| CODE | CPS1014 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Operating Systems | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Computer Science | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The unit will discuss the issues involved in designing a general purpose multiprogrammed operating system and to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to interact effectively with operating system internals. The unit encompasses a wide range of topics, including the pivotal role of an operating system in establishing process abstractions, CPU scheduling, inter-process synchronisation and communication, memory management, virtual memory, file system functionalities, I/O device handling, as well as robust security and protection mechanisms. Study-unit Aims: - To explore the intricacies involved in the design of a multiprogrammed general-purpose operating system; - To equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective interaction with the internal components of an operating system; - To provide an in-depth understanding of key operating system concepts, including process abstraction, CPU scheduling, inter-process synchronisation and communication, memory management, virtual memory, file system functionalities, I/O device handling, and security and protection mechanisms; - To foster a critical and analytical approach to operating system design and implementation; - To prepare students for advanced studies and practical applications in the field of operating systems and computer science. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - outline the principles and challenges involved in designing a multiprogrammed general-purpose operating system; - describe the fundamental components and functionalities of an operating system; - identify and explain the key concepts and mechanisms that underpin the effective operation of an OS; - recognise the significance of security and protection mechanisms in safeguarding system integrity and user data privacy. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios; - analyse and evaluate different CPU scheduling algorithms, memory management strategies and file-system designs and make informed decisions regarding their selection and implementaion; - demonstrate effective problem-solving skills in the context of OS-related challenges such as process coordination, resource allocation and error handling; - develop a critical and analytical mindset, enabling them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various OS solutions, adapting to evolving technological landscapes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Operating System Concepts. A. Silberschatz, P. Galvin and G. Gagne. Addison Wesley. ISBN 0470233990 - Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment. W.R. Stevens. Addison-Wesley, 2005. ISBN 0201433079 - UNIX System Programming. 2nd Ed. K. Haviland, D. Gray and B. Salama. AddisonWesley 1998. ISBN 0 201-87758-9. - The C Programming Language. BW Kernighan, DM Ritchie. Prentice-Hall, 1988. ISBN 0-13-110362-8 |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Students taking this study-unit are assumed to have knowledge of the material covered in CPS1011 | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Kevin Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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