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Course Info

Overview Sections Schedule Office Hours Canvas/Piazza Grading Zeus Server

GMU Policies

Accommodations Honor Code Title IX Privacy FERPA and Email Inclusion

Contact Info

Email

Course Overview

Instructor: Dr. Kevin Andrea
Course: CS 571
Credits: 3
Repetition:
  • May not be repeated for credit.
  • May be repeated with permission of the CS Department for any unsatisfactory grades.
  • Satisfactory Grades are B- and above. (see AP. 1.3.4 in the Catalog)
Modality: In-Person Lecture (Online Lectures only in Snow Days or Campus Shutdowns)

Course Description:

CS 571 provides an introduction to the principles of operating systems theory and practice. Fundamental concepts such as processes, synchronization, scheduling, memory management, file systems, distributed systems, and security will be presented.

This course will prepare you for further courses in the Systems and Networking area, to include CS 635 (Foundations of Parallel Computation), CS 672 (Computer System Performance Evaluation), and CS 675 (Distributed Systems), among others.

Textbook

In this class, the main resource for the material will be the lectures and slides delivered by the instructor. There are many, many different ways to approach these topics, and each operating system (and each different version or that code) may support completely different implementations. The lectures are the primary resource for the course.

Required Textbook: "Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces" (Online Book, Arpaci-Dusseau Books) by R.H. Arpaci-Dusseau and A.C. Arpaci-Dusseau.

Recommended Textbook: "The C Programming Language", 2nd ed. by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie, Prentice Hall, 1988.

Additional Resources: The following older textbooks also are good resources. These are not required, but if you would like additional references that cover the same topics, a recent edition of any of the following books will present in-depth discussions on the core topics.

Recommended Prerequisites

These are recommended prerequisites for this course. This course assumes you are comfortable with programming in C as a strong requirement. All programming assignments will be programmed in C and you will need to be able to read and assess existing C code as the starting point for your programming assignments.

Topics for this Semester Will Include:

Sections

All sections are taught in-person.

Section Time Location
002 M 4:30pm - 7:10pm Sandbridge Hall room 107

Schedule

Planned Schedule and Timeline: https://cs.gmu.edu/~kandrea/F24/CS571_Schedule_F24.html

Office Hours

Office Hours Policies

Office Hours Locations and Maps

Professor's Office Hours (For Lecture Topics, Homework and Exam Assistance and Grading)

Professor Times Map
Prof. Andrea Mondays (3:00pm - 4:00pm) Map Link: Buchanan Hall D217C in the CS Office on the Second Floor.
Wednesdays (2:30pm - 3:30pm)

GTA Office Hours (For Programming Assignment Assistance and Grading)

GTA Times Map
Benjamin Wall (bwall4@gmu.edu) Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00pm - 4:00pm Buchanan Hall Room D215, Desk D2

Canvas and Piazza

Canvas

Canvas Link: https://canvas.gmu.edu

Important Notice: This course will be hosted on Canvas this semester. Please ensure you are familiar with accessing and navigating this platform. Resources and support are available at: https://lms.gmu.edu/getting-started-students/ to help you get started. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me or contact the ITS Support Center (support@gmu.edu) for assistance.

CS 571 Canvas Page

Piazza

This term we will be using the Piazza discussion board for programming assignment discussions only.

Piazza Link: To Be Announced

Piazza Policies

Grading

The course will have two midterms and a final. Much of the work during the semester will be completing programming assignments, as well as regular homework activities.

In general, all grades should be available about two weeks after submission.

Semester Grades

Category Grade % Notes
Programming Assignments 30% PA0 - PA2 are each weighted differently
Homeworks 15% Approximately 7 homework assignments
Midterms (2x) 15% Each
(30% Total)		 No Replacement Policies
Final 25% Cumulative

Grading Scale

For Graduate Courses, a B- or higher is a Satisfactory Grade.

If you earn below a B-, you will need to repeat the course.

Grade Cut-Off Grade Cut-Off
A ≥ 90% B ≥ 75%
C ≥ 65% F < 65%

Grade Contesting

Grading Policies

Programming Assignment Policies

Computer Accounts

This is a Systems Programming class. Unlike a general-purpose C courses for any computer system, this course is based on building programs for a specific system. For CS 571, that system is an emulated server that is running Zeus.

Zeus is a Linux computer running Red Hat Enterprise Linux and is administerd by the College of Engineering and Computing for our use. Some of our programs will involve libraries that have been pre-built on Zeus, and some programs will use system specific features that may only build properly on Zeus.

Connecting to Zeus

Zeus Policies

Accommodations

Disability Services at George Mason University is committed to upholding the letter and spirit of the laws that ensure equal treatment of people with disabilities. Under the administration of University Life, Disability Services implements and coordinates reasonable accommodations and disability-related services that afford equal access to university programs and activities. Students can begin the registration process with Disability Services at any time during their enrollment at George Mason University. If you are seeking accommodations, please visit https://ds.gmu.edu/ for detailed information about the Disability Services registration process. Disability Services is located in Student Union Building I (SUB I), Suite 2500. Email: ods@gmu.edu. Phone: (703) 993-2474.

