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→SPO600 in Fall 2015
SPO600 is a professional option in the [http://ict.senecac.on.ca/ Seneca School of Information and Communication Technology] [https://ict.senecacollege.ca/academic-programs/cty/overview CTY] and [https://ict.senecacollege.ca/academic-programs/cpa/overview CPA] programs. First offered: Winter 2014.
== SPO600 in Fall 2015 Winter 2016 ==
A new computer architecture has appeared: 64-bit ARM systems (also known as "ARM64" or "AArch64"). While AArch64 is showing up in cell phones and tablets, it is also poised to pounce on the datacentre. Most of the work of porting core software to AArch64 has been completed, and at this point, just about everything that runs on x86_64 Linux systems will run an AArch64 systems. However, the x86_64 architecture has been around for many years, and software has been well-optimized to work on that architecture; but AArch64 is new, and it may be possible to get better performance with additional tuning and optimization.
In Fall 2015Winter 2016, the SPO600 course will be focused on optimizing software on AArch64 systems, using the [http://leapproject.ca LEAP], [http://fedoraproject.org Fedora], and [http://centos.org CentOS] projects as a starting point. Specifically, we'll We will be analyzing benchmarking the impact performance of various compiler options in open source software stacks on AArch64 relative to the AArch64 context. We will build, benchmark, and profile specific software subsystems with a wide range raw performance of compiler options and see if the assumptions inherited from the x86_64 world are relevant. Then we'll experiment with compiler options, algorithm changes, hardware and platform-specific code to optimize the performancesearching for optimization opportunities.
Note that, unlike some other project-based courses, the results of the projects done in SPO600 will be incorporated into the actual "upstream" open source software, and have a real impact on other people. For this reason, projects must be completed in collaboration with the relevant open source communities, using relevant [[SPO600 Communication Tools|communication tools]]. Work performed in this course will be licensed using the relevant open source licenses used by the associated community.
* Classes are held in an [[Active Learning Classroom]]. You '''should''' have a mobile device of some type (laptop, smartphone, tablet) with a wireless network connection (WiFi or mobile) and a video output (VGA or HDMI). If your video output is of a different type (DP/Miracast/MyDP/MiniDP/MiniHDMI/other) you will need an appropriate adapter.
* For productivity, you '''should''' have access to a personal Linux installation on a 64-bit (x86_64) computer (see [[SPO600 Host Setup]]).
* '''If available''', students in the Fall 2015 SPO600 course may want to purchase a 64-bit [https://www.96boards.org/ 96Boards] computer (such as a [https://www.96boards.org/products/hikey/ HiKey] or [https://www.96boards.org/products/dragonboard410c/ DragonBoard 410c]).
=== Professor ===
1. '''Work ''in'' the open source community.''' The projects we will be doing are too large and too unfamiliar for you to succeed entirely on your own. You will need to use the community's knowledge, connections, and resources to succeed well. Respect the community's standards, tell the community what you're doing, ask when you have a question, and pull your own weight within the community.
2. '''Blog.''' Tell your professor, your colleagues, the community, and everyone else what you're doing. <u>Write a lot </u> and write well, include good technical content, and incorporate links to all relevant resources and the product of your work, and write often. Almost all of your work in this course is submitted by blogging.
3. '''Be ambitious.''' In this course, you will need to be the driving force behind your project. The community will help you, but it's up to you to supply the energy. '''It's best to plan to make a bit of progress each day.'''
== Weekly Outline ==