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name: systems-computing description: Understand computer systems from digital logic through operating systems, networks, databases, and distributed systems. sasmp_version: "1.3.0" bonded_agent: 05-systems-expert bond_type: PRIMARY_BOND

Systems Computing Skill

Skill Metadata

Copyskill_config:
  version: "1.0.0"
  category: systems
  prerequisites: [cs-foundations]
  estimated_time: "10-12 weeks"
  difficulty: intermediate-advanced

  parameter_validation:
    domain:
      type: string
      enum: [cpu, memory, os, network, database, distributed]
      required: true
    scale:
      type: string
      enum: [single, cluster, global]
      default: single

  retry_config:
    max_attempts: 3
    backoff_strategy: exponential
    initial_delay_ms: 500

  observability:
    log_level: INFO
    metrics: [domain_usage, design_pattern_frequency]

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Quick Start

Master how modern computers actually work, from circuits to distributed systems.

Digital Logic & CPU

CPU Concepts

• Instruction execution cycle
• Registers and cache hierarchy
• Pipelining
• Branch prediction

Cache Memory

• L1, L2, L3 hierarchy
• Temporal and spatial locality
• Cache lines and blocks

Operating Systems

Process Management

• Process states and context switching
• Scheduling algorithms: FCFS, SJF, round-robin

Memory Management

• Virtual memory and paging
• Page tables and TLB
• Page replacement: LRU, optimal

Concurrency

• Race conditions and critical sections
• Mutual exclusion: locks, semaphores
• Deadlock: conditions, detection, recovery

Networking

OSI Model

• Layer 1: Physical (signals, cables)
• Layer 2: Data Link (MAC, switching)
• Layer 3: Network (IP, routing)
• Layer 4: Transport (TCP, UDP)

Protocols

• HTTP/HTTPS: Web
• TCP: Reliable connection
• UDP: Fast connectionless
• DNS: Name resolution

Distributed Systems

CAP Theorem

• Consistency: all nodes same data
• Availability: responds to requests
• Partition tolerance: survives splits
• Can guarantee only 2 of 3

Consensus Algorithms

• Paxos: proven consensus
• Raft: simpler consensus

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Troubleshooting

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Key Concepts

• Latency: Time to complete one task
• Throughput: Tasks completed per unit time
• Scalability: Performance with increasing load
• Fault tolerance: Reliability despite failures

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Interview Questions

• How do caches work?
• Explain virtual memory
• What is thrashing?
• Difference between TCP and UDP?
• How do transactions work?
• Design a system that scales to millions of users