s CSS 503B (Spring 2016): Systems Programming

Syllabus

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Description & Goals

This course examines the logical design and programming aspects of operating systems and network communication. Topics covered include processes, threads, synchronization, deadlocks, memory management, virtual memory, file systems, and client-server network programming.

Goals

The overall goal of CSS 503, "Systems Programming" includes:

Prerequisite: 2.7 or better in CSS 502

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Administrivia

Location & Time

Professor: Morris Bernstein

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Textbooks

Operating System Concepts. 9th edition, Avi Silberschatz, Peter Galvin, and Greg Gagne

recommended supplementary texts

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Assignments and Grading

Programming Assignment 1 10%
Programming Assignment 2 10%
Programming Assignment 3 10%
Final Project 20%
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
Total 100%

Assignments are to be handed in by 11:30 pm on the due date. Acceptance of late assignments will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Turn in your assignments using catalyst.

Assigments are to be implemented in standard C or C++ (2011 standards). You may do your development using the environment of your choice, but your code must compile and run properly using the Linux gcc or g++ compiler on the Linux Lab (UW1-320) machines (because that's how your grader will do it!).

Compile-time errors will not be looked upon kindly. Always compile with the -Wall ( -Werror (warnings are treated as errors), and -pedantic flags. Warnings shall be treated as compile-time errors and compile-time errors will not be looked upon kindly.

Submit a compressed tar or zip archive. Your assignments should always include:

Do not submit:

While you are encouraged to discuss the assignments with your peers, do not crib off each other. Make sure you know where to draw the line. If you do crib off the interwebs (or elsewhere), cite your source(s). Not citing sources will make your instructor cranky.

Where assignments build on prior assignments, you may use a peer's earlier submission, provided

  1. You cite the source, and
  2. the author gives explicit permission.

See the Assignments section on the main course website.

If a grade is egregiously out of whack with your expectation, feel free to ask for another look: with limited time available for grading, overlooking something is easy to do. Just be aware that reevaluation may cause the grade to go up or down.

Final grades may be adjusted at the instructor's discretion.

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Policies

Live lectures are inherently interactive. Questions during class are encouraged. Please raise your hand or dance like a chicken to get the instructor's attention. At the instructor's discretion, answers may be tabled until the end of class if they veer too far off topic.

Limit computer use during class to note-taking so as to not distract or disturb your classmates or your instructor. Since a large part of the presentation involves diagrams, it may be more convenient to turn off the computer and take notes the old fashioned way. Quill pens are optional.

Flash photography is not permitted. Non-flash photography to capture the white board will be permitted as long as it is not disruptive or distracting. Don't even think about video.

Silence your cell phones.

If you arrive late or have to leave in the middle of class, do so quietly without causing disruption.

Simple email questions may get a response. Complex questions are best saved for office hours.

Special-needs students:

To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services (DSS) at 425.352.5307, 425.352.5303 TDD, 425.352.5455 FAX, or at dss@uwb.edu. You will need to provide documentation of your disability as part of the review process prior to receiving any accommodations (by the third week of the quarter).
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Academic Conduct

Please review the Student Guide to Academic Integrity.

Assignments and projects are to be done independently unless otherwise indicated. Their purpose is to help you understand technical material. By all means, discuss the problem statement and help each other debug, but do your own design and coding. See the student honor code, particularly the section on academic misconduct.

Your instructor hates filling out that kind of paperwork and it makes him grumpy. Avoid making your instructor grumpy.

Remember: integrity is what you do when no-one's watching.

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Tentative Schedule

Subject to change as the quarter progresses.

o
Week Date Lecture # Topic Assignment
1 Mar 29 1
Mar 31 2
2 Apr 5 3 Lab #1 (Apr 7 in class @ UW1-320)
Apr 7 4
  • Lab #1 (UWB-320)
3 Apr 12 5
  • Processes (cont.)
Apr 14 6
4 Apr 19 7
  • Threads (cont.)
Assignment #1 due (Apr 20)
Lab #2 (Apr 21)
Apr 21 8
5 Apr 26 9
Apr 28 10
6 May 3 11
  • Midterm review
Assignment #2 due (May 4)
Lab #3 (Sunday May 8)
May 5 12 Midterm
7 May 10 13
May 12 14
  • File System Implementation (cont.)
8 May 17 15 Assignment #3 due (May 18)
Lab #4 (May 19)
May 19 16
  • Distributed Systems (cont.)
9 May 24 17
May 26 18
10 May 31 19 Final Project due (June 1)
Jun 2 20
  • Virtual Memory (cont.)
  • final exam