This course is characterizing for the Master of Science in Computer Engineering, and it is held at the second semester of the first year. This course analyzes the operating system architecture, and its internal modules. It introduces concepts and techniques for an effective management of the resources of a computer system (processors, memories, devices, files, etc.). System programming techniques are illustrated through the analysis and use of Unix and Windows system calls.

• Knowledge of the operating systems architecture as a collection of resource managers • Knowledge of operating system kernel modules, and skill to implement new modules • Skill for using system calls for the creation, synchronization and termination of processes and threads • Knowledge of virtual memory mechanism • Knowledge of process scheduling with and without real-time constraints • Skill to understand and implement memory management and scheduling algorithms • Knowledge of device management • Skill to understand and implement device drivers • Knowledge of modern file system organizations and skill to manage file systems and file locking • Knowledge of the main mechanisms for resource and information protection • Knowledge of system programming APIs (system calls) • Skill to understand and implement programs based on system calls.

• Knowledge of a computer system architecture: in particular structure of the CPU and memory • Knowledge of the interrupt mechanism and basics of an Assembler language • Knowledge of the main data type structures and algorithms • Good programming skill in C language • Knowledge of the basic concurrent programming techniques

Operating Systems architecture (10 h) modules for the management of the resources of a computer system process and thread management, synchronization, exception handling interprocess communication Memory management (6 h) segmentation paging virtual memory Process scheduling (4 h) Device management (6 h) I/O terminal management disk management Win32 low-level system architecture: operating system families, device drivers synchronous and asynchronous I/O Linux device drivers File system management (8 h) file system organization, management and protection file locking Resource and information protection (2 h) Win32 System Programming: (28 h) File and directory manipulation Processes and threads Synchronization primitives Structured Exception Handling Memory management Asynchronous I/O Laboratory practice (36 h) Concurrent programming with processes and threads Linux kernel customization and install PC booting Kernel modules and daemons Device drivers Exception handling Writing a system call File system internals and system calls Visual studio programming environment Binary files and concurrent programming in Win32 Multiple threads/processes and synchronization primitives in Win32 Exception handling in Win32

The class can be divided into theory lectures, practice lessons and laboratories. There is no formal distinction between theory and practice as almost all course topics involve theory and practice aspects developed during the classroom lessons by the teacher. Laboratories allow students to solve typical concurrency problems, to be introduced to system, kernel and module programming, and applying all theory and practice aspects analyzed during the classroom lessons.

Silberschatz, Galvin, Gagne: 'Operating System Concepts', 7th Edition, John Wiley & son, 2003, ISBN: 0-471-69466-5 Bovet D. P., Cesati M., Understanding the Linux Kernel, 3rd Edition, O'Reilly, 2005. ISBN: 0-596-00565-2 Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, Greg KroahHartman: 'Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition, O'Reilly, 2005 W.R. Stevens "Advanced programming in the UNIX Environment", Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Johnson M. Hart, 'Windows System Programming', Addison-Wesley Publishing Company

Modalita di esame: Prova scritta (in aula);

Exam: Written test;

... The laboratory assignments have a deadline , and are evaluated during the exam to assess that the student has acquired not only a theoretical knowledge of the course topics, but it also able to implement concurrent solutions, to be proficient in system programming, to understand implementation details of the kernel, to implement modules and a minimal kernel. The final exam is written. It includes two parts: - the first part, to be solved in 105 minutes, consist in solving and implementing a problem in C language by means of concurrent processes or threads, and other system calls (18 marks) . For this part the student can use books, notes, program listings, etc., excluding a computer. - the second part, lasting 50 minutes, includes five questions covering the topics of the course, both theory and practice (15 marks) For this part the student cannot use any document or computer. The final result is the sum of the marks obtained in the first( marks >= 8) part and the second part (marks >= 10)

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilita o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unita Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione piu idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.