News

Projects 02 and 03 Timing

Written on 29.11.23 by Andreas Schmidt

Dear HOD students,

We realized a small inconvenience in our schedule. Originally, we would give you the P02 template at the same moment you are supposed to read U08 with essential content for the project.

Hence, we have shifted the release dates and deadlines for P02 and P03 by one week. Both… Read more

Dear HOD students,

We realized a small inconvenience in our schedule. Originally, we would give you the P02 template at the same moment you are supposed to read U08 with essential content for the project.

Hence, we have shifted the release dates and deadlines for P02 and P03 by one week. Both the intro slide deck and dCMS timetable are updated.

The current project P01 is unaffected and you must submit part a next week and part b in the week afterwards.

Best regards,
The HOD Team

Verification Environment

Written on 28.11.23 by Andreas Schmidt

Dear HOD students,

The necessary file (Docker container image) is now available under course materials. How to use it is explained here.

Please make use of it to avoid surprises after submitting your project file.

Good luck (also with the P01b submission that is open starting today at… Read more

Dear HOD students,

The necessary file (Docker container image) is now available under course materials. How to use it is explained here.

Please make use of it to avoid surprises after submitting your project file.

Good luck (also with the P01b submission that is open starting today at 14:00).

Best regards,
The HOD Team

Project 01 Release

Written on 20.11.23 by Andreas Schmidt

Dear HOD students,

tomorrow at 14:00 the P01 project template is released and the submission form opens (for P01a, P01b is delayed by one week). The project description can already be found here (P01a) and here (P01b) . Note that you have two weeks for P01a and an additional week for P01b (see also… Read more

Dear HOD students,

tomorrow at 14:00 the P01 project template is released and the submission form opens (for P01a, P01b is delayed by one week). The project description can already be found here (P01a) and here (P01b) . Note that you have two weeks for P01a and an additional week for P01b (see also all deadlines in dCMS timetable). We strongly recommend that you do the tasks in order, despite the fact that they are relatively independent. Note that in order to pass P01, you have to pass both parts.

We also released a changelog update, so that you see what was modified since the course started in October. In particular the improved Markov Fundamentals section could be of help for working on P01b.

Currently, the Docker container that forms the Verification Environment is not yet uploaded to dCMS. We will post it there in due time to allow you some tests before submission.

Regards The HOD Team

This is a module in the computer science and related programmes at Saarland University.

The module has been awarded a Busy Beaver Award for excellent teaching in 2023.

Introduction

Software is driving more and more systems that surround us and impact our daily life... and it is becoming increasingly important to build these systems dependably. This is "Hands-On Dependability (with Rust)" (HOD), a course designed to introduce computer science students to two things: a) foundations of dependable systems and software as well as b) the Rust programming language.

So let's put our hard hats on and get started...

Curriculum

The course covers four major areas, giving you practical and theoretical knowledge to create, maintain, and advance dependable software systems, which are essential for today's world. We will answer the following questions (amongst others) in this course:

  • Foundations of Dependability
    • What is dependability, availability, reliability, safety, etc. and where do we find it in the real world?
    • How are hazards, risks, faults, errors, and failures related?
  • Foundations of Rust
    • How to get started with Rust and write your first programs?
    • What makes Rust special? And why is it advertised as a "safe" language?
  • Advanced Dependability Concepts
    • How can information be transmitted reliably?
    • How can we analyze systems mathematically for their reliability and availability?
  • Software Engineering with Rust and GitLab
    • What tools does Rust provide (e.g. cargo) to develop software?
    • How can we leverage GitLab, including continuous integration, to make our software development process more dependable?

Organization

  • Credit Points: 6 graded (Advanced Lecture)
  • Audience: Students at any stage in their studies who want to learn about Rust and Dependability
  • Passing Criteria: Written Exam and Mini Projects
  • Schedule:
    • Active Plenum
      • Tuesdays E1.3 HS003, 14:15 - 15:45 (starting Oct, 24th)
      • Come with reading done and questions prepared - this is NOT a lecture, except for the very first slot.
    • Office Hour:
      • Mondays E1.3 SR 107 14:15 - 15:45 (starting Oct, 30th)
      • Join an open space to work on the material, collaborate with others, and ask questions.
    • Projects: 3 small ones (deadlines here)
    • Exams:
      • Main: 13.02.2024
      • Room: 25.03.2024
    • You can find all the dates here (as soon as they are fixed)
  • Material / Language:
    • Material is in English and provided in the form of a web-based living coursebook (including code fragments, videos, etc.)
    • Instructors and tutors speak German (gerne bei Problemen auf Deutsch Fragen stellen und Antworten bekommen)
  • Requisites:
    • No prior dependability knowledge is needed.
    • Elementary programming skills required (e.g. Programmierung 2 or comparable).
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