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Monash University

FIT3046 Operating environments - Semester 1, 2015

Processes and threads: interprocess communication, scheduling. Deadlock: detection, prevention, avoidance. Memory management: allocation, swapping, virtual memory. Input/output principles and examples: disks, graphical user interfaces, network terminals. File systems: files, directories, disk space management. Security: authentication, cryptography, common attacks, principles of secure system administration. Case studies: Characteristics of major PC operating systems such as Linux and Windows.

Mode of Delivery

South Africa (Day)

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • Two hours of lectures
  • One 2-hour laboratory

(b.) Study schedule for off-campus students:

  • Off-campus students generally do not attend lecture and tutorial sessions, however should plan to spend equivalent time working through the relevant resources and participating in discussion groups each week.

(c.) Additional requirements (all students):

  • A minimum of 8 hours independent study per week for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.

See also Unit timetable information

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

FIT2022, FIT2070, GCO2814, GCO3818

Prerequisites

FIT1031 or FIT1001

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

South Africa

Igor Monga Mwala

Consultation hours: To be advised.

Tutors

South Africa

To be advised

Your feedback to Us

Monash is committed to excellence in education and regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) survey. The University’s student evaluation policy requires that every unit is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:

www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions/ and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

Previous feedback has highlighted the following strengths in this unit:

  • In-depth knowledge displayed by the lecturers;
  • Well-developed materials with full-scale solutions to all tutorial and assignment problems;
  • Timeliness and quality of assignment feedback;
  • Availability of past lecture recording;
  • Quick and helpful replies by the lecturer in the online discussion forums; and
  • Dedicated discussion forum for exam preparation with active participation by the lecturer.

Student feedback has also informed the following improvements to this unit:

  • Fresh lecture recording to reflect some minor changes in the new edition of the prescribed textbook.

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this unit students will:
  • know the general purpose and functions of operating systems;
  • understand the hardware and software mechanisms used to carry out these functions;
  • be familiar with the principal differences between common major operating systems such as Windows and Linux;
  • be able to install new operating systems on PC hardware;
  • be willing to select operating systems based on their merits rather than their marketing.

Unit Schedule

Week Activities Assessment
0   No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1 Introduction  
2 Processes and Threads  
3 Scheduling  
4 Interprocess Communications  
5 Deadlocks  
6 Memory Management  
7 Memory Management Assignment 1 due 20 April 2015
8 Input/Output  
9 File Systems  
10 Security  
11 Case Study 1: Linux Assignment 2 due 18 May 2015
12 Case Study 2: Windows Vista and Revision  
  SWOT VAC No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC
  Examination period LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/
academic/education/assessment/
assessment-in-coursework-policy.html

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Teaching Approach

Lecture and tutorials or problem classes
This teaching and learning approach provides facilitated learning, practical exploration and peer learning.

Assessment Summary

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Assessment Task Value Due Date
Assignment 1 20% 20 April 2015
Assignment 2 20% 18 May 2015
Examination 1 60% To be advised

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

  • Assessment task 1
    Title:
    Assignment 1
    Description:
    Students will be required to perform a number of tasks involving both analytical and practical skills from the syllabus covered in Study Guides 1-4. Detailed solutions will be released after the cut-off date, which is one week after the due date.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Individual assignment submission will be assessed on

    • The workout details and accuracy for numerical problems;
    • The quality of explanation and the level of understanding for non-numerical problems;
    • How well algorithms are written using pseudocodes; and
    • Understanding the outcome of algorithms on given scenarios.

    More detailed criteria will be released on Moodle.

    Due date:
    20 April 2015
  • Assessment task 2
    Title:
    Assignment 2
    Description:
    Students will be required to perform a number of tasks involving both analytical and practical skills from the syllabus covered in Study Guides 5-7. Detailed solutions will be released after the cut-off date, which is one week after the due date.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Individual assignment submission will be assessed on

    • The workout details and accuracy for numerical problems;
    • The quality of explanation and the level of understanding for non-numerical problems;
    • How well algorithms are written using pseudocodes; and
    • Understanding the outcome of algorithms on given scenarios.

    More detailed criteria will be released on Moodle.

    Due date:
    18 May 2015

Examinations

  • Examination 1
    Weighting:
    60%
    Length:
    3 hours
    Type (open/closed book):
    Closed book
    Electronic devices allowed in the exam:
    None

Learning resources

Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit)
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html

Feedback to you

Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are:

  • Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
  • Graded assignments with comments
  • Solutions to tutes, labs and assignments

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/student-academic-integrity-managing-plagiarism-collusion-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an electronic submission). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

Please check with your lecturer before purchasing any Required Resources. Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library, and prescribed software is available in student labs.

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

  • A Unit Book containing 10 Study Guides on Moodle.
  • This Unit Guide outlining the administrative information for the unit.
  • A unit web page on Moodle where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.
  • Discussion forums on Moodle.

Prescribed text(s)

Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library.

Tanenbaum, Andrew. (2008). Modern Operating Systems. (3rd Edition) Prentice-Hall (ISBN: 0-13-600663-9).

Recommended text(s)

Stallings, William. (2009). Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles. (6th Edition) Prentice-Hall (ISBN: 0-13-600632-9).

Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne. (2005). Operating Systems. (7th Edition) Wiley (ISBN: 0-471-69466-3).

Other Information

Policies

Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html

Faculty resources and policies

Important student resources including Faculty policies are located at http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit

Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis.

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