This course focuses on the programming facilities, mechanisms, and abstractions supported by modern operating systems and related low-level libraries and software. In short, we'll be looking at what sorts of things can be done via services provided by operating systems and how to go about doing them in a robust and efficient manner.
To a lesser extent, and only to the degree necessary to enable us to go about our programming tasks effectively, we'll also explore how certain abstractions presented by the operating system work "under-the-hood". For instance, when looking at how to perform low-level I/O it helps to understand some of the relevant data structures used by the operating system to fully appreciate how much time is spent, say, "opening" a file.
After successfully completing this class, students should be able to:
Define the concept and role of a process in a modern operating system
Describe the key abstractions an operating system provides to running processes
Inpect and debug running programs at the machine level, and understand how low-level code vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows can be exploited and mitigated.
Explain how exceptional control flow works in a modern operating system, and its role in implementing system calls and hardware interrupts.
Use the system-level API (system call interface) of a modern operating system for the purposes of process and memory management.
Explain the design goals and makeup of the memory hierarchy, as found in modern computer systems.
Explain how caches are implemented, and how code can be optimized for cache performance.
Explain how the memory hierarchy is used to implement virtual memory, and the tradeoffs of various address translation mechanisms.
Explain the goals and responsibilities of a dynamic memory allocator, and implement an explicit dynamic memory allocator.
Understand the goals, implementation techniques, and tradeoffs of different garbage collection algorithms.
The following textbook is required for this course:
The following are recommended (i.e., not strictly required) texts. The first is highly recommended if you've never worked with the C programming language before, and the second is useful if you'd like more in-depth information on material covered by the primary course text (and in lecture).
Your grade will be computed as follows:
And here's the grade scale:
Most of the assignments in this class will require you to read and write a substantial amount of code in C and/or assembly. All programming assignments will be submitted via version control system, with specific directions included in the assignment writeup.
Because of the shortened nature of the summer semester, assignment due dates are fairly elastic. They are mostly there to provide structure and keep you on track. That said, there is a hard deadline for all assignment submissions by end of the last day of class (June 23), but if you're having trouble finishing an assignment by the stated due date, please get in touch and we'll figure out what makes sense.
There will be two exams. The midterm exam is tentatively scheduled for June 10, and the final exam is tentatively scheduled for June 24.
If you need to reschedule either exam for any reason, please contact me as far in advance as possible so we can make suitable arrangements. Once you sit for an exam, the score you earn on it is final (i.e., there are no "retakes").
Exam scores may be linearly scaled so that the class average is 75%.
You are welcome to discuss assignments with classmates, but all final work must be your own. Academic dishonesty of any kind may result in a 0 on the assignment, a reduction in final grade, and/or referral to the Dean.
The IIT code of Academic Honesty may be found in the undergraduate handbook.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities. In order to receive accommodations, students must obtain a letter of accommodation from the Center for Disability Resources. The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) is located in Life Sciences Room 218, telephone 312 567.5744 or disabilities@iit.edu.
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