CSE 231

Advanced Operating Systems

Syllabus

Schedule
HELLO WORLD

CSE 231 will introduce students to research in operating systems (OS). To this end, we will perform a detailed study on the issues in operating systems design and implementation, with a focus on providing historical context for the research topics explored by the community today. After this course, you will be able to read, understand, contextualize, and apply concepts from operating systems research.

Instructor Information

My name is Andrew Quinn; in this course you can address me as `Andrew’. The best way to contact me is through email (aquinn1@ucsc.edu). If you would like to meet in person, please email me to setup a time.

Learning Outcomes

As stated above, the goal of CSE is to introduce students to research in operating systems. The skills developed through this course will help students think critically and contribute to the operating systems research community. More specifically, this course has the following objectives:

  • At the end of this course, students will be able to critically read and review papers from the operating systems community.
  • At the end of this course, students will be able to articulate and teach others about the core concept and contributions of a research project in operating systems.
  • At the end of this course, students will be able to pursue and conduct systems research projects.

Prerequisites

While not required, prior engagement with operating systems concepts, including processes, file systems, and virtual memory will be useful for this course. If you are concerned about gaps in your background knowledge, please come see me and we can have a discussion.

Required Materials, Textbooks, and Technology

Students will need access to a personal computer for success in this course. Please contact me if you have hardship in securing a computer; UCSC has programs that can help you.

Assignments and Assessment

The learning outcomes will be assessed through the following:

  • (30%) Course Project: You will work with a team to perform a systems research project. Deliverables will include a proposal, presentation, and paper. This assignment will provide you with the experience of performing research in the operating systems field.

  • (20%) Evaluation recreation: You will recreate the results of an evaluation focused paper.

  • (20%) Reflections: You will write short reflections at the conclusion of each unit in this class.

  • (10%) Paper Presentations: Each student will be responsible for presenting and leading the discussion of one-two papers that we read this semester. I will discuss Guidelines for presentations during the first week of the course.

  • (10%) Paper Reviews: You will write reviews for the papers that we read in this course. These reviews will help practice the task of critiquing a paper and will also help to ensure that you are reading carefully.

  • (10%) Participation: Much of the discovery and learning in this course will be driven by in-class discussion. Participation will be assessed by engagement during in-class discussions and student-lead presentations.

I will provide timely feedback on assignments so that you know how your learning is progressing. Paper reviews will likely take 1–2 hours to complete, especially if you are unfamiliar with the related work. Paper presentations will likely require closer to 3 hours. Finally, I expect that the reflections will require at most 2 hours to complete. Let me know if you are consistently struggling to perform these tasks in the stated amount of time, it is likely that you are doing more than is necessary.

Academic Integrity

All members of the UCSC community benefit from an environment of trust, honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility. You are expected to present your own work and acknowledge the work of others in order to preserve the integrity of scholarship.

Academic integrity includes:

  • Following assessment rules
  • Incorporating proper citation of all sources of information
  • Submitting your own original work

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Copying/purchasing any material from another student, or from another source, that is submitted for grading as your own

  • Plagiarism, including use of Internet material without proper citation. This includes usig large language models (e.g., ChatGPT) without ackwnoledging their use.

  • Submitting your own work in one class that was completed for another class (self-plagiarism) without prior permission from the instructor.

Violations of the Academic Integrity policy can result in dismissal from the university and a permanent notation on a student’s transcript. For the full policy and disciplinary procedures on academic dishonesty, students and instructors should refer to the Academic Integrity for Graduate Students.

Accessibility

UC Santa Cruz is committed to creating an academic environment that supports its diverse student body. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations to achieve equal access in this course, please submit your Accommodation Authorization Letter from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to me privately by email, preferably within the first two weeks of the quarter. At this time, I would like us to discuss ways we can ensure your full participation in the course. I encourage all students who may benefit from learning more about DRC services to contact the DRC by phone at 831-459-2089 or by email at drc@ucsc.edu.

