CMC541 Systems Architecture: Operating Systems Architecture
Rationale
Modern operating systems represent prodigious feats of software engineering and draw on all areas of computer science. This component of the unit studies both the theoretical design concepts which underpin all operating systems and, through case-studies, the practical implementation techniques of current commercial operating systems.
Course Outline
- Review of Operating Systems: Development and evolution, different types.
- Computer architecture, I/O programming and resource management.
- The concept of Process
- Process Management: Process creation and switching. Scheduling
- Memory Management: Address space issues, segmentation. Virtual memory.
- Inter-process Communication; pipes
- Deadlock: Conditions for deadlock and its avoidance.
- Input-output systems: Programmed I/O, DMA, device drivers
- File systems: File management, directories, RAID.
Teaching Method
By lectures, case studies, reading, assignments, exercises and class tests.
Timetable
| Date | Lecture Topics | Reading and Assignments in Ritchie | Worksheet / Test |
| 27th Jan | Introduction to the course: What is an operating system? | Chapter 1, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 1 |
| 2nd Feb | Computer Architecture. Processor, Storage and Systems Designs. | Chapter 2, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 1 (continued) |
| 9th Feb | User and program interfaces. Programs and Processes. | Chapter 3, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 2 |
| 16th Feb | Process management and scheduling. | Chapter 4, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 3 - Test 1 |
| 23th Feb | Memory management 1. | Chapter 5, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 4 - Test 2 |
| 2nd Mar | Memory management - Virtual memory. | Chapter 6, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 5 - Test 3 |
| 9th Mar | Interprocess Communication. Deadlock. | Chapters 11 and 12, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 6 - Test 4 |
| 16th Mar | Input-output Systems. | Chapter 8, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Worksheet 7 - Test 5 |
| 23th Mar | File Systems | Chapters 9 and 10, Questions in text, Review and Test questions | Revision Worksheet - Test 6 |
| 30th Mar | Mock in-class exam | None | Revision Worksheet (con't) and Chance to make up missed Tests |
| 6th April | Revision Lecture | None | Revision Worksheet (con't) |
| 24th April | Examination from 18:00 to 19:30 (1 hour 30 minutes) | | |
| Week beginning 1st May | | | |
| Week beginning 8th May | Class Party to be arranged! | | |
Worksheets
The OSA seminar/practical sessions are compulsory and run for two hours each week in Complab2 on Level 3 of the MHAC Buildings. Worksheets are provided below. You are expected to work through these as directed throughout the seminar/practical sessions. The tests must also be taken during the weekly seminar/practical sessions.
Reading
Esssential
Ritchie, C. Operating Systems Incorporating UNIX and Windows. 4th ed Thomson ISBN 0-826-464165
(a basic text which covers most of the course topics. The 3rd edition is also fine).
Recommended
Tanenbaum, A. Modern Operating Systems, Prentice Hall.
(a more advanced text than Ritchie with good coverage of recent and experimental systems).
Background and Supplementary
Deitel and Dietel. Operating Systems, Addison Wesley 0-13-12486-8
Silberschatz and Galvin, Operating System Concepts, Addison Wesley 0-201-54262-5
Stallings, Operating Systems / Internals and Design Principles, Pearson Educational 0-13-127837-1
Most students will want to purchase Ritchie and will find it useful to read at least one of the other titles.
Assessment
This part of the study unit is assessed via the completion of:- 5 on-line tests 1 CATS point each - Note: there will be 6 on-line tests and students may opt to take all 6 and receive a mark based on their best 5. Students must take at least 5 tests; and failure to take at least 5 tests will result in a mark of zero for each missed test.
The tests will be based on lectures, practical exercises and investigations, and readings.
Multiple choice format. - Examination: 7 CATS points
After the lectures and seminars/practicals have finished.
Based on lectures, practical exercises and investigations, and readings.
Sample questions and mock exam available before Easter
Learning Outcomes
- outline and discuss mechanisms and strategies within operating systems architectures
- review models and processes in operating systems architectures
Cornelia Boldyreff and Andrea Capiluppi
University of Lincoln
January 2006