CS 4348: Operating Systems Concepts

Spring 2005
Section 003
Tuesday, Thursday 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
ECSS 2.410

Instructor: Neeraj Mittal

Office: ECSS 4.202
Phone: (972) 883 2347
E-mail: neerajm@utdallas.edu
URL: http://www.utdallas.edu/~neerajm/cs4348s05
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Alternatively, a student can also schedule
an appointment by email.

Teaching Assistant: Sathya Peri

E-mail: sathya.p@student.utdallas.edu
Office Hours: Wednesday, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at ECSS 4.203 and Friday 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm at
ECSS 2.104b

Catalog Statement: An introduction to fundamental concepts in operating systems, their design,

implementation, and usage. Topics include process management, main memory management,
virtual memory, I/O and device drivers, file systems, secondary storage management, and an
introduction to critical sections and deadlocks.

Prerequisites: CS 4340, one of CS/SE 3345 or TE 3346, and a working knowledge of C/C++
and UNIX.

Textbook: The textbook for the course is Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles by
William Stallings (Fifth Edition).

Recommended Book: Operating Systems Concepts by Abraham Silberscahtz, Peter B. Galvin

and Greg Gagne (Sixth Edition).

Grading Distribution: There will be two examinations in the course: one midterm on Thursday,
February 24 during class and one final on Tuesday, April 26 as per the final examination
schedule. The final examination will be comprehensive and will cover all the material taught
during the semester. The midterm will be of 75 minutes duration and the final will be of 120
minutes duration. In addition, there will be four quizzes (only best three will be considered) and
two (tentative) programming assignments. The dates for the quizzes will be announced during the
semester. Each quiz will be of approximately 20 minutes duration and will be held at the beginning
of the class. Examinations and quizzes will be closed book and closed notes. The point distribution

1
is as follows:
Midterm 20%
Final 30% (comprehensive)
Quizzes 20% (best three out of four)
Programming Assignments 30% (two or three)

Cheating on examinations, quizzes and assignments is prohibited and will be dealt with harshly.
Students suspected of cheating, copying or plagiarism are subject to disciplinary proceedings as per
university policies.
To pass in the course, you have to pass separately in examinations and assignments. For
example, you will not pass the course if you pass in the examinations but fail in the programming
assignments. Likewise, to get an A grade, you have to get an A grade in examinations as well as in
assignments. For example, if your overall grade in examinations is A but in assignments is B, then
the maximum grade you can get is B.

Late Assignment Policy: Late assignments carry a penalty of 10% per day (including weekends)
and cannot be submitted for credit after the graded assignments have been returned. The late
penalty may be waived under exceptional circumstances, provided the instructor is contacted before
the penalty is incurred.

Important Dates:

• Midterm examination: Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 2:00 pm

• Final examination: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 at 2:00 pm

Miscellaneous: From time to time, important announcements regarding the course including quiz
dates and assignment deadlines will be posted on the course webpage. Students are advised to check
it on a regular basis.