95604 - OPERATING SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

At the end of the course the student knows the main technical problems and the related solution behind networking with particular reference to the Internet. The student can understand the functional principles of a network service and the related quality of service issues as well as the Internet protocol architecture and the main protocols. The student knows how to implement some basic network applications and is able to analyze a protocol behavior.

Contenuti

Communication principles

• Signals and bandwidth
• Analog communication
  
• Digital communication
• Communication services
  

Operating Systems

• Computer architecture
• OS functionality and organization
• Processes and threads
  
• Memory Management;
• IO Management

Module 2: Networks

• Networks architectures
• What is a network protocol
• How the Internet works: IP and routing
• Organization of the Internet
• Basics on network security

Testi/Bibliografia

• Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau, (2018). Hard-copy and electronic editions are available; the PDF form is free.
  
• J.F. Kurose, K. W. Ross, Computer Networking (Global Edition), Pearson Education; 8th edition (2021)

Metodi didattici

In class lectures; slides will be provided and uploaded on the university learning systems.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The exam is conducted in the computer laboratory using the Esami on Line platform.

Exam Format

The exam consists of a test that includes multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

During the course will be given a week seminar about design thinking and the students, in small groups of 2 or 3, will be invited to apply what shown in this seminar to a presentation about a technical challenge provided by the teachers. The presentation will be evaluated with a mark from 0 to 3.

Exam Composition

Typically, each exam includes 20 questions, 2 open-ended, one about networks and the other about operating systems.

Open ended questions are usually structured into sub-points, and answers should follow the same structure.

For multiple-choice questions, students must answer a series of pre-formatted questions, either graphical or textual. Text-based questions consist of a statement followed by three possible answers or statements, and can be of two types:

• Non-mutually exclusive multiple-choice questions, where students are asked to identify which of the three statements are true. More than one (or all) statements may be true, but at least one always is.

• Mutually exclusive multiple-choice questions, where students must identify the single true statement among the three proposed (if one is true, the others are consequently false).

Evaluation

Each open-ended question is graded manually by the examination board and are worth up to 11 points.
Multiple-choice questions and exercises are graded automatically, with a maximum total score of 22 points.

Multiple-choice evaluation

• Non-mutually exclusive multiple-choice:
  The score depends on which statements the student selects as true.

  • If all and only the true statements are selected → 1 point.

  • If only some of the true statements are selected → a proportional fraction of 1 point (e.g., if all three statements are true but only one is selected → 1/3 point).

  • If false statements are also selected as true → a negative score is assigned, adjusted so that selecting all statements as true yields 0 points.

  • The minimum score per question is 0 (never negative).

• Mutually exclusive multiple-choice:

  • Correct answer (true statement selected) → 1 point.

  • Incorrect answer (false statement selected) → 0 points.

The presentation, if done, is graded on a scale from 0 to 3 points.

Final Grade and Conversion to a 30-Point Scale

The final score is calculated as follows:

• D: theoretical section score, up to 33 points (0 ≤ D ≤ 33)

• P: presentation score, up to 3 points (0 ≤ P ≤ 3)

The final grade V (out of 30) is computed by rounding to the nearest integer using the formula:
V = (D / 33) × 30 + P

Honors (lode) are typically awarded to students who achieve a score above 30.
The practical section score P may be 0 without preventing the student from passing the exam.

Duration

The exam lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes (105 minutes).

Recording of Results

All exam results are officially recorded within 5 days after their publication. Four outcomes are possible:

1. Pass — grade between 18 and 30, possibly with honors.

2. WITHDRAWN — if the student does not attend or decides to withdraw during the exam; in this case, the test is not graded.

3. FAILED — if the exam score is insufficient to pass.

4. REJECTED — if the grade is sufficient, but the student chooses not to accept it and wishes to retake the exam.

After the results are published, the instructor sends an email to all students who took the exam, indicating the date of official recording. Students who passed may reject their grade by replying to this email and explicitly stating their decision.

Retaking the Exam

Students who withdrew, failed, or rejected their grade may freely retake the exam during any subsequent scheduled session.

Rules of Conduct

Students must present their student ID (or another photo ID) — failure to do so will result in exclusion from the exam session.

The following are strictly prohibited:

• Consulting books, notes, or other materials of any kind. Bags and backpacks must be left at the entrance.

• Connecting external storage devices to the computer or accessing files stored on the hard drive.

• Using any applications other than the browser and calculator, or opening any browser page other than the exam page.

Violation of these rules will result in immediate removal from the exam and the assignment of a “FAILED” result.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Additional readings, example of previous exams and slides of the lectures available on the Virtuale University platform.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Franco Callegati

Consulta il sito web di Roberto Girau