This course will introduce you to fundamental concepts and principles in computer architecture and operating systems. Architecture concepts will include computer abstractions, cost-performance tradeoffs, instruction set design, data path and control design, pipelining and memory hierarchies. Operating system concepts will include processes, scheduling, file system design,

protection and security. This course will be replaced by ECSE-2660 (Computer Architecture, Networks and Operating Systems) in spring 1999. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and ECSE-2660 or CSCI-4250 (Computer Architecture).

ECSE-2610 (Computer Components and Operations –COCO) OR

ECSE-2720 (Computer Organization and Logic Design - COLD);

ECSE-2740 (Computer and Microprocessor Laboratory) desirable.

Prof. Shiv Kalyanaraman. Office: JEC 6042; Email: shivkuma@ecse.rpi.edu

WWW: http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/

Office Hours: MW 10-11:30 am or by appointment.

Ravi Kumar

Email: ??

Office: ??

Office Hours: Fri 1-2 pm

Feroz Azeem

Email: feroza@rpi.edu

Office: ??

Office Hours: Fri 10-11 am

This course will consist of lectures, in-class exercises, informal quizzes, problem sets, a case study and examinations (quizzes).

• Lectures will be between 30-40 min in a class. The remaining time will be devoted to informal quizzes and in-class exercises. Every student is encouraged to participate in these activities. I will also be using two types of handouts. One is a copy of slides which will simply highlight the key points for purpose of discussion in class. The other will contain more information about the key points (which you can use as a starting point for reading the text). We intentionally split this so that you can spend class time in listening and interaction and read the second handout at home.
• Informal quizzes will be held at the end of every chapter (approx once a week). Informal quizzes will consist of true/false answers. There is no grading of informal quizzes.
• In-class exercises will be given towards the end of each class to test the concepts learnt in each class.
• Problem sets will contain longer quantitative exercises and short answer type questions. (see below for other details)
• Exams will contain material similar in spirit to informal quizzes, problem sessions and in-class exercises. Best two out of three exams will be considered for final grading (see below). The goal will be to test understanding of key concepts, as well as some important details. Material from both slides and the text (reading) will be included.
• The case study is intended to give you a first hand experience in unveiling the architectural details of some real machine or operating system. (see below)

The purpose of these different instruments is to have a positive learning experience and sound grasp of computer architecture fundamentals. If you feel any of these instruments is not working for any reason, please send me an email and I will consider a change in the format of delivery. You will also have an opportunity to express your opinion on course format and delivery in an informal mid-semester feedback sheet. We will also set up a mailing list to which you can post your questions. Either your colleagues, or the instructor or TAs will attempt to answer your questions.

Lectures will be held in ?? Mon/Wed/Fri at 2-2:50pm.

Problem Sessions will be held every other week (see October calendar for exception). See calendar for schedule. The sections are as follows:

Section 01 Friday 8-9:50am ??

Section 02 Friday 10-11:50pm* ??

Section 03 Friday noon-1:50pm* ??

There is one required case study for all students. The case study will involve studying a real machine architecture (or operating system) in terms of concepts learned in class. Case study possibilities include but are not limited to: Intel 80x86 series of processors, Intel Pentium Pro (or MMX), PowerPC, the Motorola 68xxx series of processors, the DEC VAX, the DEC Alpha Processor, UNIX (any one of the versions), Windows NT, DOS, or VMS. If time permits, the student is enthusiastic, and gets the instructor’s approval for his/her slides, he/she can make a short presentation to class for 5% extra credit. Only the best reports, which clearly reflect the architectural details in terms of concepts learnt in class, will be considered for presentation slots.

1. Computer Organization & Design: The Hardware Software Interface; D. Patterson and J. Hennessy; Second Edition; Morgan Kaufmann, 1998.

2. Operating Systems Concepts; A. Silberschatz and P. Galvin, 5th edition, Addison-Wesley, 1997.

Exam 1 35% (see below)

Exam 2 35% (see below)

Problem Sets 20%

Case Study 10%

Final Exam 35% (see below)

The best two out of the three exams (1,2, or final) will be chosen for grading. It is highly recommended that you take all three exams even if you do very well in your first two. We have had cases where because of not taking the last exam (in which people did well), a student’s grade dropped.

Please note the exam schedule below. If you have a scheduled conflict for the exam period with a lower-numbered course, see Prof. Shiv. Exams 1 and 2 are during class hours – so there should be no conflicts.

There will be NO make-up exams for any one exam. Since the policy is to choose the best two out of three exams, if you miss one exam, you can make it up in another. If you have to miss two exams because of valid excuses, one make up exam (covering the entire syllabus) will be considered. Situations that would qualify as a valid excuse for missing an exam are rare. And for those situations you must present verifiable, signed, written documentation to the instructor (e.g. Doctor's note from Health Center) to be filed and approved by the instructor. Specifically, a field trip scheduled at the same date as an exam is not a valid excuse

All exams will be open book/notes. Exams will consist of quantitative problems, true/false questions, and short answer type questions.

Exam 1: Wednesday, September 30th during class hours

Material up until exam.

Material after last exam up until this exam.

Final: Monday, December 7^th during class hours

Chap 1: Computer Abstractions & technology (Week 1)Chap 2: Role of PerformanceChap 3: Instructions (Week 2)Chap 4/5: Arithmetic, Processor Data path and control (Week 3)Chap 5: Processor Data path and control (Week 4)

Chap 6: Pipelining (Week 5)

Chap 7: Memory Hierarchy (includes OS concept of Virtual memory) (Week 6)

Optional: Chap 8: Input/Output (week 11)

Chap 1-3: OS Introduction (Week 7)

Chap 4-5: Processes/Scheduling (Week 8)

Chap 10/11: File System (Week 9)

Chap 19/20: Protection/Security (Week 10)

Week 11 and 12: spill over portions or revision of key concepts

1. The exams and problems sets are based upon lectures and required reading. Please do not fall back on the reading portion corresponding to the lectures. To help you, we will be having informal quizzes to cover the portion done every week. You can use this as a checkpoint for your reading progress. The tentative schedule of topics and calendar is also intended to help you in this process.

2. Homeworks (or problem sets) should be handed in at the beginning of lecture on which it is due.

Any problem set submitted later than this will be marked as late. There won't be

a penalty for one or two late submissions. However if you make a habit of late submissions,

there will be a penalty of 10% for lateness. Any papers not handed in during the problem section (e.g. slipped under a door, placed in a mailbox) will be marked as late. No makeups for problem sets. Late submissions will be accepted up until the day solutions are made available to the class.

3. If you feel that an error was made in grading, do not wait toward the end of the semester to

tell us about it. You should submit a regrading request to the TA within a week of the date the graded material was returned to the class. Requests for regrading will not be accepted after that

time. Any graded material that is not picked up within two weeks will be discarded.

This course relies on email and the web for administrative course communication. Please send a note to the TA so that we have your email address. The note should include the following:

• Full name (if you have a short/nickname you like to go by, include that too)
• Email address
• Section #
• If you have a phone number where you can be reached on campus for emergencies, please

include that also.

The course homepage is not yet ready. It will soon be accessible through the instructor's website:

http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/

We also expect to make it available through RPInfo (coursework link). All slides of lectures, and homeworks will be available there.

Student-teacher relationships are based on trust. Acts which violate this trust undermine the educational process. Violations of academic integrity will not be tolerated by your classmates, teaching assistants, nor instructors. Please refer to the Rensselaer Handbook for definitions of various forms of academic dishonesty and the applicable penalties. We take cheating very seriously;

you can expect to be punished for violations of academic integrity.