Programming

When deploying web applications, we typically have to set up several servers to host our application and its components. In this hands-on workshop, we will develop a Python application and deploy it to AWS Lambda using Serverless Framework. AWS Lambda is the serverless compute service of AWS where you can deploy applications without configuring any servers. We will also use AWS cloud native services like DynamoDB and SQS. We will also grapple with the questions that need to be asked as your Python Serverless application grows in complexity.

The flow of the workshop will be:
– 10 mins: Introduction to Serverless Technology
– 10 mins: How we structure Python applications when deployed in Serverless
– 10 mins: Hands-on Workshop Introduction
– 90 mins: Hands-on Workshop Proper

The rules are:
– Participants will be required to bring laptops
– Participants will be grouped into teams of 4 people
– The group with the most points at the end of the workshop wins. In case there is a tie, the team that is the fastest wins
– AWS Accounts will be provided
– Internet connection required to hold the workshop as we would be deploying our applications to the cloud

The hands-on workshop’s milestones are:
1. Deploy a simple hello world Python application in AWS Lambda
2. Create a CRUD API that uses DynamoDB as database
3. Use SQS and S3 to demonstrate event-driven architecture

The rapid evolution of the software industry, driven by AI and ML, often overshadows the importance of core computer science principles like operating systems. What’s the best way to learn operating systems and make this relevant for the software industry? We create an OS! Our undergraduate Operating Systems course takes a practical approach by having students construct a working OS emulator as their project.

In this talk, I will share how we revamped an OS course to be more of a hands-on approach rather than conceptual. The project’s reference to Linux/Windows shells and commands like “”nvidia-smi,”” “”free,”” and “”vmstat”” highlights its connection to real-world operating systems. Students are exposed to the challenges and complexities of OS development, preparing them for potential careers in systems programming, embedded programming, OS development, or related fields.

My talk will cover the proposed mapping of OS theory (e.g., I/O, process scheduling, demand paging, etc.) to actual dev skills and the OS emulator project specifications (written in C++). Lastly, I will share our teaching experiences and general student feedback regarding our approach, where 200+ students have already taken our revamped OS course.

Most application developers treat a database as file storage, especially if they are near-totally reliant on their ORM. This leads to poor performance and deadlocks that only show up when the system scales. This talk covers some intermediate topics beyond the basics that will save developers from heartache and pain.