This course aims to examine the basic concepts of distributed operating systems. We will study both distributed systems principles as well as popular systems in use today. Some topics of interest include distributed communication, scheduling, virtualization, fault-tolerance, and consensus. The course will also cover basic operating system principles. Students will learn to implement some concepts of distributed systems studied in class as part of their assignments.
Prerequisites: Students should have had exposure to concepts in operating systems concepts, networking, and algorithms. The course will have programming assignments, and students should be able to program in a high-level language.
Recommended Textbook: Distributed Systems: Principles and Paradigms, 3rd ed, by Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Maarten Van Steen. Download your online copy.
Grading: Grades will be based on exams, project,
Academic Integrity: All assignment submissions must be the sole work of each individual student. Students may not read or copy another student's solutions or share their own solutions with other students. Students may not review solutions from students who have taken the course in previous years. Submissions that are substantively similar will be considered cheating by all students involved, and as such, students must be mindful not to post their code publicly. The use of books and online resources is allowed, but must be credited in submissions, and material may not be copied verbatim. Any use of electronics or other resources during an examination will be considered cheating.
If you have any doubts about whether a particular action may be construed as cheating, ask the instructor for clarification before you do it. The instructor will make the final determination of what is considered cheating.
Students cheating in any way will receive a zero in that assignment. Submissions that are alike in a substantive way will be considered to be cheating by ALL involved parties. Repeat offenders will result in a grade of F for the course and may be subject to further disciplinary action. Note that YOU are responsible for ensuring the integrity of your work and should protect yourself by storing your files in private directories.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890, (412) 228-5347 for P3 ASL users, as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. More info at: www.drs.pitt.edu.
Religious Observances : In order to accommodate the observance of religious holidays, students should inform the instructor in advance (by email, within the first two weeks of the term) of any such days that are in conflict with scheduled class activities.