School of Computer Science - Module 23635 (2010)

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Module 23635 (2010)

Syllabus page 2010/2011

06-23635
Operating Systems with C/C++ (Extended)
Level 4/M

Eike Ritter:10
Nick Blundell:10

20 credits in Semester 1

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

Module web page

Outline

This module gives a practical insight into modern operating systems, reinforcing the theory (e.g. architecture, scheduling, memory management, synchronisation) through practical exercises (e.g. system-level C/C++ programming, building and packaging software, kernel-level development, boot-sector programming in assembly).

Aims

The aims of this module are to:

describe the role of an operating system
show how resource management is done in an OS
explain the fundamentals of system-level programming in C/C++ (e.g. pointers, structures, and the build process)
evaluate security mechanisms in OS
explore, through theory and practical exercises, techniques of memory management, scheduling, synchronisation, inter-process communication, file-systems and hardware I/O
explore trends in virtualisation, emulation and the increasing use of sophisticated OS in embedded/mobile systems
explore very low level aspects of the computer

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:		Assessed by:
1	describe the general role of an OS and understand prevalent OS architectures	Examination, coursework
2	for a given set of problems, conduct a suitable decomposition into processes and threads	Examination, coursework
3	comprehend, write, build, and package system- and kernel-level code written in C/C++	Examination, coursework
4	demonstrate an understanding of the process of kernel development, such as kernel compilation and module development	Examination, coursework
5	devise appropriate security mechanisms in a given situation and demonstrate an understanding of the role an operating system can and should play in establishing security	Examination, coursework
6	demonstrate an understanding of how the computer may be controlled at the lowest level (e.g. in assembly and via low-level kernel manipulation)	Examination, coursework

Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites

Restrictions:

May not be taken by anyone who has taken or is taking 06-23636 (Operating Systems with C/C++).

Prerequisites:

06-19343 (Software System Components 1), 06-19321 (Software System Components 2) (or equivalent)

Co-requisites:

None

Teaching

Teaching Methods:

3 hours of lectures per week, 2 hours of lab work per week

Contact Hours:

Assessment

Sessional: 1.5 hour examination (80%), coursework (20%)
Supplementary (where allowed): 100% examination

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