Design a Custom Page-Replacement Policy for a Tier-1 Cloud Provider Simulator
Overview
What this challenge is about.
Implement CLOCK-Pro and LRU-K in a cloud simulator, benchmark against LRU, and deliver code with a memo to earn your verifiable certificate.
The scenario
The provider (multi-region, runs roughly 12M cores) is building toward CXL-attached memory in 2027 — the policy decision now sets their kernel-patch trajectory.
The Brief
What you'll do, and what you'll demonstrate.
Implement and benchmark two page-replacement policies against production traces and recommend which to prototype for a tiered-memory architecture.
Earning criteria — what you'll demonstrate
- Understand CLOCK-family vs LRU-family page replacement tradeoffs
- Reason about tiered-memory access cost (DRAM vs CXL latency)
- Run rigorous trace-driven benchmarks with confidence intervals
- Write a technical recommendation memo a kernel team can fund
Program Fit
Where this fits in your program.
Sharpens the same skills your degree expects you to demonstrate.
Operating Systems
Bachelor · Systems
Strong alignment
This challenge maps to Operating Systems at the Bachelor level. It sharpens the same practical skills your coursework expects — but in a real industry context with actual constraints and deliverables.
Skills
Skills you'll demonstrate.
Each one shows up on your verified credential.
- Memory Management
Apply memory management to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Page Replacement
Apply page replacement to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Benchmarking
Apply benchmarking to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Simulation
Apply simulation to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- C Plus Plus
Apply c plus plus to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Performance Analysis
Apply performance analysis to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
Careers
Career paths this challenge builds toward
Completing this challenge demonstrates skills that transfer directly to these roles: