COURSE DESCRIPTION

              CSCI 523 - Advanced Operating Systems
                     http://pix.cs.olemiss.edu

  Description:    Design and construction of operating systems for
                  shared program computers; various contemporary
                  operating systems.

  Prerequisite:   CSCI 423 Introduction to Operating Systems (3).

  Textbook:       The Linux Kernel Primer: A Top-Down Approach for
                  x86 and PowerPC Architectures by Claudia Salzberg
                  Rodriguez, Gordon Fischer, Steven Smolski
                  Prentice Hall PTR 2005

  Coordinator:    P. Tobin Maginnis, Associate Professor of Computer
                  and Information Science

  Goals:          Graduate students are provided with the conceptual
                  tools to analyze operating systems.  The Linux
                  operating system is examined at the source code level.

  Prerequisite by Topic
          1.      Familiarity with a general purpose high-level language
                  such as C, Pascal, or Ada.
          2.      Familiarity with general programming concepts.
          3.      Familiarity with operating system concepts such as
                  process management, memory management, file structures,
                  device drivers, and the user interface.

  Topics:
          1.      C programming language, GNU GCC idioms, and X86
                  architecture review (3 hours).
          2.      Operating system models (2 hours).
          3.      Analysis of state management implementation and the
                  "block move" problem (3 hours).
          4.      System bootstrapping and task initialization (3 hours).
          5.      Process management (2 hours).
          6.      Logical memory drivers (1 hour).
          7.      Timing service (1 hour).
          8.      Process duplication and creation (4 hours).
          9.      Memory management (4 hours).
          10.     Data caching (2 hours).
          11.     Open call (4 hours).
          12.     Name service (3 hours).
          13.     Read, write, and close calls (3 hours).
          14.     Tests (4 hours plus the final examination period).

Example Laboratory Projects
           1.     Recompile the Linux kernel generating
                  new messages as the system boots.
           2.     Display Linux kernel traffic with /proc.
           3.     Add real time priority scheduling to Linux.
           4.     Enable and test the USB driver.
           5.     Install a SSF I/O queue in a disk driver.
           6.     Create a logical window kernel device driver.
           7.     Add record locking to the file manager.
           8.     Add a fourth group to owner, group, and others
                  called net in the file manager.
           9.     Add a new file manager module.
          10.     Install a garbage collector in the memory
                  manager.

Graduate vs undergraduate requirements

        Undergraduates are responsible for the lecture portion while
        graduate students are responsible for lecture and laboratory
        course components. In this way undergraduates will
        understand the theory and principles while graduate students
        must demonstrate mastery of these concepts though programming
        assignments.

Course Grading:

        Undergraduate:
        Three written tests @ 100 points each            300
                                                         ---
        Total course points                              300

        Graduate:
        Three written tests @ 100 points each            300
        Programming project                              100
                                                         ---
        Total course points                              400

        First ten questions of the final must replace a previous
        test, last ten bonus questions count a total of one letter
        grade worth of points (e.g. 30 for 300, 40 for 400 and so
        on).  But, access to bonus points require that you score
        your average or better from the regular tests on the first
        ten questions of the final.

        Grading scale for 300 points:
        370 and up -> A
        340 to 369 -> B
        310 to 339 -> C
        280 to 309 -> D
        Up  to 279 -> F

        Grading scale for 400 points:
        360 and up -> A
        320 to 359 -> B
        280 to 319 -> C
        240 to 279 -> D
        Up  to 239 -> F

Course Objectives

         Upon course completion the student should be able to:

         1.  Describe Linux kernel GNU GCC idioms, and the X86
             architecture.
         2.  Describe a model of an operating system.
         3.  Describe the memory management "block move" problem
             and provide an analysis of state management.
         4.  Describe the control flow of read, write, and close
             system service calls.
         5.  Describe the LUT and VFS jump tables and explain
             how they implement operating system abstractions.
         6.  Describe shared libraries, memory management and
             data caching.
         7.  Describe system bootstrapping and task initialization.