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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2011/2012
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Informatics : Informatics

Undergraduate Course: Operating Systems (INFR09015)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Informatics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaInformatics Other subject areaNone
Course website http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/os Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThis course provides an introduction to the design and implementation of general purpose multi-tasking operating systems. It concentrates on the kernel aspects of such systems with the emphasis being on concepts which lead to practical implementations. Throughout the course reference is made to a number of significant actual operating systems (Linux, Windows variants etc.) to illustrate real implementations.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Successful completion of Year 2 of an Informatics Single or Combined Degree, or equivalent by permission of the School.
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) WebCT enabled:  No Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
CentralLecture1-11 10:00 - 10:50
CentralLecture1-11 10:00 - 10:50
First Class Week 1, Monday, 10:00 - 10:50, Zone: Central. George Sq 07, F21
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Resit Exam Diet (August)2:00
Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 1, Part-year visiting students only (VV1) WebCT enabled:  No Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
CentralLecture1-11 10:00 - 10:50
CentralLecture1-11 10:00 - 10:50
First Class Week 1, Monday, 10:00 - 10:50, Zone: Central. George Sq 07, F21
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
1 - describe the structure and components of modern operating systems
2 - explain the abstract concepts and concrete implementations of operating systems
3 - compare and contrast the differing approaches taken by various operating systems
4 - evaluate the suitability of differing approaches in different application domains
5 - design OS components to address particular needs
Assessment Information
Written Examination 75
Assessed Assignments 25
Oral Presentations 0

Assessment
via Written Examination.

If delivered in semester 1, this course will have an option for semester 1 only visiting undergraduate students, providing assessment prior to the end of the calendar year.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Process management
*The process concept, synchronisation, mutual exclusion, semaphores and monitors. Threads. Inter-process communication.

Resource Allocation
*Deadlock prevention, avoidance and detection.

The OS Kernel
*Micro and Monolithic kernels. Multi-tasking, privilege, interrupt handling. System and user processes. System calls.

Memory Management
*Description of problems of allocation, protection and sharing. Virtual Physical memory mapping schemes.
*Segmented paged virtual memory. Paging control, replacement algorithms; the working set model. Sharing code and data.

Time Management
*CPU scheduling algorithms. Real-time scheduling. Disc access scheduling.

File Management
*Naming and Directory schemes. Disc space allocation. File protection and access control. System security.

Other Topics
*Various additional topics may be included from year to year.

Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections: Operating Systems
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list * ** W. Stallings, 'Operating Systems, Internals and Design Principles' (4th edition or later), Prentice Hall, 2001.
* * A. Silbershatz and P. Galvin, 'Operating Systems Concepts', (5th edition), Addison-Wesley, 1998.
* * Gary Nutt, 'Operating Systems - A Modern Perspective' (2nd edition), Addison-Wesley, 2000.
* * Harvey M. Deitel, 'Operating Systems', Addison Wesley, 2005
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Lectures 20
Tutorials 0
Timetabled Laboratories 0
Non-timetabled assessed assignments 50
Private Study/Other 30
Total 100
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Nigel Goddard
Tel: (0131 6)51 3091
Email: Nigel.Goddard@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Tamise Totterdell
Tel: 0131 650 9970
Email: t.totterdell@ed.ac.uk
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