Description
Part 1: The Producer-Consumer Problem with Bounded Buffer (75 points).
In class, we discussed a semaphore-based solution to the producer-consumer problem using a bounded
buffer. In this project, you will write the Pthread code to solve this problem using three semaphores:
empty, full and mutex.
You can assume the BUFFER_SIZE is 10 and you can use a circular queue to simulate the BUFFER. The
buffer will be manipulated with two functions, insert_item() and remove_item(), which are called by the
producer and consumer threads, respectively. The insert_item() function will insert a random generated
integer (between 0 and 1000) to the buffer and the remove_item() function will remove one integer from
the buffer. Busy waiting will apply if a producer or a consumer thread cannot enter its critical section.
The main() function will initialize the buffer and create the separate producer and consumer threads. Once
it has created the producer and consumer threads, the main() function will sleep for a period of time and,
upon awakening, will terminate the whole program. The main() function will be passed three parameters
via the command line:
1. How long to sleep before terminating the program (in second).
2. The number of producer threads
3. The number of consumer threads
Hint: Refer to the Demo_Semaphore code for semaphore related operations.
Part 2: The Sleeping Teaching Assistant Problem (75 points)
In this project, you will use Pthreads, mutex locks, semaphores and conditional variables (optional) to
solve the sleeping teaching assistant problem.
Assume that your instructor hires a teaching assistant (TA) who helps students with their programming
assignments during regular office hours. The TA’s office is rather small and has room for only one desk
with a chair and computer. There are three chairs in the hallway outside the office where students can sit
and wait if the TA is currently helping another student. When there are no students who need help during
office hours, the TA sits at the desk and takes a nap. If a student arrives during office hours and finds the
TA sleeping, the student must awaken the TA to ask for help. If a student arrives and finds the TA
currently helping another student, the student sits on one of the chairs in the hallway and waits. If no
chairs are available, the student will come back at a later time.
Your main() program should create n student threads and one TA thread, where n is passed in from the
command line. Each student thread will alternate between programming for a period of time and seeking
help from the TA. If the TA is available, they will obtain help. Otherwise, they will either sit in a chair in
the hallway or, if no chairs are available, will resume programming and will seek help at a later time. If a
student arrives and notices that the TA is sleeping, the student must wake up the TA. When the TA
finishes helping a student, the TA must check to see if there are students waiting for help in the hall way.
If so, the TA must help each of these students in turn. If no students are present, the TA may return to
napping.
The main() function will sleep for a period of time and, upon awakening, will terminate the whole
program. The main() function will be passed three parameters via the command line:
1. How long to sleep before terminating the whole program (in second).
2. The number of student threads
Perhaps the best option for simulating students programming – as well as the TA providing help to a
student – is to have the appropriate threads sleep for a period of time (e.g. 1ms). In addition, please make
sure to print meaningful messages at the right stage such as:
The TA is helping student id.
Student id goes back to program.
Student id waits for help in a chair.
The TA is sleeping.
The TA is waked up.
Hint: Refer to the Demo_Conditional_Var code if you decide to use conditional variables.
