|
U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
|
|
|
A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
|
U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
|
|
|
A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
|
Virtual Systems Lab
All computer science majors are required to take an operating systems course, considered by many to be one of the toughest that computer science students have to study. Because systems software and the concepts covered in operating systems can be very challenging, this information needs to be presented in a simplified environment. The dilemma is how to provide students with the experience of programming and modifying an operating system without having them waste a lot of time re-installing and recovering a system corrupted by a failed experiment. Ahmed Amer, Computer Science, has created a solution to this problem with The Virtual Systems Lab , an ACIE Grant funded project. Rather than having students work with simplified systems software, this project provides students with virtual systems, that is, exercises already prepared for the students to complete. These systems can be conveniently reset and restarted by reading the contents of a file, and they may also provide students with access to as many dedicated computers as they need for their assignments. The idea for the project came from a desire to speed up debugging of a device driver Amer was writing. He looked into using a virtual machine as a part of his development environment. The convenience of being able to restart a machine by restarting a program, and being able to resume exactly where he left it by loading a simple file, made his life a lot easier. It then occurred to him that this would be an excellent opportunity to provide operating systems students with their own machines for more ambitious programming assignments. The intent is to allow more realistic and convenient operating systems programming assignments without requiring an unrealistic investment in computing resources by the students or the University. By using virtual systems, Amer and his computer science colleagues hope to be able to offer customized and dedicated “computers” to all students, allowing them to tackle more complex assignments with no fear of corrupting the system. The Virtual Systems Lab will effectively provide an unlimited supply of disposable computers. “It’s hard to beat virtual computers when you need to dispose of them … it’s just a matter of deleting a file.” Ultimately, the project aims at giving students a chance to see that real-world operating systems, some of the largest and most complex pieces of software ever written, are nothing to fear. Amer’s satisfaction will come from showing students that this software is actually fun to explore. “If it helps introduce more students to the field, and the excitement it can offer, that would be wonderful.”
| |||||||||||||||||
|
A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
||||||||||||||||||
| Center
for Instructional Development & Distance Education |
||||||||||||||||||
