CS439 Schedule of Topics and Assignments

CS439: Principles of Computer Systems

Dr. Alison N. Norman

Schedule for Spring 2025

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 13	Introduction & Themes	Reading: OSTEP: Chapter 2, except 2.6

Wed	Jan 15	History of Operating Systems

Fri	Jan 17		Attend discussion section Section 0 Problem Set due 10:59p (Electronic Submission through Canvas)

Mon	Jan 20	MLK Jr. Day

Wed	Jan 22	Processes	Reading: OSTEP: The Process, Process API, and Limited Direct Execution up to 6.3 Project 0 available

Fri	Jan 24		Section 1 Problem Set due in section Shell Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Jan 27	More Processes and CPU Scheduling	Reading: OSTEP: CPU Scheduling and The Multi-Level Feedback Queue

Wed	Jan 29	Threads and Too Much Milk!	Reading: OSTEP: Concurrency and Threads API (up to 27.3)

Fri	Jan 31		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 3	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 5	Deadlock and Monitors	Reading: OSTEP: Common Concurrency Problems, pages 1-11 (stop at "Deadlock Avoidance via Scheduling"), and Monitors

Fri	Feb 7		Section 3 Problem Set due in section Threads Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 10	More Synchronization	Reading: MH: Atomic Transactions: Intro and Durability (5.1 and 5.4)

Wed	Feb 12	Synch Review

Fri	Feb 14		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 17	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. Project 2 group registration due 10:59p

Wed	Feb 19	Exam 1 7p-9p in WEL 1.308

Fri	Feb 21	No Discussion Section	Userprog Group Planning and Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Feb 24	Memory: Overview In-class Exam Review	Reading: OSTEP: Address Spaces and Mechanism: Address Translation Project 2 Stack Check Due

Wed	Feb 26	Virtual Memory: Mechanisms	Exam 1 Retakes in GDC 6.302 (signup coming) Reading: OSTEP: Paging: An Introduction

Fri	Feb 28		Section 5 Problem Set due in section Userprog Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 3	Virtual Memory: Policies	Reading: OSTEP: Paging: Smaller Tables and Swapping: Policies

Wed	Mar 5	Virtual Memory: More Policies

Fri	Mar 7		Section 6 Problem Set due in section Project 2 Code due at 5:59p Userprog Group Evaluation document due at 11:59p Project 3 available

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

Wed	Mar 12	File System Implementation and Design

Fri	Mar 14		Data Structures and Design Document rough draft due 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 17-Mar 21	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 24	File System Implementation and Design	Reading: OSTEP: I/O Devices, Hard Disk Drives, and SSDs

Wed	Mar 26	File System Implementation and Design	Reading: OSTEP: Files and Directories, File System Implementation, and Locality and The Fast File System

Fri	Mar 28		Section 8 Problem Set due in section VM Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Mar 31	File System Consistency	Reading: OSTEP: Crash Consistency: FSCK and Journaling

Wed	Apr 2	Exam 2 7p-9p in UTC 2.102A Synch Topic Retakes 9p-10p in UTC 2.102A

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

Mon	Apr 7	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 9	Sockets and Parallel Programming	Exam 2 Retakes in GDC 6.302 (signup coming)

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

Mon	Apr 14	Parallel and Distributed Computing	Reading: OSTEP: Multiprocessor Scheduling Distributed Systems for Fun and Profit, by Mikito Takada, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

Wed	Apr 16	Fancy File Systems	Reading: NFS The Google File System

Fri	Apr 18		Section 10 Problem Set due in section Filesys Group Reflections document due at 11:59p

Mon	Apr 21	The Security Mindset	Reading: OSTEP: Why Security, Introduction to OS Security, and Authentication

Wed	Apr 23	Putting It All Together

Fri	Apr 25	No discussion sections	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 28	Something Different	VM and FS Retakes 5p-8p in JGB 2.324

		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 October. The exam may be as late as Monday, May 5th.