CS-550:
Comparative Operating Systems
Instructor: Dr. Marius D. Soneru
Fall 2001
CS-550 Syllabus
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•Course Description
CS550 is an advanced course in operating systems based upon
two core textbooks and journal literature in this area
•Goals
Acquaint the student with the most representative operating
systems that have made significant contributions to the field
Give the student an understanding of some of the most
important issues that have been shaping the evolution of operating
systems recently, such as issues related to distributed operating
systems and security
“Learning to use the literature and the benefits of group
enquiry” and involves extracting the main ideas from an article,
experiencing the benefits of group enquiry, and placing the
material in perspective
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•Textbooks:
Stallings, W., “Operating Systems”, Fourth Edition, PrenticeHall 2001, ISBN 0-13-031999-6
Singhal, M. and Shivaratri, N.G., “Advanced Concepts in
Operating Systems”, McGraw-Hill 1994, ISBN 0-07-057572-X
•Pre-requisite:
CS-450 Operating Systems
•Course Organization:
Part 1: Formal Lectures
Part 2: Student reports, presentations, and group discussions
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• Exams:
 Two exams are contemplated, a midterm scheduled
around the 7th or 8th week of the semester and a final at
the end of the semester
• Grading:
 Midterm:
 Report, presentation, and class participation:
 Final:
CS-550 Syllabus
35%
25%
40%
4
•Written reports and presentations:
The students are expected to prepare a written report
and to make it available to the entire class at least one
week before the scheduled presentation
Each student will give a brief presentation describing
the highlights of the report
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•Contents of student reports and presentations:
Selected topics: A report on a selected topic may contain a
detailed presentation of the subject beyond its coverage given in
the formal lectures of Part 1 and a critical survey of the relevant
published papers. Alternatively, a report on a selected topic may
contain a subject not covered in the formal lectures, as agreed with
the instructor
Specific operating system – Case Study: A report on a
specific operating system should present the salient features of that
system, its main characteristics, the particular solutions selected
for solving general operating system issues and a critical
comparison with other systems in the same category
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•Office hours and contact information:
Dr. Marius D. Soneru:
Office: I.I.T. Rice, room #229, phone # 630-682-6034
I.I.T. MC, room SB226E, phone # TBA
Email: soneru@iit.edu
Office hours:
Tue and Thu, RI
4:30-6:00 p.m.,
Fr, MC
4:30-6:00 p.m.
Teaching Assistant: TBA
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