Computer Science 314: Operating Systems COMP-314

Introduces the fundamental concepts, principles, and structures of operating systems.

Textbook: Operating Systems Concepts, 9th Edition - Abraham Silberschatz

Unit 1: Overview of Computer Organziation and Operating Systems

1.1

1. describe the computer-system organization.
2. identify major computer hardware components.
3. explain how instructions are executed in a computer.
4. explain how the I/O devices are managed.
5. describe the overall structure and operations of operating systems.
6. explain the importance of understanding how an operating system works.
7. define multiprogramming, time-sharing, dual-mode operation, privileged instructions, timer and caching.
8. describe (briefly) the activities in process management, memory management, and storage management.
9. discuss (briefly) protection, security, computing environments, distributed operating systems, special purpose operating systems, and open-source operating systems.

Key concepts and topics:

• central processing unit (CPU)
• memory and RAM (and DRAM)
• firmware and ROM (or EEPROM)
• input/output (I/O) devices
• instruction-execution cycle
• instruction register
• storage device hierarchy
• small computer-systems interface (SCSI)
• direct memory access (DMA)
• device driver
• multiprocessor system (parallel systems)
• symmetric multi-processing (SMP)
• uniform memory access (UMA)
• non-uniform memory access (NUMA)
• multiple computing cores
• blade server
• clustered system
• Beowulf clusters
• storage-area networks (SANs)

Goals of an operating system

• provide efficient use of computer hardware
• provide a reliable environment in which to run programs.
• handle errors reasonably and with sufficient feedback.
• provide services (tools, languages) for users.
• hide the details of hardware and resource management from users.
• protect users from one another, and protect the operating system from users.

Read:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_processing_unit
• Chapter 1: 1.4 to 1.13

1.2

Concepts:

• system call
• microkernel
• performance tuning
• operating system generation
• system boot
• system and application programs

Read:

• Chapter 2: 2.1 to 2.5

Key concepts and topics:

• operating system services helpful to users
  • graphical user interface (GUI)
  • command interpreter
  • program execution
  • I/O operations
  • file-system manipulation
  • communications
  • error detection
• operating-system functions that ensure the efficient operation of the system itself
  • resource allocation
  • accounting
  • protection and security
• system calls
• system-call interface
• types of system calls
• application programming interface (API)
• systems programs
  • file manager programs and text editors
  • logging, registry, system information viewer
  • compilers, interpreters, assemblers, and debuggers
  • communication programs such as Web browser

Unit 2: Process Management

Unit 3: Storage Management

Unit 4: Protection and Security

Unit 5: Distributed, Real-time, and Multimedia Systems