CS439 Schedule of Topics and Assignments

CS439: Principles of Computer Systems

Dr. Alison N. Norman

Schedule for Spring 2026

This schedule, and the links contained in it, are subject to change during the semester. Exam dates, however, are final.

Reading assignments are generally from one of the required textbooks:

the online book Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces by Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau (indicated by OSTEP; this book is available for purchase at the site above if you prefer a print copy), and

the online book Operating Systems and Middleware: Supporting Controlled Interaction by Max Hailperin (Readings are from edition 1.3.1 and indicated by MH).

Readings from additional sources are linked from the schedule. All reading assignments are recommended and are most beneficial when completed before class on the schedule day.

Date		Topic	Suggested Readings

Mon	Jan 12	Introduction & Themes	Reading: OSTEP: Chapter 2, except 2.6

Wed	Jan 14	History of Operating Systems

Fri	Jan 16		Attend discussion section Section 0 Problem Set due 10:59p (Electronic Submission through Canvas)

Mon	Jan 19	MLK Day

Wed	Jan 21	Processes	Reading: OSTEP: The Process, Process API, and Limited Direct Execution up to 6.3 Project 0 available

Fri	Jan 23		Section 1 Problem Set due in section Shell Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Jan 26	More Processes and CPU Scheduling	Reading: OSTEP: CPU Scheduling and The Multi-Level Feedback Queue

Wed	Jan 28	Threads and Too Much Milk!	Reading: OSTEP: Concurrency and Threads API (up to 27.3)

Fri	Jan 30		Project 0 Design Doc rough draft due in section Project 0 Code due at 5:59p Project 0 Design Doc due at 10:59p Shell Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 2	Locks and Semaphores	Reading: OSTEP: Locks (skip 28.8-28.11) and Semaphores (up to 31.5) Project 1 available Project 1 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Feb 4	Deadlock and Monitors	Reading: OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at "Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling"), and Monitors

Fri	Feb 6		Section 3 Problem Set due in section Threads Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 9	More Synchronization	Reading: MH: Atomic Transactions: Intro and Durability (5.1 and 5.4)

Wed	Feb 11	The Importance of Safety	Read the Therac-25 paper, following these tips. If you are off-campus, this link through the UT libraries Web proxy may be useful. Read this New York Times article and at least the first two pages of this one. To get access to the online NYT through UT, follow the library's instructions.

Fri	Feb 13		Project 1 Design Doc rough draft due in section Project 1 Code due at 5:59p Project 1 Design Doc due at 10:59p Threads Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 2 available

Mon	Feb 16	Synch Review	Project 2 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Feb 18	Exam 1 7p-9p in WEL 1.316

Fri	Feb 20	No Discussion Section	Userprog Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 23	Memory: Overview In-class Exam Review	Reading: OSTEP: Address Spaces and Mechanism: Address Translation Project 2 Stack Check Due

Wed	Feb 25	Virtual Memory: Mechanisms	Exam 1 Retakes in TBD (signup coming) Reading: OSTEP: Paging: An Introduction

Fri	Feb 27		Section 5 Problem Set due in section Userprog Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 2	Virtual Memory: Policies	Reading: OSTEP: Paging: Smaller Tables and Swapping: Policies

Wed	Mar 4	Virtual Memory: More Policies

Fri	Mar 6		Section 6 Problem Set due in section Identifying Race Conditions Topic Learning Session in Section Project 2 Code due at 5:59p Userprog Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 3 available

Mon	Mar 9	Heap Memory Management and Garbage Collection	Reading: OSTEP: Memory:API Project 2 Code Reviews begin Project 3 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Mar 11	I/O, Disks, and File Systems

Fri	Mar 13		Data Structures and Design Document rough draft due in section Synchronization Concepts Topic Learning Session in Section Project 3 Data Structures and Design Document due at 10:59p VM Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon-Fri	Mar 16-Mar 20	Spring Break! with a bit of Deadlock Revisited on the side :)	Reading: Deadlock Notes from Dr. John T. Bell at University of Illinois, Chicago

Mon	Mar 23	File System Efficiency	Reading: OSTEP: I/O Devices, Hard Disk Drives, and SSDs

Wed	Mar 25	More File System Efficiency and File System Usability	Reading: OSTEP: Files and Directories, File System Implementation, and Locality and The Fast File System

Fri	Mar 27		Section 8 Problem Set due in section Synchronization Code Topic Learning Session in Section VM Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 30	File System Consistency	Reading: OSTEP: Crash Consistency: FSCK and Journaling

Wed	Apr 1	Exam 2 7p-9p in WEL 1.316 Synch Topic Retakes 9p-10p in WEL 2.224

Fri	Apr 3	No Discussion Section	Project 3 Code due at 5:59p VM Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 4 available

Mon	Apr 6	Networks and Their Abstractions In-Class Exam Review	Reading: An Introduction to Computer Networks, Chapter 1, sections 1-1.3, 1.9-1.14, by Peter L. Dordal Project 4 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Apr 8	Sockets and Parallel Programming	Exam 2 Retakes in TBD (signup coming)

Fri	Apr 10		Section 9 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Apr 13	Parallel and Distributed Computing	Reading: OSTEP: Multiprocessor Scheduling Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

Wed	Apr 15	Fancy File Systems	Reading: NFS The Google File System

Fri	Apr 17		Section 10 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Apr 20	The Security Mindset	Reading: OSTEP: Why Security, Introduction to OS Security, and Authentication

Wed	Apr 22	Putting It All Together

Fri	Apr 24	Discussion Sections are learning sessions for VM and FS core topics	Project 4 Code due at 5:59p Project 4 Design Doc due at 10:59p Filesys Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p No slip days!

Mon	Apr 27	Something Different	VM and FS Retakes 5p-8p in TBD

		Final Exam is at the time and location scheduled by the registrar NOT at the time given on the registrar's tentative schedule, but at a uniform time with my other sections of CS439. The registrar typically publishes the final exam schedule in early April. The exam may be as late as Monday, Mayi 4th.