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Interested in taking [[SPO600]] -- Software Portability and Optimization? Here is some background information you may find useful:
This course is about making existing software work on a new type of computer (porting) and making software work as efficiently as possible (optimization). These topics lead into an investigation of how computer programs work at their lowest levels (assembly language / machine language) and how compilers convert high-level code into machine code, including optimizations that they perform.
In this course, you'll be working with open source software, since the source code for that software is readily availablefor you to examine, modify, and use. We'll specifically be working with software that runs on Linux on 64-bit ARM computers.
This is a project-oriented course. Previous offerings of this course focused on porting code; in Winter 2015 there will be an increased focus on optimization.
This course is open to both '''CTY''' (system and network administration) and '''CPA''' (software development) students. Each group brings unique but overlapping skills: CTY students have a strong understanding of operating systems and administrative procedures, and CPA students have a strong understanding of programming. This course provides a range of project opportunities requiring different combinations of skills from each program of study.
In this course, you'll learn about the internal details of computer architecture and the lowest levels of programming - the instructions that a compiler produces from your code. You'll also learn how to port code to work on a new architecture (or on a range of architectures), benchmark software performance, improve software performance by changing the code or the way it is built, and debug code. This is a project-based course, and you will gain experience working directly with one or more open source communities on software that is in everyday use.
After completing this course, you will understand the fundamentals of computer architecture and operation and be able to build and/or write software that performs well, work with multiple computer architectures, and participate in open source projects. This is a challenging course but it should be rewarding for students interested in the details of computer architecture and software optimization.}}
No! - It's a challenging course. However, it covers material which is not covered elsewhere in the program, and if you like to understand technology in detail, you may really enjoy this course. It's also a very practical course.
Please contact Professor [[User:Chris Tyler|Chris Tyler]] (via email at [mailto:chris.tyler@senecacollege.ca chris.tyler@senecacollege.ca]).
[[SPO600|Return to the SPO600 homepage.]]
