CS439 Schedule of Topics and Assignments

CS439: Principles of Computer Systems

Dr. Alison N. Norman
taught in conversation and collaboration with Dr. Mootaz Elnozahy

Schedule for Fall 2025

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 1.3.1 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	Aug 25	Introduction & Themes	Reading: OSTEP: Chapter 2, except 2.6

Wed	Aug 27	History of Operating Systems

Fri	Aug 29		Attend discussion section Section 0 Problem Set due 10:59p (Electronic Submission through Canvas)

Mon	Sep 1	Labor Day

Wed	Sep 3	Processes	Reading: OSTEP: The Process, Process API, and Limited Direct Execution up to 6.3 Project 0 available

Fri	Sep 5		Section 1 Problem Set due in section Shell Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Sep 8	More Processes and CPU Scheduling	Reading: OSTEP: CPU Scheduling and The Multi-Level Feedback Queue

Wed	Sep 10	Threads and Too Much Milk!	Reading: OSTEP: Concurrency and Threads API (up to 27.3)

Fri	Sep 12		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	Sep 15	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	Sep 17	Deadlock and Monitors	Reading: OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at "Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling"), and Monitors

Fri	Sep 19		Section 3 Problem Set due in section Threads Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Sep 22	More Synchronization	Reading: MH: Atomic Transactions: Intro and Durability (5.1 and 5.4)

Wed	Sep 24	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. To get access to the online NYT through UT, follow the library's instructions.

Fri	Sep 26		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	Sep 29	Synch Review	Project 2 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Oct 1	Exam 1 7p-9p in UTC 2.112A

Fri	Oct 3	No Discussion Section	Userprog Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Oct 6	Memory: Overview In-class Exam Review	Reading: OSTEP: Address Spaces and Mechanism: Address Translation Project 2 Stack Check Due

Wed	Oct 8	Virtual Memory: Mechanisms	Exam 1 Retakes in GDC 6.302 (signup coming) Reading: OSTEP: Paging: An Introduction

Fri	Oct 10		Section 5 Problem Set due in section Userprog Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Oct 13	Virtual Memory: Policies	Reading: OSTEP: Paging: Smaller Tables and Swapping: Policies

Wed	Oct 15	Virtual Memory: More Policies

Fri	Oct 17		Section 6 Problem Set due in section Identifying Race Conditions Topic Learning Session in Section Project 2 Code due at 5:59p Userprog Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 3 available

Mon	Oct 20	Heap Memory Management and Garbage Collection	Reading: OSTEP: Memory:API Project 2 Code Reviews begin Project 3 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Oct 22	File System Implementation and Design

Fri	Oct 24		Data Structures and Design Document rough draft due in section Synchronization Concepts Topic Learning Session in Section Project 3 Data Structures and Design Document due at 10:59p VM Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Oct 27	File System Implementation and Design	Reading: OSTEP: I/O Devices, Hard Disk Drives, and SSDs

Wed	Oct 29	File System Implementation and Design	Reading: OSTEP: Files and Directories, File System Implementation, and Locality and The Fast File System

Fri	Oct 31		Section 8 Problem Set due in section Synchronization Code Topic Learning Session in Section VM Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Nov 3	File System Consistency	Reading: OSTEP: Crash Consistency: FSCK and Journaling

Wed	Nov 5	Exam 2 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A Synch Topic Retakes 9p-10p in UTC 2.102A

Fri	Nov 7	No Discussion Section	Project 3 Code due at 5:59p VM Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 4 available

Mon	Nov 10	Networks and Their Abstractions In-Class Exam Review	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	Nov 12	Sockets and Parallel Programming	Exam 2 Retakes in GDC 6.302 (signup coming)

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

Mon	Nov 17	Parallel and Distributed Computing	Reading: OSTEP: Multiprocessor Scheduling Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

Wed	Nov 19	Fancy File Systems	Reading: NFS The Google File System

Fri	Nov 21		Section 10 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon-Fri	Nov 24-28	Thanksgiving! with a bit of Deadlock Revisited on the side :)	Reading: Deadlock Notes from Dr. John T. Bell at University of Illinois, Chicago

Mon	Dec 1	The Security Mindset	Reading: OSTEP: Why Security, Introduction to OS Security, and Authentication

Wed	Dec 3	Putting It All Together

Fri	Dec 5	Discussion Sections are learning sessions for VM and FS core topics	Project 4 Code due at 5:59p Project 4 Design Doc due at 10:59p Filesys Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p No slip days!

Mon	Dec 8	Something Different	VM and FS Retakes 5p-8p in WEL 3.502

		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 October. The exam may be as late as Monday, December 15th.