School of Computer Science at Carleton University

Class Times:	Mon. & Wed. 2:35-3:55 PM
Classroom:	202 TB
Course Website:	http://homeostasis.scs.carleton.ca/wiki/index.php/Distributed_OS:_Winter_2008

COMP 5102: Design issues of advanced multiprocessor distributed operating systems: multiprocessor system architectures; process and object models; synchronization and message passing primitives; memory architectures and management; distributed file systems; protection and security; distributed concurrency control; deadlock; recovery; remote tasking; dynamic reconfiguration; performance measurement, modeling, and system tuning. COMP 4000: An advanced course emphasizing the principles of distributed operating systems including networking protocols, distributed file systems, remote IPC mechanisms, graphical user interfaces, load balancing, and process migration. Case studies include current "standards" as well as novel systems under development.

There are no required textbooks for the class; instead, required readings will be made available through the class website. In general, the assigned readings will be academic papers.

Students will be evaluated in this course according to the following measures.

Component	Weight	Due Date
Paper responses	20 %	Mondays at the start of class
Group Presentations & Notes	20 %	Mondays during class
Participation	20 %	Ongoing
Final Exam (undergrad)	40 %	Assigned Final Exam date
Oral Project Presentation (grad)	10 %	last week of classes
Project Report (grad)	30 %	Assigned Final Exam date

NOTE: The "reading responses" are a short (approximately one to two pages total, for all readings) write-ups that discuss the readings for a given week, due at the beginning of class on each Monday. Your write-ups should take the form of paragraphs, ideally connecting together into a brief essay. I will not grade these for style or grammar (although I appreciate both); instead, I am looking for evidence that you have read and thought about the readings. Note that your write-ups should not summarize the readings; instead, they should discuss points that you thought were interesting for whatever reason (controversial, surprising, insightful, etc.) Critiques of the readings are also encouraged. From time to time, you may find some readings hard to understand; if this is the case, your write-up should explain why you had difficulty understanding the work. Remember that the primary purpose of these assignments is to ensure that everyone comes to class prepared to discuss the assigned material.

Each Monday the class will be split into groups, one for each assigned reading. These groups will each discuss one of the assigned papers for part of the class; each will then designate one person to present the readings to the whole class. The presenter will be graded and that grade will be assigned to all members of the group. Note that no student may present for a group more than once unless all other students in the group have already presented.

On Wednesday we will have general discussions on assigned readings. These discussions may sometimes take the form of a debate. One student may optionally be assigned to take notes for the discussion and post them to the class wiki; in this case the grade for the notes may substitute for their lowest group presentation grade.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, late reading responses will be penalized one letter grade.

Graduate students must complete a class project by the end of the term. Undergraduates may either take a final exam (during the final exam period) or may turn in a class project. Note the class project should be turned in by the assigned final exam period.

Projects are to be on any topic related to distributed operating systems. Most projects will take the form of a specialized literature review or a proposal for original research. The final report is to be 5-10 pages (single-spaced, 12 point font). The final project is expected to be a polished presentation of material, complete with appropriate citations. Ideas for appropriate projects will be discussed in class.

Optionally, you may turn in a paper outline/rough draft in order to receive feedback. To get feedback in a timely fashion, please turn it in before the end of February.

Every student should be familiar with the Carleton University student academic integrity policy. A student found in violation of academic integrity standards may be awarded penalities which range from a reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the program or University. Some examples of offences are: Plagiarism and Unauthorized Co-operation or Collaboration. The Academic Integrity Policy (Apr. 26, 2006) can be found here: http://www.scs.carleton.ca/school/download/ac_integrity_apr26_2006.pdf.

As defined by Senate, "plagarism is presenting, whether intentional or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others as one's own". Such reported offences will be reviewed. A student found in violation of regulations may be awarded penalties which range from reprimand to receiving a grade of F in the course or even being expelled from the university.

Senate policy states that "to ensure fairness and equity in assessment of term work, students shall not co-operate or collaborate in the completion of an academic assignment, in whole or in part, when the instructor has indicated that the assignment is to be completed on an individual basis". Please refer to the course outline statement concerning this issue.

Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations in this course must contact a coordinator at the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities to complete the necessary letters of accomodation. After registering with the PMC, make an appointment to meet and discuss your needs with the course instructor in order to make the necessary arrangements as early in the term as possible. Accommodations for in-class tests and for assignments should be discussed with the course instructor as early as possible (within the first two weeks of class for those courses with early tests/assignments) and supported by the Paul Menton Centre.

Students requesting academic accommodation on the basis of religious observance should make a formal written request to their instructor(s) for alternative dates and/or means of satisfying course requirements. This request should be made within the first two weeks of the academic term, or as soon as possible once the need for accommodation becomes known. Instructors will make reasonable accommodations in a way that will avoid academic disadvantage to the student. Further information on accommodation on the basis of religious observance may be found on the Equity Services website at http://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/a_religion.htm

Pregnant students requiring academic accommodations are encouraged to contact an Equity Advisor in Equity Services to complete a letter of accommodation. The student must then make an appointment to discuss her needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the first academic event in which it is anticipated the accommodation will be required.

The following is a link to the official medical certificate accepted by Carleton University for the deferral of final examinations or assignments in undergraduate courses. To access the form, please go to http://www.carleton.ca/registrar/forms.htm Graduate students should contact the Graduate Studies and Research Office for documentation guidelines

As in-class discussion is one of the main forms of learning in this class, I expect students to attend all classes. Multiple absences may result in a low class participation grade, and as such could significantly affect your grade in this course.

I view all students in this course as independent junior researchers - thus, as with regular research, I expect you to collaborate but also to give credit where credit is due. To that end, you are allowed to collaborate on all aspects of this course, so long as any turned-in text is in your own words and you cite those with whom you collaborated. For the reading responses, this means you should mention with whom you discussed the readings; for the class project, you should cite as "personal communication" any ideas that came from other classmates.

The School of Computer Science undergraduate advisor can assist you with information about prerequisites and preclusions, enquiries about course substitutions/equivalencies, understanding your academic audit and remaining requirements for graduation. The advisor will also refer students to appropriate resources on campus such as the Student Academic Success Centre (SASC), Writing Tutorial Centre, Registrar's Office, etc. The School of Computer Science Undergraduate Advisor is Joni Campbell located in HP5326. Joni Campbell's EMAIL: joni atsign

scs.carleton.ca TEL.: 1-613-520-2600 x4364