| Instructor: | Peter A. Dinda (Office Hours: Thursdays, 2-4 or by Appointment) |
| Time: | Winter 2010, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:50am |
| Location: | Tech L170 (we will probably move to a conference room) |
| Course number: | EECS 441 |
| Undergraduate Assistant | Andy Gocke (Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1-3pm, Wilkinson Lab, or by Appointment) |
| Recitation Section | Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Tech L160 |
Similar to the previous iteration of this course (Winter 2009), we will spend the bulk of the time in this class examining a virtual machine monitor (VMM) in depth, at the source code level. In particular, we will examine the implementation of the Palacios VMM from my V3VEE Research Project.
Within the undergraduate CS major, EECS 441 counts for breadth or depth credit in the systems area. Undergraduates are welcome.
For graduate students, EECS 441 counts as a graduate course.
Both Computer Science students and Computer Engineering students can benefit from EECS 441, as it focuses on the hardware/software interface. A VMM is an operating system that is implemented directly on top of the hardware interface, and itself presents a hardware interface to higher-level software. The understanding and kernel development skills you will gain in this course are also lucrative.
Prerequisites: Coming into this course, you should
In addition, if you have taken an operating systems course (e.g., EECS 343) and/or a computer architecture course (e.g., EECS 361), you may get a deeper understanding of the concepts in the class.Books: For the most part, we will be examining and discussing real code on a real machine in the class. There is no required textbook, but the following reference book is a good explanation of virtual machines in general:
Unfortunately, I am not aware of a good single book covering the modern x86 architecture from an OS perspective. We will use the Intel and AMD architecture manuals as needed (links given below). You may also find that the EECS 213 textbook is a helpful reference. Two copies are on reserve at the library.I will also provide links to internal materials on Palacios and Kitten during the class. Note that you can now examine the codebase of Palacios online. The codebase of Kitten is also available.
Grading: The components of the class will break down as follows:Communication: We will use a Google group for discussion and to help with scribing. You can request access to our group using the following:
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| Subscribe to EECS 441 Resource Virtualization |
| Visit this group |
Computers: I will arrange for you to have accounts on a machine that is set up correctly. This will also give you read access to the main repository for Palacios VMM development. You should also have accounts in the TLab or Wilkinson Lab so that you can work together more easily.
This is a course in operating systems (OS) design and implementation where the example OS is a VMM. OSes operate very differently from application programs, and the development process is also markedly different. In part, this is because OSes interact directly with the hardware interface provided by the processor and system architecture. A VMM is a particularly interesting kind of OS to learn about because it also has to implement what looks like a hardware interface. By studying a VMM, you will be exposed to both sides of the hardware/software interface. This class will do this by considering a real VMM running on top of real hardware. Some specific examples of what you will learn include:
Over the course of the quarter, you will apply what you're learning in a project, and then document your project in a high quality paper and open presentation. Project topics will be chosen in consultation with me, and will primarily focus on the development of extensions or components for Palacios. Such projects will give you the opportunity to enhance your kernel development skills, and create something that can ship (and certainly be part of a portfolio). Exceptional projects can also lead to publications.
Projects can be done in groups. We will discuss potential projects in detail a week or two into the course. I will expect weekly project reports. All projects will be presented at a public colloquium at the day/time of the final exam.