Student responsibility: Students are responsible for registering with Disability Services and communicating about their approved accommodations with their instructor in advance of any relevant class meeting, assignment, or exam.

Course Accommodations Policies

Academic Standards (Honor Code)

Academic Standards exist to promote authentic scholarship, support the institution’s goal of maintaining high standards of academic excellence, and encourage continued ethical behavior of faculty and students to cultivate an educational community which values integrity and produces graduates who carry this commitment forward into professional practice. 

As members of the George Mason University community, we are committed to fostering an environment of trust, respect, and scholarly excellence. Our academic standards are the foundation of this commitment, guiding our behavior and interactions within this academic community. The practices for implementing these standards adapt to modern practices, disciplinary contexts, and technological advancements. Our standards are embodied in our courses, policies, and scholarship, and are upheld in the following principles: 

Violations of these standards—including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication, and cheating—are taken seriously and will be addressed in accordance with university policies. The process for reporting, investigating, and adjudicating violations is outlined in the university’s procedures. Consequences of violations may include academic sanctions, disciplinary actions, and other measures necessary to uphold the integrity of our academic community. 

The principles outlined in these academic standards reflect our collective commitment to upholding the highest standards of honesty, acknowledgement, and uniqueness of work. By adhering to these principles, we ensure the continued excellence and integrity of George Mason University’s academic community. 

Student responsibility: Students are responsible for understanding how these general expectations regarding academic standards apply to each course, assignment, or exam they participate in; students should ask their instructor for clarification on any aspect that is not clear to them.

We take the honor code quite seriously. Any attempts at copying or sharing code, algorithms, or other violations of the honor code simply will not be tolerated.

As seductively simple as it may seem to just copy and paste work from a friend or online source, remember that it is just as easy to compare your work electronically, and discover the similarities. We use automated software to flag suspicious cases, and then review them by hand to find the cases that must be submitted to the Academic Standards Office. Repeat to yourself: it's not worth trying to cheat. We will catch it, and sadly but surely, we will turn it in.

The penalty for cheating will always be far worse than a zero grade, to ensure it's not worth taking the chance.

Course Policies

Student Responsibilities

Academic Standards Links and Specifics

Sexual Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policies

As a part of George Mason University’s commitment to providing a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and working environment for all members of the University community, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in any of its education or employment programs and activities. Accordingly, all non- confidential employees, including your faculty member, have a legal requirement to report to the Title IX Coordinator, all relevant details obtained directly or indirectly about any incident of Prohibited Conduct  (such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, gender-based stalking, dating/domestic violence). Upon notifying the Title IX Coordinator of possible Prohibited Conduct, the Title IX Coordinator will assess the report and determine if outreach is required. If outreach is required, the individual the report is about (the “Complainant”) will receive a communication, likely in the form of an email, offering that person the option to meet with a representative of the Title IX office.

For more information about non-confidential employees, resources, and Prohibited Conduct, please see University Policy 1202: Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence. Questions regarding Title IX can be directed to the Title IX Coordinator via email to TitleIX@gmu.edu, by phone at 703-993-8730, or in person on the Fairfax campus in Aquia 373.  

Student opportunity:  If you prefer to speak to someone confidentially, please contact one of Mason’s confidential employees in Student Support and Advocacy (SSAC), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Student Health Services (SHS), and/or the Office of the University Ombudsperson.

Privacy

All course materials posted to Canvas or other course site are private; by federal law, any materials that identify specific students (via their name, voice, or image) must not be shared with anyone not enrolled in this class.

To protect your privacy, we also cannot list your GMU email address on any public forum or provide it to any other students. You may, of course, give your email address to any other students.

Video recordings of class meetings that are shared only with the instructors and students officially enrolled in a class do not violate FERPA or any other privacy expectation.

Personal Privacy Statements

FERPA and Email

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the disclosure of education records for eligible students and is an essential aspect of any course. Students must use their GMU email account to receive important University information, including communications related to this class. Instructors will not respond to messages sent from or send messages regarding course content to a non-GMU email address.

Student responsibility: Students are responsible for checking their GMU email regularly for course-related information, and/or ensuring that GMU email messages are forwarded to an account they do check.

All course materials posted to Canvas or other course site are private; by federal law, any materials that identify specific students (via their name, voice, or image) must not be shared with anyone not enrolled in this class.

To protect your privacy, we also cannot list your GMU email address on any public forum or provide it to any other students. You may, of course, give your email address to any other students.

Video recordings of class meetings that are shared only with the instructors and students officially enrolled in a class do not violate FERPA or any other privacy expectation.

Personal Privacy Statements

Inclusion

Every student in this class is exactly where they belong and it is our honor to welcome each of you to join us in learning throughout this semester. Every student in this class, regardless of background, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, political affiliation, physical or mental ability, veteran status, nationality, or any other identity category, is an equal member of our class.

You have the right to be called by whatever name you wish, to be referred to by whatever pronoun you identify, and to adjust these at any point.

If you feel uncomfortable in any aspect of our instruction that results in any barrier to your inclusion in this course, please contact your professor directly.

Email Address and Required Subject Information

Prof. Andrea Email: kandrea @ gmu.edu

Put [CS 571] at the front of your subject so we can filter it into the right folder.

Example Subject:

Email Policies