This course is suitable to you if you

• want learn about the main components and principles of operating system design, and
• have knowledge of the components of a computer system and how programs are executed on hardware

The course is

• compulsory in the intermediate studies in the Bachelor's Programme in Computer Science.
• compulsory in subject studies in computer and data science in the Bachelor's Programme in Science.
• open for students in other study programmes.

As prerequisites, prior knowledge of the components of a computer system and how programs are executed on hardware is assumed.

Before taking this course, you should have completed

• Computer Fundamentals I (Tietokoneen toiminnan perusteet, AYTKT100051)
• Computer Fundamentals II (Tietokoneen toiminnan jatkokurssi, AYTKT100052)

or have equivalent knowledge

Courses Introduction to Data Communication and Distributed systems.

After the course you can

• summarize the key services of an operating system (OS) and their operation
• describe the essential structures of an OS together with their interfaces
• describe the position of OS in modern data processing environment
• describe the structure and the functionalities of operating systems
• describe the control systems and process and thread management
• describe different methods to protect processes and the use of different processor states (user/privileged) for that purpose
• describe different types of thread execution (user-level, kernel-level)
• describe basic process scheduling techniques in uniprocessor, multiprocessor, and real-time systems
• compare the suitability of different scheduling algorithms on different work loads
• choose (and justify the choice) the most practical way to execute threads for given software system
• explain how shared memory and other methods are used for process and thread communication
• explain the need for concurrency using examples illustrating concurrent operations of hardware and software level
• explain the importance of different scenarios when examining the execution of concurrent programs
• provide examples of common problems that may results in an incorrect concurrent solution
• explain the nondeterministic nature of process execution and its implications
• explain the advantages, disadvantages, implementation levels, and methods of concurrency
• explain the requirements for concurrency solutions (e.g., in terms of correctness in all scenarios) and finding a scenario leading to failed outcome
• explain the basic concepts of concurrent execution: atomicity, critical section, synchronization, communication, deadlock
• explain the basic concurrency problems: critical section problem, turn ticket, readers-writers, producer-consumer, client-server, and boom synchronization
• describe the occurrence of a deadlock and explain necessary and sufficient conditions for a deadlock to occur
• design a solution to critical section problem using the most appropriate method, e.g., interrupt disabling, busy-wait, semaphore, monitor, messages
• explain the semaphore and monitor structures, and use them correctly in problem solving
• apply concurrency handling mechanisms to solve practical problems
• explain how deadlock can be detected using DDA-algorithm, how to recover from deadlock, and how a deadlock can be prevented using, e.g., banker's algorithm
• describe the general principles of implementing virtual memory (VM) together with the key concepts (paging, page table, address translation, translation lookaside buffer, page faults)
• describe multi-level paged VM operation
• simulate at algorithm level the address translation in (multi-level) paged VM system
• analyze the effect of page size in process operation and page table size, and justify a choice made for a certain page size
• describe the advantages and disadvantages of (multilevel) paging and segmentation methods
• describe at algorithm level the VM implementation: page fetch and replacement policies, resident set size management policies, multiprogramming level policies
• describe the basic structure of the file system and its components
• explain the communication between peripheral devices and operating system
• explain the basic scheduling algorithms for hard disks
• explain the basic idea of RAID, and explain different RAID implementations comparing their features
• explain different file organization types and when they should be used (pile, sequential, indexed sequential, indexed, hashed)
• explain the use of B-trees for index implementation for files
• explain basic OS security threats and the methods to secure the operating system against them
• describe access control mechanism in operating systems

During the spring term of the second year, after the course Computer Organization I.

Spring, period 3

• Design and principles of an operating system
• Processes and threads
• Concurrency: mutual exlusion, syncronization, deadlock, and starvation
• Memory management, virtual memory
• Process scheduling (uniprocessor, multiprocessor, and multicore systems, real-time systems)
• I/O management, disk scheduling, RAID, file management
• Operating system security, access control

Required:

• William Stallings, Operating Systems - Internals and Design
  Principles, 9th ed, Pearson 2018.

All students should have access to the course book.

A newer edition of the course book can be taken into use immediately after its publication.

The evaluation is based on the completed exercises and active participation in exercises sessions, and a course exam or mini exams.

The course is graded on the scale 0-5.

See information on the course materials and completing the course on the faculty course page.

The course can be completed online, as distance learning (at least until Summer 2021).

Lectures

• Complete lecture schedule on the faculty course page.
• From Monday 18.1.2021 to Wednesday 3.3.2021.
• Lecture schedule
  
  • Mondays 12.15 - 14.00 (English)
  • Tuesdays 9.15 - 11.00 (English)
  • Wednesdays 12.15 - 14.00 (Finnish).
• It is possible to stream lectures during lecture times through Zoom. No physical participation is required.
• Lecture recordings will be accessible after the lecture hours.
• No lecture participation is required if you watch the recordings afterwards.

Moodle

• Enrolled students will be added to the course Moodle space.
• Use your University of Helsinki user id to access Moodle.

Exercise groups

• See information on the faculty course page.
• It is possible to participate in exercise gropus online over Zoom. No physical participation is required.

Exams

• Department of Computer Science organizes the exam.
• Exams will be taken online (at least until summer 2021).
• Course exam options:
  • [To be decided] Weekday xx.xx.xx21 time.
• No separate registration for online Exams.
• If you need some special arragements or support for the examination, contact your education specialist at least 10 days beforehand. Read more: Instructions for online examinations / Arragements for students in need of special support

Emilia Oikarinen

The course is part of the subject studies in Computer Science.