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MSIT

MSIT 5212: Operating Systems

MSIT 5212: Operating Systems

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: none

Course Description: This course delves into the fundamental principles of operating systems, examining their basic structure and key concepts such as abstraction, concurrency, scalability, persistence, and resource allocation. Additionally, it explores the roles of operating systems in managing user program execution, facilitating device interaction, and acting as vital intermediaries between users and hardware components. 

Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

  • Hailperin, M. (2019). Operating systems and middleware: Supporting controlled interaction. Thomson Learning, Inc.: San Francisco, CA. Download the pdf. 

  • Shotts, W. (2019). The Linux command line. No Starch Press (5th ed.). http://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php or download the pdf.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of operating systems, including abstraction, concurrency, scalability, persistence, and resource allocation.
  2. Implement operating system principles to effectively manage user program execution and facilitate device interaction.
  3. Analyze the roles of operating systems as crucial intermediaries between users and hardware components, evaluating their significance in modern computing environments.
  4. Evaluate various strategies for optimizing operating system performance, IPC and security prioritizing solutions to enhance overall system efficiency and user experience.

Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 - Introduction to Operating Systems

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Classify different operating systems, including their functions and traits.
  2. Assess the historical development of operating systems noting the significant advancements.
  3. Analyze key components of operating systems to understand their purpose and structure.

Week 2: Unit 2 - Understanding System Structures

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Differentiate the roles and privileges of Kernel and User Space in operating systems.
  2. Utilize System Calls and APIs effectively for interacting with the operating system.
  3. Evaluate the significance of Scalability and Persistence in operating system design and management.

Week 3: Unit 3 - Fundamental Principles of Operating Systems

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate File System Abstraction's efficiency in managing data storage.
  2. Utilize diverse Inter-Process Communication (IPC) Mechanisms effectively.
  3. Differentiate causes of Deadlocks and Race Conditions and propose solutions in OS design.

Week 4: Unit 4 - Device Interaction and Management

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Investigate the importance of I/O systems and device drivers for effective peripheral device management.
  2. Develop expertise in managing file systems, including organization, allocation, and directory structuring.
  3. Assess proficiency in process management principles and techniques, including creation, scheduling, synchronization, and termination.

Week 5: Unit 5 - Resource Allocation Strategies

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze CPU scheduling algorithms to assess system performance.
  2. Evaluate disk scheduling algorithms for enhanced I/O performance.
  3. Justify memory management techniques for efficient resource utilization.

Week 6: Unit 6 - Operating System Services

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze the principles and functionality of User Interfaces and Command Line Interfaces.
  2. Explain the concepts and mechanisms involved in Networking and Communication Services.
  3. Evaluate the importance and implementation of Security and Access Control mechanisms in operating systems.
  4. Apply shell scripting techniques to automate tasks and streamline system management processes.

Week 7: Unit 7 - Enhancing System Efficiency

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze kernel design principles and implementation methods.
  2. Evaluate fault tolerance techniques for improved system reliability.
  3. Explain virtual memory management concepts and benefits.
  4. Justify the use of various messaging system components to enhance system efficiency.

Week 8: Unit 8 - Modern Computing Environments

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Examine the principles and architecture of cloud computing and distributed systems.
  2. Assess the characteristics and challenges of mobile and embedded operating systems.
  3. Develop strategies to identify emerging trends and anticipate future directions in operating system design and implementation.

Course Requirements:

Discussion Assignments & Response Posts
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posted by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least two (2) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Your discussion posts will be assessed by your instructor.  Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.

Assignment Activities
The assignment activities are graded by your instructor. The grading rubric is listed under the assignment instructions. The grading rubric is a document that outlines the criteria that your instructor will use to grade your work.

Course Forum

The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

Course Policies:

Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

Items Number of assignments Weight
Discussion Forum 6 40%
Assignment Activities 5 60%


Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

Letter Grade                        
 Grade Scale Grade Points 
A+ 98-100 4.00
A 93-97 4.00
A- 90-92 3.67
B+ 88-89 3.33
B 83-87 3.00
B- 80-82 2.67
C+ 78-79 2.33
C 73-77 2.00
C- 70-72 0.00
D+ 68-69 0.00
D 63-67 0.00
D- 60-62 0.00
F Under 60 0.00
CR N/A N/A
NC N/A N/A
NF N/A N/A
W N/A N/A


Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

  • Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
  • Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
  • Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
  • All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several styles and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several style and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Refer to the UoPeople's APA Tutorials in the LRC for help with APA citations.

Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.

Submitting Assignments

Please note that accepted formats for assignments are Microsoft compatible format, PDF, or any other file format that is clearly specified in the course and activity instructions. These files should not be password-protected. Additionally, unless otherwise stated in assignment instructions, screenshots of computer coding, mathematical formulas or images with sentence structures (typed or in handwriting) are not allowed when you submit your assignments in this course. 


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