6.033: Computer Systems Engineering
Spring 2011

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6.033 lectures are in 32-123 at 2pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

We will release the Spring 2011 assignments as the semester moves along. The contents of this calendar for days more than two weeks in the future may be missing. Feel free to see last year's schedule to get an idea of what is to come, but be aware that the details are likely to change.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
feb.0

Registration Day
feb.1
REC 1
Worse is Better

First day of classes

Preparation: Read Worse is Better
feb.2
LEC 1
Intro to systems (slides)

Preparation: Book sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
feb.3
REC 2
The Architecture of Complexity

Preparation: Simon paper
DUE: Simon paper reading question
feb.4
Writing Program Recitation

Preparation: Therac-25 paper and Assignment
Assigned: Memo #1
feb.7
LEC 2
Trends in computer systems (slides)

Preparation: 1.4, 1.5
feb.8
REC 3
Therac-25

Preparation: Therac-25 paper and Recent NYTimes Article

DUE: Memo #1
Assigned: Design Project 1 (DP1)
Assigned: Memo #2
feb.9
LEC 3
Client/Server (notes)

Preparation: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
feb.10
REC 4
X Window system

Preparation: X Window System paper

DUE: Memo #2 (X-Windows)
Assigned: Hands-on #1 (File Systems)
feb.11
No writing program recitation
feb.14
LEC 4
Naming (notes) (slides)

Preparation: Read 2.1 and 2.2
feb.15
REC 5
UNIX File System

Preparation: Read 2.5 (Unix FS case study)

DUE: Hands-on #1 (File Systems)
Assigned: Hands-on #2 (UNIX)
feb.16
LEC 5
Operating System Structure (notes) (slides)

Preparation: 5.1, 5.3, 5.4
feb.17
REC 6
UNIX Processes

Preparation: Unix paper

DUE: Hands-on #2 (UNIX)
feb.18
TUT 1
Design Project 1 introduction

Preparation: DP1 assignment
feb.21

President's Day Holiday

(Tuesday the 22nd will be a Monday schedule)
feb.22
LEC 6
Client/Server In One Computer (notes) (slides) (demo)

Preparation: 5.2

Monday Schedule
feb.23
LEC 7
Virtualizing Processors: Threads (notes) (slides)

Preparation: 5.5 and 5.6
feb.24
REC 7
Eraser

Preparation: Eraser paper

DUE: Eraser reading question
DUE: DP1 Proposal (see DP1 assignment for instructions -- use online submission site.)

feb.25
TUT 2

DP1 Discussion
feb.28
LEC 8
Virtual machines (notes)

Preparation: Read 5.8
mar.1
REC 8
Virtual machines

Preparation: VM evolution paper

DUE: VM paper question
mar.2
LEC 9
Performance(notes) (slides)

Preparation: 6.1, 6.2, 6.3.4
Quiz 1 Review Session
54-100, 7:30pm-9:30pm
mar.3
REC 9
MapReduce

Preparation: MapReduce paper

DUE: MapReduce question
mar.4
QUIZ 1

Material through REC 8
Location: Walker Gym (50-340)
Time: 2:00pm

Quiz 1 FAQ

Add date
mar.7
LEC 10
Intro Networks (6.02 in a lecture) (notes) (slides)

Preparation: Review 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5
Note that chapters 7-11 of the textbook are available online.
mar.8
REC 10
End-to-end arguments and NATs

Preparation: End-to-End paper and NAT overview
Assigned: Hands-on #3 (traceroute)
DUE: End-to-end paper question
mar.9
LEC 11
Internet and Scalable Networks
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: Wide-Area Routing paper
mar.10
REC 11
Internet routing

Preparation: Wide-Area Routing paper
DUE: Hands-on 3 (traceroute)
mar.11
Writing Program Recitation

Writing the DP1 report
mar.14
LEC 12
Reliability & Congestion Control
Slides

Preparation: 7.6
mar.15
REC 12
Congestion Control Misbehavior

Preparation: Misbehaving Receiver paper

DUE: Misbehaving receiver paper question
mar.16
LEC 13
Peer to Peer Networks
(slides) (notes)

