Description
1. Tasks:
1.1. Problem 1: Sharing the Bridge
A new single lane bridge is constructed to connect the North Island to the South Island of New Zealand.
Farmers from each island use the bridge to deliver produce to the other island, return back to their island and
this is repeated indefinitely. It takes a farmer carrying produce 20 steps to cross the bridge. Once a farmer (say
a North Island farmer identified as N_Farmer1) crosses the bridge (from North Island to South Island) he
just attempts to cross the bridge in the opposite direction (from South Island to North Island) and so on. Note
that the ID of the farmer does NOT change.
The bridge can become deadlocked if a northbound and a southbound farmer are on the bridge at the same
time (New Zealand farmers are stubborn and will not back up). The bridge has a large neon sign above it
indicating the number of farmers that have crossed it in either direction. The neon sign counts multiple crossing
by the same farmer.
Using semaphores, design and implement an algorithm that prevents deadlock. Use threads to simulate
multiple/concurrent farmers and assume that the stream of farmers are constantly attempting to use the bridge
from either direction. Your program should input parameters at runtime to initialise the number of farmers
from each direction. For example [N=5, S=5] would indicate a constant stream of 5 farmers from each
direction wanting to use the bridge. You also make sure that the solution is starvation-free (the situation in
which northbound farmers prevent southbound farmers from using the bridge, or vice versa should not occur).
Add 20 ms delay between every 5 steps of the farmers take.
You should terminate the problem after NEON = 100.
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1.1.1. Sample Input/output for Problem 1
The input file will be formatted as follows:
The input indicates the program is initialized with 2 farmers from each direction who will constantly attempt
to use the bridge to go from one island to other.
The (partial) output from one execution is as follows:
NOTE: For the same input the output may look somewhat different from run to run.
N_Farmer1: Wating for bridge. Going towards South
S_Farmer2: Wating for bridge. Going towards North
S_Farmer1: Wating for bridge. Going towards North
N_Farmer2: Wating for bridge. Going towards South
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 5.
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 10.
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 15.
N_Farmer1: Across the bridge.
NEON = 1
S_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 5.
N_Farmer1: Wating for bridge. Going towards North
S_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 10.
S_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 15.
S_Farmer2: Across the bridge.
NEON = 2
N_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 5.
N_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 10.
N_Farmer2: Crossing bridge Step 15.
S_Farmer2: Wating for bridge. Going towards South
N_Farmer2: Across the bridge.
NEON = 3
S_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 5.
N_Farmer2: Wating for bridge. Going towards North
S_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 10.
S_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 15.
S_Farmer1: Across the bridge.
NEON = 4
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 5.
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 10.
S_Farmer1: Wating for bridge. Going towards South
N_Farmer1: Crossing bridge Step 15.
N_Farmer1: Across the bridge.
NEON = 5
…
…
…
N=2, S=2
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1.2. Problem 2: Ice-cream parlour
A new ice-cream parlour has been opened at Shortland Student Hub. The parlour does not offer take away
service but there is only five seats in the parlour to eat in. A customer may arrive to the parlour at any time
and may take a certain time to finish his ice-cream. The manager servers the customers in the order they
arrives but adds a peculiar rule to it. If a customer arrives when there is an empty seat, then the customer can
immediately take a seat. However, if all the five seats are occupied (i.e. there are five customers enjoying their
ice-creams at any instant) then all the arriving customers have to wait for the entire party (all current
customers) to leave before they can get their seats.
Using semaphores design and implement an algorithm that manages the customers entering and leaving the
ice-cream parlour in line with manager’s rules. Use threads to simulate multiple/concurrent customers. Your
solution must be fair – starvation free. Assume no time is wasted in taking seat, serving/starting eating icecream and leaving the parlour.
1.2.1. Sample Input/output for Problem 2
The input file will be formatted as follows:
Where each line, except the last, contains information regarding a customer
Arrival-time Customer-ID Ice-cream-eating-time
Input ends with a line containing the word END.
You can assume that in the input the customers will be sorted in order of their
arrival times.
The output should be as follows:
Output shows information of each customer in
a separate line. Each line contains Customer-ID,
Arrival-time, time when the customer seats in
the ice-cream parlour and time when the
customer leaves the parlour.
Customer Arrives Seats Leaves
C1 0 0 5
C2 0 0 7
C3 0 0 8
C4 2 2 7
C5 3 3 8
C6 4 8 11
C7 7 8 13
C8 10 10 15
0 C1 5
0 C2 7
0 C3 8
2 C4 5
3 C5 5
4 C6 3
7 C7 5
10 C8 5
END
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1.3. Problem 3: Monitoring the Ice-cream parlour
You will need to implement a solution for Problem 2 (Ice-cream parlour) using monitor.
