CS210 - Computer Systems and Architecture
| TIMETABLE | TEACHING MATERIAL |
| Credits | 20 |
| Level | 2 |
| Semester | Semester 1, Semester 2 |
| Availability | Possible elective |
| Prerequisites | Basic knowledge of programming in a high level language, computer organisation and machine language, such as might be gained from CS105 and CS106. |
| Learning Activities Breakdown | Lectures: 40 | Labs: 40 Assignments: 60 | Self study: 60 |
| Assessment | 100% by coursework (programming exercises, individual programming project, group programming project and a class test). |
| Lecturer | John Levine |
Aims and Objectives
To enable the student to:
- understand and program in the C programming language
- create system programs in C for the Linux operating system
- understand how modern operating system enable computer programs to run as processes
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the class, a student should be able to:
- write programs in C, including the use of data structures and pointers
- understand how memory is used and referenced in C
- understand how the compilation process works in C
- write systems programs in C using system calls
- understand how processes are created and managed
- understand how multiple process can run in modern operating systesm
Syllabus
Semester 1: students will learn how to program in C. The material will be assessed using weekly exercises (20%) and an individual programming assignment (30%).
Semester 2: students will learn how processes run in modern operating systems (assessed by a class test worth 25%) and complete a large group practical to create a systems program for Linux, written in C (worth 25%).
Recommended Reading
This list is indicative only – the class lecturer may recommend alternative reading material. Please do not purchase any of the reading material listed below until you have confirmed with the class lecturer that it will be used for this class.
The C Programming Language, Second Edition, B. W. Kernighan and D. M. Ritchie, Addison-Wesley, 1988.
Operating Systems Concepts, 10th edition, A. Silberschatz, P. B. Galvin and G. Gagne, John Wiley & Sons, 2019.
Last updated: 2024-01-26 00:21:20