CS3283 Distributed Systems

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CS3283 Distributed Systems

• Lecturer K Y Lam
• Rm Y6414
• Tel [phone]
• Email cskylam_at_cityu.edu.hk
• http//www.cs.cityu.edu.hk/kylam

Course web page http//www.cs.cityu.edu.hk/cs3
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Course Objectives

• To introduce the important basic concepts,
  problems and algorithms in distributed computing
• To introduce the key system design issues in
  distributed systems, particularly in the areas of
  system architectures and models, inter-process
  communication, name services, time-global states
  management, coordination and agreement,
  transactions and concurrency control, distributed
  transactions and replication management, and new
  developments in distributed systems
• Understand the basic techniques and algorithms
  for resolving the basic design problems in
  distributed systems
• Concentrate on concepts, problems and algorithms
  instead of tools for distributed computing
  systems programming
• In distributed programming, you learn HOW to do
• In here, you will learn WHY to do them in these
  ways
• Requirements (problems gt solutions), tradeoffs
  and benefits (no perfect solutions)

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Assessment and Coursework

• Assessment
• Examination 70 (2 hours exam)
• Coursework 30 (report, quiz and assignment)
• Conceptual and theoretical (exam)
• Examination (70) will concentrate on the
  conceptual and theoretical materials introduced
  in the lectures
• Report 6 (around week 5)
• Quiz 12 (around week 8)
• Assignment 12
• Details will be passed to you in week 4/5

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Class Schedule (tentative)

• Introduction to Distributed Systems (week 1)
• System Models (week 2)
• Multiprocessing and Multithreading (week 3)
• Inter-process Communication (weeks 4-5)
• Name Services (week 6)
• Time and Global States (week 7)
• Quiz (week 8)
• Coordination and Election (week 9)
• Distributed Transactions (week 10)
• Replication and Consistency (weeks 11 -12)
• New Developments in Distributed Systems and
  revision (week 13)

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Text Book and References

• Text Book
• Distributed System, Concepts and Design, Fourth
  Edition, George Coulouris, Jean Dollimore Tim
  Kindberg
• Reference Book
• Distributed System, Principles and Paradigms,
  Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Maarten van Steen
• Resources
• http//code.google.com/edu/parallel/index.html
• http//www.cs.rutgers.edu/pxk/rutgers/syllabus.ht
  ml

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Some Suggestions

• How to take this course
• Attend all (most) the lectures/tutorials
• Read the handouts before and after the lectures
• Read the text/reference books (and other related
  materials)
• To attend the quiz
• To complete the assignments and exercises
• Not just memorize the keywords and concepts
• Need to know the problems, and then the
  solutions, and also the underlying principles
• Just  to remind, according to CityU regulations,
  1 credit unit is earned by approximately 40-50
  hours of student work over a semester (including
  lectures/tutorials/lab, assignments, and study). 
  For a typical 3 credit unit course, with 3 hours
  lecture/tutorial/lab, a student should spend
  roughly 80 to 110 hours of additional work
  outside of class (each week 3-4hr 40-60hr for
  assignment works)

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My Expectations

• Meet the course learning objectives
• You will have your own understandings of what a
  distributed system is, and the fundamental
  problems and basic solutions for solving these
  problems
• You should not just copy other peoples idea. You
  should develop your own understandings
• You will be able to
• Express your own understandings in the area to
  computer professionals
• Have your own opinions learnt from this course
  for solving real world problems
• Relate the knowledge from this course to other
  courses that you have learnt and going to take
• Your understandings on how to learn and study
• Your understandings on how to become a good
  computer professional, a good member in the
  society, and a good man

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What are your expectations?

• ????
• To obtain a good grade from this course (A, B, C,
  ) and then finish the degree
• LASSI Test Scores
• ATT 15 (Attitudes and interest in academic
  studies)
• MOT 25 (Diligence, self-discipline, and
  willingness in learning)
• ANX 51 (Worries about attending University and
  academic performance)
• No interests in learning and also not willing to
  learn. So, I worry about my future in here.
• So, what do you want?
• My suggestions
• No need to worry too much. You should be able to
  obtain a good result if you
• Work hard
• Follow my teaching and my suggestions
• Motivate yourselves as a good result is very
  important to your future and the knowledge from
  here will be useful (directly and indirectly) for
  your whole life. It is a kind of training and
  exercises to prepare you for the future. The real
  problems in the future will be much more difficult

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Top
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bottom
Where are you now?
What do you want to be?