University of New York Tirana

Komuna e Parisit,Tirana, Albania

Tel.: 00355-(0)4-273056-8 – Fax: 00355-(0)4-273059

Web Site Address: http://www.unyt.edu.al

Operating Systems

Fall 2010

Course:	Operating Systems (3 credit hours
Instructor:	Dr. Marenglen Biba
Office:	Faculty building 1st floor
Office Hours:	Wednesday 15-16 PM or by appointment
Phone:	42273056 / ext. 112
E-mail:	marenglenbiba at unyt dot edu dot al
Course page:	http://www.marenglenbiba.net/opsys/

Course Location and Time

Laboratory Room 5A, Wednesday 10-13.

Catalog Description

This module covers the core concepts of modern operating systems, and provides contextual application of theory, using examples of currently used operating system environments.

Course Purpose

This course will provide an introduction to operating system design and implementation. The operating system provides an efficient interface between user programs and the hardware of the computer on which they run. The operating system is responsible for allowing resources (such as processors, disks or networks) to be shared, providing common services needed by many different programs (e.g., file service, the ability to start or stop processes, and access to the printer), and protecting individual programs from one another.

The course will start with an historical perspective of the evolution of operating systems since their birth. Then it will cover the major components of most operating systems and the tradeoffs that can be made between performance and functionality during the design and implementation of an operating system. Particular emphasis will be given to three major OS subsystems: process management (processes, threads, CPU scheduling, synchronization, and deadlock), memory management (segmentation, paging, swapping) and storage management (file systems, disk management, I/O operations).

At the end of the course students will be able to:

1. Understand the design and implementation issues that have led to the current modern operating systems.

2. Understand and apply key concepts for process management in modern operating systems.

3. Understand and apply essential concepts for memory management in modern operating systems.

4. Understand and apply important concepts of storage management in modern operating systems.

5. Understand and compare different operating systems in order to be able to select them in different use scenarios.

6. Understand and apply essential algorithms that are implemented as part of an operating system.

7. Understand and apply essential concepts for increasing the performance of modern operating systems.

Course Prerequisites

Computer Architecture.

Required Readings

Silberschatz, Abraham, Galvin, Peter and Gagne, Greg, (2005). Operating System Concepts, Seventh edition, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 0-471-69466-5. (required).

Andrew Tanenbaum, Modern Operating Systems, Prentice Hall. Second Edition. (only specific sections of the book will be required for special topics).

Content of the Course

Introduction to Operating Systems

Operating System Structure

Processes

Threads

CPU Scheduling

Process Synchronization

Deadlocks

Main Memory

Virtual Memory

File System Interface

File System Implementation

Mass-Storage Systems

I/O Systems

Course Requirements

Students are required to attend lectures and labs. Lecture handouts and lab notes will be available before commencement of the class. Students are expected to participate in class discussions. In the event of illness or emergency, contact your instructor IN ADVANCE to determine whether special arrangements are possible.

Participation: Participation extends beyond mere attendance. You may miss up to two classes without penalty. Each absence beyond the first two will cost you points off of your participation grade. The only exceptions to this rule are severe illness (doctor’s note required) and UNYT approved trips/activities. Appropriate documentation for absences beyond the first two is necessary and is to be provided on the class day directly before or after the one you miss. Students are expected to collect materials from the online course page, their classmates or see the instructor during consultation hours.

Exams: Two examinations will be taken one midterm and one final. Test format may combine a mixture of Definitions, Blanks, and short answers, two or three Essay questions covering all readings, lecture, and hand-out and class discussion content. No Student may miss a scheduled exam without receiving permission before the administration of the exam. Make-up exams might be significantly different from the regular tests, and will be administered at a time of instructor own convenience.

Reading assignments: You will be required to read all the handouts, slides, and other relevant materials. Each week, I will notify you in class what specific materials to read and/or assignments to prepare for the week. The reading assignments are selected to give you adequate understanding of the course material.

Project: I will announce projects usually based on the chapters/materials covered in class. Due dates will be specified accordingly. Projects must be submitted as specified to be considered on-time. Late assignments are accepted with the following penalties: -2 if submitted the next day it is due, and -1 for each day late after that. I will accept e-mail submissions.

Make-up policy Midterm/Final exam: Only students who miss an exam for university-approved and verifiable reasons will be allowed to take a make-up exam. Even then, except in the most extreme circumstances, no student may miss a scheduled exam without receiving permission before the administration of the exam. Make-up exams might be significantly different in format from the regular tests, and will be administered at a time of my own convenience.

Cheating policy: Cheating policy: Exams, assignments, projects and quizzes are subject to the STUDENT HONOUR CODE. The University’s rules on academic dishonesty (e.g. cheating, plagiarism, submitting false information) will be strictly enforced. Please familiarize yourself with the STUDENT HONOUR CODE, or ask me for clarification.

Grading Policy

Assignments	10%
Project	30%
Midterm	30%
Final	30%

Grading Scale (Standard UNYT grading scale)

Letter Grade	Percent (%)	Generally Accepted Meaning
A	96-100	Outstanding work
A-	90-95	Outstanding work
B+	87-89	Good work, distinctly above average
B	83-86
B-	80-82
C+	77-79	Acceptable work
C	73-76
C-	70-72
D+	67-69	Work that is significantly below average
D	63-66
D-	60-62
F	0-59	Work that does not meet minimum standards for passing the course