grunwald@uiucdcsb.UUCP (10/12/84)
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