GCO2814

Operating systems

D Thomson

6 points
* 4 hours per week
* Second semester
* Gippsland and distance
* Prerequisites: GCO2812
* Prohibitions: CFR1140, COT1140, CSC2020, RDT2141

Objectives Students completing this subject should understand, in general terms, how an operating system works; and be able to demonstrate certain aspects of this understanding through the writing of C or C++ programs under UNIX.

Synopsis Types of operating systems: single user, real-time, batch, multiple access. Processes and programs: communication between concurrent processes, semaphores, interrupts. Memory management: memory allocation, virtual memory. Input/output: device handling, buffering, spooling. File storage management: directories, security, file organisation, opening and closing files. Resource allocation and scheduling: allocation mechanisms, deadlock, scheduler algorithms, control and accounting. Other topics: job control languages and utilities, protection, reliability and error detection, performance monitoring. Access to the university's computer systems via modem is compulsory for distance education students.

Assessment Examination (3 hours): 80%
* Assignments 20%

Prescribed texts

Tanenbaum A S Modern operating systems Prentice-Hall, 1992