistency	Reading: OSTEP: Crash Consistency: FSCK and Journaling

Wed	Mar 29	Exam 2 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A

Fri	Mar 31	No Discussion Sections	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 3	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 5	Sockets and Parallel Programming

Fri	Apr 7		Section 8 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Apr 10	Parallel and Distributed Computing	Reading: OSTEP: Multiprocessor Scheduling Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

Wed	Apr 12	Fancy File Systems	Reading: NFS The Google File System

Fri	Apr 14		Section 9 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Apr 17	The Security Mindset	Reading: OSTEP: Why Security, Introduction to OS Security, and Authentication

Wed	Apr 19	Putting It All Together

Fri	Apr 21	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 24	Something Different

		Final Exam is 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 1st.