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  • OS for parallel machines Summary There are many challenges that the OS faces when building for parallel machines: size bloat (features OS just has to run), memory latency (1000:1 ratio) and numa effects (one process accessing another process’s memory across the network), false sharing (although I’m not entirely sure whether false sharing is a net…

    Shared memory multiprocessing (notes for advanced operating systems)
  • Question 3d   The algorithm is implemented on a cache coherent architecture with an invalidation-based shared-memory bus. The circular queue is implemented as an array of consecutive bytes in memory such that each waiting thread has a distinct memory location to spin on. Let’s assume there are N threads (each running on distinct processors) waiting…

    Midterm preparation (part 3/3) – Virtualization to Test-And-Set
  • Today I’m posting a super short daily review given that the midterm (for advanced operating systems) opens up in about 13 hours. Writing Published on drifting apart (as part of my daily review) Published my first set of guesses to the mid term questions Parenting and family matters Held Elliott in my arms while we…

    Daily Review – Day ending in 2020/09/24
  • This is a continuation of me attempting to answer the midterm questions without peeking at the answers. Part 1 covered questions from OS Structures and this post (part 2) covers virtualization and includes questions revolving around memory management in hypervisors and how to test-and-set atomic operations work. A few useful links I found while trying…

    Midterm preparation (part 2/3) – Virtualization to Test-And-Set
  • Thanks to my wife for encouraging me to pull the trigger and start my online study group (i.e. the “war room”) for my advanced operating systems course. Basically, the idea came about after chatting with a class mate of mine and during our video call, I realized how many of us are basically studying alone…

    On building online learning communities & Daily Review – Day ending in 2020/09/23
  • As mentioned in my recent post on taking a multi pass approach for midterm preparation, I’m taking a stab at answering the midterm questions myself and below are my unfiltered attempts followed by the correct answer that I pulled from the answer key. OS Structures Question 1a Protection domains allow providing independence, integrity, and isolation…

    Midterm preparation – Questions and my guesses for OS Structures section
  • Before stepping into parenthood, my wife and I would often read about other couples scheduling time for being “intimate” (aka sex), time alone just for the two parents. Without this deliberate effort, parents can fall into the trap of focusing 100% of their time on raising their children and forgetting what its like to be…

    On drifting apart & Daily Review – Day ending in 2020/09/22
  • According to the omscentral reviews for the advanced operating systems course, the midterm exams are nearly identical to the previous semester’s exams and former students strongly suggest rote memorization as a the primary study method. In my opinion, these types of tests do not really serve as a great litmus test for evaluating a student’s…

    Multi pass approach for studying to advanced operating systems midterm (fall 2020)
  • If you are an online masters of computer science student (OMSCS) at Georgia Tech and enrolled in advanced operating systems (AOS) course, you might want to check out the notes I’ve taken for the lectures by clicking on the advanced operating systems category on my blog.  For each video lecture, I’ve written down a summary…

    Advanced Operating Systems (AOS) notes
  • Being fully present as a parent all the time seems like an impossible feat. Although I’d like to think that I’m always present with my daughter, I do find myself sometimes mentally checking out.  For example, yesterday, Jess had reminded me during lunch I should be in the here and now instead of scrolling on…

    Being present in the moment & Daily Review – Day ending in 2020/09/21