Instructor:
Justin Bradley 290 Schorr
Office hours: by appointment
Email: justin.bradley@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-5072

TAs:
Mohammad Alali (AVH 12, Students Resource Center)
Office hours: Thursdays 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Email: alali@huskers.unl.edu

Krishna Sunkara (AVH 12, Students Resource Center)
Office hours: M,W 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Email: vsunkara@cse.unl.edu

Course Overview

This course will introduce students to key concepts of modern operating systems. These concepts include system organization, processes, threads, process management, process and thread synchronization, memory management, and storage management.

Topics covered: Organization and structure of operating systems. Processes and concurrent programming. Inter-process communication. Process synchronization using reads/writes, semaphores, and monitors. CPU scheduling. Deadlocks including detection, avoidance, prevention and recovery. Memory organization and management including paging, segmentation, virtual memory, and page replacement algorithms. File system concepts and structure. Protection and security. Topics are conveyed through lectures and a series of hands on programming assignments.

Class Details

Class: MWF 10:30 - 11:20 in 120 ARCH 127
Final exam: 7:30 - 9:30 Friday, May 3, 2019

Class website (just a repeat of Canvas): http://cse.unl.edu/~jbradley/courses/2019_spring/CSCE451-851-OS/

Course Requirements

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” or “C” or better in CSCE 230, CSCE 230H or CSCE 231 and CSCE 310, CSCE 310H, CSCE 311, SOFT 260, SOFT 260H or RAIK 283H.

Text: Silberschatz, Abraham, Greg Gagne, and Peter B. Galvin. Operating system concepts: 9th Edition. Wiley, 2013.

Grading

This course will consist of 4 programming assignments, supplementary homework, one midterm, and one final exam. The grade breakdown will be:

• Exams: 40%
  • Midterm: 20%
  • Final Exam: 20%
• Homework - 20%
  • HW1 - 5%
  • HW2 - 5%
  • HW3 - 5%
  • HW4 - 5%
• Programming Assignments: 40%
  • PA1: 10%
  • PA2: 10%
  • PA3: 10%
  • PA4: 10%
  • Programs will be graded on a 100 point scale. Programs will be graded on not just correctness but documentation, good use of data structures, functions, proper handling of boundary conditions and data validations. For example, a program that functions correctly but written with poor documentation and poor data structure use will be graded between a 7 and 8 on the ten point scale. All programming assignments must be verified to run on cse.unl.edu. All programming assignments must be handed in using web handin. http://cse.unl.edu/~handin

Grades will then be assigned using the following table:

Policies

Class Policies

1. Attendance is not mandatory but you are responsible for anything that transpires during class. Please be on time to class!! If you’re consistently late and/or disruptive in class I reserve the right to dock you points on an assignment.

2. Exchange of ideas and techniques is highly encouraged but your work must be your own. Myself and the TAs will follow up with suspicions of academic dishonesty in accordance with department and university policy (see below).

3. All homework assignments must be typed unless otherwise specified. If you are not proficient with either LaTeX, Microsoft Word, or some other word processor or typesetting language now is your chance to learn as this will be a necessary component of your professional career.¹ If writing is difficult for you, or you are not proficient with English, the UNL Writing Center (http://www.unl.edu/writing/home) may be able to help you. If I can’t understand what you write I will dock you points. This is the subjective nature of writing and communicating.

4. Late work policy: no late work (homework or programming assignments) will be accepted. That is, you will get a zero if it is late. All homework and programming assignments must be turned in prior to class on the day indicated, unless otherwise noted. I will make exceptions to this policy under certain situations at my discretion. If you have extenuating circumstances please send me an email BEFORE the deadline.

5. Students have one week from time of grade posting to challenge a grade.

6. If you have questions or would like to chat please contact me by email. I’d be happy to talk to you most anytime, but would appreciate setting up an appt. if you need a specific question addressed.

7. Course announcements will be posted on Canvas and some may be distributed by email. Check your email and the Canvas announcements regularly!

CSE Policies

1. The CSE Department has an anonymous contact form that you may use to voice your concerns about any problems in the course or department if you do not wish to be identified. (http://cse.unl.edu/contact-form)

2. CSE Department policy dictates that students in CSE courses are expected to regularly check their email so they do not miss important announcements.

3. Consider the Student Resource Center in Avery 12 if myself or the TAs are not available, or you otherwise need help: (http://cse.unl.edu/src)

4. All homework assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. must be your own work. No direct collaboration with fellow students, past or current, is allowed unless otherwise stated. The Computer Science & Engineering department has an Academic Integrity Policy (http://cse.unl.edu/academic-integrity-policy). All students enrolled in any computer science course are bound by this policy. You are expected to read, understand, and follow this policy. Violations will be dealt with on a case by case basis and may result in a failing assignment or a failing grade for the course itself.

UNL Policies

1. UNL’s Academic Senate makes available a Syllabus Policy (https://www.unl.edu/facultysenate/unl-syllabus-policy), which lists elements that must be included in the syllabi of all UNL courses. This is also summarized by ASUN (http://asun.unl.edu/content/syllabus-policy).

2. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. This includes students with mental health disabilities like depression and anxiety. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to provide individualized accommodations to students with documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 232 Canfield Administration, 472-3787.

3. Attendance at all officially scheduled class meetings (class and lab sections) is expected. Students are responsible for knowing all material discussed in class meetings. Changes to class and lab schedules and assignments will be announced in class or lab.

4. UNL offers a variety of options to students to aid them in dealing with stress and adversity. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a multidisciplinary team of psychologists and counselors that works collaboratively with Nebraska students to help them explore their feelings and thoughts and learn helpful ways to improve their mental, psychological and emotional well-being when issues arise. CAPS can be reached by calling 402-472-7450. Big Red Resilience & Well-Being provides fun events, innovative education, and dynamic services to help students understand emotions, manage stress, build strength, connect with others, develop grit and navigate transitions.

Schedule

This schedule is tentative and may change: