COMP53015: Advanced Computer Systems

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• To develop a systematic understanding of current hardware architectures, their interplay with programming models, system programs and application performance tuning.
• To appreciate how performance of computer systems are affected by their architecture and system programming.
• To develop practical skills in application development, server provisioning and orchestration in the context of large-scale computing with an intense focus on networking.

• Computer architecture: processor architectures, memory systems (caches) (6L + 2P)
• High-Performance Computing Platforms and Power-Performance Analysis (6L + 2P)
• Advanced Compiler Optimisation and Hardware-Software Interfacing (6L + 2P)
• Advanced computing and networking paradigms: Cloud, edge, fog and software-defined networking (6L + 2P)

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• an understanding of the relationship between hardware architectures and High-Level Programming Languages.
• an understanding of complex performance issues of current computers.
• an understanding of modern computing paradigms, and how to design and implement codes to perform optimally on these paradigms.
• an understanding of several networking systems used in modern computational paradigms.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• an awareness of current technology, design analysis, and commercial practice and the ability to bring these together to provide innovative solutions for digital systems.
• a critical understanding of potential performance pitfalls, specific codes and skills to improve existing solutions.

Key Skills:

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• a capacity for self-learning in familiar and unfamiliar situations.
• general problem-solving skills.
• familiarity with programming paradigms for modern wide-vector CPUs, and their translation to GPUs.
• familiarity with modern network based computational models.

• Lectures enable students to learn the core material relevant to the topic and computer classes enable students to apply their learning to practical examples.
• The summative assessment and formative exercises encourage students to focus their ability to independently analyse and solve problems.

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