Using monitor, design and implement an algorithm that manages the customers entering and leaving the icecream parlour in line with manager’s rules. Use threads to simulate multiple/concurrent customers. Your
solution must be fair and starvation free, i.e., the customers will be served in the order of their arrival time and
no customer should be waiting for indefinite time. Assume no time is wasted in taking seat, serving/starting
eating meals and leaving the parlour.
1.3.1. Sample Input/output for Problem 3
The sample input/output will be same as shown in Problem 2.
1.4. Problem 4: Additional Task for COMP6240 students only
[NOT for COMP2240 students]
In the lecture, two algorithms, namely Dekker’s algorithm and Peterson’s algorithm, were discussed as
software approaches to mutual exclusion. A couple of other algorithms exist in the literature for the same
purpose. You are asked to perform a survey on the software approaches to mutual exclusion and prepare a
report on that. Your survey should include at least four different algorithms (may and may not include the
above two). You should discuss the design principle, suitability of generalisation for n processes, suitability
for multiprocessor/multi-core environment, relative advantages/disadvantages.
Your survey report should be between 4 and 6 pages (single space) of content, excluding cover and
references.
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2. Other Submission Requirements:
Your submission must also conform to the follow considerations.
2.1. Programming Language:
The programming language is Java, versioned as per the University Lab Environment (Note this appears to
have been rolled back on the Lab machines, which means we’re currently targeting a subversion of Java 11
– so please be conscious of this). You may only use standard Java libraries as part of your submission.
2.2. User Interface:
The output should be printed to the console, and strictly following the output samples given in the assignment
package. While there are no marks allocated specifically for the Output Format, there will be a deduction
when the result format varies from those provided.
2.3. Input and Output:
Your program will accept data from an input file of name specified as a command line argument. The sample
files P1-1.txt and P2-1.txt (containing inputs for Problem 1 and 2/3 respectively) are provided to
demonstrate the required input file format. Hint: the Java Scanner Library is something you will likely want
to use here!
Your submission will be tested with the above data and will also be tested with other input files.
Your program should output to standard output (this means output to the Console). Output should be strictly
in the given format (see the output files below).
The sample files P1-1out.txt and P2-1out.txt (containing output for P1-1.txt and P2-1.txt
respectively) are provided to demonstrate the required output (and input) format which must be strictly
maintained. If output is not generated in the required format then your program will be considered
incorrect.
2.4. Mark Distribution:
Mark distribution can be found in the assignment feedback document (Assign2Feedback2240.pdf and
Assign2Feedback6240.pdf).
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2.5. Deliverable:
1. Your submission will contain your program source code with documentation and the report (below) in
the root of the submission. These files will be zipped and submitted in an archive named
c9876543.zip (where c9876543 is your student number) – do not submit a .rar, or a .7z, or
etc.
2. Your main classes (for each different problem) will be named P1.java, P2.java and P3.java
respectively, and your program will thus compile with the command javac P1.java, javac
P2.java and javac P3.java respectively.
Your program will be executed by running java P1 input.txt, java P2 input.txt and
java P3 input.txt respectively.
…where input.txt can be any filename – do not hardcode filenames or extensions!
Note: If your program can not be compiled and executed in the expected manner (above) then please
add a readme.txt (containing any special instructions required to compile and run the source code)
in the root of the submission. Please note that such non-standard submissions will be marked with
heavy penalty.
3. Brief 1 page (A4) report of the how you tested your programs to ensure they enforced mutual exclusion
and are deadlock and starvation free. Specifically, your report should include discussion on edge cases
you considered and behaviour of your algorithm on those cases, any specific trick/technique you
applied and did you face any specific issue.
4. COMP6240 students will in addition to the above requirements also submit their survey report
additional task as a PDF document, called SurveyReport.pdf, and also placed in the root of the
submission archive.
2.6. Submission Notes:
a) Assignments submitted after the deadline (11:59 pm 16
th September 2022) will have the final result
reduced by 10% of the maximum possible marks per day. A ‘day’ begins at 12:00 Midnight, and once
this time is passed, the penalty for the whole day is applied. This is UoN Policy.
b) If your assignment is not prepared and submitted following above instructions then you will lose most
of your marks despite your algorithms being correct.
Nasim and Dan
v1.0 2022-08-25
