Cleveland State University
CIS 600 Advanced Computer Architecture
Section 50: 6:00pm - 7:15pm MW
Prerequisites: CIS 535, CIS 545, CIS 580
Instructor: Timothy Arndt
Office Location:
BU 331
Phone:
(216) 687-4779
Office Time: MW 2:00pm-4:00pm, 7:15pm-8:15pm
Class Location:
BU 208
Class Website: http://grail.cba.csuohio.edu/~arndt/cis600.html
email: arndt@cis.csuohio.edu
Catalog Description: Prerequisite: CIS 580. The design and analysis of modern machine architectures. Quantitative
performance analysis, pipeline and vector processing, hierarchical memory design, multiprocessor and cluster
computing. Instruction level parallelism and multithreaded processors as well as current research topics in computer
architecture. A detailed study of state of the art systems is included.
Expected Outcomes: The student comprehends the various ways in which parallelism can be exploited to increase
performance and is able to compose those approaches into a coherent system organization. The student is able to analyze
alternative storage strategies using quantitative methods. The student is able to categorize computer systems in terms of
the type of parallelism they rely on. The student is able to effectively communicate complex performance issues by
formulating and solving appropriate sets of equations as well as by graphing simulated and experimental results.
List of Required Materials: N/A
Text: Computer Architecture A Quantitative Approach - 5th Edition, John Hennessy and David Patterson, Morgan
Kaufmann Publishing, 2011.
Last Day to Drop: September 5
Last Day to Withdraw: October 31
Grading: Homework Assignments (2-4) 40% 2 Midterm Exams 20% Final Exam (non-comprehensive) 20%
Some homework assignments will involve significant programming.
 All homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified date. An assignment turned in one
day late will get a 10% penalty, two days late will get a 20% penalty, etc. Assignments turned in after the
beginning of class on the due date will be counted as one day late and will receive a 10% penalty.
 All assignments must be individually and independently completed. Should two or more students turn in
substantially the same solution or program, in the judgment of the instructor, the solution will be considered a
group effort. All involved in a group effort homework will receive a zero grade for that assignment.
 No late assignment are accepted after the assignment is graded and returned.
 See the CSU student conduct code for further information.
 Unacknowledged use of code from other sources (Internet, books, friends, etc.) will result in a score of zero on
that assignment. Two cases of this will result in a grade of F for the semester.
 Plagiarism of material used in the project/presentation will result in a grade of F for the semester.
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The following grading scale will be used to calculate final grades:
Total percentage earned
93 - 100%
90 - 92%
87 - 89%
83 – 86%
A
AB+
B
Total percentage
earned
80 - 82%
70 – 79%
60% and below
BC
F
Examination Policy: Exams are based on lectures, the textbook, and lab practice. Seating during exams will generally
be assigned.
Make-Up Exam Policy: Make-up exams/quizzes will only be given in case of serious need and only when the
instructor is notified prior to the exam time. If this is not done, the grade is automatically 0 for that exam. Written
verification for the student’s inability to take an exam will be required.
.
Homework Policy:
 All assignments must be individually and independently completed. Should two or more students turn in
substantially the same solution or program, in the judgment of the instructor, the solution will be considered a
group effort. All involved in a group effort homework will receive a zero grade for that assignment.
 See the CSU student conduct code for further information.
 Unacknowledged use of code from other sources (Internet, books, friends, etc.) will result in a score of zero on
that assignment. Two cases of this will result in a grade of F for the semester.
 Plagiarism of material used in the project/presentation will result in a grade of F for the semester.
Late Assignment: All homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified date. An assignment
turned in one day late will get a 10% penalty, two days late will get a 20% penalty, etc. Assignments turned in after the
beginning of class on the due date will be counted as one day late and will receive a 10% penalty. No late assignment
are accepted after the assignment is graded and returned.
Course Schedule: The schedule of topics and their order of coverage is given below. Every effort will be made to follow
the schedule, but topics covered may vary depending upon the progress made.
Week of
1
Topic
Introduction
Reading
Chapter 1
2&3
Memory Hierarchy Review
Appendix B
4
Memory Hierarchy Design
Chapter 2
5
Pipeline Review
Appendix C
6
Exam
7&8
Instruction Level Parallelism
Chapter 3
9
Limits to ILP
Chapter 3
10
Exam 2
11
Data Level Parallelism
Chapter 4
12
Introduction to Multiprocessors
Chapter 5
Thread-level Parallelism
Chapter 5
Warehouse-Scale Computers
Chapter 6
13&14
15
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NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to retain, for pedagogical reasons, either the original or a copy of your work
submitted either individually or as a group project for this class. Students' names will be deleted from any retained
items.
List of Assignments: an optional entry.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Diversity statement: This classroom will be a safe and respectful environment that will respect all differences, i.e., race,
ethnicity, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, and will not tolerate discrimination in any form.
Disability statement: Educational access is the provision of classroom accommodations, auxiliary aids and services to
ensure equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of their disability. Any student who feels he/she may
need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Disability Services at (216) 6872015. The office is located in MC 147. Accommodations need to be requested in advance and will not be granted
retroactively.
Academic Honesty: All student work should reflect a devotion to academic honesty. As found in The Code of Student
Conduct: “The Cleveland State University Academic Community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to
high standards of ethical conduct. Academic dishonesty is, therefore, unacceptable, and students must be prepared to
accept the appropriate sanctions for any dishonest academic behavior as outlined in this policy on academic
misconduct.” (p. 18) Such conduct includes cheating, plagiarism, and tampering. The full code can be found at:
https://mycsu.csuohio.edu/studentlife/StudentCodeOfConduct.pdf or by contacting the Department of Student Life.
Academic Misconduct: Any form of academic misconduct will earn an immediate grade of U/F for the course. In
addition, your name will be forwarded to the Academic Misconduct Review Committee, for a hearing concerning your
suspension from the University. To be clear, I consider any and every instance of academic misconduct to be a major
infraction. I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the various forms of academic misconduct in the
CSU Code of student Conduct. All the work that you hand in must represent your own independent and unique work. It
should be distinct from that of every other student in class. If you have questions about this, please ask—it is best to
resolve these issues in advance.
All students will adhere to the Viking Creed: We, the Members of the Cleveland State University community, as
active citizens in a living and learning environment, bring to our campus a shared vision where “community” means:
Sharing a clear vision of our common purpose
Treating all people fairly, justly and respectfully
Embracing and celebrating our diversity
Collaborating toward a common goal
Exhibiting caring and trust involving students at all levels
Connecting Cleveland State University with our
Greater Community
Embracing CSU as the metropolitan education center of
Cleveland
Learning in and out of the classroom
Celebrating ourselves through traditions
Taking responsibility to lead, to listen and to serve
Sharing power and influence
Committing to life-long learning and personal growth
As member of the Cleveland State University community,
we have an individual and a shared responsibility to
practice the Viking Community Creed in order to create a
campus of inclusion, respect, integrity and purpose
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Cancellation of Class due to Weather: Class will not be cancelled due to weather unless the University is closed.
Check CSU’s main webpage (www.csuohio.edu) for announcements. If CSU is open, class will proceed as scheduled,
including any quizzes, exams or deadlines that are scheduled for that class.
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