Operating Systems-1
CPS 340 Spring 2011

Instructor: Paul R. Zuckerman
Office: Modular Faculty Office Building
Office Hours: t.b.a.
Monday & Thursday 8:30 - 10:30
Tuesday & Friday 11:00 - 12:00
Other times are possible. Please ask.
Phone: 257-3516
E-mail address: zuckerpr@newpaltz.edu
Web page: http://www.newpaltz.edu/~zuckerpr

Text Book
Operating System Concepts with Java, 8th Edition
by Abraham Silberschatz, Peter B. Galvin, Greg Gagne
Wiley, ISBN 978-0-470-50949-4

Prerequisite:
The prerequisite for this course is a grade of at least C- in Assembly Language & Computer Architecture.

Description:
An operating system is a set of programs that provides an interface between hardware and its users. It supports the use of a computer system by managing its resources. The table of contents of chapters 1 - 9 of the text is the topical outline of this course.

The development and maintenance of operating systems are major activities of computer manufacturers, software vendors, and computer users. People who are responsible for the selection and management of computers are concerned with operating systems because the characteristics of an operating system determine the way a computer can be used in a production environment.

Operating Systems is a major branch of Computer Science. At New Paltz, the study of Operating Systems spans several semesters, beginning with this course and extending to graduate and specialized courses. Some of the work in this course involves studying the performance of operating systems. You will be working with operating system simulators. The simulators produce trace data and performance statistics.They are implemented in Java. You will be able to run them on the College's computer systems or on your personal computer.

You will build on the experience and sophistication you achieved in earlier courses. You will acquire new concepts and deeper understandings of some you have already studied. You will have to master detailed information, but reference materials will make it unnecessary for you to memorize. However, there will be many things for you to understand.

This course is cumulative. It will be impossible for you to understand the later parts of the course without understanding the earlier parts. If you fall behind in your work, you will be confused, you will not understand the class discussion, and you will not be able to complete the course successfully.

Attendance.
This is a four credit course. It has two class room sessions and one lab per week. The classes and labs are opportunities for you to build and validate your understanding of the material. Therefore, I expect you to attend and be actively engaged in every session. Attendance means that you are in class ON TIME and stay for the entire class period.

I will assume from your presence that you have constructed some useful understandings from the class. I will infer from your absence that you have not. Accordingly, I will deduct one-half point from your course average for each class absence beyond two, and one-half point from your course average for each lab absence beyond one. (I will compute your course average on a twelve point scale on which A=12. A-=11. etc.) Please do not offer excuses for sessions you miss. I assume that every absence is necessary. The grade deduction is not a penalty. It is part of the method I use to assess and report what you have learned.

Exercises.
From time-to-time I will post exercises on Blackboard. They will give you an opportunity to validate your understanding of the course material.

Examinations.
I will give two in-class exams during the semester. I will announce the dates of the exams in advance. Consult the College's web pages for the scheduled date and time of the final exam.

The location of the in-class exams or final exam may not be the normal meeting place for this class. You should check Blackboard for announcements concerning the locations of the exams.

I do not give make-up exams for those exams missed during the semester. I can excuse you from an in-class or final exam only if you present substantial documentation of a serious illness or personal emergency that prevented attendance.

Canceled Classes
If I have to cancel a class, I will try to post an announcement on Blackboard. You should be suspicious of announcements posted in the classroom.

Grades:
I will compute your grade using a two-step process.I will compute your exam average by counting each in-class exam 25% and the final exam 50%. You will need a passing exam average to earn a passing grade for the course. If you have a passing exam average, I will compute your course grade by counting your exam average 75% and your lab work 25%.

I will adjust this average according to the attendance policy.

Notice.
I do not permit my classes to be recorded.
I enforce the College policies that prohibit eating and drinking in classrooms. Please cooperate by respecting these regulations. The College policies concerning student behavior, academic honesty, and related matters apply to this course. You are responsible for knowing and following these rules.