Class Information

Professors: Andrew Danner Lecture | Adam Lammert Lab
Office: Sci 247 (Danner) | Sci 270 (Lammert)
Phone: (610) 328-8665 (Danner) | (610) 957-6070 (Lammert)

Time: TR 2:40pm — 3:55pm - Sci Cntr 199
Lab A Time: F 1:15pm — 2:45pm - Sci Cntr 240
Lab B Time: F 3:00pm — 4:30pm - Sci Cntr 240

Text: Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 2/E (CS:APP2e)
        Bryant and O'Hallaron, Prentice Hall, 2011, ISBN: 0-13-610804-0
        (a copy is on reserve at Cornell Library)

Course Overview:

This course is a broad introduction to computer science that focuses on how a computer works and how programs run on computers. We examine the hardware and software components required to go from a program expressed in a high-level programming language like C or Python to the computer actually running the program. This course takes a bottom-up approach to discovering how a computer works, and introduces parallel and distributed computing with a specific focus on parallelism for multicore and other shared memory systems. Topics include theoretical models of computation, data representation, machine organization, assembly and machine code, memory, I/O, the stack, the operating system, compilers and interpreters, processes and threads, and synchronization. In addition to parallel programming, we will discuss parallel computers and system-level support for parallel computing. Prerequisite: Completion of CS21 or its equivalent.

Goals for the Course:

• To understand how a sequential or parallel program goes from being expressed in a high-level programming language to being run on the underlying system.
• To understand and analyze the systems costs associated with application performance.
• To understand the role of the operating system and some of the abstractions it implements to support efficiently running programs.
• To understand shared memory parallel computing and to be able to "think in parallel" algorithmically.
• To become proficient in using gdb and valgrind to debug and examine program execution state.
• To design and implement solutions to large problems using the C programming language.
• To design and implement parallel solutions to programming problems that require synchronization using pthreads.

Schedule

(This is tentative. It will be updated as we go.)

The course textbook has a very complete and in-depth coverage of topics. Some we will cover in the same amount of detail as the textbook while others we will not cover or will not cover with the same amount of depth. Take a look at Prof. Newhall's tips for reading CS textbooks to help you determine what to focus on and how to get the most out of the assigned readings. I also recommend that you keep your textbook after taking this course. It will be a useful reference for many upper-level CS courses.

WEEK	DATE	ANNOUNCEMENTS	TOPIC & READING	LAB
1	Sep 02	Using Unix Session: 7-11pm Sci 240 Exercises	Chapter 1 (skim) Introduction to Computer Systems C for Python Programmers	Fri lab
	Sep 04			Lab 1
2	Sep 09		Chapter 2.1-2.2 Intro to C and Program Execution shifting example	Fri lab
	Sep 11	Drop/Add ends (Sep 12)		Lab 2
3	Sep 16		Chapter 1.4, 4.2 motherboard fig Von Neuman Architecture Program Execution Computer Fundmentals	Fri lab
	Sep 18			Lab 3
4	Sep 23		Chapter 7.1-7.3, 3.1-3.5 (skip 3.5.5) Compilers Machine level Programing Assembly Language Data Movement, Arithmetic/Logic Control Flow	Fri lab
	Sep 25
5	Sep 30		Chapter 3.6-3.11, 3.15 (skip 3.6.7, 3.8.4, 3.8.5, 3.9.2) Pointers Dynamic memory allocation	Fri lab
	Oct 02			Lab 04
6	Oct 07		Chapter 3.6-3.11, 3.15 (skip 3.6.7, 3.8.4, 3.8.5, 3.9.2) Assembly Programing The Stack Functions Arrays, Structs, Pointers	Fri lab
	Oct 09			Lab 5
	Oct 14	Fall Break
	Oct 16
7	Oct 21		Chapt. 1.5-1.7, 6 (skip 6.1.2-6.1.4) Operating Systems Memory Heirarchy Storage	Fri lab
	Oct 23	Midterm: Thursday 7:30-9:30pm room: Sci Cntr 101		Lab 5 (cont.)
8	Oct 28		Chapt. 1.5-1.7, 6 (skip 6.1.2-6.1.4) Memory Heirarchy Storage Caching	Fri lab
	Oct 30			Lab 5 (cont.)
9	Nov 04		Chapt. 1.7, 8.1-8.5 Operating Systems	Fri lab
	Nov 06	Last day to declare CR/NC or withdraw with a "W" (Nov 07)		Lab 6
10	Nov 11		Chapt. 9.1-9.3, 9.9 Operating Systems Processes	Fri lab
	Nov 13			Lab 7
11	Nov 18		Chapt. 1.7, 1.9, 12 Operating Systems Virtual Memory	Fri lab
	Nov 20			Lab 8
12	Nov 25		Chapt. 1.7, 1.9, 12 Parallel Systems and Programming SMP and Multicore Threads
	Nov 27	Thanksgiving
13	Dec 02		Chapt. 12 Parallel Systems and Programming Synchronization Deadlock, Race conditions	Fri lab
	Dec 04			Lab 9
14	Dec 09		Wrapup
	Dec 12	Final Exams Begin
	Dec 19	Final Exams End

