CSCI 311 - System Architecture

Syllabus for section 01, Fall 2023.

This course is a hybrid course that meets one day per week in person. The rest of the course, outside the weekly meeting, is online and asynchronous.

Meeting Information

• Wednesdays 13:00-13:50 (1:00-1:50 PM) ET, Penny Hall (formerly AOC2) room 311

Instructor Information

Dr. Mike Murphy
mmurphy2@coastal.edu
Office Location: Penny Hall (formerly AOC2) room 238
https://ww2.coastal.edu/mmurphy2

Office Hours

• Tuesdays 13:00-15:00
• Wednesdays 14:00-16:00
• Thursdays 10:30-12:30

I am available at other times by appointment. Please email me for scheduling.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Explain the basic operation of a Central Processing Unit.
2. Distinguish between different Instruction Set Architectures and identify benefits and weaknesses of various commercially available CPUs.
3. Describe the operation of memory and storage devices, including addressing and partitioning schemes.
4. Describe the hardware-software interface of a computer system, including the bootloader, kernel, firmware, and device drivers.
5. Calculate power and cooling requirements for equipment given thermal design power specifications.
6. Explain how multiple systems can be hosted within a data center in a safe and efficient manner.

ABET Assessment

This course measures the following Performance Indicators:

• 1.1. Define requirements and/or specifications for a computing problem.
• 1.2. Analyze a complex problem by breaking it down into smaller components.
• 1.6. Analyze a component of a complex problem.
• 2.4. Compare multiple solutions against requirements.
• IT 6.3. Select systems appropriate for different user and environment requirements.

Texts and Materials

• No textbook is required for this course.
• Readings, reference materials, tutorials, and videos will be assigned.

Technology Requirements

• Broadband Internet access is required to access course materials.
• A device capable of taking online quizzes using Moodle is required.

Grading

Grades will be broken into different categories and weighted as follows:

The final course grade will be computed using the standard 10-point scale:

There is NO final exam in this course.

Quizzes

Most of the grade for this course is based on weekly quizzes. These quizzes are delivered via Moodle and will cover course learning materials, readings, etc. Some weeks may have multiple quizzes due, depending on the topics covered that week. You will have an unlimited number of attempts on each quiz, and you MAY work together as long as you aren’t simply sharing answers. Each quiz attempt draws random questions in a random order from the underlying question bank, so it is to your benefit to review the material prior to attempting each quiz.

Class Participation

We will typically use the weekly class meeting time for discussions of topics related to system architecture. Some of the course material will be covered during this time. A weekly grade will be assigned for participating in the discussion.

Late Work

Each quiz has an automatic one-week extension between the DUE date and the closing date. The DUE date for each quiz is in the quiz title: the quiz closing date is the date WITH the extension. There is no need to submit documentation or request an extension on a quiz since one is provided automatically. That said, you should treat the DUE dates as due dates and not habitually wait until the quiz closing date to take the quiz.

No work will be accepted after the corresponding closing date for ANY reason whatsoever. It is your responsibility to plan ahead and be prepared for any contingencies that might arise during the semester (including illness, family emergencies, work conflicts, and other things beyond your immediate control). There is no such thing as an “excused” reason for an extension beyond the closing date for quizzes. I am instead providing you with a no-questions-asked extension on every quiz to provide flexibility for handling unexpected events.

Due to the nature of class discussions, it is not possible to make up participation grades. Weekly participation grades will be dropped due to excused absences (see below).

Attendance Policies

The Coastal Carolina University Class Attendance Policy applies in this course, except that I will NOT automatically impose a grade of F for unexcused absences in excess of 25% of the regularly scheduled class meetings. Instead, the course grade is computed using the above weighting.

For the purposes of the CCU Class Attendance Policy, an “incapacitating illness” includes ANY contagious or potentially contagious illness, including COVID-19, the flu, and colds. Please DO NOT ATTEND CLASS IF YOU ARE SICK, unless you feel well enough to attend and (a) a physician has advised you that you are not contagious, (b) you have had a suspected viral illness for more than 72 hours, (c) you have been on antibiotics for more than 48 hours, or (d) you know that your condition is not contagious.

If you will be absent from class, please email me before the class meeting time for the absence to be excused. Documentation of total incapacity (such as a hospital admission) may be required when requesting an excused absence after the fact.

Other Policies

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence

The CCU Academic Integrity Code applies to this course. In particular, making false statements, hiring or permitting someone else to complete course activities, and willful and flagrant plagiarism are all examples of academic integrity violations. Violations of the CCU Academic Integrity Code in this course will result in a course grade of FX.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT MAY NOT be used in this course. Use of an AI tool on a quiz is an academic integrity violation.

Communications Policy

I will normally reply to email within 1-2 business days. Email received over a weekend or on a holiday may not receive a response for 1-2 business days after the weekend or holiday. Please note that I’m only able to answer the phone and return phone calls on days where I work from the office (typically, days when I have posted office hours). Email is a much faster way to reach me and receive a reply.

Disability Accommodations

Per University policy, I can only grant you accommodations that are authorized through Accessibility and Disability Services. Please have your accommodations information sent to me within the first week of class or within a week of approval if accommodations are implemented in the middle of the semester. Note that quizzes in this course are NOT timed, and lectures are prerecorded with closed captioning.

Contingency Plan

Per the CCU Academic Continuity Plan, courses will continue online whenever the University is unable to hold in-person classes. If this course has a synchronous meeting time, then we will meet online using a University-licensed meeting platform. All other activities will proceed as scheduled, unless the University announces otherwise. ALWAYS take your laptop or other computer with you whenever you go out of town, including during University breaks, evacuations, and other travel. Remember that you could encounter travel difficulties and have issues returning on time, even if University operations are not affected.

For fall semester courses, please review my Hurricane Information page. Always monitor your email and the CCU Website for official announcements regarding irregular operations.

Disclaimer

Portions of this course may deal with issues related to cost analysis, laws, and ethics. I am not a lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor, and no portion of this class constitutes legal, financial, or other regulated professional advice. This syllabus is tentative and is subject to change with notice to the class during the semester. If a portion of this syllabus is found to be non-compliant with University policies or applicable laws, the remainder of this syllabus will remain effective.