CSCI 6461 Section 12

CRN 97629

Meets in Tompkins 205 Thursdays 6:10PM-8:40PM

 

Instructor:   Morris Lancaster (703.400.6408)

Office Hours: After class and by appointment.  This Webex link will be used for office hours that will be established shortly after we begin classes.

 

Meeting Location:  Meets in Tompkins 205 Thursdays 6:10PM-8:40PM*  (Note that this US location uses Daylight Savings Time)

          COVID Policy:  https://compliance.gwu.edu/covid-19-campus-health-and-wellbeing-policy

Announcements: 

Class announcements will be placed on this web page.

For detailed class schedule, homework assignments and downloads of lecture slides

use this Syllabus/Schedule link.

 

To determine if class will be held, use the Inclement Weather Closing Status Link (bottom of web page)

Description:

CSCI 6461. Computer System Architecture. 3 Credits.  Concepts in processor, system, and network architectures; architecture of pipeline, superscalar, and VLIW/EPIC processors; multiprocessors and interconnection networks. Cache coherence and memory subsystem design for multiprocessor architectures. Parallel and distributed system architecture; internetworking. Prerequisites: CSCI 1311, CSCI 1112, CSCI 2461 Cited from GWU University Bulletin

 

Prerequisites:

CSCI 1311 Discrete Structures

CSCI 1112 Algorithms and Data Structures

CSCI 2461 Computer Architecture I

Texts:

                                                                                       

Author

Title 

Edition 

Kaisler, Stephen and Lancaster, Morris

Class Notes provided online.  Primary Source for study

Online, adjusted per required

Rampolla, M. L  

A Pocket Guide to Writing in History

9th (or any) Edition, MacMillan Press

ISBN-10: 1319113028  

ISBN-13 978-1319112025

Hennessy, John L. and Patterson, David A.  (Not required but a good reference)

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE: A Quantitative Approach. 

 

6th Edition

Paperback ISBN: 9780128119051

  

Course Workload/Average amount for guided direct instruction plus independent learning:

 

15 weeks of 2.5 hours instruction – online lectures in person for all students

15 weeks of 8.0 hours independent/project work – note that startup 2 weeks may be more intensive

 

Assignments and Grades:

Team project, Term Paper, and Final (See table below)

 

Assignment

Description

Total Points

Class session warm up Tests

Brief tests to be done by the student before class on the slides for that class

5% of overall grade

Programming Project

Part 0
 A simple assember for the computer simulator as described in the project handout.
10% of overall grade

Programming Project

Part I 

Basic part of computer simulator as described in the project handout. 

5% of overall grade 

Programming Project

Part II 

Part II of computer simulator project as described in the project handout.  Extension of instructions that can be executed. 

15% of overall grade 

Programming Project

Part III 

Part III of the computer simulator project as described in the project handout.  Beginning of performance improvements 

20% of overall grade 

Programming Project

Part IV 

Part IV of the computer simulator project as described in the project handout. Performance improvements included. 

% of overall grade TBD

Term Paper 

An original term paper of approximately 15 – 20 pages doubled spaced.  Format determined by the Rampolla text.  Topic should be computer architecture related and should go beyond the depth of the topic area as covered by the course. Note that this may be replaced by other deliverables of a similar nature.

For Development of Term Papers and writing assignments

If English is NOT your primary language, you are encouraged to make use of the GW Writing Center,  http://www.gwu.edu/~gwriter/ 

20% of overall grade (2% is on time submission of topic)

Final Exam

Closed Book – 2 hours

25% of overall grade

 

Total 

100% 

 

 

 

Late Work:

It is understood that from time to time student schedules will be difficult to manage and meet. I have a late policy which provides that each student will be allowed 3 late days over the semester without penalty on work. Note that no late work will be accepted after the last day of classes. If a team project is late, each student on the team is assessed the same number of late days, based upon the days late for the project.  Note that no due dates coincide with class dates (except for term paper topic) . After use of the 3 late days, each deliverable will be assessed at 6% per day late up to a maximum of 36%.  Late points are deducted in addition to point deductions for errors and other quality issues. See syllabus schedule for  last day of acceptable work.

 

Learning Outcomes:

 

As a result of completing this course, students will be able to:

 

1. Describe the functional architecture of various computer systems and the advances in computer organization that lead to increased performance.

2. Analyze published materials describing specific computer system architectures to determine tradeoffs made in their organizational structure and functions with respect to performance, and efficiencies.

3. Apply lessons learned from historical successes and failures in the design of computing systems.

4. Perform comparative analyses of computer architecture alternatives based on cost, performance, reliability and efficiency constraints.

 

University Policy on Religious Holidays:

 

1. Students should notify faculty during the first week of the semester of their intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance.

2. Faculty should extend to these students the courtesy of absence without penalty on such occasions, including permission to make up examinations.

3. Faculty who intend to observe a religious holiday should arrange at the beginning of the semester to reschedule missed classes or to make other provisions for their course-related activities

 

University COVID Policy

Current GWU Policy may be found at https://compliance.gwu.edu/covid-19-campus-health-and-wellbeing-policy.  Students should consult this web site for current status of operations with respect to the GWU COVID response and act accordingly. 

 

Support for Students Outside the Classroom: Disability Support Services (DSS)

Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Rome Hall, Suite 102, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to: https://disabilitysupport.gwu.edu/

 

Mental Health Services: 202-994-5300

The University's Mental Health Services offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students' personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include crisis and emergency mental health consultations confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals. https://healthcenter.gwu.edu/mental-health

 

Academic Integrity Code

Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information. For the remainder of the code, see: https://studentconduct.gwu.edu/code-academic-integrity