Course Overview

This course covers what operating systems are, why they are needed, and how they are designed and implemented — including the key mechanisms, abstractions, and policies that operating systems provide.

Topics covered in depth:

• Processes and process management

• Threads and concurrency (multithreading challenges)

• Hardware resource management (CPU, memory)

• Communication and I/O (including file I/O)

• Distributed services: Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs), distributed file systems, distributed shared memory

• Systems software in data center and cloud environments

The Toy Shop Analogy

Throughout the course, OS concepts are illustrated via a toy shop metaphor:

• Hardware = the toy shop (tools, workspaces, storage areas)

• Processes/applications = toys being produced

• Operating system = the toy shop manager who oversees everything