Intellectual Property

The materials in this course are the intellectual property of their creators. As a student, you have access to many of the materials in the course for the purpose of learning, engaging with your peers in the course, completing assignments, etc. You have a moral and legal obligation to respect the rights of others by only using course materials for purposes associated with the course. For instance, you are not permitted to share, upload, stream, sell, republish, share the login information for, or otherwise disseminate any of the course materials, such as: video and audio files, assignment prompts, slides, notes, syllabus, simulations, data-sets, discussion threads. Conversely, any materials created by you (for example, your videos, essays, images, audio files, annotations, notes) are your intellectual property and you may use them as you wish. I will ask permission to post slides that you prepare for your presentation on this verbiage to better serve the learning of your fellow students.

Religious Accommodation

UC Santa Cruz welcomes diversity of religious beliefs and practices, recognizing the contributions differing experiences and viewpoints can bring to the community. There may be times when an academic requirement conflicts with religious observances and practices. If that happens, students may request the reasonable accommodation for religious practices. The instructor will review the situation in an effort to provide a reasonable accommodation without penalty. You should first discuss the conflict and your requested accommodation with your instructor early in the term. You or your instructor may also seek assistance from the Dean of Students office (https://deanofstudents.ucsc.edu).

Principles of Community

The University of California, Santa Cruz expressly prohibits students from engaging in conduct constituting unlawful discrimination, harassment or bias (see https://reporthate.ucsc.edu/principles-and-policies/index.html). I am committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity and supports inclusively. We need to work together to build this community of learning. I ask all members of this class to: - be open to and interested in the views of others consider the possibility that your views may change over the course of the term - be aware that this course asks you to reconsider some “common sense” notions you may hold honor the unique life experiences of your colleagues - appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other listen to each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner - keep confidential discussions that the community has of a personal (or professional) nature - ground your comments in the work we are studying. Refer frequently to the texts and make them the focus of your questions, comments, and arguments. This is the single most effective way to ensure respectful discussion and to create a space where we are all learning together.

Title IX and CARE

UC Santa Cruz is committed to providing a safe learning environment that is free of all forms of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, which are explicitly prohibited under Title IX. If you have experienced any form of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, know that you are not alone. The Title IX Office, the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) office, and Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) are all resources that you can rely on for support.

Please be aware that if you tell me about a situation involving Title IX misconduct, I am required to share this information with the Title IX Coordinator. This reporting responsibility also applies to course TAs and tutors (as well to all UCSC employees who are not designated as “confidential” employees, which is a special designation granted to counselors and CARE advocates). Although I have to make that notification, you will control how your case will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. The goal is to make sure that you are aware of the range of options available to you and that you have access to the resources you need.

Confidential resources are available through CARE. Confidentiality means CARE advocates will not share any information with Title IX, the police, parents, or anyone else without explicit permission. CARE advocates are trained to support you in understanding your rights and options, accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and more. You can contact CARE at (831) 502-2273 or care@ucsc.edu.

In addition to CARE, these resources are available to you:

  • If you need help figuring out what resources you or someone else might need, visit the resources page from the Title IX Office

  • Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) can provide confidential counseling support. Call them at (831) 459-2628.

  • You can also report gender discrimination and sexual harassment and violence directly to the University’s Title IX Office (https://titleix.ucsc.edu), by calling (831) 459-2462 or by using their online reporting tool.

  • Reports to law enforcement can be made to the UC Police Department, (831) 459-2231 ext. 1.

  • For emergencies, call 911.

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The University of California, Santa Cruz is committed to maintaining an objective, civil, diverse and supportive community, free of coercion, bias, hate, intimidation, dehumanization or exploitation. The Hate/Bias Response Team is a group of administrators who support and guide students seeking assistance in determining how to handle a bias incident involving another student, a staff member, or a faculty member. To report an incident of hate or bias, please use this form

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