Course Syllabus¶
This course is CSE 506 Operating Systems.
This course considers advanced operating system topics and exposes students to recent developments in operating systems research. The course involves readings and lectures on classic and recent papers on a range of topics, including OS design, virtual memory management, virtualization, concurrency and synchronization, file systems, cloud systems, heterogeneity, and security. The course also exposes students to basic system-building and evaluation methodologies through a final project.
The course objectives include:
Reading classic systems papers that shaped the field.
Understanding core operating systems concepts like virtual memory, concurrency, and file systems.
Gaining practical experience with systems programming, tools, and experimentation.
Gaining experience with defining and refining a research project.
Presenting technical materials to others orally and in writing.
Prerequisite¶
The officially published prerequisites for this class are CSE306, the undergraduate level operating systems course. It is necessary. If you’ve taken an equivalent course elsewhere, and it includes actual programming experience in any Unix kernel, please speak to me first to get an approval to take this class. If you’ve never taken an introductory operating systems course before, you may not take this class; in some cases, having industry experience in the same field is enough.
You should already know the C programming language and be proficient with it.
You should already have basic exposure to Unix commands.
Meetings¶
When: Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM (EST)
Where: NCS 120 (changed from Staller Center M0113)
Instructor¶
Email: dongyoon [AT] cs [DOT] stonybrook [DOT] edu
Office Hours: Mondays 10AM - 11AM; Wednesdays 11AM - 12PM
Office: NCS 339
Teaching Assistant¶
TBD
Communication¶
Course website: Syllabus and schedule
Brightspace: Primary way materials are distributed: e.g., lecture slides and grades. Submit your projects here
Piazza: Q&A (annonymous options available)
Text Book¶
There is no textbook for this course. The course is based on a collection of journal, conference, and other papers that describe the history and state of the art in operating systems. For background reading about Linux, I recommend the three books below.
Grades (tentative)¶
The course work consists of paper reviews, one semester-long research project, and two exams.
- Paper reviews (20%)
20+ papers, one paper per class
- Project (20%)
proposal (1%)
1st mid-term report (2%)
2st mid-term report (2%)
presentation (5%)
final report (10%)
- Midterm exam (30%)
date: March 6, 2024 (tentative)
time: 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM (in-class)
- Final exam (30%)
date: May 13, 2024
time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Paper Reviews¶
All students are required to read and evaluate the papers that are being discussed in class in advance. A paper review form is available at Brightspace. Your evaluation should address the questions on this form. You should submit your paper evaluation forms, limited to one page, at Brightspace, before the class.
In lieu of a late policy, you will have two wildcards for the paper reviews. That is, you may skip two reviews that are due on two different dates without losing any credit. You need not ask for permission to do so in advance. Beyond the two wildcards, no late submissions will be allowed.
Projects¶
The class includes one semester-long research project of your choice related to (broadly defined) operating systems and/or the topics covered in class. Students are encouraged to form a group of two students, but you may work individually. You are encouraged to come up with your own ideas for a project, or choose from a list provided by the instructor.
Sample Projects: The sample project lists will be posted at Brightspace.
Proposal Meeting: Project teams (or individuals) are encouraged to meet the instructor to discuss the term project during office hours before the project proposal deadline.
Proposal: Project teams should submit the project proposal (up to 2 pages). The proposal should explain what problem you are addressing and the relevance of that problem. You should outline what infrastructure (software and/or hardware) you will be using for that project and how you expect to evaluate your results. You will need to define what deliverables your project will have.
Mid-term Report: Project teams should submit two mid-term reports (up to 4 pages) that includes the project progress. To ensure progress towards the completion of your project, the project teams are encouraged to meet with the instructor.
Presentation: Project teams should submit a recording of an oral final presentation (using Zoom) that summarizes the results of their project.
Final Report: Project teams should submit the final report (up to 8 pages) that includes the final project results.
Exams¶
The class includes two exams: one mid-term and one final.
Do not miss any exams. Make-up exams will be given only in extenuating circumstances (e.g., doctor’s note stating that you were ill and unfit to take the exam). Students who miss an exam for a valid reason must contact the instructor immediately to take a make-up exam at the earliest possible time; specific arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Policies¶
Students are allowed (and encouraged) to discuss the research papers with other students in class, but must prepare the review form on their own.
Students must work within their own project teams. It is expected that all members of a team will participate equally towards project completion.
Attendance¶
Students are expected to attend every class, report for examinations and submit major graded coursework as scheduled. If a student is unable to attend lecture(s), report for any exams or complete major graded coursework as scheduled due to extenuating circumstances, the student must contact the instructor as soon as possible. Students may be requested to provide documentation to support their absence and/or may be referred to the Student Support Team for assistance. Students will be provided reasonable accommodations for missed exams, assignments or projects due to significant illness, tragedy or other personal emergencies. In the instance of missed lectures or labs, the student is responsible for insert course specific information here (examples include: review posted slides, review recorded lectures, seek notes from a classmate or identified class note taker, write lab report based on sample data). Please note, all students must follow Stony Brook, local, state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID. For questions or more information click here.
Academic Integrity¶
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person’s work as your own is always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Professions, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html.
Student Accessibility Support Center¶
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For procedures and information go to the following website: https://ehs.stonybrook.edu//programs/fire-safety/emergency-evacuation/evacuation-guide-disabilities and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.
Critical Incident Management¶
Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students’ ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.