Computer System Engineering (6.033)

Scope

This class looks at how computer software and hardware systems are engineered as a whole. It concentrates on managing complexity through modular design, with client-server structure and operating systems as the main examples, and it spans performance and networking.

Reliability and society

Later topics move to naming, security and privacy, fault-tolerant systems, atomic operations and coordination among concurrent activities, and recovery after failure. The class also asks how computer systems affect society, which places the technical material in a wider setting.

Who it suits

• Students with some systems background who want the design principles behind them.
• Developers interested in how fault tolerance and recovery are reasoned about.