Grading

Your overall grade in the course will be determined as follows:

30%	Labs and Written Assignments
35%	Final exam
30%	Midterm exam (TBA)
5%	Class Participation and Attendance

CS 31 Ninjas

The CS31 Ninjas are student mentors who will assist me in class and lab, and who run evening study sessions. You are encouraged to participate in Ninja evening study sessions to get friendly assistance on lab assignments and help with preparing for exams.

Weekly Evening Ninja Session: Tuesdays 7-11pm, 240 Sci Center

The CS31 Ninjas:   Greg, Zoe, Brooke, and Ryerson
Ninja Coordinator:   Lauri Courtenay

Weekly Lab Sessions

Weekly lab sessions will be about 1/3 presentation (typically an introduction to the weekly lab assignment and practice learning programming tools for carry out the lab), and about 2/3 for working on the lab assignment. Lab attendence is mandatory and it is expected that you attend the entire lab and that you work on CS31 content during lab.

Most or all labs will be done with a partner. For the first part of the semester you will be assigned a different partner for each lab assignment. Later, I will let you choose your own partner with whom you will work for all remaining assignments. I strongly suggest choosing a partner in your same lab session.

Policy on Lab and Written Assignments

Lab assignments will typically be posted on Thursdays and will be due the following Wednesday evening. You are strongly encouraged to start early and ask questions early if you get stuck. For some assignments you must work individually. For others you must work with a partner.

You may use a maximum of 48 hours over the course of the semester to submit lab assignments after the deadline. If you plan on using this extended time, please let me know via email, but submit your code normally via git (the commit time stamp will be used to determine late hours used). Otherwise, late lab and written assignments will not normally be accepted; however, special exceptions can be made if you contact me well in advance of the deadline (having a lot of work in other classes does not qualify for a special exception). Even if you do not fully complete an assignment, you should submit what you have done to receive partial credit.

Some labs may take a considerable amount of time, so you are strongly encouraged to begin working on assignments well before the due date.

You will submit you assignments electronically using the git version control tools. You may submit your assignment multiple times, and previous versions will be logged, but only the final submission will be graded.

About the CS Labs

I encourage you to work in one of the CS labs when possible (vs. remotely logging in), particularly when working with a partner. The CS labs (rooms 240, 256 and 238) are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you to use for CS course work. With the exception of during times when a class, or a class lab or ninja session is scheduled in 240 or 256, you work in one of the CS labs on your CS course work anytime. The overflow lab (238) is always available. The CS lab resources are for CS course work. Please review the CS Lab Rules and CS User Rules about appropriate use of CS labs.

Accessing the CS labs after hours: Use your ID to gain access to the computer labs at nights and on the weekends. Just wave your ID over the microprox reader next to the lab doors. It should display a green light and beep when unlocked, just push on the door handle to get in (the door knob will not turn). If the green light doesn't go on, then we need to enter your id number into the system. email local-staff@cs.swarthmore.edu if you have problems with this. If the building is locked, you can use your ID to enter the door between Martin and Cornell library.

