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Advanced Operating Systems

Kishore Ramachandran and Charles Brubaker

Take Udacity's Advanced Operating Systems course and learn about the advances that have led to the state-of-the-art operating system that we know today. Learn online with Udacity.

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What's inside

Syllabus

L01a: Principle of Abstraction

L01b: Hardware Resources

L01c: OS Functionality

L01d: Managing the CPU and Memory

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what should give you pause

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Covers advanced topics in operating systems that are highly relevant to industry

Taught by Charles Brubaker, who is recognized in academia for their expertise in operating systems

Utilizes a multi-modal format that includes interactive materials

Builds a strong foundation for those with little to no background in operating systems

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Reviews summary

Advanced os: theoretical yet outdated

According to learners, "Advanced Operating Systems" provides a strong theoretical foundation in core OS concepts like virtualization, synchronization, and distributed systems design, with many praising the clear and well-structured lectures. However, a significant and increasing number of students find the course's content to be severely outdated, with examples and case studies often feeling like "museum pieces". While some appreciate the historical context for understanding the evolution of OS, others find it lacking in modern relevance and practical application for today's technology landscape, leading to a largely mixed to negative reception in recent times.

Divides opinion between historical value and practical use.

"For someone looking to understand the evolution of OS design, it's fine, but for practical, modern skills, it falls short."

"It's 'advanced' in its theoretical depth, but not in its contemporary relevance. For anyone seeking practical skills for today's industry, it's a pass."

"It's true that the examples are not cutting-edge, but the concepts are timeless. If you're okay with the historical context... this is it."

"I agree it could use more contemporary examples, but the historical context is very important for understanding why systems are designed as they are."

Instructors effectively explain complex topics.

"The lectures are dense but well-explained."

"The lectures are clear, but the content relevancy is a major issue."

"The clarity of lectures is good, but the overall utility for a modern professional is low."

"The professors are brilliant and explain complex topics like microkernels... very clearly."

Provides deep understanding of core OS principles.

"The theoretical foundations are solid, and the course does a good job of explaining core OS concepts like virtualization, memory management..."

"The instructors explain the theory beautifully. I particularly liked the parts on virtualization and shared memory."

"This course provides an incredibly thorough grounding in the principles behind operating systems, especially for distributed concepts."

"The concepts are timeless. This course built a very strong theoretical framework for me."

"Advanced" suggests modern, but content is historical.

"I signed up for 'Advanced' expecting cutting-edge. What I got was a historical review."

"The 'Advanced' in the title is misleading given the tech covered."

"It's like learning about classic cars when you want to build autonomous vehicles. The focus on specific, old technologies makes the course feel less valuable."

Specific technologies discussed are largely irrelevant today.

"This course is badly out of date. MapReduce and old distributed file systems are hardly cutting-edge topics today. It needs a massive refresh."

"Absolutely terrible. The content is ancient. Why are we learning about systems from the early 2000s or even 90s?"

"The examples (especially LVM and RioVista) feel like museum pieces. The content relevancy is a major issue."

"Many of the specific systems and examples, such as Spring OS or Enterprise Java Beans, are no longer widely used or relevant."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Advanced Operating Systems with these activities:

Contribute to Open Source OS Projects

Show steps

Gain practical experience by contributing to open-source operating system projects.

Browse courses on Operating Systems

Show steps

Identify open projects aligned with your interests
Start by reporting bugs or suggesting improvements
Gradually take on more responsibilities like coding or documentation

Show all one activities

Career center

Learners who complete Advanced Operating Systems will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Operating Systems Security Analyst

Operating Systems Security Analysts are responsible for securing and defending their employers' computer systems and networks from malicious activity. They use their knowledge of operating systems to identify and patch vulnerabilities, configure security settings, and monitor for suspicious activity. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Operating Systems Security Analysts build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory. This knowledge can help Operating Systems Security Analysts to better understand how operating systems work and how to secure them.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operating Systems Security Analyst

Operating Systems Developer

Operating Systems Developers design, develop, and maintain operating systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems concepts to create new features and improve the performance and security of existing operating systems. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Operating Systems Developers build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operating Systems Developer

Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts study an organization's current business processes and procedures and design solutions to help the organization improve efficiency. They use their knowledge of operating systems to identify and recommend ways to improve the performance and security of the organization's computer systems. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Systems Analysts build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Systems Engineer

Systems Engineers are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of computer systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that systems are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Systems Engineers build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Engineer

Systems Administrator

Systems Administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of computer systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems to install and configure software, manage users and groups, and monitor system performance. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Systems Administrators build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Administrator

Virtualization Engineer

Virtualization Engineers are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of virtualized environments. They use their knowledge of operating systems to create and manage virtual machines, and to ensure that virtualized environments are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Virtualization Engineers build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virtualization Engineer

Cloud Engineer

Cloud Engineers are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of cloud computing environments. They use their knowledge of operating systems to create and manage virtual machines, and to ensure that cloud computing environments are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Cloud Engineers build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that software applications are compatible with the operating systems on which they run. The Advanced Operating Systems course can help Software Engineers build a strong foundation in operating systems concepts, which is essential for success in this role. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Database Administrator

Database Administrators are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of database systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that database systems are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Database Administrators who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

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Network Administrator

Network Administrators are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of computer networks. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that computer networks are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Network Administrators who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Administrator

Security Analyst

Security Analysts are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of security systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that security systems are reliable, efficient, and effective. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Security Analysts who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Analyst

IT Manager

IT Managers are responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of IT systems. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that IT systems are reliable, efficient, and secure. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for IT Managers who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

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Computer Scientist

Computer Scientists conduct research in the field of computer science. They use their knowledge of operating systems to develop new operating systems and to improve the performance and security of existing operating systems. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Computer Scientists who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their knowledge of statistics, mathematics, and computer science to extract insights from data. They use operating systems to manage the data they use for their analyses. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Data Scientists who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Software Developer

Software Developers design, develop, and maintain software applications. They use their knowledge of operating systems to ensure that software applications are compatible with the operating systems on which they run. The Advanced Operating Systems course may be useful for Software Developers who want to gain a deeper understanding of operating systems concepts. The course covers topics such as hardware resources, OS functionality, and managing the CPU and memory.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

Reading list

We've selected 25 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Advanced Operating Systems.

Network Security Essentials