Module 15257 (2004)
Syllabus page 2004/2005
06-15257
Operating Systems (Extended)
Level 4/M
Eike Ritter
10 credits in Semester 1
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus
The Module Description is a strict subset of this Syllabus Page. (The University module description has not yet been checked against the School's.)
Relevant Links
Outline
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- explain the role and function of an operating system
- show how resource management is done in an OS
- examine the additional complexities of distributed OS
- evaluate security mechanisms in OS
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | describe the role of an operating system | Examination |
| 2 | for a given set of programs, construct a suitable decomposition into processes and threads | Examination |
| 3 | analyse known scheduling algorithms and adapt them for new situations | Examination |
| 4 | suggest appropriate memory management algorithms for a variety of situations | Examination |
| 5 | find the additional problems when transferring a concrete situation from a monoprocessor system to a distributed environment and solve the arising co-ordination problems | Examination |
| 6 | devise appropriate security mechanisms in a given situation and understand the role operating system can and should play in establishing security | Examination |
| 7 | adapt standard algorithms and concepts of operating systems for the use in wearable computers like Personal Digital Assistants | Examination |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
May not be taken with 06-15258 (Operating Systems).
Prerequisites:
None
Co-requisites:
None
Teaching
Teaching Methods:
2 hrs lectures per week, 1 tutorial per fortnight
Contact Hours:
Assessment
- Supplementary (where allowed): As the sessional assessment
- 2 hr examination (100%).
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date |
| Operating Systems Concepts (6th edn) | Silberschatz A & Galvin P B & Gagne G | 2001 |
| Distributed Modern Operating Systems | Tanenbaum A S | 1992 |
Detailed Syllabus
-
Function of Operating Systems (2 lectures)
- I start the module by explaining the function of an operating system in general terms and list necessary prerequisites of the hardware.
- Processes (4 lectures)
- The concept of a process is fundamental for an operating system. I will discuss the states of a process and discuss process scheduling in some detail because it is paradigmatic for many other resource allocation problems in operating systems. Afterwards I will discuss threads (lightweight processes). They are introduced to reduce the time necessary for context switches.
- Memory Management (4 lectures)
- An absolutely crucial aspect of every operating system is memory management. It arises because main memory is a limited resource, which has to be used as efficiently as possible. This part discusses memory management strategies and their dependence on the behaviour of programs on one side and on properties of the hardware on the other side. I will discuss virtual memory in detail.
- File Systems (3 lectures)
- Again, the physical constraints of a disk have a great impact on the design of a file system. This part of the module shows how the principles discussed for process scheduling and memory management apply to file systems.
- Distributed Systems (4 lectures)
- A whole series of new problems arise when one considers distributed operating systems. I will present the various models that have been proposed (shared memory, loosely coupled etc.) and discuss their relative merits. I will stress co-ordination problems which are at the heart of distributed systems.
- Security (3 lectures)
- I will discuss various meanings of the term "security": data integrity, protection against user errors and protection against malicious users. I will use access control as an example to illustrate common problems in this area.
- Personal Digital Assistants
- I will describe adaptations of standard techniques for process and memory management and file systems for personal digital assistants. The limited resources available require special solutions which I will describe using the Palm Pilot as an example. This material will be taught when the standard techniques are covered.
Last updated: 1 Feb 2004
Source file: /internal/modules/COMSCI/2004/xml/15257.xml
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus