433-332 Operating Systems

433-252 Software Engineering Principles and Tools, 433-253 Algorithms and Data Structures and 433-254 Software Design.

The objectives of this subject are for students to understand the function of operating system components and their interactions; to be able to exploit operating system facilities to improve the functionality and efficiency of programs; and to be able to evaluate the suitability of a given operating system for a given task.

Topics covered include operating system structure: interrupts, system calls; memory management: paging, segmentation; concurrent processes: mutual exclusion, synchronisation, deadlocks, scheduling; input/output, DMA; file systems, security; and introduction to distributed systems.

• ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals

• ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large

• in-depth technical competence in at least one engineering discipline

• ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution

• ability to utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance

Project work during semester, expected to take about 36 hours (30%); and a 3-hour end-of-semester written examination (70%). To pass the subject, students must obtain at least 50% overall, 15/30 in project work, and 35/70 in the written examination.