IT 503 Study Plan: Computer System Overview and Operating System Overview

Lessons in this plan

1. 1 Computer System Basic Elements and Modern Processor Types Identify the core hardware elements of a computer system and distinguish roles of processors, main memory, I/O modules, the system bus, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, and systems on a chip. 35 min Video Explanation
2. 2 Instruction Execution and Interrupt Fundamentals Explain the fetch-execute cycle using PC and IR, classify instruction actions, and describe why interrupts are needed along with major interrupt classes and multiple-interrupt handling concepts. 30 min
3. 3 Memory Hierarchy and Cache Basics Describe the design tradeoffs of memory systems, explain the memory hierarchy and principle of locality, and summarize cache purpose, mapping, replacement, and write policy at a conceptual level. 40 min
4. 4 I/O Techniques and Data Transfer Efficiency Compare programmed I/O, interrupt-driven I/O, and DMA in terms of processor involvement, efficiency, and system performance impact. 25 min
5. 5 Multiprocessor and Multicore Computer Organization Summarize SMP and multicore organization and explain how shared memory, shared I/O access, and integrated OS control support parallel execution. 25 min
6. 6 Operating System Services, Interfaces, and Resource Management List major OS services, differentiate ISA, ABI, and API, and explain the OS role as a resource manager that controls processor time, memory, files, and I/O. 35 min
7. 7 Evolution of Operating Systems: From Batch to Time-Sharing Trace the progression from simple batch systems to multiprogrammed and time-sharing systems, including monitor overhead and how time-sharing supports multiple interactive users. 30 min
8. 8 Processes, Protection, Scheduling, and Core OS Design Issues Explain the importance of process execution context, identify major concurrency-related problems, and connect protection, security, scheduling, and resource allocation to OS responsibilities. 40 min
9. 9 Modern OS Design for Multicore, Reliability, and Virtualization Describe microkernel architecture, multithreading, OS support for SMP, fault categories, fault-tolerance mechanisms, and the virtual machine approach for multicore systems. 35 min
10. 10 Examples of Operating System Architectures: Windows, Linux, and Android Recognize how major OS families illustrate course concepts through Windows thread/SMP support, Linux modular structure, and Android runtime and process organization. 35 min