CMSC 412

Syllabus

Spring 2006

This is a  DRAFT of the syllabus.  It is subject to change until classes begin.

Catalog Description

A hands-on introduction to operating systems, including topics in: multiprogramming, communication and synchronization, memory management, I/O subsystems, and resource scheduling polices. The laboratory component consists of constructing a small kernel, including functions for device I/O, multi-tasking, and memory management.

Objective

An in-depth understanding of how an operating system manages resources in a computer and provides programmers with a machine and device independent interface.  The emphasis of this class will be on operating system concepts. Running examples will be drawn from contemporary OS’s including UNIX, Windows, and Linux.

Topics

·         Introduction to Operating Systems (1 week)
·         Concurrent Processes (2 weeks)
·         Kernel implementation techniques (1 week)
·         CPU scheduling (1 week)
·         Memory Management (2 weeks)
·         File and I/O Systems (2 weeks)
·         Security and Protection (1 week)
·         Networking and Distributed Systems (2 weeks)
·         Objects and Naming (1 week)
·         Window and Display Services (1 week)  

Text

   Operating System Concepts  7th Edition or newer,  Siberschatz, Galvin and Gagne, John Wiley 2005.

Programming Projects

Understanding operating system concepts is a hands-on activity.  In this class, students will build a working operating system, starting from a small kernel.  The programming projects will require students to read and understand the provided code, write new modules, and debug the resulting system.  The provided code is written in C, and a small amount of Intel 80x86 assembly language.  The programming assignments will be time consuming and students taking this class should plan their class schedules accordingly.

Projects are due at 6pm on the due date.  However, projects may be turned in late up until 9am the following morning, receiving a 10% penalty.  If you are unable to complete a programming assignment due to illness or family emergency, please see your instructor as soon as possible to make special arrangements.  The instructor reserves the right to fail, regardless of overall numeric score, students who do not submit a good faith attempt to complete all programming assignments.


Grading

Student grades will be determined as follows:

Programming Assignments (6 total)

40%

Midterms (2 each worth 15%)

30%

Final Exam

30%


Re-grade policy.
  All requests to change grading of homework, programming projects, or exams must be submitted in writing (all such requests must be start through a request at grades.cs.umd.edu, in most cases you will have to then talk to a TA and/or Prof) within one week of when the assignment was made available for pickup. Requests must be specific and explain why you feel your answer deserves additional credit. A request to re-grade an assignment can result in the entire assignment being re-evaluated and as a result the score of any part of the assignment may be increased or lowered as appropriate.

Academic Integrity.  All work that you submit in this course must be your own; unauthorized group efforts will be considered academic dishonesty. See the Undergraduate Catalog for definitions and sanctions. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense that may result in suspension or expulsion from the University. In addition to any other action taken, the grade “XF” denoting “failure due to academic dishonesty” will normally be recorded on the transcripts of students found responsible for acts of academic dishonesty. Sharing of code on programming assignments is a form of academic dishonesty.  Please read this statement for further information.

Responsible Conduct

Cell phones. As a courtesy to your fellow classmates, pagers and cell phones must be off or on vibrate during class.  Having cell phones or pages ring during class can result in points being deducted from your semester grade.

Office Hours and E-mail.  We (the TAs and professor) are happy to answer questions during office hours, and by e-mail.  However, office hours and email are not intended as a replacement for lecture. As a result, we will only see people during office hours or respond to your email if you regularly attend class. Due to our own work schedules, we may not respond to email instantly.  However, we will try to respond to your email by the next regularly scheduled office hour after you send it.  If you cannot make it to scheduled office hours, feel free to make an appointment by e-mail or after class.