CS 574: Parallel and Distributed Systems
(15-625-574-701, 20-260-574-001)
Class Meets: Tu-Th 9:30-10:45 in Swift 505

Instructor: Fred Annexstein Office: 889 Rhodes
Office Hours: TBA Phone: 556-1807 \
Web Page: http://www.ececs.uc.edu/ annexste
Description: This course is designed as an introduction to the field of parallel and distributed computing systems. We will focus on understanding the numerous issues surrounding hardware, software, and system designs for modern parallel computers, distributed systems, and clusters. We will consider how well various designs fit with different application domains. The first half of the course we will look at the history and current practices. We will analyze published benchmarks for the associated products in the current market. In the second half we will concentrate on current research and development directions, and we will determine how well-focussed these projects are.

Prerequisites: Good working knowldege of OS, Computer Architecture, and Algorithms.

Grading: You will be assigned 4-5 written homework assignments accounting for 1/3 of your grade. There will be 1 exam during the quarter which will account 1/3 of your grade, and there will be a final project report accounting for the remaining 1/3.

Textbook: In Search of Clusters by G.F. Pfister, Prentice Hall, 2nd Ed.

Schedule: (approximate, SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

WeekClass MaterialReading
1IntroductionPreface, Chapters 1,2
21IntroductionChapters 3,4
3Hardware Chapters 5,6
4Hardware Chapters 6,7
5 SoftwareChapters 8,9
6 SoftwareChapters 9,10
7 SystemsChapters 13,14
8 SystemsChapters 14,15
9 Research Topics Papers
10 Research Topics Papers