Preparation: None
mar.17
REC 13
BitTorrent

Preparation: BitTyrant Paper
DUE: Design Project 1
Assigned: Hands-on #4 (DNS)
mar.18
Enjoy Spring Break!
mar.21
Spring break
mar.22
Spring break
mar.23
Spring break
mar.24
Spring break
mar.25
Spring break
mar.28
LEC 14
Time
(slides) (notes)

mar.29
REC 14
DNS Performance

Preparation: DNS Performance paper
DUE: Hands-on #4 (DNS)
 mar.30
LEC 15
Reliability
(slides) (notes)

Preparation: 8.1, 8.2, 8.3

mar.31
REC 15
Durability

Preparation: RAID paper
Assigned: Hands-on #5 (Logging)
DUE: RAID paper question

apr.1
Writing Program Recitation

Revision and Responding to Readers' Comments

apr.4
LEC 16
Atomicity concepts
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: 9.1
Assigned: Design Project 2 (DP2)
apr.5
REC 16
Unison

Preparation: Unison paper
DUE: Unison paper question
 apr.6
LEC 17
Recoverability
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: 9.2 and 9.3
apr.7
REC 17
LFS

Preparation: LFS paper

Due: Hands-on #5 (Logging)

Due: Form DP2 groups
Email group members to your TA, one email per group, 3 students per group. Students without groups or with incomplete groups should also email their TA, and will be assigned to a group.

apr.8
TUT 3

Design Project 2 Discussion

apr.11
LEC 18
Isolation
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: 9.4 and 9.5
apr.12
REC 18
System R

Preparation: System R paper
DUE: System R question
 apr.13
LEC 19
Multi-site atomicity
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: 9.6


Quiz 2 Review Session
7:30--9:30pm, Room 54-100
apr.14
REC 19
ObjectStore

Preparation: ObjectStore paper
DUE: ObjectStore question
 apr.15
QUIZ 2
Material from LEC 9 through LEC 18
Location: Walker Gym (50-340)
Time: 2pm

Quiz 2 FAQ
apr.18
Patriot's Day Holiday

apr.19
Patriot's Day Holiday

 apr.20
LEC 20
Consistency and Replication
(slides) (notes)
Preparation: 10.1-10.4
apr.21
REC 20
Porcupine

Preparation: Porcupine paper

DUE: Porcupine question
Due: DP2 Proposal

Drop Date

apr.22
TUT 4

Design Project 2 Discussion

apr.25
LEC 21
Security intro
(slides) (notes)

Preparation: 11.1

apr.26
REC 21
Buffer Overrun Attacks

Preparation: Buffer Overrun paper
Assigned: Hands-on #6 (Crypto)
DUE: Buffer overflow question

apr.27
LEC 22
Authentication, passwords
(slides) (notes)

Preparation: 11.2 and 11.3

apr.28
REC 22
Why DO cryptosystems fail?

Preparation: Cryptosystems paper

DUE: Cryptosystems question

apr.29
no tutorial

may.2
LEC 23
Web browser security
(slides) (notes)

may.3
REC 23
Tracking Witty

Preparation: Witty paper

DUE: Hands-on #6 (Crypto)

may.4
LEC 24
Secure channels
(slides) (notes)

Preparation: 11.4 and 11.5

may.5
REC 24
Trusting trust

Preparation: Trusting Trust paper

DUE: Design Project 2

may.6
 no tutorial

may.9
LEC 25
Guest lecture: Internet censorship
(Prof. Abelson's slides)

may.10
REC 25
 DP2 Presentations (during recitation)

Recitation Preparation: Prepare your talk

 may.11
LEC 26
Complexity
(slides)

may.12
REC 26
Hints for system design

Preparation: Computer System Design paper

Last day of classes

may.13

may.16


Exam period begins

may.17


Quiz 3 Review Session 7-9 pm, Room 54-100 		may.18
may.19

Final Exam
1:30pm to 3:00pm
Johnson Track

Quiz 3 FAQ

may.20


Exam period ends

Questions or comments regarding 6.033? Send e-mail to the 6.033 staff at or to the 6.033 TAs at .

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