Start of classes.

The first set of lecture notes, Topic Study list, and course information will be posted in the course directory /cs/course/4221.

The list of suggested topics will be posted in the course directory on Red in the file: /cs/course/4221/4221_topics

COSC4221/5421 Test 1 will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 19:00-22:00.

It is possible that Test 1 may include true/false questions, questions that require short answers, questions that may require the drawing of diagrams, questions that require slightly longer answers, and other possible question formats.

The CSE4221/5421 Midterm Test marks are posted in the course directory. To obtain your CSE4221/5421 Midterm Test mark, log in to your cs account on Red, then type in the following command:

courseInfo 4221 2010-11 F

COSC4221 Test 2 will be held on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 19:00.

Test 2 will include:

(a) Material covered in the lectures, with emphasis on material covered in the lectures since Test 1 and up to and including the lecture on Wednesday December 1;

(b) Material in the slides 25-end of OSD.4.pdf; OSD.4.1.pdf; and OSD.5.pdf in the course directory;

(c ) Material in Chapter 18 of the book “Understanding the Linux Kernel”, 3rd Edition.

(Material in the slides 25-end of OSD.4 is also explained in Chapter 12 of the book, “Understanding the Linux Kernel”, 3rd Edition. Although there is no chapter in any book that covers all the material in the slides in OSD.5. However, reading Chapter 5, “Kernel Synchronization”, of the book, “Understanding the Linux Kernel”, 3rd Edition, may help understand some of the material on synchronization in the slides in OSD.5.)

It is possible that Test 2 may include true/false questions, questions that require short answers, questions that require calculations, questions that may require the drawing of diagrams, questions that require writing short programs using pseudo C code similar to that used in the slides, questions that require slightly longer answers, and other possible question formats.

MAKE SURE YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE SLIDES. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THE EMPHASIS OF TEST 2 WILL BE ON MATERIAL THAT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED SO FAR, THE MATERIAL IN TEST 2 MAY STILL DEPEND ON KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS MATERIAL.

Although you do not have to memorize all the different fields and functions listed in the tables in the slides, however, you do need to know about fields or functions discussed in the lecture notes.

ALSO NOTE THAT DRAWING THE SAME KIND OF DIAGRAMS AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE SLIDES, WILL BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF TEST 2.

The unofficial final grades are available by typing the following command on the Red machine:

courseInfo 4221 2010-11 F