Principles of Computer System Design

Chapter 2

Elements of Computer System Organization

Chapter Contents

Overview

2.1 The Three Fundamental Abstractions

2.1.1 Memory

2.1.2 Interpreters

2.1.3 Communication Links

2.2 Naming in Computer Systems

2.2.1 The Naming Model

2.2.2 Default and Explicit Context References

2.2.3 Path Names, Naming Networks, and Recursive Name Resolution

2.2.4 Multiple Lookup: Searching Through Layered Contexts

2.2.5 Comparing Names

2.2.6 Name Discovery

2.3 Organizing Computer Systems with Names and Layers

2.3.1 A Hardware Layer: The Bus

2.3.2 A Software Layer: The File Abstraction

2.4 Looking Back and Ahead

2.5 Case study: UNIX ^® file system layering and naming

2.5.1 Application Programming Interface for the UNIX File System

2.5.2 The Block Layer

2.5.3 ...