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Session 2, 2000
To provide students with a deep understanding of modern operating system
technology, implementation techniques and research issues.
Provide in-depth coverage of modern operating system issues, such as:
- microkernels and IPC,
- user-level OS servers,
- design and implementation of microkernel-based systems,
- performance,
- kernel design and implementation,
- user-level page-fault handlers,
- device drivers,
- scheduling for real-time,
- symmetric multiprocessing,
- effects and control of hardware caches,
- alternative protection and security models,
- alternative OS designs (persistent systems, single-address-space
operating systems) and resulting issues (such as dealing with large,
sparse address spaces).
- Exposing students to current operating systems research and modern
OS technology.
- Providing experience in the construction of a small and efficient
operating system from a minimal microkernel.
- Providing experience in low-level systems programming in a
realistic development environment.
- Providing experience in reading and evaluating research papers.
- Encouraging interest in further study and research in the area.
- Working in an environment and on problems similar to a
professional OS or embedded systems implementor in industry.
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Building a whole system almost from the hardware up.
- Understanding
lowest-level OS code and its interaction with hardware.
- Students are expected to be highly competent in programming in
C. Students not familiar with C will be expected to learn it on their
own (quickly).
- Students are expected to be familiar with assembly
language programming. Assignments/labs will not require assembly
programming, but for debugging and understanding of calling conventions
this knowledge is required. Furthermore, the lectures will examine
low-level kernel code, most of which is written in assembler.
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Students are expected to be familiar with basic computer architecture
concepts and the main characteristics of a modern RISC processor. The
labs will be based on a MIPS R4600-based 64-bit computer.
- a credit grade in COMP3231 or COMP9201 Operating
Systems (pre-requisite)
- COMP9211 or COMP3211 Computer
Architecture (co-requisite)
A rough outline of the lectures is (subject to change):
- Introduction and Overview
- Introduction to the L4 Microkernel
L4 system calls and usage (to get you started on the project)
- A close look at selected OS issues
- Protection, capabilities
- Caching, and its implications for OS
- Page tables for wide address spaces
- SMP issues: locking, cache coherence, scheduling
- File systems
- Microkernels and User-level Servers
History and
motivation for microkernel systems, Hydra, Mach, discussion,
experiences; second-generation microkernel systems, L4, Exokernel, Spin;
design and implementation of microkernel-based systems, including
user-level page fault handling and device drivers
- Microkernel Implementation
A detailed look at the internals of a real microkernel (L4 in MIPS R4x00)
- Persistent systems and Single-address-space operating
systems
Concepts and examples; UNSW Mungi project
Lab work forms a major component of the course. This will be carried out
in the Advanced Systems Teaching (ASysT)
Lab, commencing from Week 2. The lab features locally developed
U4600 computers based on a 64-bit MIPS R4600 processor. These
nodes are set up to run a locally developed implementation of the L4 microkernel. They are connected to UNIX hosts
(PCs running Solaris) running an L4 development environment. OS code is
developed and compiled there and then downloaded to the 64-bit systems,
which present a minimum environment ideally suited for low-level systems
programming exercises. Documentation as well as sample code will be
provided.
Students will also be able to run their system on simulated MIPS
hardware, thanks to the locally developed CPU simulator Sulima. This allows working outside the ASysT
Lab, including at home. However, any project demonstrations must
be done on actual hardware, not on a simulator.
A beta-version of the kernel
is also available for students who own an Alpha-based machine (such as a
Multia). Alpha-based project demonstrations are permissible.
After some ``warm-up'' experiments students will work in groups of two
on a project, which constructs various OS component, with the ultimate
aim of producing a small (and very efficient) operating
system. A series of milestones will be defined to aid the
implementation.
Milestones and the final project will be demonstrated to School staff
and the code submitted for assessment. Complete system documentation
will form the final deliverable.
Details will be published in due course. Milestones must be demonstrated
(and the code submitted) during the week in which they are
due. Milestones deadlines missed by less than one week will cause a loss
of 25% of the mark for that particular milestone, if missed by more
that one week the penalty is 50%, up to a maximum of two weeks.
No submissions/demos will be accepted later than two weeks after
the deadline. Cheating will be severely dealt with.
As this is supposed to be a challenging course, I am quite concerned
about boring students who already have a strong background in L4 and
therefore might find the project too easy. For this reason, I am
offering the possibility of alternative projects for such students. An
alternative project must be discussed with me in detail and approved in
advance. The main criteria for approval will be that, given the
students' backgrounds, the project should present a similar challenge
than the ``standard'' project would present to students with no OS
knowledge beyond what is defined by the prerequisites.
There will be a final exam, in the form of a 24h
take-home. Students will be given one day to read and analyse
two recent research papers relevant to the material covered in
the course, and submit a critical report on it. See the 1999 Exam for an example.
Supplementary exams will only be awarded in well justified cases, in
accordance with School policy, not as a second chance for
poorly performing students. In particular, it is unlikely that a
supplementary will be awarded to students who have actually sat the
proper exam. Make up your mind whether or not you are sick
before attempting the exam!
Supplementary exams will have the same format as the normal exam, and
will be held on the day after the written supplementary exams held for
other courses.
Assignments count for 65%, the exam for 35% of the final
mark. A minimum mark of 14 (i.e., 40% of the maximum) is
required in the exam to receive a passing grade.
There is no textbook for this course, as no published book covers the
material in sufficient depth. Plenty of handouts will be provided.
- A. Tannenbaum, A. Woodhull: Operating Systems: Design and
Implementation, 2nd ed. 1997, Prentice Hall.
- Curt Schimmel: UNIX Systems for Modern Architectures, 1994, Addison
Wesley.
- M. Beck, H. Böhme, M. Dziadzka, U. Kunitz, R. Magnus, and
D. Verworner: Linux Kernel Internals, 1997, Addison
Wesley.
- Marshall K. McKusik, Keith Bostic, Michael J. Karels, John
S. Quarterman: The Design and Implementation of the 4.4BSD Operating
System, 1996, Addison Wesley.
- Helen Custer: Inside Windows NT, 1993, Microsoft
Press.
2nd version authored by David A. Solomon,
(1998), 3rd version authored by David A. Solomon and Mark
Russinovich titled ``Inside Windows-2000'' (2000).
- Helen Custer: Inside the Windows NT File System, 1994, Microsoft
Press.
- Scott Maxwell: Linux Core Kernel Commentary, 1999, CoriolisOpen Press.
- John Lions: Commentary on UNIX 6th edition with source
code, 1996, Peer-to-Peer Communications. (The famous Lions Book,
identical to the 1977 UNSW TR.)
- Selected research papers as referred to in class.
- L4 source code in ~cs9242/l4/mipsL4.
The following will be provided in hardcopy as reference for the project
component:
- K. Elphinstone, G. Heiser, J. Liedtke: L4 Reference
Manual, MIPS R4x00, UNSW 1998.
- A. Au, G. Heiser: L4 User Manual, UNSW 1998.
Lecture notes and other information can be
found under the course's WWW home page at URL
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~cs9242/.
STAFFING in Session 2 2000
Lecturer-in-charge is Gernot Heiser, who
will be delivering most of the lectures.
Some lectures may be delivered by visitors or research students.
COMP9242,
School of Computer Science and Engineering,
University of New South Wales
This page is maintained by
gernot@cse.unsw.edu.au.
Last modified: Monday, 24-Jul-2000 11:33:46 EST
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