6.033: Computer System Engineering - Spring 2001

General Information

MIT catalog description

Prereq.: 6.004 Prereq: (and, by implication, 6.001 and 6.002)
U (2)
5-0-7

Topics on the engineering of computer software and hardware systems: techniques for controlling complexity; system infrastructure; networks and distributed systems; atomicity and coordination of parallel activities; recovery and reliability; privacy of information; impact of computer systems on society. Case studies of working systems and outside reading in the current literature provide comparisons and contrasts. Two design projects. Enrollment may be limited. 4 Engineering Design Points.

Underground Review (available from MIT IP addressess only): 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Grading policy

Final grade = 1/3 Recitation Participation + 1/3 Design Projects + 1/3 Quizzes

Since an important part of 6.033 is discussion of current literature, your recitation participation will influence your grade significantly.

Each week you are expected to complete two assignments. The first is a short reading report, called a "one-pager." It is a short (one page) written report due at the beginning of every Tuesday recitation. The specific topic to be addressed in the report will be given on the previous week's assignment page. In recitation you should be prepared to talk about the whole paper, not just the particular point of the writing assignment. Note that we strictly adhere to the single-side, one-page limit. This forces you to prioritize issues and write concisely.

The second is a hands-on experimental assignment, which you can usually complete at an Athena workstation, sometimes using the Web. The idea is to try and reinforce some of the abstract concepts from the lectures or papers that week by getting your hands dirty using software tools.

The hands-on projects and one-page papers contribute to your recitation participation grade.

The design projects are longer, 8-10 page papers in which you engage in a design exercise or consider a question in more depth than the weekly reading reports allow. Design projects will be handed out about two weeks before they are due. The first design project will be done individually; the second design project will be done in teams. You must hand in both design projects to pass 6.033.

Collaboration

Class meetings

The registrar's schedule reserves Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2 p.m. for 6.033. We use some, but not all, of the Friday hours for special events. The most notable special events are two one-hour quizzes, scheduled for Friday March 9 and Friday April 20. Other special events are lectures by staff of the M.I.T. Writing Program, on February 9 and March 16. Sometimes we discover that an interesting visitor can be cajoled into giving us a guest lecture, in which case we will schedule it on Friday. And, finally, if winter gets any worse and we encounter a week of snowed-out lectures, we may try to get back on schedule by using the Friday lecture hour. Reserve the Friday hour in your calendar, even though it isn't going to be used every week; make sure the reservation is clearly marked for the two quiz dates.

		Time	Location	Instructor	TA
Lecture		MW2	34-101	Kaashoek and Morris
Special lectures		F2	34-101
Recitations:	(#1)	TR10	34-303	Garland	Freedman
	(#13)	TR10	34-302	Kaashoek/Morris	Tyan
	(#11)	TR10	36-155	Sollins	Furman
	(#2)	TR11	34-303	Garland	Furman
	(#6)	TR11	34-302	Kaashoek/Morris	Yang
	(#12)	TR11	36-155	Sollins	Tyan
	(#5)	TR12	34-303	Snoeren	Freedman
	(#7)	TR1	34-303	Snoeren	Yang
	(#3)	TR1	36-839	Jackson	Clarke
	(#8)	TR1	34-302	Saltzer	Dabek
	(#10)	TR1	36-153	Druschel	Silahtar
	(#9)	TR2	34-303	Saltzer	Clarke
	(#4)	TR2	36-839	Jackson	Silhtar
	(#14)	TR2	38-136	Druschel	Dabek

Reading materials

1. Brooks, Frederick P. The Mythical Man-Month, Addison-Wesley, 1995. (ISBN 0-201-00650-2, paperback) These are available at the Coop and at Quantum Books. Last year, Quantum was cheaper.

2. Readings for 6.033, a packet of stuff available from the EECS instrument room for $12. Follow this procedure to get the packet: Pick up a coupon sheet (copies handed out at the first recitation and available from the course secretary), fill it in, and take it together with cash or check to the cashier's office, 10-180. They will give you a receipt, which you can exchange for the reading packet in room 38-501 between 10 AM and 8 PM. A paper from this packet will be assigned for each recitation meeting (see schedule for details). The papers should be read prior to the section meeting.

3. Class notes for 6.033, obtainable from the instrument room with the reading packet at no additional cost. The class notes cover the material presented in lecture. For each lecture we will assign a section of the class notes to accompany the presented material. You will also find the notes helpful in preparing for quizzes.

Staff

Course TAs mailing list: 6.033-tas@mit.edu
Use this mailing list to contact all the 6.033 TAs.

Course staff mailing list: 6.033-staff@mit.edu
Use this mailing list to contact all the 6.033 staff members.

TA office hours

All office hours will be held in the lounge in the 5th floor of LCS.

Frank Dabek	T 3-4, F 3-4
Joshua Furman	W 3-4
Michael Freedman	TR 11-12
Oguz Silahtar	M 4-5
Peter Yang	M 1-2
Tina Tyan	M 12-1
Dwaine Clarke	W 5-6

Writing Requirement, Phase II

1. We will forward a copy of your first weekly writing assignment to the Writing Program for evaluation and comment. (These comments usually come back about three weeks later.) In addition, if you ask us to, we will forward to the Writing Program any design project on which your 6.033 grade is a B or better and which contains at least ten pages clearly identified as having been written by you. (The second design project may be a team effort, in which case you may have to volunteer to be the team scribe if you want to take advantage of this option. You should inform your recitation instructor in advance if you wish to pursue this option.) Assuming the evaluator in the Writing Program likes your stuff, you will receive credit for Phase II of the M.I.T. writing requirement. For more information, see the description.

2. The staff of the Writing Program will offer several sections of a 6.033 writing practicum. If you are a student in course 6 and receive a B- or higher in the practicum, you will receive credit for Phase II. Check out the practicum web site for more information.

Questions or comments regarding 6.033? Send e-mail to the TAs at 6.033-tas@mit.edu.
Questions or comments about this web page? Send e-mail to 6.033-webmaster@mit.edu.

Top // 6.033 home // Last updated $Date: 2001/03/16 19:32:55 $ by $Author: fdabek $