2G1506: Programming with Processes 2002/2003 (Period 1) Programming with Processes (Programmering med processer) is a 5 credit elective course for KS (IT3) offered by the Dept. of Microelectronics and Information Technology (IMIT)

Exams

• Re-exam: 22 August (Friday), at 14:00-19:00, in D34-35 (at KTH campus!) is canceled! (as no one has applied) -- Contact Vlad Vlassov, if you want to take the exam.
• Obligatory registration two weeks ahead by email or phone to Rita Johnsson, 08-790 41 16. Put "2G1506-exam registration" as subject line.
• January 9 (Thursday) at 14-19, in 502 (Forum, level 5)
• Tasks
• Solutions
• Score (in PDF)
• October 22 (Tuesday) at 8-13 in C34, Electrum, level 3
• Tasks
• Solutions
• Score (in PDF)

Index

•  News: (Most recent Nov.21).
• Course Description
• See also course description in Studiehandbok D och E 2002/2003 in English and Swedish
• Course Literature
• Examination
• Course staff
• On separate pages:
• Schedule
• Course Layout and Lecture Notes
• Programming Assignments

Course Description

1. The course will provide study the core concepts and techniques for concurrent (process-oriented and multithreaded) programming which forms the basis for operating systems, reactive and real-time systems, distributed and multi-processor systems.  It will study concurrent programming with threads (processes) and shared variables; locks and barriers, semaphores and monitors. It also provides an overview of principles of distributed programming with processes and message passing. It will include an overview of distributed programming environments. The course will also include a short overview of principles and environments for parallel programming.
2. Practical work: The course is intended to give you knowledge and skills in concurrent programming. You will be introduced to the Pthreads library and Java's threads and synchronization methods, as well as Message Passing Interface (MPI) in two programming assignments.

Prerequisites

Contents

• Concurrent programming with threads and shared variables.
• Process synchronization, critical sections, locks, barriers, semaphores and monitors.
• Case studies: Java's threads, Pthreads, Erlang, Mozart.
• Parallel and distributed programming with processes.
• Message passing, RPC and rendezvous. Paradigms for process interaction.
• An overview of parallel and distributed programming environments (such as MPI, PVM and OpenMP).
• Performance issues.

Literature

The course is based on readings from the textbook  Foundations of Multithreaded, Parallel, and Distributed Programming, by Gregory R. Andrews, Addison-Wesley, 2000; ISBN 0-201-35752-6  augmented by guest lecture(s).  See a copy of the errata page provided by the author that contains corrections to the known errors.  A copy of the textbook can be bought at the KTH bookstore Kårbokhandeln at Electrum in Kista or / and at KTH campus (Drottning Kristinas väg 29). A price is not known yet.

Examination

The exam may consist of tasks of both problem solving and descriptive character. The exam will cover material from the course textbook presented at the lectures and/or listed in the reading instructions (to be provided later). The exam may also partly be related to the programming assignments.

If you hand in programming assignment report(s) before or on the date of the first exam you will get a few bonus credit points (5 % per report) to the exam if the report is accepted.

Tentative distribution of course points:

• Written examination (3 points)
• Programming assignments (2 points)

Exam Schedule

Exam	Date	Place
First exam	22 October (Tuesday), at 8:00-13:00	C34
Re-exam	9 January (Thursday), at 14:00-19:00	502, Forum, level 5

Course Staff

• Vladimir Vlassov, Associate Professor, course leader
• Phone 08-790 4115
• E-mail vlad@imit.kth.se
• Nguyen Phan Nguyen Thai, Ph.D. student, course assistant
• Phone 08-790 4149
• E-mail thai@imit.kth.se
• Rita Johnsson, secretary, grades administration
• Phone 08-790 9591

E-mail ritaj@it.kth.se