Wanted: New process scheduler with p

[grunwald at uiucdcsb.UUCP]

  At the University of Illinois, we use a specific language called Path Pascal
to model O/S behaviour. In the UNIX environment, it currently runs in a single
UNIX process with simulation of multiple processes. Processes are syntactically
similar to procedures in Pascal, and their creation is easy (ie. looks like a
procedure call).

I used this when I took CS323 (our Intro to O/S design class), and I found it
fairly easy to simulate O/S design considerations at a fairly high level. When
I was using it, we were running on a Cyber, which was the *pitz*. It lacked
facilities for separate compilation and inclusion of external "objects" (data
abstractions w/sychronization constraints) was difficult, so it was hard to
be provided with standard "conceptualizations" for disk drives, printers, etc.
Still, it proved useful for modeling paging behaviours, scheduling behaviours,
multi-processor trade-offs, etc.

Dirk Grunwald
University of Illinois