CSC 406 Systems II

2013-2014 Fall Quarter

Wednesdays 5:45PM 9:00PM
Lewis 1110
http://d2l.depaul.edu/

Dr. Will Marrero

CDM 737
312-362-5065
[email protected]
Mon. 1:00-2:30 Weds: 1:00-2:00, 5:00-5:30

Summary Of Course
This course covers the concepts underlying all computer systems and how they affect the correctness,
performance, and utility of application programming. In particular, we will cover exceptional control
flow (interrupts, faults, traps, signals), memory (caches, virtual memory, dynamic memory allocation),
system-level I/O, network programming, and as time allows concurrent programming.

Prerequisites
The prerequisites for this course are CSC406 (Systems I) and CSC402 (Data Structures I). I will assume
you had enough exposure to C in CSC406 that you understand how pointers work as well as how to
write, compile and debug C programs in a Linux environment. From CSC402, you must know how linked
lists are implemented and used.

Required Textbooks
Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 2nd Edition. Bryant & O'Hallaron, Prentice
Hall/Pearson, 2011. ISBN: 978-0136108047
Systems Programming with C and Unix. Hoover, Addison-Wesley/Pearson, 2009. ISBN: 978-0136067122

Grading Policy
Lab Projects
Midterm Exam
Final Exam

50%
25%
25%

Overall grades will be assigned as follows:

93-100
90-92
87-89

A
AB+

83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
60-66
0-59

B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F

Labs
The heart of this course are the three labs that students will be doing. Each of these labs require a
significant amount of time and work to complete. They really are projects and not homeworks.
Students are urged to start early. Note that late submissions will not be accepted so make sure to
submit whatever you have before the deadline. You can always resubmit if you make more progress
before the deadline. Make sure to run your partial solutions against the test cases as they will be used
to grade your submissions.
The labs do take a significant amount of time to finish, but students can complete each of the labs on
their own. However, some students work better in a group, so students are allowed to work in a team
with at most one other student. Note, however, that usually there is no easy or obvious way to split the
work and so working together really means working together. Students are expected to solve the
problems on their own (or with their 1 team member). Searching for answers to the problems online is
considered cheating and will result in an F for the course. You are certainly welcome and encouraged to
seek help with how to use the various tools, but not on how to solve the problems. If you are ever
unsure about whether some reference/resource is allowed, please just ask.

Exams
The midterm exam is on Wednesday, October 16, at the usual class time. Online students must take the
midterm exam either on October 16 or October 17. The final exam is on Wednesday, November 20, at
the usual class time and in the usual classroom. Online students must take the final exam on either
November 20 or November 21. Clear your schedule now. If you know you have a conflict, you must let
the instructor know by the second class (September 18) and the conflict must be documented.
In class students: Both exams will take place in the regular classroom.
Online students: Make sure to register online for the exam on as soon as possible. If you are not a local
student,you must arrange for a proctor. All online students should be familiar with their rights and
responsibilities as outlined here:
http://blogs.cti.depaul.edu/colwiki/Wiki%20Pages/Course%20OnLine%20Guide%20For%20Students.aspx

Students may bring a single 8.5" by 11" sheet of notes (both sides) to the exams, but no other resources
will be allowed. The sheet of notes must be turned in with the exam and will not be returned. Please
make a copy for yourself before bringing it to the exam.

Warning to online students

In the past, I have had remote students who thought they were registered for the online section. When
it came time to take the exams, administration would not allow them to take the exam remotely and so
they received a 0 for the exams. Make sure this does NOT happen to you! You do not need to register
now, but you should at least verify that you can register for the midterm and final exams. If you cannot,
you are in the "live" section and you must take the exam in class.

Course Server and Required Software

All work must be done on the Unix server for the course. This will require you to have some kind of SSH
client as well as an FTP app that uses SSH. In the classroom, I will be using PuTTY. You can find PuTTY at
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html or from the on D2L. If you want
to be able to transfer files between the server and your machine, you will also need PSCP. Alternatively
you can do a web search for a copy of the old SSH Client version 3.2.9. SSH itself doesn't host it
anymore, but there are bound to by copies out there.
The hostname of the server is wmarrerowww.cstcis.cti.depaul.edu. Your username is the first letter of
your first name followed by at most the first 7 letters of your last name. Your password is your DePaul
student ID including leading zeroes if there are any. Please change your password as soon as you login
by typing in "passwd" (without the quotes) and then following the instructions.
Accounts will be generated by the class roster AFTER the first day of class. If you cannot login within 3
days of the first day of class, contact the instructor ASAP, especially if you registered late for the course.
You may not have an account yet.
I assume you are familiar with the UNIX environment and can edit/compile/debug C programs in a
terminal window (Emacs/vi gcc, gdb, etc.). See the reference documents on D2L as well as the Hoover
text for some help if you are unfamiliar with these tools or with the UNIX command line interface.

Online Teaching Evaluation

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the
course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a
requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching.

The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what
responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is
completely separate from the students identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent
periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the
evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect at
http://campusconnect.depaul.edu

Email
Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course
outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at
http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.

Academic Integrity Policy

This course will be subject to the faculty council rules on the Academic Integrity Policy. More
information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu.

Plagiarism
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course, as
well as all other courses in which independent research or writing play a vital part in the course
requirements, should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of
plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible
expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work a
report, examination paper, computer file, lab report, or other assignment which has been prepared by
someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly
acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor. Please see the separate plagiarism
handout for some guidelines about what constitutes plagiarism in this class.

Incomplete
An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious
illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two
weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any
consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such
a request.

Resources for Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact
the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the
instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure
that you contact the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Student Center, LPC, Suite #370
Phone number: (773)325.1677
Fax: (773)325.3720
TTY: (773)325.7296