Tips for Success

• Attend class and actively participate in class.
  The primary introduction to course material is through class lecture. Additionally, we often do exercises during class. Showing up is necessary, but not sufficient to success in the course: ask questions, participate in class discussions and in class activities, and take notes.
• Read the material before you come to class.
  Don't worry about total comprehension, but at least get a feel for what we will be covering that week. If you have some understanding of the material coming into class, it will be easier for you to follow the lecture and to ask questions during class. See Prof. Tia Newhall's tips for reading CS textbooks for guidelines on getting the most out of assigned readings.
• Start the lab assignments early.
  I realize this one is not always easy to do, but if you can get in the habit of doing this, you will be much better off. As the labs get longer and more difficult, starting early will give you plenty of time to mull over the lab problems even when you aren't actively writing your solution.
• Practice, practice, practice.
  The only effective way to learn the material and pass the exams is to consistently do the labs, and to practice example problems presented in class and in the book. Forming study groups to go over practice problems and to review lecture and reading notes is a great way to prepare for exams.
• Seek help early and often.
  Because course material builds on previous material, it is essential to your success in this class that you keep up with the course material. There are a lot of sources of help: ask questions during lecture; ask your classmates (make sure you have read the "Academic Integrity" section below first); get help during lab sessions; come to office hours; and attend ninja study sessions.
• Attend Study Sessions.
  The student Ninjas hold evening study sessions each week. You are encouraged to participate in these sessions. The Ninjas will provide friendly assistance on your lab assignments and can also help answer questions about in-class exercises.
• Take hand written lecture notes.
  In lecture the professor often draws diagrams on the board, some of which you will need to reproduce. Taking notes with paper and pen (vs. on the computer) will allow you to copy these diagrams.

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is required in all your work. Under no circumstances may you hand in work done with (or by) someone else under your own name. Your code should never be shared with anyone; you may not examine or use code belonging to someone else, nor may you let anyone else look at or make a copy of your code. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining solutions from students who previously took the course or code that can be found online. You may not share solutions after the due date of the assignment.

Discussing ideas and approaches to problems with others on a general level is fine (in fact, we encourage you to discuss general strategies with each other), but you should never read anyone else's code or let anyone else read your code. All code you submit must be your own with the following permissible exceptions: code distributed in class, code found in the course text book, and code worked on with an assigned partner. In these cases, you should always include detailed comments that indicates on which parts of the assignment you received help, and what your sources were.

Failure to abide by these rules constitutes academic dishonesty and will lead to a hearing of the College Judiciary Committee. According to the Faculty Handbook: "Because plagiarism is considered to be so serious a transgression, it is the opinion of the faculty that for the first offense, failure in the course and, as appropriate, suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year is suitable; for a second offense, the penalty should normally be expulsion."

Please contact me if you have any questions about what is permissible in this course.

Accommodations Statement

If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact Leslie Hempling in the Office of Student Disability Services (Parrish 130) or (e-mail lhempli1@swarthmore.edu) to set up an appointment to discuss your needs. Leslie Hempling is responsible for reviewing and approving disability-related accommodation requests. As appropriate, she will issue students with documented disabilities an Accommodation Authorization Letter. Since accommodations require early planning and are not retroactive, please contact her as soon as possible. For details about the Student Disabilities Service and the accommodations process, visit the Disability Services website. You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your academic needs. However, all disability-related accommodations must be arranged through Leslie Hempling in the Office Of Student Disability Services.

Resources

Below are some resources and links that may be helpful to you.

• C Programing (C style guide, compiling, linking and debugging help, etc.)
• Prof Newhall's Help Pages and Links (Unix help, gdb, C and Pthreads Programming help, ...)
• CS Department's Help Pages
• remotely connecting to CS
• Useful Unix commands

• IA32 Cheat Sheet, by Julie Zelenski
• IA32 Stack Frame
• x86 Assembly (Wikibooks)
• Textbook site
• Tools for examining system state
• Phases of Compilation and Tools for examining .o and a.out files

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Last updated: Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 01:07:41 PM