Exploring operating system internals with workstations

摘要

This paper describes an innovative project involving the use of workstations as a laboratory tool in the required undergraduate operating systems course as well as in an elective performance evaluation course. This particular use allows students hands on experience working with the internals of a modern operating system. It also allows students to perform experiments comparing the performance aspects of different implementations of operating system internals.

The paper begins by describing the situation that led to securing funding for the laboratory. It continues by describing the development plan for the laboratory including both the orderly migration from the initial delivery of equipment to full operation. The paper concludes with a description of the benefits of this laboratory and a description of the equipment.