Readings and other resources in module order

This page collects together all of the “readings” associated with individual modules.

In this site, readings represent “passive” learning opportunities, as opposed to experiences, which represent “active” learning opportunities. In many courses, readings and experiences together constitute the “assignments”.

Module: Computer Architecture Review

Computer Architecture Review

Von Neumann model, the CPU, Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle, Memory, Multi-core

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 1.2 and 1.3

Reading

Module: OS Overview and Structures

OS Overview

The big picture, the kernel, kernel- vs. user-mode

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating Systems Concepts, Chapter 1

Reading

Operating System Structures

Features, interfaces, system calls, design options

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Chapter 2

Reading

Module: Processes

Processes

Process, address space, process control block in the kernel, context switches, fork(), orphans, zombies

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Sections 3.1, 3.2.3, and 3.3

Reading

IPCs

Message passing, RPC/RMI, Pipes, Java.ProcessBuilder, Signals

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Sections 3.4-6

Reading

Sample code

code

Module: Threads

Threads

Threads, User vs. Kernel Threads, Java Threads, Threads and OS implementations

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Chapter 4 (but not Sections 4.4 and 4.5)

Reading

Sample code

code

Module: Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling definitions, standard algorithms, what OSes do

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 3.2, 6.1-3, 6.7-9

Reading

Module: Synchronization

Synchronization

Race conditions, locks, condition variables, monitors

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 5.1-2, 5.5, 5.6.4, 5.7.1, 5.9

Reading

Sample code Synchronization

code

Deadlock

The deadlock problem, deadlock resolution

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 7.1-4, 7.5 (not 7.5.3), 7.6 (not 7.6.2), 7.7-8

Reading

Sample code Deadlocks

code

Module: Main Memory

Counting and Addressing Review

Review of Discrete Math concepts necessary to reason about Main Memory

Lecture notes

Main Memory

Contiguous allocation algorithms, binpacking algorithms, fragmentation

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 8.1, 8.2, 8.3

Reading

Module: Virtual Memory

Virtual Memory (I)

Paging, page tables

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 8.4,8.5,8.6,8.7

Reading

Virtual Memory (II)

Swapping, page faults

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 9.1-7, 9.10, 9-11

Reading

Sample code

code

Module: Mass Storage

Mass Storage

Hard Drives, Disk Scheduling, RAID, SSDs

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 12.1-7

Reading

Module: File System

File System Interface

Files, directories, links, file tables

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 10.1-4, 10.6, 10.7

Reading

File System Implementation

File system data structures, disk block allocation, journaling

Lecture notes

Textbook Reading

Operating System Concepts, Sections 11.1-8, 11.10

Reading